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The best double stroller for Disney World – why you need a cheap double buggy for holiday

If you’re headed to Walt Disney World, you are definitely in for the trip of a lifetime. It’s hard to know what to expect from a first-time holiday to Orlando, but one thing that I guarantee you will do is a lot of walking! The one thing I specifically recommend taking on a Florida holiday, more than anywhere else, is a double stroller for Disney (if there is more than one youngster in your group). If you are visiting Disney with children aged six or under, it’s a good idea to invest in a cheap double buggy or a lightweight double pram for newborn and toddler-aged kids. You may think little ones have bags of energy, but they will likely be excitably running around like wild things, as well as clocking up over 20,000 steps a day at the parks. If you want to see as much of Walt Disney World as possible and make it to the fireworks, the little princes or princesses will need a carriage.

The best double stroller for Disney – what to look out for:

To maximise the enjoyment that kids (and parents) have at the epic Orlando theme parks, anything that helps out when your little one gets tired will make your visit a lot less stressful. We recently visited with our six-month-old, Isobel, and three-year-old, Finn, and we specifically wanted a lightweight double stroller for Disney. Despite all our visits to Walt Disney World, we had never visited the Disney parks, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and Legoland, etc, with such young kids before and we knew the days would be fun, but tiring.

At home, we don’t use a baby and toddler pram because Finn mostly walks (or runs) everywhere. However, since we travel a lot, I was keen to find the best double pram for a newborn and toddler that was also ideal for travel. I was looking for a cheap double buggy that was suitable for travelling on airlines as well as the best stroller for Disney World fun. After obsessively researching the best double prams for newborn and toddler, I settled on a mid-range option that ticked all the boxes and more. We have since used it on two more trips and could not be more pleased with our purchase.

For our readers: We did not receive this pram in exchange for a review or mention on passportstamps.uk or receive a discount. We researched and purchased our double pram ourselves and paid full price. A lot of people have asked me about the twin stroller on social media since we started using it and I am often asked to recommend a good single travel pram (which I do on this post for the best items for travelling with a baby, if you are interested). This post may contain affiliate links, so if you make a purchase directly after clicking on a link from our page, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to the buyer, for which we are always very thankful!

So, what is the best double stroller for Disney World and the other Orlando theme parks?

disney clothes uk baby mickey — We were so excited to take our daughter to Magic Kingdom (Images: H&M, passportstamps.uk)

At first, Simon didn’t want to buy a new pram at all, but I knew we would need a double stroller for Disney World and so I set out to find a cheap double buggy to use whenever we travelled as a family of four. When we just had Finn, we used the Phil and Ted’s Smart Buggy (single) for travel and it has served us well for three years. When Isobel arrived, I started looking for a double pram for newborn and toddler that would travel well, especially after we’d booked our trip to Orlando and Walt Disney World.

TOP TIP: If you are planning on investing in a travel stroller for Disney (double or single) or other holidays, I recommend you look for the following four criteria:

Folds in one piece – A pram that folds in one piece (and doesn’t need taking apart), makes life much easier at airports, in taxis, on public transport and in compact hotel rooms. Ideally, a parent or carer should be able to fold the pram with one hand, as they may also be holding a child, a child’s hand or luggage. If this isn’t manageable, it should still only need one person to complete the collapse and fold. A foldable double pram for newborn and toddler, will also save a lot of space in your hotel room if you are able to fold it down compactly. Some dual prams are very cumbersome and this makes traveling with them much more stressful. A newborn and toddler pram that fits into the boot of a regular Uber (regular sized estate car and not an Uber XL) is what you should be aiming for. Otherwise, expect a tricky situation with rental cars, taxis and public transport. Once I started shopping for a lightweight double buggy, I soon realised that tandem double strollers don’t commonly fold in one piece so I knew I was looking for a side-by-side.

Reclines flat. – This is a biggie for me. Once the kids are asleep, Simon and I do our best to enjoy a bit of adult time on holiday. If Finn and Isobel can comfortably sleep in the pram, we can go out for dinner or even just out for an evening walk to make the most of our evenings. It is recommended that newborns lay flat in the pram anyway, so a double pram for newborn and toddler or a twin stroller should always lay back as flat as possible to be suitable from birth.

