Oversized Strollers Banned at Disney World & Disneyland
Walt Disney World and Disneyland have instituted a number of controversial rule changes that limit use of strollers, ban smoking in the parks, and prohibit loose ice. This post discusses the polarizing policies, what led to them, and “rumors” or urban legends that have arisen since these changes. (Updated October 2, 2022.)
For starters, you might wonder why we’re revisiting this topic over 3 years after these rule changes were made at Disney’s theme parks in Florida and California. Honestly, we were just as confused when noticing that this was suddenly one of our most popular posts yesterday. Usually, posts about old rule changes that have long since been forgotten by most visitors to Walt Disney World and Disneyland don’t see a sudden spike in views.
Then it came to our attention that there’s a viral TikTok video making the rounds, which claims that Walt Disney World and Disneyland are banning all strollers in October 2022. (I’m not going to link to the video, because attention is exactly what these people crave. I hate that I’m even addressing this nonsense.)
This TikTok video has over 3 million views, 90k likes, and over 6,000 comments–many of which are treating this as real news. Despite that, the video hashtags include #fakenews and #babylonbee, which seem to suggest it’s satirical. However, nothing about the video itself would give this impression. It’s just stupid, which is about par for the course with TikTok, in my experience.
In fairness, as someone over the age of 13 who doesn’t want the CCP accessing (more of?) my data, I do not use TikTok. So I’m not the best arbiter of what happens on TikTok or what passes for humor on the platform. In its defense, I’ve “heard good things” from friends about the creativity of creators on TikTok.
Yet, whenever I see TikTok come up in the context of Walt Disney World or Disneyland, it’s for the dumbest possible things–challenges to drink water out of toilets or whatever, “satire” like this, and the most obnoxious dances ever. But you’re probably not here for my old man yells at cloud schtick.
Presumably, many of you finding this post saw that viral video, freaked out, and frantically searched whether or not it’s true.
It’s not true. Neither Walt Disney World nor Disneyland have any intentions of banning strollers completely in October 2022…or ever. A Disney spokesperson has directly debunked this “rumor” as something that will not happen.
As a general matter, it’s always a good practice to consider whether any rumor passes the smell test. Disney has done a lot of things that defy common sense in the last few years, so this isn’t always easy. However, banning all strollers would be implicitly sending a message to the company’s target demographic that they are not welcome at the parks.
It’s true that there have been rule changes in the past to limit strollers–and the company arguably went a bit too far with that–but it was done as a measure to address the ballooning size of them. A cottage industry of novelty stroller rentals was popping up, with guests bringing in royal carriages and starfighters that took up entire walkways. That was a crowd and congestion issue, and one that the narrowly tailored rule change addressed without alienating Disney’s bread and butter.
In short, Disney won’t even ban children from bars and nightclubs–there’s no way they’re going from that to banning strollers. It’s utterly inconceivable.
As for the past rule changes, here are the details if you still want or need them for whatever reason. All of these rules that follow took effect on May 1, 2019 at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
These rules all remain in place as of October 2022. However, there have been questions about inconsistency with enforcement or lack thereof. Some visitors to Walt Disney World and Disneyland have reported success in using larger strollers, including wagons, in the last couple of years. There are even groups on social media and other sites that recommend breaking the rules and using the banned strollers.
As a general matter, we don’t recommend breaking rules. Setting that aside, we think it’s terrible advice to break this rule and bring an oversized stroller to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Even if it’s true that enforcement is hit or miss, the risk outweighs the reward. If you take a stroller that’s banned and you’re stopped at the gate, it’s going to be a significant and costly disruption to your trip.
Why even risk it? Is the upside of using a wagon really that attractive? Purely from a cost-benefit perspective, breaking the rule does not make sense. The problems you’ll have if you’re stopped far outweigh whatever perceived advantage exists in using a contraband stroller.
Digging into the details, there are big changes to stroller size rules.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland are banning oversized strollers. The rules now require strollers to be no larger than 31″ (79cm) wide and 52″ (132cm) long. Additionally, stroller wagons will also no longer be permitted, which includes the Keenz strollers that have become popular with Disney fans.
Most strollers on the market, including some double jogging strollers, fit within these size guidelines. Of course, Disney’s rentals on both coasts fit within the parameters, and we’d assume third party stroller rental companies will scramble to add and remove strollers to their fleets to ensure full compliance.
Disney indicates that these updates are designed to help guest flow and ease congestion, making the parks more enjoyable for everyone. We’ve heard that, more specifically, Disney is aiming to tighten up operations and smooth traffic flow for the crush of crowds.
