A Double Stroller with Options for Walt Disney World

Before Minnie was born, I started shopping for a doublestroller.  We already had two single strollers (Maclaren Volo and Bob Revolution) that we loved but with the girls only 25 months apart, Tink would still be young enough to need a seat too.  I wanted one stroller that would do it all but alas, that just doesn’t seem to exist.  We live in North Carolina with nice weather and lots of festivals so a Bob Dualie (clearance priced!) won out.  Bob makes a fantastic stroller.  They are easy to push with large seats, huge canopies, excellent suspension, and infant car seat compatible.  The weight isn’t really that bad since most double strollers are heavy; but it’s the overall size that makes it a less than ideal Walt Disney World or general travel stroller in my opinion.  Granted, we saw lots of Big Bobs at the parks in May but mine won’t be joining their ranks.  We now drive to WDW and we own a minivan but even with the wheels removed, Big Bob still eats up a lot of space.  I take it shopping but it’s really designed to be an outdoor stroller.  While jogging, it doesn’t feel nearly as tank-like as it does in the post office.  Plus, even on sale, Bobs are pricey and stroller theft does occasionally happen.

These concerns sent me back to stroller shopping around Christmas.  I knew we would be going to Walt Disney World this year and in years to come.  Minnie didn’t need much so if I found THE smaller double stroller, I’d put it on her Christmas wish list.  I found several great models but with so much already invested in the three strollers we had, it seemed wasteful to buy another. I still keep an eye out for a steal on a Maclaren Twin Triumph, a City Mini Double, a Combi Twin Sport, or maybe a Joovy Caboose Ultralight. 

One morning in December, I checked Craigslist and happened to find a used Maclaren Quest listed for $20.  Needless to say, I called.  The seller told me about the stroller and said she had received another call on it but she would be home that morning if I wanted the first look at it.  I rounded up the girls and drove the hour to her house.  The stroller definitely showed some wear and tear but the frame and seat were in good shape and I handed over the money.  The Quest has a reclining seatback and extendable footrest, both of which make it great for my smaller child.  It weighs about 12 pounds before accessories.  The foam on one handle has some damage and I’m thinking about wrapping the handles with bike tape in a bright color before our next WDW trip.  That will serve double duty as it will also help us find it faster in the stroller corrals.  I already owned a seat liner that fit nicely, provided a bit more padding and covered the sunscreen stains I couldn’t wash off.  I bought a sunshade and cupholder from Amazon.  We've used this stroller quite a bit for preschool, errands, etc.

So why did I buy another single stroller? Well, I also purchased stroller connectors from Amazon for $10 and viola, a double stroller.  The connectors work best when the stroller frames are alike or very similar in size.  Since my original travel stroller is a Maclaren Volo, it matched up nearly perfectly with the Maclaren Quest.  Now we have a lightweight double stroller for travel that gives us flexibility.  Tink is three and most of the time thinks she is too big for a stroller.  Minnie is 14 months old and while she is a great little walker, a stroller is a must for Disney days.  For shorter outings, we can just take one stroller.  In May, we went to Downtown Disney on our first night and left Tink’s stroller behind in the room.  We only took one stroller to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well since most of what we would do with the kiddos was toward the front of the park.  The caveat with that statement is that my mom gets around Disney World on her scooter and Tink thinks riding with Granny is the best thing ever. 

Why have the second stroller when it is empty most of the time?  One word: naptime.  Tink still needs an afternoon nap but won’t take one willingly.  We won’t be making the trek back to Old Key West for an afternoon break because it would be a waste of time for my family.   We do take a break, but it’s either a visit to a resort or pushing the girls until they fall asleep in the stroller and then relaxing wherever we happen to be.  We normally travel with a group so there is always someone willing to sit with the sleeping child and people watch. That brings me back to another benefit of the two-stroller system.  It’s likely that the girls will nap at different times.  If we want to go in separate directions with strollers, we have that option.

The stroller connectors come in a set of three and the instructions show where to place them.  Inevitably the front wheels will occasionally tangle up.  I found this happened much less frequently when both girls where riding and therefore there was weight in the stroller.  It just takes a little time to get used to taking turns a little easier to keep the wheels apart.  However, it’s simple to disconnect them by leaning the stroller back a bit and gently shaking.

Two single strollers connected together is wider than a standard double stroller but you can rarely take a stroller inside at WDW so it wasn’t an issue.  We kept them separate until after we entered each park.  It was easier to go through the front turnstiles with my dad and I each taking a girl and her stroller.  Tink hated riding in the stroller on those mornings but it was nice to have her safely contained as we waited through bag check and entrance lines, as well as on a packed ferry to Magic Kingdom.  We also split the strollers and Dad and I each pushed a girl one day to lunch when we had all gotten too hot, tired and hungry.  I did run into a couple of spots where the combined strollers were either a little too big or just barely fit.  In those cases, we got through but it’s really not a big deal since I could always just unhook them and push them through separately if I had really needed to do so.