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Has a decent sun canopy. I am not a fan of clip-on umbrellas or other accessories that aren’t part of the buggy itself. Too many extra things make airports, and in particular airport security, public transport and storage (in vehicles and when the pram is not being used) much more of a pain. Ideally I would always aim for a double pram for newborn and toddler to have a sun shade included as part of the design of the pushchair. That way you know it will always be attached and your children will always have some protection from the sun. If you are looking for a double stroller for Disney World, this is especially important as the Florida sun can be deceivingly hot. Clouds and a slight breeze (occasional rainfall) can lead some overseas tourists into a false sense of security. The sun in Florida is often much stronger than you think, meaning delicate skin will burn even when it is cloudy. The baby and toddler pram we ended up going for also has a UPF 50+ sun canopy, which means the sun’s rays will not penetrate through the material on to your child.

Not too heavy. – A lightweight double buggy was much harder to find than you would expect. A lot of double prams for babies and toddlers were very weighty. This won’t work for travel because you may find yourself lifting and carrying the stroller a lot more than you do at home. When you’re on the move, quickly lifting it down some stairs to save waiting for a lift, getting in and out of cars and taxis, folding and lifting onto public transport (in Florida you must fold your stroller on publc transport, this includes the transportation at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando), carrying the buggy when it isn’t being used and even just pushing a double stroller for Disney around the parks all day can be very tiring. The lighter the better – and don’t go overstuffing the basket either!

When it came to picking a double stroller for Disney, I really wanted one that had Finn and Isobel sat side by side so they could enjoy the experience together. Watching them cruise around with their matching Mickeys was so cute!

Verdict: The Joie Aire Twin is the best double stroller for Disney World

best double stroller for disney world pram newborn and toddler — The Joie Twin Stroller was the winner! (image: passportstamps.uk)

So, what is the best double stroller for Disney World and other holidays? In the end, there was one clear winner that fitted all my criteria and is sold at a reasonable price point. The Joie Aire Twin Stroller, currently £140, is an excellent all-round pushchair. It has great wheels, is lightweight to push, spacious enough for an older child (age six years maximum for short periods, or total weight 15kg) and both kids really enjoy riding in it. For travel, it’s ideal because it’s lightweight, folds in one piece and, importantly, is easy to fold – which not all double buggies are. if your baby is newborn and needs to lay flat, or you want a buggy that lays flat (making it easier for the kids to sleep), the Joie Aire double pram for baby and toddler – or for twins – is perfect.

At home, we use a Bugaboo Chameleon3 for everyday use. At almost six times the price, it’s obviously a more premium pram, which is why we don’t often travel with it. (As with any air travel, there is a chance the buggy will get broken in the plane’s hold during transit, although we do have a travel bag). Yet, despite the Joie Aire being a relatively cheap double buggy for a baby and toddler, its agility was very comparable to the Bugaboo and I was really impressed.

One thing I dislike about really cheap prams are the flimsy plastic wheels. One of the main reasons for buying a lightweight double stroller for Disney was so the kids could sleep in it. I didn’t want a pushchair with rubbish wheels that would be uncomfortable for them as we walked around. The wheels on the Joie Aire are chunky enough to cope with cracks in the pavement and cobblestones (prevalent at Disney World), and make the buggy agile for navigating tight spaces and crowds (also very useful at Disney!). Speaking of comfort, as well as being a smooth ride for Finn and Isobel, it turned out to be really comfortable and easy to push for us adults too.

