Car Seats with almost 3yo's

[JodyLynC]

My girls will be a 3 months shy of 3 years old when we go to WDW. I have a question about car seats. I understand that we will need them on the plane. What about the bus to WDW and the transportation between the parks? This is probably a pretty easy question for those of you who have kids, but we are just starting out and completely clueless.

Also, we don't take our car seats out of our car so hooking them to the plane seats will be a challenge. Is there someone to help out or are we on our own?

I would appreciate any helpful tips or beware of.. warnings while we are dealing with this new experience.

Thanks!!

 

[all4fun]

How much do they weigh? The FAA Tips for parents using a CRS says that children 40lbs and over do not need a CRS. It really doesn't have anything to do with age.

The best way to install them is to put up the armrests and recline the seat all the way back. Extend the seat belt almost all the way, thread it thru the car seat, buckle, then tighten (pressing down on the seat of course). Once that's done, put the seat back in the upright position and you should have a nice snug fit.

If you're not renting a car though - you might be able to get away with no car seats on the airplane and just leave them at home...

hth!
Cheryl

 

[JodyLynC]

My girls are just under 30 lbs now so I don't think they will make the 40 lbs cut off by December.

 

[misandrog]

Both of my children are under 40lbs. My son is 4.5 and daughter almost 2.5. We are leaving May 14 and we decided not to bring car seats for either one of them. There is no way to belt the seats in the park buses so it would just be one more thing for us to travel with.

 

[tjmw2727]

You won't be required to have a CRS on the aircraft but you may use them if you like. The airlines will not help you install them, they don't want the liability! You will have to get comfortable with installing them yourself before the flight. If you think the kids will sit belted and safely when the seatbelt light is on then you may want to consider flying without the CRS.

WDW transportation is bus, boat, monorail or tram, none of which you can use a CSR on so you basicly won't be able to use them once you are in WDW unless you are renting a car.

TJ

 

[Nicolepa]

You won't be required to have a CSR on the aircraft but you may use them if you like. The airlines will not help you install them, they don't want the liability! TJ

They have always asked me if I wanted help & usually check to make sure we got it in good. When I was pg and flying alone they installed the carseat for me.

 

[tlbwriter]

Who installed your seats? A good carseat tech doesn't install them for you, but teaches you to install them. You can find a tech in your area at seatcheck.org.

I applaud you for using your carseats on the plane. Your girls will be safer and more comfortable. You will not need the seats within Disney at all, unless you choose to rent a car or use a taxi. Whether or not you need them on the way to the park depends on your transportation. We used a Mears van, which had seatbelts, so we were able to use DD's booster. If you take a bus, you probably will not need to use your carseats, nor even be able to, as they probably won't have seatbelts.

 

[tlbwriter]

Forgot this one... a good page with info on flying with carseats:
http://cpsafety.org/articles/airplanetravel.aspx

 

[Caitlin'sMommy]

When we went in February DD was 2 weeks shy of her 3rd Bday and she weighed about 30-35 lbs. We took the car seat. In the end it was nothing but a pain. We used it on the plane, but found it was just one more thing to lug thru the airports, thru security, thru the hotel, etc. Our transportation between the airport and the hotel was an Excursion Limo and roundtrip we did not use it. We were told because it was a commercial vehicle it wasn't necessary. When we go back in August we will not be taking it. We plan on using the Magical Express bus and won't be able to use it on that either. Also, the stewards on the plane most likely will not help you attach the carseat.

 

[tlbwriter]

Our transportation between the airport and the hotel was an Excursion Limo and roundtrip we did not use it. We were told because it was a commercial vehicle it wasn't necessary.

Well, it's good to know that the laws of physics respect Florida's distinction between commercial and personal vehicles. It may not have been legally "necessary," but it's certainly necessary for your child's safety. No 2-year-old is safe in a seatbelt alone. Every parent must choose their own decisions regarding convenience and safety, but if my child were maimed or killed in a crash, knowing that being unrestrained was legal would be cold comfort.

 

[JeanJoe]

If you think the kids will sit belted and safely when the seatbelt light is on then you may want to consider flying without them.

Isn't that a little harsh? Won't the kids be disappointed about not going?

Sorry -- the first time I read the post, I misread it a little, and did a double-take.

 

[tjmw2727]

Sorry, I will edit my post to be more clear.