My dad was kind enough to do most of the stroller pushing during our trip in May.  Toward the end of the week, I asked him if he would have preferred the double Bob over the connected Maclarens.  He’s a tall man, so his answer was just “which has the highest handles?”  I’m closer to 5’5” so all of our strollers work for me height-wise.   I was pleasantly surprised with how well the connected stroller handled.  Other than the occasional wheel lock-up, it pushed great. 

Our next vacation is planned for November and this time we’ll have 5 adults and 2 kids.  If Tink doesn’t want to sit in her stroller as we enter the park, that’s fine because we will have enough hands to take care of kids and gear.  We’ll still have her stroller for nap purposes.  I wish we could figure out a way to attach one folded stroller to either the open stroller or Mom’s scooter but it’s just too big.   With the stroller connectors in place, the extra stroller rides like a sidecar to Minnie’s stroller and can always carry my backpack. 

I’ve recently scheduled a trip for January for myself, my two girls, and one of my best friends, also named Amy.  She and I will be using Disney transportation for the whole trip so we’ll need to get the two girls and two strollers on and off buses, etc.  Thankfully the Maclaren strollers are lightweight at 8 and 12 pounds and I think I can handle that better than one behemoth.  I’m flying and meeting Amy in Orlando so I’ll have the girls by myself in the airports and on the plane.   I have flown alone with Tink before so I am aware of how I’ll need to prepare.  I’m planning on checking the heavier of our two strollers with our suitcases.  We’ll take the smaller one with us through security and gate check it.  I have considered checking them both or just renting a double stroller for this trip but I think it will be worth it to be able to corral at least one of the girls in the airports.  Tink will get out a little energy by walking, which will hopefully help her sit still on the plane.  I can keep her close by having her hold her handle on the stroller.

I’ve really been thinking about a sit and stand type stroller for flying, visiting family in DC, errands, etc.  Again, I can’t justify buying another stroller but I have gone to test drive some just for the fun of it.  I didn’t care for the Baby Trend or Graco versions for my purposes.  I’d like to test out the Joovy Caboose Ultralight but I’ll have to do that some time when I am over in Charlotte as there isn’t a nearby store that sells them.  We tend to travel with the single Bob and Tink has figured out that she can jump on the front for a ride.  Minnie's legs are getting too long for this to work much longer since she's discovered that she can kick big sister.  Which brings me to another bonus of traveling to WDW with two single strollers...separating the kids.  The stroller connectors keep the seats apart so it's like having two captains chairs in a van.

We've been taking more family walks getting ready for our November trip.  I've taken the single/double stroller, which reminds me just how much I like this set up.

Great Baby Travel Gear: Stroller Acessories

Disclaimer: I bought these items with my own money. These are just cool products I wanted to share with you.

The first is the tag*a*long.  I have no idea now where I first ran across this item but I purchased two of them during a buy one get one free sale on Diapers.com right before Christmas.  This is a handle that attaches to your stroller and gives your older child a place to walk beside the baby.  I LOVE this thing.  The website says you can attach it to a stroller, shopping cart, diaper bag, etc.  We just have them on our single BOB stroller and a single Maclaren Volo.  Tink loves "her handle."  The first two pictures below were from our first walk with it and I made a game of holding the handle.  Now we use it going in and out of preschool and anywhere else we take the stroller.  Tink is one to run off so having her stay close, especially around cars, is wonderful.  The tag*a*long is very lightweight and seems quite tough.  I don't baby it.  The strollers get tossed in and out of the van and the tag*a*long looks just fine.  Other moms comment on it all the time.  I've seen other handles on Etsy that were essentially ribbon.  Those are cute too but I like the durability of this one.  And the fact that it is rigid helps keep Tink a step or two away from the wheels.

For our next trip to Walt Disney World, we are taking two Maclaren umbrella strollers.  (I got a second one off Craigslist.  That will be a separate post.)  I plan on having a tag*a*long on each of the strollers so we have Tink's handle, no matter which stroller she's near.  (I don't know how much she'll stay in a stroller but again, that's a future post.)

Out for a stroll at Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

Two items I felt compelled to purchase before our Hilton Head vacation were the hook and lock from buggyguard.  The lock is similar to a bike lock but is designed for strollers.  It comes in cute animal designs and attaches to the frame of the stroller with velcro.  The retractable cable is about 4 feet long so you can lock the stroller to a stationary object, another stroller, or render it useless by locking the wheels.  Like other bike locks, this cable could be cut but this would reduce someone just taking the opportunity to walk off with your stroller.  Honestly, I haven't used it yet but I thought the idea was cool so I bought one.  I have heard of strollers being stolen at the Disney Parks but I don't know how common it is.  If you choose to use a lock at WDW or Disneyland, please note that you can't lock your stroller to anything.  The Cast Members have to be able to move it around.  This is when the trick of looping the cable through the wheels comes in handy.  I have two nice BOB strollers and I like the idea of being able to lock them up at a local park, but for WDW, I've chosen to use less expensive strollers.  (Factory outlet and craigslist.)  

