My thoughts on Disney & Strollers . . .

As you well know if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time --- I have 3 kids.  And those 3 kids are spaced rather far apart in age.  There are 6 1/2 years between the first two, and almost 6 years between the second two.  So, what that essentially means is  that, with each additional child that we’ve added to our family, we’ve had to start from scratch with the baby stuff!  So, over the past 18 years, I believe we’ve been the owner of 5 strollers – 3 bigger, heavy-duty type strollers, 1 cheapy umbrella stroller (I hate those things!), and 1 much nicer umbrella stroller. 

With the exception of our first family Disney trip (when my oldest was 5), we’ve taken a stroller each time we’ve visited the Disney parks.  Last May (2011), we took a stroller, thinking it would be the last time we’d need a stroller at Disney (so after using our stroller, I passed it along to my brother to take to Korea).

My Ian is a busy little  guy, and I didn’t think that (at almost 6) he’d need a stroller for  this trip.  However, about two weeks before our trip, he got really run-down with a cold, and started just dropping for naps during the day.  It made me second-guess a trip without a stroller.  (And, to be perfectly honest, I like having a stroller for the convenience of carrying things.)

So, I decided to check into stroller rental companies in the Orlando area.  I came upon one that looked great – Kingdom Strollers – and I contacted them.  The owner, Matt, e-mailed me back almost immediately, and asked if we could chat via phone.  Already, I was impressed.  When he called, we talked about my stroller needs – older child, storage, etc.  He suggested that we go with the City Elite Single.  I took his word for it, and was told that the stroller would be waiting at our resort – Port Orleans Riverside – when we arrived.

Let me just say that the whole stroller rental experience was one of the most pleasant and simple experiences of our whole trip!  Upon arrival at the resort, I sent Brian in to check-in (we had done online check-in, so I didn’t expect it to take him too long).  I went to pick up the stroller.  Sure enough, it was waiting at the luggage pick-up counter, with my name on it.  It was pushed out to me and I was immediately impressed! (Brian’s check-in process took MUCH longer!)

Like I said, I’ve seen and used a lot of strollers over the years.  The City Elite Single is the cadillac of strollers, in my opinion!  The wheels on this thing were big and heavy-duty. There was a large storage compartment underneath the stroller, a hanging mesh bag for more storage on the back of the stroller, a zippered-compartment to store valuables, a place for 3 drinks (or autograph books, etc.) and a flap that lifted up with more pockets to store things!  We were in stroller storage heaven! 

Ian was impressed with it too.  It was spacious and roomy (it holds up to 75 pounds!)  The seat reclined to a full laying down position – and he did make use of it for a few naps.  See?

It folds up easier than any stroller I’ve ever seen – which just a simple pull strap in the middle of  the seat!  One tug and the stroller folds in 1/2, for easy on and off on the buses, etc. 

The handle is adjustable for shorter (me) and taller (Brian) people – great feature!  The lock is very handy too – it’s right beside the handle, rather than being down by the wheels. 

I know you’re probably wondering how much it costs to rent this stroller, right?  Well, that’s the best part – it’s very reasonably priced!  This stroller would cost $90 to rent (for 8-10 nights).  Don’t even tell me you can buy an umbrella stroller for $15 – those things are junk!  They are hard to push, the handles aren’t long enough, the seats don’t recline, there’s nowhere to store things, and they only work for kids that are in the 1-2 year age range (babies look horribly uncomfortable in them, and they don’t hold older/larger kids).  You could bring your stroller from home (and we’ve done so in the past; but they take up SO MUCH ROOM in the van – and if you’re flying, they’re just a pain). 

Kingdom Strollers will help you choose just the right stroller for your needs – they’ve got double strollers (and cribs) too!  They will drop the stroller off at your resort, so it’s there when you arrive.  Then, at the end of your stay, you simply return it to the place where you picked it up.  It’s that simple! 

We had such a great experience with Kingdom Strollers!  I would highly recommend them for all your stroller needs in the Orlando area.  If I ever feel the need for a stroller at Disney again, they will be my first phone call!  The customer service was amazing, the stroller was top-notch, and the ease of the whole process was refreshing! 

Oh, and guess what? 
The strollers from Kingdom Strollers are even fit for pirates!

NOTE: I was provided with this stroller at no cost, in exchange for my use and review.  All opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.