Wagon Strollers are not the problem at Disney parks, electric scooters are
By Brian Miller
A few years back, Disney World outlawed the use of wagon-style strollers. Yet electric scooters are still allowed.
Today, you may still see an occasional wagon stroller being pushed around the Disney World parks. You are supposed to have a doctor's letter stating some reason for your child's needs. For everyone else, the wagon stroller is no longer allowed and with that restriction went the most convenient of strollers ever.
My wife and I bought a Keenz stroller for our two young kids that we were fostering. We were able to use it twice before the rules changed. We went from having a place to changing diapers or a bed for them to take a nap in, to buying a reclining seat. We lost the room for diaper bags and small concealed coolers all because some guests complained that the strollers were blocking parade views with their canopies or because their ankles were hurting when they suddenly stopped in front of one.
Our Keenz stroller is long gone, sold for a fraction of the cost we bought it for. Now, we tour the parks with a push stroller, less space, and still have to keep our eyes on a swivel. Not for the wagon-style strollers but by the racecar drivers who run through the parks on an electric scooter.
There is no simple way to avoid these monstrosities. Look, I'm all for them really because at 54 I know someday, I will need one. My in-laws are not able to navigate the long day on foot so we have contributed to the problem I am talking about. My inlaws are deadly, my father in law was one of the worst.
It's bad enough they take up so much space but heavy crowds make it worse. There is nothing worse, or as funny as watching a fast-paced guest dart between and through meandering guests only to run into a scooter at full speed.
I have seen these little machines cause guests to spill drinks and plates, I have seen young kids get trucked by the front wheels, and more often than not, I have been sworn at, apologized to, and run hit from behind by a driver who didn't see me, wasn't paying attention, or simply decided to stop in the middle of a walkaway to get something from their basket.
So what is the actual purpose of this? We know that Disney will not change their policies on the scooters and they won't reverse their decision on the wagon-style strollers.
No, this is more of a public service announcement to those who visit the parks. Keep your head on a swivel and don't forget to look down because at some point you will come face-to-face with a disgruntled scooter driver who thinks they are on the Tomorrowland Speedway.