Carseats?

[happy2cook]

Thanks to all who are willing to share their advice! Our first cruise and visit to WDW is March 21-we are so excited! We will be traveling with our 3 kids 5 yrs, 3 yrs and 18 mo. They are all quite small and as such require full size carseats. We are wondering if you know of any drivers who will bring 3 car seats in a car to take us from cruise to WDW. We will have a car w/carseats from airport to cruise, and we'd really rather not drag 3 car seats the whole time if any of the transport companies are willing to provide. I have heard they are not required on the buses, but we are not comfortable traveling that way. Also, if we do have to bring them does anyone know if they "count" as our checked luggage?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Kermit]

Won't you need carseats for the plane anyway? Even if you didn't buy a seat for your baby, you should probably still take one incase there is an extra seat. The 5 year old may not need one on the plane (mine is only 1 year old, so I don't know the suggestions for older kids), but your 3 year old would probably be a lot more comfortable in the carseat. That would mean you would only need the car company to bring one seat at most.

The airline won't count carseats as checked luggage. If you don't have a purchased seat for the baby and if there isn't space on the plane, they'll just store it under the plane at the last minute.

 

[NotUrsula]

Depending on the airline, the carseat MAY count against your baggage allowance; don't guess on this one, call the airline and ask.

I have heard they are not required on the buses, but we are not comfortable traveling that way.

I'm curious about this statement. Did you mean that you are not comfortable travelling by bus at all, or not comfortable travelling by bus without using a carseat? The thing is, busses don't have seatbelts or soft upholstery on the seats; it isn't safe to try to use a toddler carseat on a bus, because you can't secure it.
Busses are exempt from the carseat laws.

Rent a car if you don't feel comfortable using busses at all. A rental car company can provide carseats for you, but they won't guarantee they will be available when you arrive, and they will cost you approx. $35/day for 3. Essentially, if you feel you MUST have a carseat whenever your child is in a moving vehicle, then your only way to guarantee that is to bring your own.

 

[happy2cook]

I meant I wasn't comfortable to be in a vehicle without the kid's in carseats. Looks like renting a car is the best option all the way around. Do you happen to know how far most rental car places are from Port Canaveral?

Thanks for your help!

 

[MelTowne]

Originally posted by happy2cook
I meant I wasn't comfortable to be in a vehicle without the kid's in carseats. Looks like renting a car is the best option all the way around. Do you happen to know how far most rental car places are from Port Canaveral?

Thanks for your help!

From my own experience with carseats and travel -

you may or may not want to use the seats on the plane - remember the buckle attaches in the middle of the seat, not on the side, so for some seats this leaves the buckle prseeing against the middle of your child's back - sounds uncomfortable, doesn't it?

In some, it may not do this, but figure out how you will buckle it when you can't reach the center of the back of the seat (because your arm doesn't fit through the slots meant for just the belt or buckle - do you want to get your arm caught.

As for renting a car, remember you're talking about a car that will fit 3 carseats! In other words, not the cheap prices you're usually quoted - and add in the cost of the seats, and the fact that they will not guarantee the seats.

If you take your own, where will you keep them during the cruise and your stay at the resort?

The reason carseats are not required on the buses is that buses follow a different set of safety rules. They usually are compartmentalized, meaning each passenger has a boxed in area, with padding in front to soften any crash (not that there is likely to be one).

If you do decide to ride the bus, a 5yo is capable of sitting still in a seat, as long as he understands why he needs to. The 3YO and 18mos would probably need to be in a lap, though the 3YO might be able to sit still on his own. You could save some money on the transportation, and use some of it as a reward for the children for good behavior on the bus. Children go on the Cruise/Resort packages all the time, and is used to these issues; I'm sure they have taken the children into account when planning the transportation between Cruise and Resort.

 

[NotUrsula]

In some, it may not do this, but figure out how you will buckle it when you can't reach the center of the back of the seat (because your arm doesn't fit through the slots meant for just the belt or buckle - do you want to get your arm caught.

This dilemma isn't a dilemma at all. There is a simple way to take care of it: open out the seat belt to the fullest extension, thread the belt into the carseat, latch the seatbelt, then hang onto the tab end of the belt while you press the carseat into position. When you pull up on the tab, the belt will tighten and the buckle will slide behind the seat. Reclining the seat temporarily while you install/remove the carseat helps give you more room to maneuver.

As to renting a car in conjunction with a cruise, perhaps the nice folks on the Cruise board will be able to tell you what has worked for them.

 

[AspiringCindy]

Maybe you can rent a mini van that has the intergrated car seat built into the car! That is 1 less that you have to rent or carry!