Bringing your own stroller will save you quite a bit of money and ensure that you have the stroller available all the time, such as when you’re going to and from your hotel. (If you will be using Disney’s transportation system, keep in mind that you will usually have to take your child out of the stroller and collapse the stroller while on buses, monorails and boats.)
Another thing to consider if you bring your own stroller is the hassles of getting it to Walt Disney World, particularly if you are flying. (You can “gate check” a stroller, which saves some of the work – just bring your stroller right to the gate at the airport. It will be tagged and put into the cargo hold from the gate.)
If you want to avoid the hassle of transporting a stroller on a plane, maybe consider buying a cheap one upon arrival and giving it to another lucky family or a charity when you leave.
Or you could possibly buy a stroller in advance and have it shipped directly to your hotel. This has the advantage of saving you money AND being less of a hassle (seeing as you won’t have to transport it to Disney yourself). At the end of your trip, either give the stroller to someone or put it back in the shipping box and have the hotel ship it home for you. To ship it to a Disney hotel, it should be addressed as follows:
Hold for guest: (write the full name under which you made the reservation)
Check in date: (insert date)
Hotel’s name and address (which will appear on your confirmation form)
Most people who bring their own stroller recommend a cheap umbrella-style one. They are lighter, making them easier to get on and off buses, and you won’t worry as much about the possibility of the stroller being stolen. (It’s not unheard-of for strollers to go missing in the parks, so it’s a good idea to put something personal on yours. At minimum, write your last name on it using a permanent marker.)
