Popping up everywhere!

Before our trip in June, I searched and searched for information about bringing a baby to Disney. I was by no means a Disney beginner, but I had never considered the parks with a such a small tyke. During our trip the previous summer, we both figured that we would wait a little while to bring the kids (assuming we'd have multiple before coming back). Obviously, that didn't last, so I wanted to read what other people experienced to see if we were as crazy as I guessed.

The only information I found was from the Disney MOMS panel (which I think I'll apply for next time it comes around... if I hear about it in time!). Now that I'm becoming a blog hound, I've found at least 2 others. Which I know "follow" in my spare time. I found an adorable one for Disneyland (see? different! we've never even visited the land! yet.) called Babes in Disneyland and another one with a title I'm pretty sure I tried to register for - Growing up Disney. I'm glad I didn't see these before because I probably wouldn't have followed through with this blog, which now I'm addicted to (and you are, too. admit it!).

After reading some of the older posts on Growing Up Disney, I decided to take on of their posts and expand upon it with my experiences. Back in May, they did a stroller review on the Maclaren Volo, a stroller that I have absolutely no experience with - however, I do have experience with several others, thanks to my generous family :)

Here is a list of the strollers I've used:

1. Snap and Go-style - it's simply a frame for the car seat - several companies make these now.

- I used this stroller exclusively for the first few weeks, but Noah never enjoyed being in his car seat, so I would often end up carrying him or wearing him (first in a sling, later in my Wrapsody woven wrap). While I saw several of these around the parks, I can't imagine a baby being comfortable all day stuck in their car seat. It would definitely make going into restaurants easier (Noah didn't quite fit in the high chair), he would have been miserable. And I'm pretty sure it's not good for the baby to be in their for such extended periods of time if there are other options.

2. Zooper Waltz - Another hand me down, I loved these strollers. They almost fully recline and we took Noah for walks in these when he was only a few weeks old. It's also great because the car seat can snap right in as sort of a make-shift travel system. I had intended to bring this stroller, but as my sister-in-law, Laura, pointed out, it doesn't fold up very well and was a pain to use on and off the bus, so she loaned me their:

3. Maclaren Quest (I think that's the right model!) - this is an uber lightweight umbrella stroller. It folds up better than any other stroller I've tried and is much easier to figure out than some of the others as well. Plus, this stroller reclined easily to help with naps. Ooh and it has a shoulder strap! The only downfalls were the lack of cup holders and the seriously small basket. But, I can't imagine any compact strollers big enough to carry our giant diaper backpacks..

4. Chicco Umbrella strollers - Another hand me down... this one went straight to my mother-in-laws and she keeps it unfolded there because it is HARD to figure out! Seriously. But, they do have cute colors..

5. The BOB Revolution - running stroller. I love this stroller... for anything where I don't have to put it away. It's HUMONGOUS. It doesn't fold up very well at all, but it's wonderful for long walks and runs around the neighborhood. It's also Noah's favorite - he'll fall asleep in that one in a matter of minutes. And it has a great and easily accessible basket (and an optional strap on cup holder) - so if you're driving to the parks and not having to think about the buses and folding it up, this is a fantastic option.

When I was planning to bring my sister-in-laws, I did worry about one thing - is this really safe? I'm just going to be leaving this really nice stroller in an open area? We only found it moved (by the Cast Members in charge of organizing the strollers) once and only a few spots down. Actually, at one point in time, we left it by Pirates of the Caribbean with Noah's small stuffed nemo doll sitting on the seat, facing out for all to see, then walked all the way to Tomorrowland, leaving the stroller for a couple of hours. When we finally picked up the stroller, it hadn't been moved and nemo was safe and sound. So, erase that worry! It's safe!

I think the only way to get everything you want all in one would be to buy one of those absurdly expensive strollers. I'd rather spend that $900 on another trip!

Hope this helps!

For more in depth stroller reviews, check out my favorite baby planning book - Baby Bargains.

Talk about a lifesaver!

Happy strollering,

~Jenn