This is not the first time both Disneyland and Walt Disney World have done something to tighten up stroller rules. The same policy was on the cusp of being implemented last year, with size check stations outside of security, and a guest recovery protocol. For reasons unbeknownst to me, that enforcement never began and was shelved.
This would eliminate the large novelty strollers (the royal carriages that are more like undersized parade floats than oversized strollers), which have become a burgeoning small business around Walt Disney World. It’d also ban the stroller wagons that are pulled and loaded with enough rations to traverse the Oregon Trail.
Presumably, the goal is to roll out enforcement before bigger crowds arrive so that word starts to circulate about the new stroller policy so people leave their kids’ Cadillacs at home. For all parties involved, it’ll be better if the crush of crowds is reduced as much as possible.
As a non-parent, I’m not about to touch this topic with a 10-foot pole in terms of offering commentary. I will say that I’ve unintentionally locked eyes with a parent trying to navigate an oversized stroller amidst the gridlock of post-fireworks crowds in Magic Kingdom, and seeing the desperation and dejection in their face is something I can never unsee or forget. You could call it a cautionary tale, I suppose.
Next, smoking areas have been eliminated inside Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks, water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and Downtown Disney in California. Designated smoking areas will be available outside the park entrances, at resort hotels, and Disney Springs.
An all-out ban on smoking at Walt Disney World and Disneyland seemed like an inevitability, especially as American societal norms have rapidly changed. Real world smoking restrictions have become more stringent, with a growing number of states and cities, enacting laws that require all workplaces and public places to be smoke-free. While some Disney fans are lauding this change, I’m a bit apprehensive.
I’ve never smoked and question why anyone would start vaping or smoking knowing what we know now. However, our societal views about smoking are only a little over a decade old, and there are still plenty of older smokers who predate America’s more “enlightened” attitude towards smoking. Moreover, smoking is still viewed very differently throughout the rest of the world, and many guests visit Walt Disney World from those countries.
Like many non-smokers, cigarette smoke bothers me. I rejoice at the prospect of walking my favorite trail in Grizzly Peak at Disney California Adventure without having the serene sense of nature spoiled by smoke. I’d love to never smell cigarette smoke in the parks again.
However, I’m also a realist. I question to what degree this ban will be effective and to what extent smokers who previously were willing to jump through some hoops to light up will now just say “screw it” and smoke wherever. Out of my own self interest, part of me wonders if we’re better off with avoidable in-park smoking areas than an outright ban with guests violating that ban.
I also have a bit of empathy for the older generation, that started smoking decades ago and has been unable to kick the addiction. Yeah, it’s gross, annoying, etc., but for many people it’s not quite as simple as “just saying no.” I can’t think of an example of any popular habit about which public opinion has soured quite as quickly as smoking.
Despite many addicts taking up smoking before we knew the extent of its addictiveness, smokers are now vilified in a fairly unprecedented way. I’d hazard a guess that this is due to the unique second-hand effects of smoking, coupled with misplaced anger over how Big Tobacco deceived the public for so long. That’s all well beyond the scope of this post, though.
Anyway, I can already foresee the comments section of this post having a strong anti-smoking slant. I can also foresee a smoker chiming in, feeling upset or ostracized. Before piling onto that person, pause for a moment of empathy…and if you can’t muster that, at least pause to think about whether you’re truly better off with people breaking the rules and smoking wherever because they have an addiction and feel the new restrictions are too onerous.
Finally, there’s a ban on loose or dry ice that has been implemented starting today. This means that if you plan to bring a cooler or cooler bag to store snacks and drinks for theme park or water park adventures, you need to use reusable ice packs instead.
My first reaction to the “no loose ice graphic” was huh?! I didn’t realize this a problem, and thought maybe I missed some news about the social clubs of Disneyland having turf wars with ice cube fights at Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port.
In reality, it seems this rule is being implemented so cooler checks are easier for security to conduct at bag check. Apparently, it’s difficult to check the contents of a cooler with a bunch of loose or half-melted ice. This makes sense, and I can’t imagine many people being outraged over this one…but I’m sure there will be a few people.
To recap all of this, loose ice and smoking are banned at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and have been for over 3 years. Similarly, oversized strollers and wagons are also banned. Enforcement of the stroller rule is much more hit or miss, and some people might advise you to break that rule. We think that’s a risky recommendation and not worth the hassle, but you do you.
