Contact Information
Magic Strollers
2145 South Apopka Vineland Road
Orlando, FL 32836
(866) 866-6177
http://www.magicstrollers.com
info@magicstrollers.com
Guest review from TouringPlans blogger Angela Dahlgren. Read the wrap-up on our blog.
Other stroller reviews:
Each stroller was reviewed for at least half a day and none of the companies knew it was for a review.
These companies are all Disney Featured Stroller Providers, which allows them to use the Disney resorts to store their strollers. The two big benefits to you are:
- Your stroller will be picked up and delivered to the Bell Services desk at your Disney hotel
- You don’t need to be present for the initial drop-off or pick-up
Each stroller was given a score from 1 to 14, using the follow criteria (2 points each):
Orlando Stroller Rentals Score
Scoreboard
- Website Rental Process and Price: 1 point The website text was difficult to see and the description videos did not work.
- Price: 2 points
- Stroller Maneuverability: 2 points
- Weight: 2 points
- Amenities: 1.5 points The handle is not adjustable
- Ease of Use: 1.5 The hard to access basket (and the fact that it couldn't fit very much) lost them half a point.
- Child Comfort: 2 points
Total score: 12/14
Rental Prices
- City Mini Single Stroller: $25.00 for 1st day; $6.50 each additional day
- City Mini GT Single Stroller: $35.00 for 1st day; $7.50 each additional day
- City Mini Double Stroller: $40.00 for 1st day; $7.50 each additional day
- City Mini GT Double Stroller: $50.00 for 1st day; $8.50 each additional day
When comparing these prices to other stroller companies, you'll notice that these prices (for a one day rental) are much lower. However, when comparing prices based on a three day rental, the cost is similar across the board.
Web Site Process
The website is okay. First of all, the text is far too small. Seriously, either zoom in or put on reading glasses (I opted to zoom in). The top of the main page is fine, but the minute you scroll down, the font gets tiny. Moving on, the first thing you see on the main page are the prices, which I like. However, these prices don't reflect the rental cost of all the strollers offered.
Also featured on the main page are photos of a single and double stroller. When you click on the photo, a link takes you to a demo video. The problem is, the video won't play! I went to the reservation page where I was given four stroller options, all of which were by the brand Baby Jogger. I again tried clicking on the video demonstration - nothing. Since there is very little text describing the strollers, I had a hard time picking out a stroller.
The best part about the website is the "Where We Deliver" tab on the drop down menu. Here, you can search or browse over 250 delivery locations. In addition, each resort has its address and phone number next to it.
Delivery
The day of my reservation, I received a text message stating my stroller had been delivered. I love this feature as it is unique and is not offered with the other three companies I reviewed. The text message also stated that my stroller would be inside a black canvas bag. Why is this relevant? We'll get to that in a minute. About an hour after the text message, I went over to the Contemporary to pick up my stroller.
I walked up to Bell Services and inquired about my stroller. The Cast Member looked in a log book and did not see any notice of my delivery. He called the luggage room and asked another CM to see if my stroller was there. The luggage room CM reported back.
My stroller wasn't there.
The CM from Bell Services had the phone number for Magic Strollers. I called them once. Twice. Three times.
No answer.
What was I going to do? Was I was about to spend an entire day at Magic Kingdom without a stroller?
I made a contingency plan. I needed to review a Disney stroller anyway, so I went to Magic Kingdom and rented one there. About an hour after the ordeal, I called Magic Strollers again and left a message expressing my extreme disappointment.
An hour after that, I received a call from Stephanie, an employee of Magic Strollers. She told me she called the Contemporary and the stroller was delivered. I was very surprised since the CM had told me it was nowhere to be found.
I apologized to Stephanie and asked her if there was any way I could reschedule my reservation for a different day. She briefly spoke with the owner, John, and agreed to reschedule later in the week. She was very sweet, understanding and her customer service was impeccable. However, I couldn't get past the fact that I had to call FOUR times before receiving a call back (on a Thursday afternoon no less!) As a company who is not only a Disney Featured Provider, but also rents products that may need replacing at a moments notice, I found this to be completely unacceptable.
Anyway, I finished my day at Magic Kingdom and walked over to the Contemporary to follow up with them. I explained the stroller had been delivered and asked if they would check once again. I reminded them that the stroller would be found in a black, canvas bag. A CM came back a few minutes later with my long lost stroller.
I politely asked where the confusion lay. The Cast Member said it was a breach in delivery protocol.
The protocol is:
- Whenever a stroller delivery is made to a Disney resort, the drivers are to sign a log-in book when they drop off the stroller.
- When the guest picks up the stroller from Bell Services, they need to sign a log book stating they received it.
In my case, the driver had NOT signed the delivery book when he/she dropped off the stroller. However, I will place blame on the Contemporary as well and question how hard they actually looked for the stroller, especially since I told them that it came in a bag.
Following my trip, I called the owner of Magic Strollers, John, to explain the entire situation and inquire about the proper delivery protocol. Once again, I must have called three or four times before getting a call back. Very aggravating.
Anyway, John said although Disney has a set protocol regarding stroller delivery, each Disney resort does it differently. Sometimes the delivery drivers (who are Disney employees) log the strollers in and sometimes they don't. He referred to the Contemporary Cast Members as "Stupid Idiots" (SO unprofessional) and then commented on how Cast Members working in Bell Services are terrible about actually looking for the strollers that get delivered. They just do a quick sweep and tell guests their rental never turned up.
