Should you or should you not bring a lightweight stroller to DisneyWorld? Having experienced both sides of that choice, I would have to say... definitively.... it depends!

How about I share both my experiences with you and then you can decide for yourself. On our first trip to the land where all wishes come true, we dutifully packed up our Jeep tandem. And I swore by it! My kids were 4 and 2 at the time. My 2-year old son spent a good amount of time in the stroller either by choice or coercion. When it was not occupied with a child, it was a great place to stow the giant diaper bag we brought with us. It was great for holding back the hordes as we staked out our viewing spot along parade routes. If we were parked somewhere, that front seat was a welcome respite for... me!!! On the downside, we had to get it off and on the monorail and the tram and the ferry and the trunk. My husband swears this one singular thing was the reason we were almost divorced in the Magic Kingdom in 2005!

Two years later, we went back. Admittedly, it was with much reluctance on my part. This time, we traveled light... no strollers at all. My kids were now 6 and 4 and with the energy reserves of bunnies. We traversed the parks, all 4 of them, for four consecutive 12 hour-days. We had no diaper bag. In fact, my hubby graciously lugged a small backpack and that was it. It was a really beautiful thing. We even managed to stake out spots for the nightime parade without the stroller blockade.

So if your kids have the stamina and you can trim down your accessories, I would leave the stroller at home. If you absolutely need one, rent them there. The double is around $18/day. The Disney models beat out a lightweight Maclaren for the purposes of parade stake-out anyway. Those things are like glorified shopping carts! If you don't want to pay the daily rental, they actually sell Kolcraft umbrella strollers there... for an outrageous $45 but hey, at that point, you're a captive audience. You're probably stuck with the meal plan too!

Most of all, don't forget what the Magic Kingdom is all about: the sweet fulfillment of your children's secret dreams... of meeting a mouse and wearing his ears.