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.

WIth summer camps over and the unbearable heat, it seems we are the only family left in our neighborhood. I can't wait to join the exodus from steamy St. Louis! We're packing up and headed to Colorado. Well, we will be... soon. I have a reputation for being a last-minute packer. But we will be packing up our gear — car seats, stroller, etc.

Lightweight strollers are ideal for travel, in fact the umbrella-style models like most Maclarens are specifically designed for families on-the-go. But parents who are traveling by plane and gate checking their strollers should know that an airline may technically consider it a “fragile” item. This means that they are not liable for any damage or loss to your stroller.

This is what happened to a family traveling across the U.S. on American Airlines. Their stroller met them at their destination with a mangled frame and missing one wheel. Our own experiences, both domestic and international have been much more fortunate. Other than a few tears to the mesh of an under-seat storage basket, ours has weathered many a journey. With a 2-year old and a 1-year old, that was what made it possible for me to take them solo on a trip to Mexico!

An airline’s contract of carriage (available on their websites) specifically will specifically cite items for which it will take no responsibility or define as fragile. In the case of American Airlines, their list includes strollers and car seats. This is not necessarily the case with all airlines, but if you are checking in a $300 stroller (or anything other than clothing for that matter), it may be worth checking out the fine print.