TTM about travel

acesup · July 2014

DH and I are discussing the possibility of Disney this winter. Kids will be 4 and just under 2 respectively. How does plane travel work with kids? I'm clueless! Booster and car seat? Would 2 yr old have his own seat? What about the shuttles? Tell me about logistics because I literally have no use LOL.

TIA

acesup · July 2014

So would you bring a car seat for the 4 yr old too? Isn't there some special harness thing for planes? I feel like I've seen it I'll have to google. Not sure the ages it's recommended for. I hate to lug two car seats if I don't have to but obvi want the safest option. We really don't want to rent a car. We're planning to stay at a Disney resort so the shuttle goes to the parks. So basically it would be from the airport and then to and from par everyday and then back to airport. So if there's no seatbelts would I just do laps? I'm so confused lol

[Deleted User] · July 2014

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[Deleted User] · July 2014

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SJandVA · July 2014

When we went a couple years ago, with my almost 4yo, we didn't bring any seat for her. We used the Disney bus from the airport and Disney buses and monorail around the resort.

acesup · July 2014

MotherOfPearl85 said:
Most airlines check car seats for free and then I would install them in the shuttle.

But then what do I do with them? Drag them around the park? Lol I'm sorry but I am genuinely clueless about this stuff haha

Obviously I haven't been on a plane since I had kids

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SJandVA · July 2014

I haven't been on a plane with a child that age so I could be incorrect. But if you are not renting a car and only taking Disney transportation I would leave seats at home. Bring your stroller though.

acesup · July 2014

MotherOfPearl85 said:

piglet6609 said:

MotherOfPearl85 said:
Most airlines check car seats for free and then I would install them in the shuttle.
But then what do I do with them? Drag them around the park? Lol I'm sorry but I am genuinely clueless about this stuff haha

Obviously I haven't been on a plane since I had kids
Have the shuttle driver take them back? Idk I've never done it so I didn't think it all the way through. Can you rent a car?

We are trying to avoid renting a car if we can. Ugh this hard

acesup · July 2014

Thanks everyone!

pepperedmoth · July 2014

rvasc said:
What @piffley‌ said. I can't imagine my kid sans car seat on a plane or interstate. Shuttle to the park, yeah.

Huh I'm the other way around. I'm fine sans carseat on the plane, but the shuttle would bother me. I'd prolly do it though.

Car = NO WAY.

pepperedmoth · July 2014

piffley said:

pepperedmoth said:

rvasc said:
What @piffley‌ said. I can't imagine my kid sans car seat on a plane or interstate. Shuttle to the park, yeah.
Huh I'm the other way around. I'm fine sans carseat on the plane, but the shuttle would bother me. I'd prolly do it though.

Car = NO WAY.

So if there's turbulence you're find with your child potentially smashing into the ceiling? Although it's not an everyday occurrence, it's still a possibility, just like accidents when driving. What about a rough landing? Or god forbid some type of accident? Wouldn't you want your children to be protected in the best way possible.

The FAA and NTSB both recommend all children be restrained in a car seat on an airplane, same as in cars. They've tried to make it law. Of course the airlines pay lobbyists to fight against it because they want people to fly that wouldn't be able to afford that extra ticket for a child under 2 or don't want to lug their car seat. So far the lobbyists are winning over safety.

-------quotefail---------

I could turn this around on you and say, "so if the shuttle crashes you're fine with your child potentially smashing into the windshield?"

I think the risk of injury from riding on a shuttle bus without a carseat is way way WAY higher than the risk of injury from flying without one.

I guess I'd have to see some stats (not anecdata) on lap babies injured from turbulence in flight for me to be convinced it's super dangerous --- especially more dangerous than ground transport without child restraint! Yikes!

ASmallWonder · July 2014

What kind of shuttle are we talking about? The actual buses that go around Disney? They'll offer compartmentalization which is what makes it safer to ride a bus without a seatbelt or carseat than in a vehicle. Buses are also larger, making them less likely to be hit but of course accidents can still happen. Your kiddos are going to be too young too really benefit from compartmentalization though so there is absolutely risk in riding them. It's definitely true that the recommendation is that all children use a car seat on a plane. Every passenger with a seat is required to wear a seatbelt at certain times during the flight so it reasons that children really shouldn't be allowed to even be lap children, kwim?

acesup · July 2014

I'm seriously considering the harness that was linked above for the plane.

Would this work on the shuttles / buses as well?

I'm not really sure re: shuttle or bus. I guess whatever it is that goes from the resorts to the parks. We don't want to rent a car. The whole idea was to stay in a Disney resort because they have transportation- but then I started thinking about all this.

I mean, if I brought car seats and strapped them into the bus and the bus drops us off at the park we can't just leave the car seat on the bus- that's where I'm confused about what people do.

