As a mom of young children, including having twin boys when my daughter was only 2 years old. I know the importance of strollers for littles while traveling to Disney. Honestly, strollers are one of the most asked questions I get from Moms of children under 6. It's confusing to know all the different rules Disney has in place so here I am to break it all down for you.
We will break down what size strollers are allowed, what transportation options you need to break your stroller down on, what dimensions they must be, exclusions, rental companies, in-park rental, and how to determine what is best for you to bring your own, rent from an outside source, or rent in-park.
First off, strollers must be no larger than 31 inches wide and 52 inches long. Wagons of any kind are not permitted unless they are being used due to a medical disability. There is no limitation as to the amount of seats a stroller has as long as they fall within the above dimensions, which is personally why I love my Zoe Trio.
Next, let's talk about what modes of transportation you can use to keep your strollers open, and napping children asleep. This factor plays heavily on my suggestion of WDW resorts when helping pick a location that best suits the families' budget, and accessibility for families of young children.
For Disney bus transportation, children must be removed from strollers, and they must be folded prior to boarding the bus. For the Disney Skyliner, single strollers can be rolled on, and tandem double strollers under the above length restriction are allowed without folding or removing the children.
For the monorail, all types of permissible strollers can be rolled on and the children do not have to be removed, although my littles like to sit and watch outside the windows which is sometimes hard to do from the stroller.
For the water taxis, strollers will need to be folded as they are smaller boats and are not accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. The friendship boats, on the other hand, are stroller-friendly. You will be asked to remove your child from the stroller during transit but the stroller does not need to be folded. Friendship boats run on Crescent Lake between Epcot International Gateway, 5 Epcot area resorts, and Hollywood Studios. They also run on Epcot's World Showcase Lagoon between Morocco and Canada and between Mexico and Germany.
Lastly, let's discuss the one that most moms ponder: to rent, bring my own, or rent in-park. The answer to this question relies heavily on your child's age, and what you plan to do while in Walt Disney World.
If your child is on the older side and you don't feel like bringing a stroller to Disney, and don't anticipate your child napping during your park day or falling asleep on the way back to your hotel, or are staying off-property and don't anticipate needing a stroller at other non-park areas, renting a stroller in the park is your best option.
Strollers rented at WDW parks will need to be picked up upon park entry and returned before exiting the park. For a single stroller, the price is $15 a day or $13 a day for multiple-day rentals, recommended for children 50 pounds or less. For a double stroller, the price is $31 a day, or $27 a day for multiple-day rental, recommended weight limit of 100 pounds or less. If you rent a stroller at Disney Springs, a $100 credit card deposit is required.
Your second option is to rent a stroller from a third-party stroller rental company. The perks of this are they will deliver the stroller right to the Disney Resort or local surrounding accommodations that you are staying at. The price is often reasonable and you can take the stroller in and out of the park, which is ideal if you are in tow of younger tots who may nap throughout the day, or would not be able to walk back to the transportation terminals after a long park day. Prices vary but as of this writing Kingdom Strollers has single strollers starting at $80 for a 4-7 night stay. Double strollers are $100 for a 4-7 night stay. This includes a rain cover and cooler bag. You can also purchase protection for the stroller for $20 for the length of your trip. They will drop the stroller off to you at the airport, or your Disney Resort or other nearby lodging accommodations.
I hope this article helps you and if you have any further questions about planning Disney with little ones, please feel free to reach out to me at Amy's Fairy Tale Escapes. A Disney expert in traveling with littles, I can help you plan your Disney trip, reduce the stress of traveling with tots, and help make everyone's trip more enjoyable. Reach out to me for a free quote today.