The second item I have from buggyguard is the B-Hook.  Now this one I have used and really like.  I have two plastic hooks on each of the jogging strollers but this stays in my diaper bag.  I've used it to hang my diaper bag from a few grocery carts and, while the lock feature is optional, it's nice to know my stuff isn't going anywhere.  I've had it hanging on the outside of my bag and Tink has used it as a handle a time or two.  I can also see this coming in handy for locking things inside the basket of a stroller.  Again, it could be defeated but it would take quite a while, so it would reduce crimes of opportunity.

Do you have any of these products? What do you think of them?

BOB Stroller Recall

I am a proud BOB Stroller owner and received the following message about a current recall. It's a very simple one to fix, so  read on and "let's play safe for you and me 'cause I'm no fool."

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B.O.B. Trailers, Inc., in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is voluntarily recalling all B.O.B., Ironman and Stroller Strides jogging strollers. 

The recall involves all B.O.B., Ironman and Stroller Strides jogging strollers manufactured between November 1998 and November 2010. Strollers manufactured after October 2006 have a white label affixed to the back of the stroller's leg with the manufacturing date. Strollers with no manufacturing date listed were produced prior to October 2006 and are included in this recall. The strollers were sold in single seat and double-seat models. The BOB, Ironman or Stroller Strides brand name is embroidered on the canopy of the strollers.

The products are being recalled as the stroller canopy's embroidered logo's backing patch can detach, posing a choking hazard to babies and young children.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled strollers until they remove the embroidery backing patch from the interior of the canopy's logo. Consumers should contact B.O.B. Trailers for instructions on removing the backing. For additional information, contact B.O.B. Trailers toll-free at (855) 242-2245 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. MTMonday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.bobnotices.com

You may also find additional details about the recall in the CPSC bulletin at:http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12006.html.

If you purchased this item as a gift for someone, please notify the recipient immediately and provide them with the information in the CPSC bulletin concerning these safety issues.

--Amy

Double Strollers, Please help!

Bob Revolution Duallie

I am expecting Baby E2 in a couple of months.  I'm looking ahead at double strollers and could really use some advice before I plunk down big bucks for one (or two) of these rigs.

Currently I have a Bob Revolution Single and it worked great for carrying the infant seat and I love it for walks/jogging with Tink.  Yes, it's big but it turns on a dime so I've never had problems with it.  I wanted a second stroller for travel (aka Walt Disney World) and bought a Maclaren Volo.  I love the Volo too.  It is lightweight, easily maneuverable, well-built, and has a high weight limit for an umbrella stroller.  (I watched sales and got smokin' good deals on both strollers.)  As much as I love my Bob, I don't know how it could be your only stroller.  There are places where it's just too big such as trips to the doctor's office and we do that often since the baby will be here soon.

Baby Trend Sit N Stand

For E2, I've looked at the Bob Dualies (sticker shock!) as well as sit and stand-type strollers, inline strollers, and double umbrellas, like the Maclaren Twin Triumph.  I need somewhere for the kiddos to be safely contained when I'm running errands but I'd love for it to be tough enough for the park and ultimately jogging.  I'd really like to think I could get one good double and let that be it. **wishful thinking**

Tink will still sit well in a stroller, so I think a sit and stand is out.  Why encourage her to run around if I don't have to?

Maclaren Twin Triumph

The BOB Dualie would be awesome and I want to get back into running but I could pay for many months at the Y for that cost ($700-800 with a few basic accessories.)  We now live within driving distance of Walt Disney World (woo hoo!) so I would be able to take it to the World in the van.  I know a stroller that large would be a nightmare with buses, so maybe we'd just drive to the parks during the stroller years.  Even for their large size, Bob strollers maneuver well, have a high weight limit per child, go over all terrain with ease, and are high quality construction.  The huge canopies are a real plus in the Florida (and North Carolina, for that matter) sun.  (While I am a huge fan of Bob, I have also looked at less expensive joggers for once the girls are a bit older.  I'm no speed demon anyway so the lower cost option would work fine.)

Something like the Maclaren Twin Triumph would be nice for errands and much lighter-weight for travel.  However, it's not suitable for infants under 6 months old and will not hold an infant car seat.  They have better suspension than most umbrellas but even a walk on a suburban sidewalk is jarring compared to Bob.

