AIBU TO BUY A PUSHCHAIR FOR DD'S AGE 5 AND 7?

[Coffeecreamers]

AIBU to buy a pushchair this year to go to Orlando? Sold our pushchair a while back but we are going to Orlando in late July and it's going to be really bloody hot. We are planning on spending the majority of the 2 weeks at the parks. We walk to and from from school every day which takes 30 minutes and the 5 year old is tired by the time she gets home. Both of them were knackered when we went to Thorpe Park this year. I know people will be judgey if we do but I actually want to enjoy this holiday. AIBU to take a pushchair, not for them to sit in all the time but just as a means of a little respite?

[Lostthefairytale]

I wouldn't buy one but look in to hiring. There are lots of companies that hire them which I think is cheaper and more convenient than getting them at the park. We hired one, it was delivered and picked up from our hotel. I definitely wouldn't even think about attempting Disney without a buggy for your 5 year old at least. It's hot, it's busy and it's exhausting. Why waste energy?

[minipie]

What about scooters? Less hard work than walking.

[MummyBex1985]

Our five year old twins only needed a rental pushchair for one day out of two weeks. It was a long and very hot day.

Mid day breaks/nap/swims work well at that age to recharge the batteries.

[Aeroflotgirl]

My ds 4 and looks like a 6 year old, Noway would I be able to push him, let alone a 7 year old 😬 Oh dear 8,9,10 year olds in buggies, if no disability or SN is ridiculous, make them walk take breaks.

[PaulAnkaTheDog]

YES YOU ARE! (Sorry had to )

[CodyKing]

They won't be in the heat - all the rides are indoors and air conditioned - only walking between rides -

Why lug a pushchair around? I wouldn't fancy pushing two lumps about who could walk in the heat!

Madness

[frikadela01]

We went to florida last year with my 4 year old sister and she managed without a pushchair. We just took breaks in the shade when she felt tired. Iguess if you're planning on powering round the parks then I'd maybe consider one for the 5 year old (certainly not the older one) but if you adapt how you tour the parks to incorporate more breaks then I don't think they need it. You've also got to bear in mind how knackering it will be for the adults having to push the kids around in the pushchairs.

[TremoloGreen]

Able bodied 5 and 7 year olds in a buggy I am trying to imagine suggesting a buggy to my 3yo without an epic battle I would expect them to happily run around/ play all day at that age, presumably with a sit down in the shade when it all gets too much.

[StrawberrytallCake]

We hired one from Orlando stroller rentals for around £150 for 20 days - it was a big double stroller and fit our 6 and 3 year old in - they are v tall.

They delivered to our villa and we dropped off on the way to the airport but you can have it picked up. It was definitely worth it!!!

[mostlyexhausted]

We are heading to Orlando too, though not till October. With dc who will then be 4 and 8. A buggy hadn't crossed my mind for the 4yo. YABU. Mind you, I say that now.... I could well end up hiring!

[StrawberrytallCake]

Also I found it much easier to push them particularly across the boiling hot car parks after 5-6 hours at the park. In storms or when we just needed to keep them together because it was crazy busy!!! Obviously the pushchair wasn't used constantly - there are pushchair parks everywhere and they can be left there for however long you need to.

[TwoLittleBlooms]

In this situation YANBU, honestly if it will make your holiday enjoyable (both for you and your children) do it! You are hurting no one, causing offence to no one, just go and enjoy your fab holiday!

[HeddaGarbled]

You need to plan the days so that you aren't walking in the scorching heat from 9am to 6pm. We found getting there at opening but leaving mid afternoon worked best for us. There are lots of shows, restaurants, boat rides etc which give you opportunities to sit down throughout the day.

We alternated days at the theme parks with days at water parks.

The only day we stayed late was to catch the fireworks at Epcot, so we arrived late that day, which gave us a chance for a lie in and leisurely breakfast.

The only meltdown we had was from our 7 year old while waiting for the afternoon parade in the Magic Kingdom. We were standing in main street in strong sun waiting for it and she'd had enough unsurprisingly. We did manage to persuade her to stay for the parade and then escaped to a nice cool ice cream shop.

