Spinoff: Sling Rules?

[zoldalma]

I read on another thread that for Dumbo, a baby that is being worn has to be in a forward-facing position... What's the deal with that, exactly? Is there an official policy (not just on Dumbo, but on all rides)? I have a baby who practically lives in her baby carrier. Typically she's on my back, but when she's on my front she's facing in. This is for health issues - I have always heard that a forward facing position like the Bjorn is bad for an infant's hip development. Second, you can't forward face in the type of carrier I have (Babyhawk). Has anyone had an issue with this sort of thing in the parks? If she's taking a nap I don't want to wake her up - and honestly, how is it a safety issue if she's facing in instead of out? You'd think she'd be even safer. I can understand that we couldn't go on a ride if she was on my back (which is typically how I carry her throughout our day, on walks, etc...

 

[Lilliputian]

I have gone all over the World with babies in Ergos, and never have I been told that the baby had to face outward. I can't remember specifically riding Dumbo with a baby in a carrier, but I have picture of me riding the ride that's just like Dumbo but with dinosaurs at AK, and I had the baby in the Ergo. I don't think it's a rule but just a misguided CM.

 

[RachaelA]

I've never heard that or had someone tell me that and we carried DD on plenty of rides on our fronts facing in. She was on my hip a bunch of times as well.

I do not face her out specifically because its bad for her hips and because of over-stimulation.

 

[IDreamofPoly]

I don't know the policy myself, but the only ride I have been able to wear baby in my ergo at Disneyland was IASM. I think the CMs don't even know the official policy but they always instruct me that he has to face forward.

 

[ElenaRN]

DD was in her ERGO facing in for most of her first trip at 11 months old. We were never told she had to be facing out.

 

[angelmom27]

They have no official rule about this from what I know. It just depends on the CM running the ride. I rode small world and pirates with my DD asleep on my back and once with my DD nursing in the ergo. Some say the carousel but you have to sit on the bench can't stand but a friend had hers FFing (yes we know bad idea) and they let her stand. So it is just a matter of what the CM says. Usually all rides with the lap bars will say baby has to be FFing.

 

[erin327]

I have ridden lots of rides with babies in carriers. We also don't face them out for the same reasons you mentioned. I don't remember having ridden Dumbo wearing a baby, but I have ridden many rides with them on my front. The only times I have ever been asked to take them out so they can face forward were on Toy Story Mania. On multiple trips and multiple times on the ride, every time on that ride I was told they had to come out to face forward. I have never been told that on any other ride though. I know I have ridden Haunted Mansion, Small World, Living with the Land, Kilimanjaro Safari, Great Movie Ride, and Peter Pan with sleeping or nursing kids in carriers on my front.

 

[Ero_FL]

We went when my son was 5wks, he was facing me in his carrier for all the rides we went on. Dumbo was closed, but we rode everything else we took him on.

 

[Nennie]

I was instructed to remove DS from my ergo on Dumbo. I didn't realize it was b/c he was facing me. At the time I just thought carriers weren't permitted on Dumbo.

I thought it was strange b/c a baby is safer in a carrier, than just sitting on my lap with that flimsy seatbelt, but I obviously complied with the rule!

 

[Angel Ariel]

I don't think there are any hard rules on carrier use. We brought DD on rides in her Beco Gemini facing in on Spaceship Earth, iasw, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Buzz Lightyear - no issues on any of them.

The Beco Gemini can face out as well - the Gemini's construction makes it safe for hip development. It's still recommended that the baby not spend a LOT of time facing out, but facing out for the length of a WDW ride would be fine.

 

[smallandfierce]

We were also told our babies (then 1.5 year old daughter, now several month old son) had to be facing forward for Toy Story Mania, but I never had to turn my kids around for any other rides.

 

[Tonyslady]

My best guess is that there is a blanket "everyone must face forward" rule for every ride...it's just weather or not they enforce it for infants in a carrier.

 

[pachelbel9]

When we were at TSM in Feb, the cms made me take my daughter out of my Beco because she was facing in. This was the only ride where CMs had an issue with the carrier.