The Brand Is Dead…Long Live The Brand…

…does it matter which Orlando stroller rental company you use?

Who needs brand names anymore?

That’s a question a lot of people are asking.  With the capabilities of the internet, the argument goes, brands are unnecessary these days.  You go on line, you look at sites, you compare prices, you check out features and you make a decision.

Why does a brand make any difference?

People ask this question when they are considering an Orlando stroller rental for their vacation at Walt Disney World.
In truth, you actually can learn a lot about renting a stroller in Orlando by searching on the web.  You’ll come up with names like Orlando Stroller Rental, Babywheels Orlando, Kingdom Strollers….and of course, Magic Strollers.  Altogether, you’ll be able to find ten or fifteen companies that rent similar strollers (the baby Jogger City Mini Single and baby Jogger City Mini Double).  They all have nice pictures, have similar lists of resorts where they deliver, have glowing testimonials and all claim to be the best.  But, can you believe all you read?  And what about the things you might want to know that often aren’t on their site?  Like how long they have been in business?  And, very importantly, how big are they?  While the web arguably levels the playing field, the internet also makes it easy for a company operating in a garage with five strollers to look and act like they have a fleet of 500 baby strollers.  The testimonials may be glowing, but maybe they are all made up.

But, you may say, it’s only a stroller.  Maybe yes, maybe no.  What if the company you rent a stroller rents out more strollers than they actually have?  You turn up for your vacation and there’s no stroller waiting for you.  What if the stroller you are about to put your child in is dirty, or smells, or is so worn that you’re embarrassed to be seen pushing it?  What if the baby carriage develops a problem during your rental and all you get is a voice mail when you call for help? What if you find a charge for a replacement stroller on your credit card when you know you dropped the stroller off when and where you were supposed to?

Vacations cost a LOT of money and is it really worth risking your enjoyment over a wrong decision about which Orlando stroller rental company to use?

So, how can you tell who is trustworthy?

Well, at Magic Strollers, we think a brand is VERY important. Magic Strollers is part of Owner’s Locker and both companies are all about their brands.  It’s our business and our reputation.  We treat people the way we want to be treated and every product or service we provide is the best it can possibly be or we won’t put our name on it.  The folks who clean and sanitize our Baby Jogger City Mini strollers all imagine they are standing next to a mother with a newborn when she opens the protective canvas travel bag to see the condition of the stroller she has rented.  At Magic Strollers, we provide a parent console with each stroller and rain covers on a complimentary basis (subject to availability) because that’s what our customers have asked for.  We try to make sure there is always a human at the other end of the phone because that the right thing to do.  We send texts out when each stroller is delivered.  We allow day by day rentals.  At Magic Strollers, we don’t charge you for your rental until 14 days prior to your arrival.  On the home page of our website you can see that over 20,000 kids have ridden in our strollers at Walt Disney World…a number that is automatically updated daily.  You will also see that our website has been tested by McAfee Secure each day…a process where they scan our site each day for over two hours looking for any vulnerabilities so you’ll know the Magic Strollers site is safe and secure. These are things no other stroller rental company does. This is the Magic Strollers brand and we are proud of it.

How do you know all of this is accurate?

Well, don’t take our word for it, talk to any of our customers. Or you can see what other “trusted sources” (another word for brand) have to say about us.   Read what Mary Wary of MouseSavers has to say about us on her site, www.mousesavers.com:

“Best Deal on a Rental Stroller – Magic Strollers
I personally recommend renting your stroller from Magic Strollers, a new service from a very reliable company I’ve been recommending for years, Owner's Locker.
Magic Strollers’ rental rates are lower than other stroller rental companies I’ve checked out. Their strollers are much less expensive than the Disney strollers, which can’t be taken out of the parks. Unlike some other companies, there is no minimum rental period — you can rent for however many days you need!”

The MouseSavers site has been a credible valuable resource for over 15 years.  Mary Waring knows that she stakes her reputation on what she says on her site.  In effect, she has done your homework for you.  But she hasn’t just searched the web.  She actually meets the people behind the companies she recommends and views their operations.  She is very protective of the MouseSavers brand…and you can benefit from her work behind the scenes to create and protect her brand.

Another trusted brand name is the Birnbaum Official Guide to Walt Disney World.  In existence for 30 years and available in all book stores, it is the only guide book sold in Disney Parks and Resorts.  As you might imagine, editor Jill Safro and her team are passionate about protecting the mantle of being the “official” guide and are going to be just as careful about the suggestions they make:  In addition to being a “hot tip” in the 2013 Official Guide to Walt Disney World, here’s what they say about Magic Strollers:

“Brought to you by the folks behind Owner's Locker ( www.ownerslocker.com ) this stroller rental program is truly magical to the parenting populace. For starters, the strollers are all from the popular Baby Jogger City Mini series; they're delivered directly to any WDW resort (and many other area hotels) by 10:00 AM on the days guests check in and picked up before 2:00 PM on the day guests head home; and the convenience of using the strollers anywhere and everywhere is a major plus.”

In essence building a brand name is all about building trust and creating and preserving a company’s reputation.  Many companies don’t focus on the brand, viewing it as an unnecessary expense.  All they care about is getting paid for a single transaction.  For Owner’s Locker and Magic Strollers, our brand is what we live by every day.

Trusting a brand is a quick way to rely and trust the work a credible source has done.  Considering a brand can also be a quick way to cross check what you have found on the web.

A lot of time, effort and especially money goes into a vacation and the last thing you want is for something to go wrong.  Something very small can ruin or dampen a vacation.  If you have decided to rent a stroller for your vacation (which we think is a wise idea) don’t take a chance that you will be disappointed.  Trust the people with the golden reputation for quality and customer service:  Magic Strollers.