However, there is no rule on the horizon banning all strollers at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. That’s a nonsense “rumor” that was made up solely for the purpose of generating fake outrage and controversy in the name of supposed satire. Unfortunately, it has fooled a lot of people, who are now concerned that it is or will be a real rule. It is not and will not. Mark our words: Disney will never ban strollers.
For additional information about Disney’s park rules, see: DisneyWorld.com/RulesFAQ and Disneyland.com/RulesFAQ.
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Your Thoughts
What are your thoughts on stroller size limits at Walt Disney World and Disneyland? Pleased or displeased that smoking is no longer allowed in the parks? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments of these rule changes? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Maybe now they can work on ECV size restriction too. Limit it to medically necessary such as handicapped and elderly. Obesity alone is not a justifiable reason (just my opinion and I’m sure it’ll make some mad)
I would imagine that HIPAA laws would prevent Disney from being able to ask each guest if the scooter is actually medically necessary. I’m not a lawyer or anything, so that’s just a guess. Also, maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to judge people that ride on scooters – no matter their size. My aunt was never obese before she had mobility issues. She is now unable to exercise, which, coupled with her thyroid problems, led to her being overweight. I hate that feels subconscious every time she needs to use her scooter.
I for one am happy for the smoking ban and wish it extended to the resorts more too. Last week we stayed at AOA little mermaid rooms. I ended up with bronchitis and our walk always included going by a smoking bench. Even with no on there you could still smell it and it irritated my already compromised immune system.
My father is a lifelong smoker. He has learned that if he wants to keep doing his gross habit, he has to give up time with his family. So when we travel, he knows he can’t smoke in a car or on an airplane so he brings a patch and gum; otherwise, if he needs to light up he has to leave all of us and go to the designated area. If smokers want to go to Disney, the park does not have to accommodate their addiction. There are solutions to their problem even if it they thinks it’s inconvenient or not what they want to do.
I appreciate the smoking ban. I , like most nonsmokers, can’t stand the smell. I agree with you though. There are people who are addicted and will just light up anywhere in the park now. I would prefer to avoid the smoking area than have someone light up in front if me as we are walking. My in laws and my dad were all smokers and they would wait to smoke until they were at the designated smoking area. Unfortunately they have all passed…. from lung cancer. But if they were still alive I could see both my dad and father in law not caring and lightning up anywhere in the park with the ban. My mother in law would try her hardest not to smoke but if she felt the need she would sneak off somewhere and take a puff or two.
The “loose ice” kinda bothers me. My family of 4 normally stay 7-10 days each year on property. I bring a small shoulder soft side cooler with me, it holds about 4 waters and 4 pops and a bag of ice. The value of these cold items in Disney terms is over $40 or about $3 anywhere else in the world! That is over $400 in beverages during my trip if I buy from their concessions. I fill a gallon ziploc bag at the Disney resort on the way to the bus. This keeps everything cold until the afternoon when we start consuming the beverages. Its hot in Florida and we drink a lot to keep hydrated. I cant stand the stagnate smelly swamp water that is passed off as consumable so drinking from the tap\drinking fountain is not an option.
I know they will allow the gell packs but where am I going to freeze those at? I feel like this is just another way suck more money out of me. Disney is passing it off like there are option but they know there really isnt unless you want to drink a hot bottle of water.
Ziploc bags with ice will still work.
I have read in other places that Janet is correct. As long as your ice is contained in a ziplock within your cooler you will be ok. I had the same thoughts and concerns as you, Nick. If we had to buy all of our drinks from Disney my family would either be in the ER from dehydration or not able to go due to price of drinks. Going in August this family of 5 drinks more than we eat.
You can also ask for ice at any place that sells beverages.
Not a smoker, but we’ve often used the quiet areas on the way/near the smoking areas to give our autistic daughter a break. (Not breathing smoke, obviously!). Another perspective is that everyone in the smoking areas are not in line for the rides/quick service food/parades. So, now that the smokers aren’t walking to or utilizing the smoking area they’re going to be adding to the already long wait times.
Having three young kids, we love our double jogger – and it does in fact fit in the new requirements. However, I understand the need to implement limitations. One thing I haven’t seen mentioned in any of the posts on this topics is that the really large strollers don’t always fit through doorways or down aisles in stores.
We steer as carefully as possible and will typically wait out the crowds, but I’ve seen people crashing into door frames repeatedly to try to squeeze into a building. We’ve also seen people mow through shops leaving a trail of merchandise on the floor.
