We travelled to Disney World Resorts in Florida from the UK with 4-year-old- and 5-year-old twins. All three hadn’t been in a pushchair on days out for at least 18 months. However, a Walt Disney World Vacation is a different kind of trip with much walking. Today we will examine whether we needed a pushchair/stroller for Disney World.

The short answer is yes, we did. Thankfully, our friends had been with their little boy the year before and told us about the Disney World pushchair hire, so it got us thinking. I was surprised they had and even a little smug in feeling like we didn’t need a pushchair, not being a stroller fan. We hadn’t for some time, so why would Disney World be any different?

Do I Need A Pushchair/stroller For Disney World For 4 And 5-Year-Olds?

Taking your own stroller to Disney World is a good idea for many reasons, but my main reasons are that Disney World is huge and hot; you will be walking all day. Plus, it’s expensive to hire them; they all look the same.

Before we went, I still didn’t believe my 5-year-old would need a pushchair for Disney World. We took with us on the plane an old double buggy that my parents still had at their house for the twins. (ours having been sold on a long time before) It would probably stay in the villa and not be used.

We set off on our first day to Animal Kingdom without a pushchair, full of enthusiasm for this incredible place, and you know what? We were ok. Animal Kingdom is one of the smaller Disney parks in Florida, but by 3 pm (when we had pretty much-done everything thanks to quite awesome fast passing), the kids were flagging, and there were quite a few tears. 

We were on the far side of the park to where we needed to be, and there was still the simply enormous car par to contend with, and I longed for the pushchair back at the villa!  We hadn’t needed it all day, but we needed it then!

So when we set off on our first day to Magic Kingdom, we took the double pushchair for the twins. I can’t tell you how relieved I am that we did.  By the end of the trip, we were also taking the single buggy for Lily, who was 5, which we had found in the garage at the villa!

You need a pushchair for Disney World with a 5-year-old because it’s enormous!

You will only realise how big Walt Disney World is once you visit. To be exact, 40 Square miles, or the size of San Francisco. Yes, that’s right, the same size as the whole city of San Francisco. Now I know you don’t walk around it all, but you do walk around a lot. That’s an enormous distance for a 4- or 5-year-old to walk, and if you decide not to take a pushchair to Disney World, you might do a lot of carrying.

You will likely be walking around from very early in the morning until late in the evening. That’s a lot for even the best four or 5-year-old walker. They are also super handy for use at the Airport.

Now carrying a baby around Disney World is a good idea. We have a great post here about why Baby Wearing at Disney is a great idea. But carrying a four and 5-year-old is a little different and can be back-breaking, mainly when there are 3 of them; one is likely always to be tired!

Can you Hire Strollers/pushchairs at Disney World?

Yes, you can; however, you only have to see a Disney stroller parking areas once to realise that it will be easier to spot your pushchair in a place full of identical pushchairs. Balloons, banners, and identifying marks are all great ideas. We were also glad we took our pushchair as it was doubtful that people would accidentally take ours away because it looked so different.

Disney Stroller prices are also pretty high, and I have heard of them being unavailable in very busy times.

Reader Sage said:

We have heard good things about renting a stroller from Kingdom Strollers, with single strollers costing around $95 for a 10-day trip. Rental companies deliver to your hotel or Disney Resort and pick it up at the end of your Disney Vacation. The strollers have sunshades and recline, which is much better than the rental strollers in the park. There is so much walking at Disney that I highly recommend using a stroller for that age.

Disney World Stroller Rules

Stroller wagons, whether pushed or pulled, are not permitted at any Disney Theme park, water park or indoor venues at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Strollers Cant be Above A Certain Size

Strollers should be no larger than 31” (79 cm) wide and 52” (132cm) long when measured across the widest and longest points. Guests are not allowed to bring pushchairs above this size into the parks.

How Much Are Disney World’s Stroller Rentals at Disney in 2023?

You need a Pushchair for Disney World Because it’s hot!

This was one of the main reasons we needed a pushchair for Disney World with our four and 5-year-old because, coming from the UK, we are not used to the heat. You know how tired you can feel in the intense heat; the kids think it even more. Mid afternoon it was so lovely for the kids to sit in the pushchair while waiting for the parades or moving from one area to another.

One of our Readers, Rebecca, Said

Oh my gosh, yes! We are just back with a 5 & 7 yr old there was no way they could have walked the parks in the heat! We took a double stroller with us that broke, so we hired one from Orlando Strollers. They were tremendous & clean. They dropped at your hotel & collect. The hoods are great in the sun, as they cover right over. The one we hired in Magic Kingdom was functional but essential & plastic like a trolley, so we decided to rent a good one for the rest & much cheaper doing that.

Here are some ideas about what strollers to use at Disney by our friends at Flying with a Baby. Also check out Magic Strollers for Orlando-based hire.

Other Uses for a Pushchair at Disney World

• Great for keeping space in the lines for the parades
• Suitable for the evening if your little ones are likely to drop off
• Great for racing to the first rides in the morning after rope drop. We used them to get close to the front of the queue for Anna & Elsa’s meet and greet. I wouldn’t have made it if little legs were walking there.

Feedback from other Mums about their reasons and

Reader Tips for Taking a pushchair to Disney World for 4 and 5 year olds

Ruth said

We did Disneyland Paris when my two were nearly 4, and I took the pram (City Jogger GT Double). Hoods were more for rain shelter than heat!! It was essential for quickly catching the start of a show or to the far side of the park. I would say that carrying two any distance is nearly impossible.

We took it everywhere, and I also took a bike lock to leave it secure when it wasn’t needed. But at the end of a hectic day it got us all back to the hotel with minimum whinging!! It was also excellent at night as we went out for dinner, and the kids happily slept in the pram with us (fully flat seats!!). I know many people who are up in arms that I took a pram, but everyone does what works for them, and personally, it would have been nowhere near as productive or as happy without it.

Lindsey said

We went last year & thankfully we took a cheap umbrella pusher. It’s a tiring day out & you get so much more out of it (and the expense you’ve gone to, to get there!) if everyone is happy, comfortable & relaxed. We left it in the hotel in the morning & picked it up after lunch! Thinking of booking in December & will do it again, even if she is 4.5!  {I love using the pushchair for Disney World with four and 5-year-olds for just half a day!}

Nichola said

 The best thing we did was take our own pushchair with a sun cover. Every day was fun and stress-free, meaning we could stay out ALL day without tears. Florida is hot and giving our little girl somewhere to rest/nap in the shade was essential. She didn’t get pushed around all day-we used the buggy parks in each area, so we only used them when she was tired or we had a long walk ahead in the heat.

She is 4 years old.  We struggled to find a buggy she could sleep in and get full sunshade but stumbled upon a Cosatto Woosh. Bright colours made it easy to find when parked, plus a huge canopy and seat collapsing flat for sleep. I paid £150 online, then sold it the first week back for £100. It’s just a no-brainer when you think how much the strollers are there-large black hard things.   Lots of mummies shame other parents for putting their kids in a buggy for a holiday, but they haven’t done Disney!

Gemma said

A good idea and also great to put everything in so you’re not carrying big bags around all day! {I Love this tip of using the pushchair at Disney to save your back too!}

Jennifer said

Our 6-year-old managed fine. But he wouldn’t have a year earlier. We did about 20,000 steps daily, and little legs must do double that to keep up with adults. We were exhausted.

If you’re still wondering though and need more time, why not read Rainy Day Mum’s post about whether to take a stroller to Disney World as she comes to a different conclusion.

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