As well as the practical aspects, I really liked the look of the Joie Aire lightweight double buggy. It comes with reversible cushions in purple and blue, if you fancy a change of colour every so often, and the straps are comfortable and easily adjustable for different-aged children. The safety bar across the front clips open to get them in and out. There are little foot rests that lift up at the front for when the kids want to sleep and they can be lowered for general cruising around. Finally, there is a really large basket, which if you are using the stroller for Disney World, will come in very handy indeed for all the stuff you will collect along the way! The only downside is that all your travel companions will be wanting to stuff bags, cameras, bottles of sun lotion, Mickey teddies, food bits, in-park purchases, ponchos, jumpers and hats etc in there, so it won’t be long before it starts overflowing…

Finally, the other great thing about the Joie Aire baby and toddler pram, is that is comes with a rain cover – this is great as you should expect the odd shower if you are going to Orlando! When I was shopping around, I noticed that some competitor pushchairs in this price point sold the rain covers separately, which is a bit cheeky.

Best double stroller for Disney World – our review of the Joir Aire Twin pram

Having purchased this baby and toddler pram, and used it for multiple trips now, I can safely say that the Joie Aire has everything I wanted and needed in a double pram for toddler and newborn travel. There are only a few negatives that I can think of, but despite these, this was still the best lightweight double buggy that I could find in the UK.

The first downside was that had set my original budget to under £100 but it wasn’t possible to get everything I wanted for that price. The cheaper, ‘umbrella-style’ lightweight double buggies I found were not suitable and I wouldn’t recommend them for travel or as a double stroller for Disney anyway. These are mainly for the reasons I have detailed above, including having a decent sun shade, full recline for sleeping and comfortable, agile movement on non-smooth terrain. I have read a lot of forums with people telling you to buy a cheap double stroller for Disney from Walmart and then dump it at the end of your trip. I urge you, please, do not do this. For starters, they aren’t that much cheaper when you need a double pram for newborn and toddler. The cheapest I could find was $70 in the USA and £60 in the UK. If you don’t want to travel from the UK with your pushchair and you just need a stroller for Disney and the other major theme parks on this trip, at least consider donating the buggy to Goodwill or the Salvation Army at the end of your holiday. Dumping your buggy is damaging to the environment and donating it could help a family who can’t actually afford a pushchair at all. A list of where to find a Goodwill Donation store in Orlando is here.

The other downside to the Joie Aire Twin Stroller is that Finn is a little tall for it. At three, he is tall for his age, and I hoped he would have a little bit more room to stretch out. There were other double prams for newborn and toddler available (the Mountain Buggy was one I looked at) that had more space but they were much heavier and did not fold easily or as compact. Having said that, Finn didn’t seem to have any problem sleeping either laying down or sat up!

I think it is fair to say I loved this newborn and toddler pram. In fact, I was so pleased with the Joie Aire, that I wrote this whole post about it for fun! At least now when people ask me on Instagram, I can send them a link which explains everything. By the way, if you don’t already follow us over on Instagram, you can find us at @passportstampsuk and our family travel page, @passportbaby. We are also on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter and your support on social media really helps us keep the site live and active. Give us a follow!

What you may also need with your stroller for Disney:

SUN COVER (sun shade)

Whilst the Joie Arie has built in sun canopies, we have found that a full pushchair sun cover works the best when travelling with kids. As well as protecting any exposed skin (on legs and feet, for example) from the sun, the shade also blocks out light and distractions meaning kids can sleep easier in the pram. We used one with our Phil and Ted’s pram and it was very useful. This pram doesn’t have a specific sun cover to purchase, but this generic shade from Koo-di fitted perfectly and rolls up into a handy pitch when not being used.

BUGGY BUDDY

From bags, to coats, to drink cups and balloon ties, we had two of these on our double stroller for Disney and we used them almost constantly!

ERGOBABY CARRIER

If you have read our post on advice for travelling with babies and kids, you’ll know that we swear by our Ergobaby carrier and highly recommend one for travel. As well as airports, public transport and general mobility, they are also extra handy for a trip to Walt Disney World. When Isobel was getting irritable in the pram, I could strap her on to me and she was suddenly part of the action, taking in all the magic around her. On many rides and shows, you will have to leave your buggy in the stroller parking zone, and a carrier takes the pressure off carrying little ones about all the time. If you plan on using the rider swap / baby swap, you may not be able to take your stroller in the queue line either, so again a carrier will save those arms! For rides that let babies on, you may find your little one feels more secure in a carrier (if the cast members say carriers are suitable for the ride vehicle).