Mom of twins wants Sea Life to change stroller policy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As a mother of twin 19-month-old girls and a 3-month-old boy, Jennifer Harrison of Clay County says you have to plan for everything.

"You don't have a choice, you have multiple children to deal with," said Harrison.

So when Harrison, her girls and their nanny went to Sea Life Aquarium last month, she made sure to bring their double stroller. Especially since Madelyn had a broken leg.

"Walked up to the line, purchased our tickets and then when we got to the little entrance, we're told we can't take our stroller," said Harrison.

Harrison said staff told her to rent a tandem stroller from Crown Center, come back another day or walk through. They chose to walk, carrying Madelyn along in her cast.

"It was miserable for not only us, I'm sure it was miserable for everybody around us because our daughter Madelyn cried the entire time," said Harrison.

Wheelchairs are allowed through the aquarium, so Harrison wants to know why her stroller is banned.

"With the double-wide strollers, we're in a situation where we're dealing with people who have other options," said Sea Life marketing manager Mendy Rose.

She said allowing double strollers would make already-tight passageways even smaller. Rose said it's a safety risk during an emergency.

"Safety is non-negotiable for us, so there aren't any plans to change the policy or the structure in the near future," Rose said.

Rose said the stroller policy is listed on Sea Life's website. She said out of five Sea Life locations in the country, Kansas City is the only one that does not allow double strollers, due to the attraction's layout.

Harrison said she's never run into this problem anywhere else, and that her family will not go back to the aquarium.