experienced air travelers help! booster?

[TexasMomof2]

We are flying out on Continental this week and I am taking 2 booster seats with us. Don't need them on the plane and I want to check them but do I have to wrap them in something when I check them? Throw them in a lightweight duffle bag? WIll they get smushed?

I would rather take them with us than rely on rental car place to have them and pay $100 to rent 2 for a week.

Thanks!

 

[browniemtb]

Rental car.....will you be using this a lot in Disney? Not sure how Continental works, but I believe you can tag the boosters like a stroller/car seat and leave them on the walkway to the plane. This way they would be put on top of the pile....but ask the flight people at the desk.

Now the reason I ask about the rental car is because of our experiences in WDW. We have a young family so we used to rent a minivan with car seats to get around. What we found was that its just a big pain. getting the seat from the rental place and there generally dirty and broken. Installing them, if there car seats rather than a booster. Returning the car was always a nightmare...because we always run late for our return flight and the line to get back in the garage can be very long. But we discovered once we were in Disney we never used the car, we would always use Disney transportation. So now we book a limo service, not Mears, from the airport to the resort. This service has booster or car seats ready to go. We set a return time and they pick us up at the resort. The last trip we scheduled a Universal Studio day....so the same service picked us up and brought us back....just a thought but I do know many like having the ability to jump in a car and go anywhere offsite. But for us this is one expense not needed.

Brownie

 

[dougsmom98]

We have checked our car seats/boosters seats and never put them in anything. Once in a while and airline will put them in a black bag for us, but not usually. We have also had our boys carry their low back booster seats with them through the airport and we gate check them. I worry that they will get lost when they are checked with the luggage and since we need three boosters and a car seat, I don't want to be stuck when we arrive if they don't show up. I also worry about getting delayed overnight in a connecting city and not having something for the kids to use if we have to take a taxi to a hotel. It is kind of a pain to carry them through the airport, especially if you don't have a direct flight though. I haven't decided what to do on our upcoming trip. I am leaning towards checking them with luggage because we will have my MIL in a wheelchair and we don't need anything more to lug around with us.

 

[tinkandpan]

I throw them in those big chinese bags that you can buy fromo IKEA for 2 dollars. THey work great and keep them less dirty but you don't need to check them in anything. Are the kids old enough to be in the backless ones? While i have my ds6 in a back booster at home, when we travel, I do take theback off- it makes the travelling easier.

 

[TexasMomof2]

We're staying at Shades of Green so we don't get the transportation from the airport to the hotel. I initially was going to do the limo thing but then I have made some dinner reservations at other hotels and was concerned about the commute time (walk to Poly or to the TTC and then get there, etc.) from SOG to the other hotels for dinner. I don't know that we will use it that much, but I would feel better having it?

The kids are almost 4 and our 5 and a half year old. She is in a booster with a back at home but I think I'm just bringing the bottom portion for our trip. Our DS (turns 4 on Feb. 5) usually rides in a car seat but I'm thinking about just bringing the booster for this trip. The one we just bought is OK for 3 and up and his weight, so. . . a lot easier to travel wtih booster than car seat.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm leaning towards throwing them in a bag and checking them. I can't imagine having to carry anything else through the airport honestly.

On another note, what are your thoughts on strollers in WDW? I was going to take 2 umbrella ones to the parks to help with transporting kids between rides (keeps them from running off I think) and I think their little legs will be tired!!!

Thanks for any advice!!!

 

[tinkandpan]

i know plenty of people will tell you that you don't need a car when staying at SOG- but i know when we stay there with the kids, it really helps. The mornings it is not such a huge deal but I found relying on the transport later in the day- it is harder and I don't think the busses come as much DIS transportation. I know you can walk from the POLY but at the end of the day with two tired kids- I like being able to just park in the garage.

As for strollers- we always bring them or bring one for the little one and rent one for the older one (6) when we need to.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I would just bring low back boosters for both kids and carry them onto the plane as carryons. That way you know that you will have them when you arrive and you won't have to worry about them being damaged in the luggage compartment.

 

[becca011906]

The kids are almost 4 and our 5 and a half year old. She is in a booster with a back at home but I think I'm just bringing the bottom portion for our trip. Our DS (turns 4 on Feb. 5) usually rides in a car seat but I'm thinking about just bringing the booster for this trip. The one we just bought is OK for 3 and up and his weight, so. . . a lot easier to travel wtih booster than car seat.

I'm kinda worried about this info... the absolute EXTREME MINIMUM for a child using a booster seat is 4 years old AND 40 #'s but the really major thing you need to look at is IF the child is mature enough to handel sitting in a booster. There is NO way i'd put a 4 or 5 year old in a no back booster, but then again i'm kinda a car seat fanatic and control freek worrier when it comes to stuff like this, i have my 7 year old in a hi back booster, my 5 year old in a harness seat (booster only when riding with others), and my 3 year just got turned forward facing in the past 6 months...
If you want more info on this lmk if not i'll leave it at that!

CPSTech Becky

 

[browniemtb]

On another note, what are your thoughts on strollers in WDW? I was going to take 2 umbrella ones to the parks to help with transporting kids between rides (keeps them from running off I think) and I think their little legs will be tired!!!

Strollers - the last time we were there we bought two umbrella strollers right on site for less then a weeks rental of a double stroller, not sure if there has been any price increases thoygh. I would suggest to bring two little unbrella strollers with you if you plan on renting a car, that way you have them through out your trip....
Brownie