Don't try and do everything. You will all get hot, cross and tired, pushchairs or no pushchairs. Pick and choose. A lot of the magic is in the atmosphere and meeting the characters, not queuing for hours for rides.

[GinAndColonic]

You'd be so tired pushing them around too. Can't imagine the weight on top of all the walking. Make it an enjoyable holiday, you don't have to do 'everything' and tire yourself out. Rest when they want to, soak in a bit of it slowly. Pick your favourite things and do them first.

[CocktailQueen]

Yes, you're completely unreasonable to think about pushchairs for a 5yo and 7yo! Omg. Take a break in between rides, shelter from the sun. They're not babies!

And you'd be knackered pushing them yourself.

[3cupsoftea]

Yes, do it.
We've just returned from a Disney hol with DS's 6 months and 5. The five year old absolutely needed the stroller. We took our own but the park was full of people who had rented them either from the park itself or from a place like this:
www.kingdomstrollers.com
To say that you won't be in the heat much is madness. Even ducking In-between rides and shows you are going to get very hot and tired. Esp in the summer. The humidity and heat will just suck the life from you. Although I now live in the uk, I'm a native Floridian. I will not travel to Florida between May-October. It's just not enjoyable.

[dailyfailrag]

Pushing them both in the hot sun will be a nightmare, and their combined weight will probably be more than any standard double buggy will take.

You could get one buggy and alternate rides, maybe with the other one on a scooter or similar. Avoid wandering around during the hottest time of day, and try to plan plenty of breaks.

[NewLife4Me]

My ds1 was the laziest walker ever, and complained after a couple of mins.
You should have seen him whizzing about like he was on acid, from the moment we got in the parks until kicking out time.
Just take plenty of breaks, but you'll struggle keeping up with them, honestly.
Oh, he was 7.

[corythatwas]

If you are going to be physically exhausted too (which I don't doubt for a minute) then the last thing I think you should do is to set yourself up as a carthorse. I think a better idea would be just to agree that you all sit down and rest when you need it. Just speaking as somebody who has had experience of pushing 7yo in wheelchair: it's bloody exhausting.

[Buttercupsandaisies]

I have to admit I'm not looking forward to all the buggies at Disney - it's bad enough trying to dodge them in crowds! Toddlers fine but 7-10 year olds in buggies is crazy - just holding up the general traffic and causing frustration

[StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine]

I think a lot of people use them around Orlando, even for kids that age, as there's a lot of walking, lots to carry and it's usually hot and tiring.

[Mrsfrumble]

I think pushchairs here in the U.S. are tested to a higher weight limit; even our cheap umbrella fold has a weight limit of 45lbs, which is more than our average-sized 5.5 yo boy weighs.

It's not unusual to see similarly aged children to the OP's riding in rented strollers at our local zoo, especially in the summer months (in the Southern USA where it gets really bloody hot) and I refrain from judging, because if it works for a family it's none of my business, is it?

[DotForShort]

Would a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old actually consent to ride in a pushchair? I would imagine most children of those ages wouldn't be caught dead in such a "babyish" contraption!

Of course I am not talking about children with a genuine need to ride in a buggy due to SN.

In your situation, I would just take breaks when the children get tired. They will probably be bursting with energy and excitement.

[oobedobe]

My youngest was not quite 3 when we did disney so obviously we had a stroller for her, surprisingly my 6 yo, did take a few turns in it, she is usually very energetic but was slightly under the weather one day and it was great that she could rest there. It is a long day for them no matter how 'fit' they are.

So I would take one umbrella stroller for the 5yo and let the 7 yo use it a bit too.

[VimFuego101]

We went to Orlando when DS was just 4, and we used his stroller there for the last time before passing it on to someone else in a Disney freecycle group. It's pretty hot and humid in the summer, and to be honest if I went again I would probably rent one just to give him somewhere shady to sit if I was planning a long day. He would manage to walk if I insisted though.