One of the complaints we read regularly on MousePad comes from parents dealing with getting to and around the parks with their children and gear in tow. From just getting to the parks, either on parking lot trams or buses, to getting around the parks filled with crowds, moving from place to place with children and their strollers can be a challenge. Many of us have experienced the frustration of trying to get strollers through crowds or having been faced with chaotic lines for trams while other guests push past us. Some parents feel upset competing for wheelchair users for the front rows of trams. I asked the Parenting Panel: How do you handle crowded spaces? OR do you avoid them all together? Are buses and trams an unpleasant fact of life or do you plan your trips to avoid them – and if so, how?
Lori Abramson is the executive assistant to her soon-to-be 5-year-old daughter, Summer. Lori has been a Disney fan since her first trip when she was 1 year old. From her Mouska “ears” to her D23 shoes, she enjoys helping spread the pixie dust to everyone she meets. Lori writes:
During my brief time as a participant in the stroller wars, I have come to realize that it should be avoided at all costs. Between trying to navigate around folks who suddenly stop for no apparent reason (certainly none of the folks that read this Website), and the infamous “hide-and-go-seek” that cast members enjoy playing with our mini transportation units, they quickly can become more trouble than they are worth. However, given the fact that few of us would choose to carry a young child around the parks for 12 hours straight, especially in the Florida heat, I have over the years devised a few strategies to minimize the inconveniences.
Probably the most important tip on a variety of levels is: Umbrella strollers are our friends. They are much less expensive than renting from Disney, they don’t look like the vast majority of other strollers that are located around the parks, and they can leave the parks (very helpful when you have a sleeping child whom you would like to remain in that state). More importantly, because they are smaller and narrower than what you might rent or the super duper deluxe status models that many of us have, they are easier to navigate through tight spaces. They also fold up easily and into a tight, lightweight package making them easier to get on and off the crowded Disney transportation system.
Another strategy: Don’t go when other people are at the parks. There is a reason we have an off-season and I’m convinced its for the very old and the very young, neither of whom have the largest of budgets or much patience. Not only is it less expensive to visit during this time but there are also fewer people, i.e. fewer people to navigate around, fight for precious stroller space on buses, less time waiting in lines sans stroller, etc. In fact, before next week, I have never taken my daughter to WDW during regular or high traffic season. I fear she is in for a rude awakening when she realizes she just can’t walk onto rides like she owns the park.
My final tip is to park the stroller in one spot and leave it until you move to the next area or until your child just cannot take one more step. Fantasyland is a small area but it has a multitude of stroller parking locations. Park your unit somewhere in the middle or if you have your day planned out, in an area closest to the next land you will be visiting. Yes, your child will need to walk from ride to ride, but in all likelihood they will be dashing to the next ride and never notice. This avoids the hassle of “where did I park it the last time?” and playing the CM “hide-and-go-seek-the-stroller” game where in an effort to “tighten up the parking lot” they freely move strollers around to increase the available area (and drive already exhausted parents nuts).
Jenny is an at-home mom and former theme park employee (not Disney). She has two kids, ages 5 and 3 and a half, who have been going to Disneyland since they were weeks old. They visit Disneyland once a month. Jenny writes:
Getting to the parks with the kids and gear in tow has definitely been an evolving process for our family. Initially, it was just my daughter and me heading to the park with my friend and her daughter. Ahhh, the easy days of having one stroller content non-walker. Since then we have gone through various scenarios: my daughter and me, my daughter and my pregnant self, my two little ones (18 months apart), our whole family, and, on lucky days, grandparents. As my kids get older, we don’t have to pack nearly as much. In fact for a warm day, a light jacket is about all I end up bringing for my kids and me, which I easily carry in the stroller basket. When the kids were younger and we visited in the winter, I probably tended to overpack. I had everything from change of clothes, diapers, food, stroller blankets, hats, PJs, and even the rain cover for the stroller (which, strangely, in California has saved us a number of times.) Most of the time it all fit in the stroller basket, but on rare occasions we rented a locker.
I am OK with crowds, for the most part. Hot and crowded is an entirely different beast, so we avoid July and August if possible. Up until now, we have had the luxury of coming to the park during “non-peak” times, so my first strategy is to avoid crowds if possible. Navigating a double stroller through crowds can be trying to my usually quite tolerant and patient self.
