we are taking our 6 month old to disneyland in 2 weeks. so- i was wondering if we should bring our own stroller or rent one, we are staying at the tropicana and so i was thinking it might be kind of a pain to have to take the baby in and out of his stroller when we leave the park to go back to the hotel. on the other hand it's one less thing to pack and even though everyone in my family has never had a problem with it a girl i work with just had her brand new, expensive, double stroller stolen. so what works better?

I say take your own. :)

we always rented one, but that was pre DTD and DCA. I know they don't let them beyond the bag checks now. My child didn't go to Dl until she was two or three though. I think at 6 months I would bring my own. The strollers they rent look like they are geared more for an older child.

Absolutely, positively no question about it: take your own. Another consideration: Those jogging strollers just aren't good 6-month-old strollers. They don't recline for napping nearly well enough.

I know that on rare occasions, people have had their strollers taken at Disneyland. My oldest son is 7 and my youngest is almost 17 months. We've been APs for over 10 years. I've taken expensive strollers (Peg Peregos, single and double) to Disneyland for 7 years without problems. I think that the benefit most definitely outweighs the risk.

Adrienne

I wouldn't worry too much about stroller theft.
With a six-month-old, I don't think you'll have to "park" it too often.

If you want to secure it, you can pick up an inexpensive cable lock (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=12573&subcategory_ID=6700) from a bicycle shop and loop it around fencing or whatever.
It won't stop a determined thief, but it will stop anyone from casually walking away with it.

If you want to secure it, you can pick up an inexpensive cable lock (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=12573&subcategory_ID=6700) from a bicycle shop and loop it around fencing or whatever.
It won't stop a determined thief, but it will stop anyone from casually walking away with it.

Pretty sure that they won't let you lock a stroller. Something about fire safety, I think.

If you want to secure it, you can pick up an inexpensive cable lock (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=12573&subcategory_ID=6700) from a bicycle shop and loop it around fencing or whatever.

Do not try and lock a stroller to any fixtures at Disneyland. If you do, you will very likely return to find the bike lock cut off. The park CMs have to be able to move strollers whenever necessary for space issues, crowd control, or other reasons and it is policy to cut off any locks.

If you do want to use a bike lock, you could use it to secure a wheel of the stroller to the frame. That might be a bit of a deterrant to a potential thief while CMs could still lift up the stroller to move it.

-Jeff

Definitely take your own stroller. You will totally appreciate having it on the walk back to your hotel after a long day in the parks. A 6-month-old will need a comfy place for napping throughout the day and the DLR strollers do not recline, your baby will be much happier in his own stroller.

I agree with the others- take your own. If you are flying, have them gate check it. That way you'll have it to get to the gate, from the gate to bagage claim, etc, along with your carry ons and the baby.

And you'll be really happy you have it when you are heading back to the hotel late at night.

We had our MacLaren double stroller stolen not too long ago at Disneyland in front of the Small World attraction, so I can understand the concern you have. First time in five years of bringing strollers to the park. We were very bummed about the experience, that's for sure.

Even though this happened to us, it hasn't discouraged us from bringing our own personal stroller to Disneyland. Chances are you'll have your stroller by the end of the trip. :) It'll be so much easier for you and your baby will be more comfortable. The Disney strollers aren't the greatest for little six month old babies to ride in all day, IMO.

If you're concerned about the stroller taking up too much room/space when you're traveling, you might want to consider renting one that you'll be able to take back to the hotel and use throughout your stay. There are a couple of companies that specialize in baby equipment rental:

http://www.babysaway.com/
http://www.babydelish.com/

They deliver and pick up from your hotel. Just another option for you to consider.

Have a great time with your little one at Disneyland! :)

Got to agree with the others , I had my one year old grandson there last friday night , in the bustle of hauling wedding stuff , dresses, etc to the park they forgot his stroller!!!! Our job was to babysit him Friday night while they had their respective parties . We stayed at the DL Hotel , I was still determined to go see the fireworks sowe took the monirail, then the train from tomorowland to Main St , where we watched the show from the train station. At the end we were going to do the opposite route but the CM at the train station was not so sure we would make it back for the last monarail departure, so we carried him though DT Disney back to the hotel what a pain in the back , neck, shoulders and arms. I would have killed for a stroller and knew there was no point in renting one since they cant leave the park.

Thanks, kisroo, for the heads up on locking strollers, and thanks to JeffG for the lecture.

I also would take my own stroller. If yours is really nice and your really worried about it maybe you should get a less expensive stroller just for disneyland there are some nice ones for fourty or fifty bucks that are less bulky than some of the more expensive ones but still just as comfy for your baby. Check out garage sales and thrift shops for great deals. I always had a stroller just for DL it was a hand-me-down from my sister and when I got it home and began to clean the thing I was always glad that I didn't take my more expensive "shopping" stroller...in fact the last year we used it I chucked it when I got home since I didn't feel like cleaning it and I had no guilt. ;)

take your own

Here is what I posted in another area:

I recently visited the park with my two kids in two strollers (an umbrella stroller for my 2 year old and a regular stroller for my 3 month old). Looking around, you would swear that the number of strollers wheelchairs, wheelchair-scooters is at least 50% of the number attending DL.

Strollers are everywhere. My initial concern was theft from our stroller. However, there are so many strollers that it's unlikely anyone would reach into our stroller and take something from it. In fact, we were on the train for two hours while our toddler slept on the train and our stroller sat unguarded at the main station for that entire time. No one will take your stroller and it is very unlikely that anyone will take something from your stroller.

If need be, we can fold up the umbrella stroller and place it in the basket of the regular stroller. Also, we have a carry-sling for the baby to give her a break from the stroller.

We bought a used Graco stroller for $10 at a yard sale just for our trip to DL. It fully reclines and has a nice big basket. At $10, that is less than 2 day's rental. If it is stollen, bummer, but we're not out that much. If not, we have a good stroller to keep at Grandma's.