If you’re like me, there is a good chance you’re unfamiliar with the places that your Wonderfold wagon (or potential wagon) is allowed. While this might be easy for some to distinguish, I find myself checking the rules each time we visit somewhere new. For example, our local aquarium or zoo. I wanted to make sure that I was both allowed to bring our wagon and that our wagon would be easy to navigate through their paths. Of course, so quick research and a trip to the zoo answered pretty quick. So, can you take your Wonderfold wagon to the zoo?
The short answer is yes. Most zoos allow Wonderfold wagons and stroller wagons in their parks even on their high-traffic days. Zoos typically offer wider pathways thanks to being outdoors and, depending on where you live, your zoo might not have many “high-traffic” days to begin with.
To check if your zoo allows Wonderfold wagons and other stroller wagons, visit their website and check out their park rules. Wagons are not a huge problem, so most zoos don’t have an active policy regarding whether you can or cannot bring your Wonderfold wagon. By default, it’s safe to say that if they don’t have a policy telling you not to bring a stroller wagon, it’s safe to bring your Wonderfold wagon to the zoo. If you’re still unsure, call or email the zoo before the day you plan to visit.
Watch the video below for how our Wonderfold Wagon did at our local zoo:
I would also like to make the statement that just because you CAN bring it to the zoo does not mean you should. Not all zoos are easily accessible and bringing your wagon – or planning a trip because you have a wagon – doesn’t always turn out like we want. I recommend looking up virtual tours of the zoo you plan to visit to get a better idea of how their paths are set-up.
It’s hot, and I mean HOT, during our summertime and prime zoo time. And with a 1 year old and 3 year old, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and overheated even with our wagon. We have the Wonderfold W4 Elite even though we only have two kids. It’s enough space when we have nieces and nephews with us or our kids don’t want to sit. I’ve found that it’s perfect for stashing supplies during hot zoo trips!
Currently, we don’t have many “fancy” accessories on our Wonderfold wagon. We mostly have stock items with a few extras that we already owned. Our typical wagon set-up in addition to what it comes with includes:
That’s it. We didn’t have many extras since it was new and not necessary. But, we purchased a set of USB fans specifically for the zoo. I found them on Amazon for a better price than battery powered fans which worked out since I already own power banks. Personally, I preferred them to batter powered since I could also charge my phone while out and about.
The only downside of our current fans is that they are clip on fans rather than “octopus” style fans. They’re very limited in the places that they can “clip” onto our wagon, mainly just the main frame. This is fine when we’re only using one bench seat, but would be an issue with both seats in.
We kept it simple by keeping a snack basket. Our snack basket is a small woven basket found at Target which we keep filled with favorites like Goldfish, Scooby Snaks, and Cheese-its. We also like to pack extra juice and water cups to prevent buying stuff from the zoo.
The basket is pretty small, so when we’re using the wagon we slide it underneath the seats closest to the handlebar. This lets our toddler have easy access when he’s hungry, but it’s not in our way when we’re trying to access diapers/wipes and other essentials.
The Wonderfold’s standard rear basket is the perfect spot for the essentials. We keep this packed in our car whenever we have the wagon – meaning we don’t change it each trip, we just put in back on the wagon and go!
The rear basket is where we keep all the essentials needed for adventures with two toddlers. We fill it with:
The only time we rotate what’s included is when our littles use their extras or we run out of supplies. This makes it easier for me, the mom, to go out by myself. There’s less pressure to pack and prepare and I have more freedom to just go to the zoo.
This depends on your zoo. A stolen Wonderfold is not a new thing. As the Wonderfold’s popularity increases, so do those who know it’s value and steal to resell. With anytime you take your Wonderfold wagon to a heavily – or even not-so heavily – occupied area, I recommend trying not to leave it alone.
The hardest part is when you’re a mom on your own and you need to use the bathroom or your little does. If you can afford it, I highly recommend purchasing an Apple AirTag or similar product and purchasing an AirTag Concealer.
Other concerns may include weather, such as high or low temperatures and rain. These do not necessarily mean your zoo trip is over, this just means you need to prepare. For example, bring fans for hot days and prepare to hydrate. Check out the Wonderfold Winter and Wind covers for low temperatures. And lastly, look into a rain cover for those rainy days.
Outside of zoo rules, as a mama of two with a Wonderfold W4 Elite stroller wagon I say it is perfectly fine to bring your Wonderfold wagon to the zoo. Besides the occasional “that’s cool” or “that’s extra” comments, I’ve never regretted bringing my Wonderfold on any of my adventures with my toddlers – zoo included.
Not only that, I plan on bringing my Wonderfold wagon stroller to the zoo in the future for some of their busier events – like lights at the zoo during Christmastime and boo at the zoo in October.
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Why do you wish you purchased the two seater instead of the 4 seater?
The four seater was great for awhile, but now (even though I’m expecting my third), it’s a bit too big for me to handle with them both and my older toddler doesn’t stay in it. While it’s great for containing them when I need to, the two-seater would be easier for me to maneuver on my own and I plan to baby wear the until my newborn is at least 4/5 months – Wonderfold recommends that babies must be able to sit on their own to ride – it would allow the two-seater to be fine until then. And, at that point, it would be very unlikely that my older toddler would want to ride at all at that point.
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