My second strategy, I avoid the tram unless there is space waiting for me on one of the “stroller” friendly cars of the tram. While I am a patient person, I try not to put myself into a situation to deal with pushers, cutters, and other negativity. If for some reason, I have to use the tram, I never wait for the first car, since that line seems to take longer due to the space being utilized by wheelchairs. However, I have noticed that the cast members at the rear of the tram aren’t always helpful when loading the stroller. It probably isn’t in the job description, but it sure would have been nice to have a second set of hands while holding a 9-month old and an trying to make a 27-month old sit still on the bench. I don’t complain about wheelchairs taking up that space, as I figure I have the option to walk to the park, which I do 95 percent of the time. I am going to be walking all day, so a nice stroll over to the park is my warm up (and an energizer to keep me awake during the drive home late at night.)
Third, I leave a lot of space when I can. One of my biggest pet peeves about guest flow in the park is people stopping right in the middle of a walkway when there is a stream of foot traffic behind them. I get if something drops, and you need to pick it up, but to stop and have a conversation just drives me nuts. Move over to the side, please! The words part about this, is when said party stops suddenly, I have to slam on my own breaks to avoid hitting them with my stroller. As I said, I usually leave plenty of room, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Then *I* get the dirty look for not predicting said stop.
Overall, we are OK with this strategy, though this year when my oldest starts Kindergarten and we no longer have the luxury of going on random Tuesdays, I am sure I will need to readjust my plan of attack.
Parenting in the Parks columnist Adrienne Krock’s three boys are now 11, 9, and 6. They’ve been visiting Disneyland since they were each just weeks old. She has been a day camp counselor and elementary school teacher. Now she’s a mom and a Cub Scout leader and has been a Disneyland Annual Passholder for 15 years. Adrienne adds:
Let me start with the trams: I hate them. When we planned our trip to Walt Disney World, I never considered using the WDW bus system because I could not bring myself to dealing with the prospect of waiting in lines, dealing with the crowds, emptying my stroller to fold it and getting my kids onto the buses where they might end up standing for the ride back to our resort at the end of a long day. Nothing would have ruined the Disney magic for me faster than the bus scenarios running through my head. We rented a car and because we booked a package through AAA, we had Diamond Parking at the theme parks. I really lived the best of all worlds: A rental car with premium parking!
At Disneyland in Anaheim, although we seem to finally be seeing the end of our stroller driving days, I have followed two strategies: First, I regularly walk from the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure to the parks. The walk is about three-quarters of a mile. To me, by the time I spend all day walking around the parks, really, three-quarters of a mile just is not that much further to go. The walk starts at the outdoor parking lot, crosses Disney Drive, and then follows a wandering walkway alongside the monorail tracks, behind Downtown Disney, to the tram loading area in Downtown Disney. We take our time if we need to and the effect of walking is far better for my blood-pressure than dealing with the crowds vying for space on the trams. As an added bonus, I leave the stroller unfolded and packed with our stuff.
My second strategy is to leave at off-times when I am alone with my children. When I take my children without other adults to help out, I keep my days shorter and leave at slower times when the tram lines are less crowded. If I pass the tram loading area and see no line, I go ahead and take it. I have been fortunate to encounter helpful CMs at the back of the tram and at other times, I have even had other guests offer to help me get my stroller onto the tram.
The biggest crowd issue I have encountered with my stroller has been groups cutting my family in half. Usually this occurs when I find myself following Doc and a group steps in front of my stroller. (Rarely does this happen when Doc pushes the stroller; he must be a more assertive “driver.”) I learned that my husband rarely turns around to make sure he still sees me and in large crowds, I do not maneuver well, especially when navigating through Main Street with the street car rails in the road to trap stroller wheels. I learned to call out to get their attention and let them know: “Excuse me! That’s my husband right there.”
Now, I must disclaim that I make my tone as pleasant as I can when I do this. I may not feel very pleasant, but I start pleasant first before getting testy. Usually they step aside and let me catch up again.
It’s your turn—keep the discussion flowing!
Visit the Parenting on the Parks section of our MousePad discussion board, and share your opinions about this topic (link), or send your suggestions via e-mail (link). Reader-submitted tips might be used in a future article, and you might be selected to participate in an upcoming panel discussion!