One thing I would love to see, and doubt will ever happen, is the implementation of “recording free” zones. Rows of ideal seating reserved for people who commit to keeping their phone/iPad/tablet in their pocket so they don’t ruin the show for whoever is behind them. We were watching HEA at MK a few weeks ago and a couple in front of us were BOTH recording the entire show, all while dancing their giant balloon right in front of my mom’s face. Why do you need two recordings? Are you really going to sit and watch either of them in their entirety? And you just paid all that money to watch the “live” show on your little screen when you could have pulled it up on YouTube.
Omg I love the idea of a no recording zone!
This bothers me everywhere I go nowadays. We just got back from Las Vegas and the biggest problem was people photographing and recording every bloody step. Put your darn phone down and enjoy the moment! You are most likely never going to watch that video of whatever you are recording. Your office mates don’t actually care, they are being polite while you make them watch it upon your return.
Recording free zones…I LOVE IT!!!! Nothing annoys me more than thinking I found the perfect view of the show only to have an iPad raised in front of my face as the music begins. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I sing the songs really loud & off key just to ruin their video…it’s immature, I know, but gives me a small amount of satisfaction. I’m not talking about the people that want to take one or two pictures – it’s the ones that record the ENTIRE show. It’s almost as bad as shoulder kids!
That’s genius! Singing badly to discourage them and ruin their videos. I’m so doing that!
Finally! This is one thing we have talked about for years! I am glad about the stroller rule! When our kids were little, we used what we call an umbrella stroller, so it would take as little space as possible and try to not be in others way. Today, that is simply not the case! People use the stroller to push their way through and can be quite aggressive. It has been so bad that my family calls it, “Getting Strollered” when someone walks in front of you to cut you off. This term in my family applies whether you are in the parks or not. I wonder how many execs walked through the parks and got strollered and said, no more. Additionally, these oversized strollers take up a lot of space on the buses. I know it is not a popular view point on this topic, but it is my opinion.
My boys are 5 and 8. The 8yo uses a forearm crutch to walk, but can only do limited distance. A full day at the world would never happen. We use an umbrella stroller with him. He looks silly fitting in it, but prefers it to a wheelchair where other kids (and adults) stare at him. We have always used single umbrella strollers. I feel double wide strollers in general are rude. The inline doubles are fine, but if the stroller is wider then the human pushing it, that’s a problem.
The problem is that the rule actually didn’t eliminate as many strollers as you would think. I was worried about my double stroller which is double but with the seats in line with each other. I was worried that the 52″ was going to force us to change strollers. It actually is still fine by a few inches. I wish as a part of the rule the parks would name some specific strollers that they know do not meet the requirements.
I am a smoker and I will adjust to the new rules. I always thought that designated smoking areas were a good idea. Guests could avoid these areas and smokers did not feel that they were causing health issues to others. But a rule is a rule. All should abide .
This is funny, I told my wife 2 years ago that they would ban smoking in the near future and she didn’t find it funny. I quit smoking 15 years ago and have bugged her for years to do so with no luck. Maybe this will push her over the edge.
I am not a smoker but let them smoke in their own place. It is not hurting anyone
The loose ice restriction is a pain for those of us who travel and stay in hotels as we don’t tend to bring ice packs or have large freezers. We fill a small cooler with ice at the hotel and take extra bottles of water in the bottom of our regulation sized stroller so the kids have cool water to drink through the day. That said, I get it for security purposes. If they still offer ice at the park and I can just fill the small cooler inside the park after security that works.
Just bring ziplock bags that you can fill with ice and place in your coolers so they are easy to remove.
Hi tom! If they are going to ban smoking (in designated areas) why not ban alcohol. Oh, yeah, right, contrary to cigarettes, Disney makes money with booze… I’m so fed up with all the drunks roaming the parks, and they are no longer only at Epcot (drinking around the World). Smokers may be offensive but drunks also (and not a good example for kids). By the way, Walt was a smoker and he didn’t allow the sale of alcoholic beverages.
I certainly have empathy for the older generation folks who smoke, and we really can’t expect them to kick the habit. Less empathy for Xers, Millenials, and Z’s, though. Like you said, there’s a lot of available information out there NOW to prevent you from picking up that first cigarette or start this vaping fad. Again, it doesn’t make you look “cool”. [[eye roll]] I’m definitely someone who is thrilled to see this rule implemented so strictly. Yay!!!
For someone who doesn’t keep up-to-date with Disney blogs, they may be really peeved at the fact that they can’t use their favorite stroller. For us, a stroller was always in our way. I actually gave away our stroller to another parent (to keep) while we were in Magic Kingdom because I felt like it was always in my way. My then 3 year old didn’t want to stay in it, and we just let her walk. I noticed a parent struggling and offered my stroller and told her to keep it. Lol. That’s how annoyed I was with my stroller. It just wasn’t practical for our kids who never wanted to nap while in the parks anyway.