Britax B-Ready in single mode

I don't care for the larger, inline Graco-type strollers.  Graco does many things really well, but in my opinion, strollers are their current weakness.  I've recently found a very cool inline stroller with tons of options, the Britax B-Ready.  It converts in all sorts of ways (14!).  You can carry one single child in the standard seat, a car seat or a bassinet. Or you can add another seat or car seat to the lower portion and have space for two kiddos.  Unlike some of the other options I've considered, this one has a large basket that is accessible from several angles.  It's also not cheap.  The basic stroller plus the jump seat and car seat adapter is about $600.  I saw a very detailed video review of this system and it seems to be better thought out than more expensive versions of the same idea, such as the Phil and Ted's line.  Definitely not a jogger, but it's better suited for a long walk than the Maclaren.  (Ooh!  After I had written and scheduled this article, I was doing a bit more research.  Britax is currently running a "Free Ride" event and offering a free Chaperone car seat, 2nd seat for the B-Ready, or the B-Ready bassinet.  Even more research has turned up a similar offer for a Phil and Ted's stroller.  It's a little less convertible and more jogger friendly.  Still hunting...)

I carried Tink around quite often in a sling when she was very small and I plan on doing the same with her little sister.  So to begin with, I'll wear the baby and Tink can use one of her current strollers or walk.  I know the time will come when I will need to corral them both.  I'd like to hold on to my current strollers because I know we'll get back to needing only a single.  And speaking of that, some people use stroller connectors at Walt Disney World.  This means they take two single umbrella strollers and link them with the connectors.  This works best with two of the same stroller.  While it doesn't work as well as a dedicated double, it does give you the option of splitting up.  Maybe you could take one stroller and the older child, while Granny takes a break with the sleeping little one.

Ugh, so many options!  I just want to make the best investment I can, getting the most use and the least hassle for my money.

What have you done, good or bad?  I'd love to hear your tips both for the real world, Walt Disney World and other travel.  Many thanks!

--Amy

Stroller Review--Maclaren Volo

A good stroller can make a day of travel, at Walt Disney World or otherwise, so much easier.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Disney stroller!

My main stroller at home is a Bob Revolution.  It is a fantastic stroller for exercise and just being out and about.  However, it is rather large and kinda heavy.  I decided I needed a lightweight stroller for travel and to have a lighter option for the grandparents.  Thus began a huge Internet research project.  At the time, I could tell you the pros and cons of a couple dozen strollers.  The more I looked, the more I became convinced that Maclaren was the way to go.  Some other moms swore by reclining features but I just didn't think that was worth the premium of both dollars and added weight.  I decided on the Maclaren Volo and searched for the best available price. 

The Volo was perfect!  My husband and brother have both commented (unprompted!) recently on how great it was.  The Volo is lightweight but sturdy.  It's less than 9 pounds before accessories, folds easily and compactly, and has a shoulder strap which is great for getting on Disney buses.  The handles are at a really comfortable height and none of us kicked the wheels when pushing the stroller.  The seat on mine is mesh so Tink could get a breeze even when it was "Animal Kingdom hot."  I bought the accessory pack which included a warm seat cover that I used at home during the winter.  The basket underneath is pretty small, but I am a huge proponent of traveling light, so it was enough for our needs.  Adding the Maclaren organizer to the handles gave us a little more storage space and when you flip it over the canopy to fold the stroller, it keeps the canopy clean.  The Volo does not recline, but that didn't stop Tink from napping in it every day of our trip.  The canopy is about average and seemed to meet our needs but you can add an extra shade if you like.  Some models come with a fitted raincover that goes on fairly quickly and did a great job of keeping Tink dry in a downpour.  My accessory pack also included a travel bag to keep the stroller clean when we gate checked it. We used a couple of no throw straps to hold a cup and a toy.  Even if Tink droped her cup, it stayed off the ground and we didn't lose anything.

Yes, you can get a cheaper umbrella stroller or rent one from Disney but it doesn't take very long for rental fees to add up to the purchase price of a stroller, especially if you have time to shop around.  The construction of the Maclaren strollers was truly what sold me.  The Volo has an aluminum frame that allows it to be both strong and lightweight.  This stroller will hold a child up to 55 pounds.  I really like the fact that we can use this for years to come.  I have seen some people who buy a Maclaren, use it for one vacation, and then sell it on EBay. 

Feel free to disagree in the comments section below, but I prefer to have a stroller all along my journey rather than just renting one in the parks.  Tink napped in the her stroller during one layover on our way to WDW.  It kept her contained when she was just too tired while we were checking in at the Orlando airport.  We loved being able to push her in the stroller while walking to the buses or up to the Hospitality House.

I couldn't be happier with my Maclaren Volo and can't wait to take it back to the World.

What type of stroller do you use?  Do you like it or do you wish you could get something else?  Any other stroller tips and tricks to share?