Newbie-Refinish rocking chair

[brighto]

I'm refinishing a Nicholes & Stone rocker, maple wood I think, 40 yrs old. Above the seat, the finish is pretty solid.
I'd like to clean, light sand, and refinish over that part with a slightly darker stain. Good/bad idea? What to do for prep?
From the seat face down, the finish is really bad and probably should be removed. I plan to sand the seat.
What is a good stripping product for the connectors and rails?
What problem getting the top and bottom to match? I've used Minwax prestain/oils/poly in the past.
Anything better I can easily get? Is their gel product worth cocnsidering?
There are a couple loose spindles. Is Wonder Lock Em a good product or should I disassemble and re-glue with Tite Bond?
Thanks in advance!