ASmallWonder · July 2014

That harness won't work for all kiddos. Probably ok for the 4 year old but not the 2 year old and you can't use them in a car. You can't use car seats on a bus because there are no belts. Personally I'd bring their seats for the plane and for whatever vehicle gets you to Disney ( I'm assuming it's more of a van from the airport) and then leave your seats in your room and use the buses.

acesup · July 2014

elmoali said:
That harness won't work for all kiddos. Probably ok for the 4 year old but not the 2 year old and you can't use them in a car. You can't use car seats on a bus because there are no belts. Personally I'd bring their seats for the plane and for whatever vehicle gets you to Disney ( I'm assuming it's more of a van from the airport) and then leave your seats in your room and use the buses.

Thanks! The harness says it's for 1 and up and 22-40lbs. He is 25 lbs now and we are looking at going 6 months from now - he will be 23 months. Have you had experience with it? Could those size recommendations be off?

ASmallWonder · July 2014

They talk about it on CSFTL all the time and I'm trying to remember the exact issue. I want to say that it's because on smaller kids it doesn't fit right even if their weight is within the limits. Want me to ask on the forum?

acesup · July 2014

elmoali said:
They talk about it on CSFTL all the time and I'm trying to remember the exact issue. I want to say that it's because on smaller kids it doesn't fit right even if their weight is within the limits. Want me to ask on the forum?

Oh ok

yeah if you don't mind that would be great- thank you so much

ASmallWonder · July 2014

Alrighty so I got some feedback. Even though the product says 22-44 pounds, it doesn't fit kids right until around 40 pounds because that's when the belt fit begins to be right. Before that it sits too high and can cause abdominal injuries.

One thing I thought of though - how are you planning on getting from the airport to the resort? Riding the buses from the resort to the parks is one thing but getting TO the hotel is something different so my feeling is that you need to bring your seats on the plane, install them in your transportation to the hotel and then ride the resort buses as normal once there.

acesup · July 2014

elmoali said:
Alrighty so I got some feedback. Even though the product says 22-44 pounds, it doesn't fit kids right until around 40 pounds because that's when the belt fit begins to be right. Before that it sits too high and can cause abdominal injuries.

One thing I thought of though - how are you planning on getting from the airport to the resort? Riding the buses from the resort to the parks is one thing but getting TO the hotel is something different so my feeling is that you need to bring your seats on the plane, install them in your transportation to the hotel and then ride the resort buses as normal once there.

------
Thanks so much!

I was thinking about that. Someone told me that Disney has their own transport from the airport called Magical Express and that it's a very short ride and they don't allow car seats- so I have to look into that...

outnumbered · July 2014

How big is your 4 year old? If he is at least 40 pounds you could consider getting him a bubble bum for travel. I know a harnessed seat is ideal, but if your child can sit still for the shuttle ride from the airport to the hotel a bubble bum is fine and packs easily. I would not worry about a car seat for transportation around Disney. You might not even be on a bus. You could be on a boat or the monorail. Have fun!

ETA: The bubble bum is a backless booster and requires a seatbelt.

ShieldMaiden · July 2014

The Magical Express ride is 30 minutes or so on major highways, so we opted to rent a car as I was not comfortable with not using a carseat under those conditions.

ASmallWonder · July 2014

ShieldMaiden said:

The Magical Express ride is 30 minutes or so on major highways, so we opted to rent a car as I was not comfortable with not using a carseat under those conditions.

Yikes. I definitely wouldn't be comfortable not using a car seat.

acesup · July 2014

outnumbered said:
How big is your 4 year old? If he is at least 40 pounds you could consider getting him a bubble bum for travel. I know a harnessed seat is ideal, but if your child can sit still for the shuttle ride from the airport to the hotel a bubble bum is fine and packs easily. I would not worry about a car seat for transportation around Disney. You might not even be on a bus. You could be on a boat or the monorail. Have fun!

ETA: The bubble bum is a backless booster and requires a seatbelt.

4 yr old is my DD she is only about 33lbs. I will check out the bubble bum but she may be too small
Thanks!

acesup · July 2014

ShieldMaiden said:
The Magical Express ride is 30 minutes or so on major highways, so we opted to rent a car as I was not comfortable with not using a carseat under those conditions.

Oh wow- an aquaintance told me a "short" trip- so I figured 10 min.

I'm so surprised. I posted something about this on Facebook too asking for feedback and EVERYONE who commented said they didn't take car seats at all- kids ranging from 1 and up. They all said they just did lap. That's seems crazy to me

acesup · July 2014

rvasc said:
Ok. Here's what I would do. I would take the car seats on the plane. I have done a plane with a car seat. The easiest is to send one person with the seats when families can board. Then, the other parent and kids board last. I would arrange transportation from the airport that allowed me to install the seats (taxi, car service, whatever). Then I would leave the seats in the hotel room and use the Disney shuttle once on site. Car seat lady says buses at low speeds are fine, and suggests babywearing for extra safety for littlest ones.

Thank you- I like this idea a lot!

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