I later spoke with the owner of another stroller company, and she said the same thing happened on a regular basis. They would deliver the strollers, Cast members wouldn’t look for it properly in the luggage room and they would tell guests it had never been delivered.
After talking to the two stroller owners and from my own experience at the Contemporary, it appears that Disney Bell Services is the weak link in the chain. The current delivery process doesn't seem as efficient as it could be and either needs to be followed more closely, or modified.
Delivery and Product Information
A few days later, I finally received my stroller. This time, I picked it up from the Beach Club. It indeed came in a black canvas bag with a strap big enough to carry over my shoulder. The stroller was black, clean and had the wheels removed. As you'll see in the photo, the wheels are kept in a separate pouch. As I removed the contents from the bag, I found the wheels simple to attach. Push the circular button and the wheels slide right on.
Now, let's get to the beef of the review: The product itself!
City Mini Single Stroller Product Information
- Brand: Baby Jogger
- Weight: 16.8 lbs
- Dimensions:42 x 24 x 41.5
- Handle: 41 inches from the ground
- Child Weight Maximum: 50 lbs
- Child Height Limit: Under 45 inches
- Retail Price: $249.99
- Wheels: Three 8' hard rubber wheels with a doubled front swivel wheel
Amenities
Disclaimer: If you have read my review of the City Mini 4-Wheel Single Stroller, you will notice the amenities (and my notes about them) are very similar. This is because the stroller amenities are exactly identical except for the number of wheels. If you've already read my Orlando Stroller review, just skip this part and jump to the end.
- Five point harness: This harness has padding on the straps and is easily adjustable. I had no trouble strapping my daughter in and to release the clips, all I had to do was squeeze the side buttons.
- Reclining Seat: See Pros
- Storage Basket Below Stroller: See Cons
- Parent Console: This parent console includes two small containers, that can be closed with velcro, and a mesh cup holder. Don’t trust this cup holder with an open beverage container as the soft mesh material is sure to jiggle around when in motion.
- Sun Canopy: See Pros
- Parking Brake: To lock rear wheels, push foot on red foot brake. To release, pull up on foot brake. Insiders Tip: This will be harder with flip flops.
Cons
- Handle: I really don’t like the handle. First of all, it is NOT adjustable. Secondly, because of the way it is curved, comfortable hand placement is difficult. I also don’t like the feel of the rubber plastic material as the handle got a little sticky as the sun heated the plastic. Looking back, this could have been because of the age of the stroller or maybe the handle not been cleaned properly.
- Basket: I could deal with the sticky handle, but had a hard time “handle-ing” (see what I did there?) the basket below. It is SO hard to access! As you can see below, the curved bar makes it difficult to put things underneath. Seeing as the sides of the basket are elastic and not blocked by a bar (see photo), I had to go around the stroller to put things underneath. However, even then there were difficulties. The basket just doesn’t fit much. I had a backpack that I was using as a diaper bag and couldn’t fit it in the basket at all. I had to hang the backpack on the handle bar which thankfully didn’t cause the stroller to tip over. When designing a stroller basket, the first thing I would do is to see how much stuff I could fit underneath. All I could fit in this basket was a rain cover and my empty Mini Mickey Sink. Not ideal for a long day at the parks.
- Note: I see the newer models have tried to correct this problem, but have heard the basket is still hard to access. Keep at it Baby Jogger!
Pros
- Folding: This is without a doubt, the EASIEST stroller I have EVER folded! There is a handle on the middle of the seat that you pull up on. With a light pull, it immediately folds in half. You could be holding a toddler in one arm and still easily fold the stroller with the other hand.
- Handle: The handle is of a good height. My husband is six-feet tall and had no problem pushing the stroller. Because it’s higher up, he didn’t need to hunch over to push it.
- Reclining Feature: It is easy to recline the seat with one hand as you saw in the video demonstration. However, you need both hands to put it back up (which I don’t see as a con). It can be reclined to an almost flat position and provides a comfortable make-shift bed for tired little ones.
- Wheels: This is my favorite type of wheel material for a stroller as the tires won’t pop should a rock or nail get embedded in them. They won’t deflate and do not need to be pumped with air. The wheels turn on a dime and glide over bumpy roads with ease, providing a smooth ride for my daughter.
- Canopy: This is the canopy of all canopies. It is HUGE. It is the perfect thing to shade your little one from the harsh Florida sun. In addition, there are two decent sized plastic windows (flaps kept closed by velcro) that allow you to check on your wee one. The canopy can also be removed by pushing the grey buttons on either side of it.
I really enjoyed this stroller. The front swivel wheel made it easy to maneuver through the crowds which made going to the parks a breeze. It glided nicely over bumpy terrain and my daughter seemed happy and comfortable in it. It was a dream to fold up and I loved how light it was. I could hold my daughter and carry it on to the bus (Disney transportation) with ease.
As far as the company itself, I'm on the fence. I appreciated Stephanie's great customer service and was so grateful to John for allowing me to reschedule my reservation. I was happy with the rental cost and noticed the prices were actually cheaper than the other companies I reviewed.
However, I wasn't impressed at all by the website and was so frustrated by their inability to answer and return phone calls in a timely manner. If you're thinking about renting a stroller, I would suggest researching different stroller companies in the area to see which fits your needs the best.
Last updated on September 2, 2016