I’ve read that resort mini-fridges no longer have freezer sections. I’m all for re-usable ice packs, but without a way to re-freeze them I’m not sure that will work. Any suggestions?
Ziploc bags with ice from the hotel
Machines
Great idea!
Will this be allowed? I mean, it’s not loose at that point.
Yup! That’ll work. Thanks
I am curious as to why the smoking ban now, as Disney typically makes decisions based on finances rather than morals.
Someone asked about this on the Disney Mom Panel the other day, and they replied that loose ice contained in Ziplock bags is acceptable, it’s just the coolers full of ice that are the problem.
Smoking at the park entrances is not great either because we have to walk thru it to get in the park. I hope there will be designated areas away from baggage check and ticket scan area. I apologize but I’m happy about this decision as it was hard to breathe around and people didn’t stick by the rules and only smoke in designated areas.
This might be a silly question, but has there been any word if the “loose ice” applies to drink cups as well? Are cups even checked at security? Thanks!
My refillable mug was never checked last week when we were there
I couldn’t imagine them taking the time to check everyone’s cup, but you never know. Thanks for the reply!
It may not stop smoking in the park but at least it’s a documented thing that can be enforced. Time will tell how well it’s enforced.
Restaurants, bars, and other public places have been smoke free in many localities around the country for a while, with minimal ill effect. If this ban changes the mind of a smoker about their visit, so be it. I can see it maybe affecting foreign travelers from countries that have laxed smoking policies.
Free ice is still available so people should be able to fill up their coolers in-park?
Having a smoking ban in a restaurant is very different from having a smoking ban in Disney. At a restaurant or bar all you have to do is step outside and you’re gone for 5 minutes tops. At Disney, it won’t be allowed almost within the entire resort. So someone just trying to have a nice vacation with their family has to leave and walk all the way out of Disneyland, out of security to smoke and then come all the way back in who knows how many times a day. Over the course of the day, how many hours of time with their family have they missed? I absolutely detest cigarette smoke, but I still have some empathy and the idea that someone has to live through their vacation and family time like that makes me kinda sad for them.
I fully support the changes. Now if only Disney would ban stopping in the middle of walkways to chat and lining up shoulder to shoulder only to walk at a snails pace, the guest experience would be that much better.
Best comment so far! They should also ban young parents who think it’s cute to teach Junior to take his first steps on Main Street, people who “save” ten feet of curb space with jackets, totes, and over-sized strollers two hours before a parade, and people who cut lines at attractions and fast food restaurants; I’m on to the classic “chat and cut” and will call you out… 😉
Agreed. I think bottom line is that there is a sad lack of plain ol’fashioned common courtesy period. And unfortunately a few bad apples being rude have caused these rules to he implemented.
Yeah, god forbid parents with little kids have fun at a fantasy-based theme park manned by cartoon and fairy tale characters. Do you ever think that maybe family fun should take priority over 30 and 40+ adults on their 28th trip to WDW? I don’t even have kids either
Two thumbs up!
yes this is a problem when they just stop in front of you and they are holding hands my be they could rope it off for strollers and wheel chairs when I was there at Christmas they did it helped a little but people still did not pay attention and for the smoking I notice the areas are close to food places or as soon as you leave they have to light up just outside the entrance of the restaurant and what about the e cigarettes people walk around with them hiding in the palm of there hands ?
I have mixed feelings about the smoking ban. I’m not a smoker and my husband has asthma and a pretty bad allergy to tobacco. So obviously a completely smoke free park would make things easier on us, but I have to agree that I can’t imagine this is actually going to stop people from smoking in the parks. Being from Kentucky, we’re pretty used to avoiding smoke and never had a problem doing so in the Florida parks. It’s way easier to avoid there than many places I’ve been. I’m not in favor of smoking and certainly don’t think children or anybody not wanting to be exposed to cigarette smoke should be exposed, but there is still a large population of people who do smoke and aren’t likely to quit because of a new Disney rule. It’s still very much a part of the culture where I live and I wish there were some kind of options left for them.
you found offensive and deleted my harmless pun about Hypocrites which was being misspelled in comments as Hippocrates (Hippo crates ) which pertained to the discussion of strollers?
You sure that’s not on the other post? I didn’t delete any of your comments on this one.
Oh you are correct! Thanks for clearing it up. I had to ask because I would have otherwise felt sort of hurt,..