children on the DME?

[jfletcher]

This may seem a stupid question, but I'm a newbie to all this.

How do small children travel on the DME buses? We are going on a Disney cruise in a few weeks, and we have reserved transportation from MCO to a WDW hotel, then to the port the next morning, and back after the cruise.

We have never taken our kids (ages 7 and 3) on any sort of bus, so I don't know if they need car seats, or if the bus has them, or if we just let them sit in a seat like an adult.

This has also got me wondering about getting to the airport at home. Has anyone put small kids in regular seats in an airport shuttle?

 

[CleveRocks]

There are no seat belts on DME buses, or on Disney Transport buses (the ones that go to the theme parks). This is standard in the busing industry. Since there are no seat belts, car seats can't be used.

As for the airport shuttle at home, for me it would depend on the size. I'm OK with no safety restraints on a large bus, but I definitely wouldn't be OK with that in, for instance, a passenger van. Size matters.

 

[Dina]

I had a hard time with my 3yo on the bus going from MCO to WDW-- he was too wired and wouldn't sit down. Going back to MCO was fine though. I found the busses in the park much easier-- not sure why.

I don't think I would do an airprot shuttle without a car seat though.

I would have splurged for a private car service rather than DME just so I could strap my child in, but some don't have a carseat available unless you book a van, and we didn't/won't have our carseat with us, as my 3yo is tall and it's uncomfortable on the plane to sit in his carseat.

 

[CleveRocks]

I would have splurged for a private car service rather than DME just so I could strap my child in, but some don't have a carseat available unless you book a van

I TOTALLY understand doing what we can to keep our kids safe, but I don't understand turning down DME because your son can't be strapped in, but then taking him on Disney Transport buses to and from parks the whole time you're there. Know what I mean?

 

[Dina]

I really do understand what you mean. I just didn't feel as comfortable because we would be traveling via highway on the bus to get to Disney vs. the trips around the resort. I didn't turn down DME, if I felt THAT strongly about it, I would have just checked his carseat. But, we considered a car service for the seatbelt issue. But, my son is also very wiry and hard to get to sit still for long periods. My 6yo isn't an issue. If my younger one was calmer, than I probably wouldn't have worried as much.

In the end, he was fine and we did well with DME--- but it was my first time with it-- and I just was a little uneasy about it. No problems though (except we had a hard time getting him to sit still on the way to Disney).

We are doing DME again in a month with my 3yo.

I should have re-read my original post, it was 4 in the morning. I just meant that we considered switching to a towncar because I was worried about the seatbelt/car seat as the OP is. Yeah, it also occurred to me that he would be on busses the entire time in Disney anyway-- but, I was just a little uneasy. If we hadn't had the issue with the carseat we probably would have used a car service (as we did before DME), I did try to make the reservation. But, what I should have stressed was, we went with DME, and it was no problem at all.

 

[1Prince3Princesses]

I took the ME from the airport to our Disney Resort and back twice in the past year. I travel with four 2 year olds in tow. We had no problems. We also took a Mears van to Sea World for a day and they do not have carseats either. Mears does have seatbelts and I strapped my kids in that way. Since the drive was a bit longer from the airport to the resort, it does help that the ME plays a Disney Demo video and then a children's movie to keep their attention.

 

[jfletcher]

What type of vehicles does the DME have from Airport to Resort, and from Resort to Port?

Are they big greyhound-type buses? Or those smaller 6-7 passenger vans?

As for getting to the airport here, we found a shuttle company that supplies car seats, so we're going to do that.

 

[Dina]

From airport to resort it is a big greyhound type of bus.

I have no idea what they use for the port though.

 

[makinorlando]

From airport to resort it is a big greyhound type of bus.

I have no idea what they use for the port though.

The same.

ME bus on the left, DCL book on the right