When visiting Disney World and staying onsite, you’ll have access to lots of different transportation options, all of which will allow you to bring onboard a stroller. But whether or not you’ll need to fold your stroller up varies a bit depending on what kind of transportation you’re using.
If you plan to visit Walt Disney World with a little one, this post is for you. Ready to learn all there is to know about Disney transportation and strollers? Let’s go!
Important note: This post is just one piece of a group of resources geared towards helping families with babies and toddlers traveling to Walt Disney World. Make sure you check out our guide for even more information to help you plan your dream vacation.
Using a stroller on the ferry, buses, monorails, trams, and resort boats (launches)
The monorail, Skyliner, buses, trams, and boats are all free to use and can be a fantastic choice for many families.
But, when you have a stroller with you, you’ll have to think about more than just the fastest way to get from point a to point b, you’ll also want to consider which is the most convenient.
Will I have to fold my stroller?
Some transportation options allow your little one to remain in the stroller, but most do not:
- Monorails and Magic Kingdom ferries – strollers can stay open, and a child can stay in them
- Disney Skyliner – single strollers and double strollers that are front to back (not side-by-side) can stay open. Double, side-by-side style must be folded
- Buses and trams – strollers must be folded up before boarding. Even if your little one is sleeping and the bus is totally empty, you’ll still need to fold your stroller.
- Resort boat launches – on most, your stroller will need to be folded prior to boarding.
- Friendship boats – strollers can be left open if space allows, but your child must be seated with you
If the budget allows it, we have found it very convenient to stay at resorts near transportation options that allow you to keep your little one in the stroller. Skyliner Resorts and Monorail Resorts are perfect for families with little ones, come in a wide-range of prices (from Value to Deluxe), and offer a lot of convenience.
Should you drive to the parks if you have a baby or toddler?
If you have your own car, however, sometimes it might make more sense to drive than it does to use Disney’s bus transportation.
When you drive your own car at Disney World, you are guaranteed that everybody in your group will have a seat. With the buses in particular, that isn’t always the case.
During busy times like mornings and evenings, you might find that the buses are so packed that some people in your party will need to stand, and that can be tricky if you have little ones.
But before you decide to bring your car, make sure you remember the extra cost.
If you are staying onsite, you won’t have to pay to park when visiting the Walt Disney World parks, but you will have to pay to park at your resort, so make sure you factor that into your budget when weighing all the pros and cons of having a car at Walt Disney World.
One other thing to keep in mind is that unless you pay extra for Preferred Parking, which for onsite guests is about $20-$25 per day, and around $45-$50 per day for offsite, you’ll likely need to use a tram which means you’ll need to unload and fold your stroller before you can board.
When traveling with a toddler, when should you drive, and when should you leave the driving to Disney?
Folding and unfolding a stroller multiple times can be a hassle, especially at the end of the day when all your stuff has multiplied.
Because of that, whenever possible, we recommend that you choose the mode of transportation that allows you to minimize all the folding and unfolding.
If buses are your only transportation option, just make sure you are prepared to fold up your stroller before you board. Having an extra empty bag you can toss things into can make that process easier and less stressful.
If you have a car available and you intend to get to the parks at least 45 minutes before they open, we recommend driving.
Guests that arrive in plenty of time for Rope Drop often park close enough to the front of the park that they can walk to the entrance without using a tram.
Minnie Vans are a great option for families with little ones
Disney also offers a premium transportation option called Minnie Vans.
These adorable polka-dotted vehicles operate much like Uber or Lyft, but are driven by Disney Cast Members and come equipped with convertible car/booster seats.
If you are running short on time or are planning to go from resort to resort (like for a dining reservation), Minnie Vans are your fastest option. They are pricey ($30-$50 per ride, depending on distance), but they can really cut down on the stress.
What about Uber or Lyft?
If you don’t have a car seat, but you want to use Uber or Lyft, you may be out of luck.
Lyft doesn’t offer rides with car seats at this time. And, although Uber does, it is subject to availability (it isn’t guaranteed) and you’ll pay an extra charge, which is typically ~$10 more.
How do we get from the airport to our Disney World resort?
Magical Express is no longer available, but there are a couple of other options that families with little ones can use to get from the airport to their Disney World resort hotel.
Which method you’ll settle on will depend on whether or not you plan to bring your car seats with you.
We have an entire post on all those options with information on who does and does not require car seats at the link below.
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