high chairs, booster seats, or bring your own?

[disneypolybride2008]

Hi. I've been looking up all i can find out about disney's high chairs. Are they all the newer style plastic gray high chairs? Do they also have booster seats? How easy was it to get these at QS? We have the fisher price booster seat with tray and brought it along to our sesame place trip. It was nice to have it, but it took up most of the space under the stroller to take it along.

Have you ever brought along your own booster seat?

I could also buy the high chair cover that is slim and easier to take along, but then you'd still have to put the dirty straps through it i'd imagine. Anyone know for sure how those covers work? I have one for the shopping cart which i like.

on our cruise it was nice that we could sit at a booth table each night, we sat DD 21 months between us.

 

[Maus]

We never take a high chair or booster anywhere we go. We had no problem getting high chairs in the restaurants we ate at Disney, but I have never eaten QS there. I never covered a high chair either , we wash our hands

 

[DSNY4ever]

We have never brought a booster or highchair anywhere, and while in Disneyland I wouldn't always say that they were "clean", they weren't disgusting or anything. But I treat them like a shopping cart and wipe them down before DS gets inside, and then wipe them up after if my DS makes a mess. Don't waste your stroller space on a booster seat.

 

[dznybound]

We brought our Fisher Price Booster Seat on the Disney Cruise and WDW. We used the booster seat every meal on the cruise. At WDW, we mainly used the booster for dinner at sit-down restaurants like Coral Reef, Le Cellier, and Ohana. The one meal we didn't bring the booster was teppan edo at epcot and boy were we sorry. My son hated the high chair and just cried and cried.

Bringing the booster was a little bulky but not too painful. We just hung the booster by the straps to our stroller. We definitely enjoyed our meals more when son was strapped in comfortably in his familiar booster.

 

[maxiesmom]

What worries me about bringing you own is what if someone takes it from your stroller while you are off doing something? While theft is rare at WDW it does happen, as I have the misfortune of knowing first hand (I had my camera stolen I stupidly left on our stroller).

 

[disneypolybride2008]

well the stroller that i have has a larger area underneath and the booster fits in there pretty well, like you have to maneuver to pull it out, so that would help against theft because you'd have to try to get it out.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

what about diaper bags and other bags you keep in your stroller... do you bring all your bags with you on rides or do you leave them in your stroller. makes me nervous, because those items would be detrimental if stollen, but then again begin bogged down with bags all over the place doesnt make the ride very fun.. do they even allow you to take bags on the ride? i've seen their small compartment for small items behind the seats, but what about a larger bag? we'll have the diaper bag with her travel potty, etc. it doesnt squish down smaller. oh gosh.

 

[maxiesmom]

They do allow bags onto most rides. Either you can put it in the bin they provide, or you can wear it or put your foot through a strap.

Anything left behind on your stroller has a chance of not being there when you come back out. Even your stroller has a chance of not being there! Some people pop off a wheel, or lock the back wheels together to make the stroller unappealing to thieves.

If you have something that you would be devastated to lose, don't leave it in the stroller.

Can I add, that it sounds like you are bringing a lot of stuff. Please rethink what you really need. You don't want to be hauling half the kiddies stuff to the parks with you. A potty and a booster seat? I've been to the parks with kids as young as 3 months old, and we have never hauled either of those items to the parks.

 

[SmallWorld71]

They do allow bags onto most rides. Either you can put it in the bin they provide, or you can wear it or put your foot through a strap.

Anything left behind on your stroller has a chance of not being there when you come back out. Even your stroller has a chance of not being there! Some people pop off a wheel, or lock the back wheels together to make the stroller unappealing to thieves.

If you have something that you would be devastated to lose, don't leave it in the stroller.

Can I add, that it sounds like you are bringing a lot of stuff. Please rethink what you really need. You don't want to be hauling half the kiddies stuff to the parks with you. A potty and a booster seat? I've been to the parks with kids as young as 3 months old, and we have never hauled either of those items to the parks.

This.

I've been to WDW with kids of all ages - including those newly toilet trained and have never brought a potty or a booster seat. IMO, if you can't fit it into a regular sized backpack then you've brought too much.

As far as the potty seat goes, unless your trip is tomorrow or something, I'd start getting your little one used to going on the regular toilet. If you are concerned that they might fall in, just take their bottoms off and have them sit backwards. That's what I did with mine and what I did with my niece (2 1/2) before she was able to sit forwards comfortably. (My sister just had a baby so my niece has been hanging with us a lot.) Just make sure to wash the little hands after, which I'm sure you do anyway.

As far as boosters, I always found that if they were small enough to sit in a high chair then fine. If they were truly too big for a highchair, then they could reach the table on their own. Booster seats (or phone books and a belt, LOL) were fine for Grammies, home etc... but I never would have bothered with one on vacation.

And no, I wouldn't leave stuff in the stroller. Unless you truly don't care if it is stolen. (Twice I've accidentally left my camera in a stroller and gotten lucky. But, the risk is always there.)

 

[RooRach0906]

I agree with the last 2 PP, you do not want to be bogged down with stuff.

We would leave DD diaper bag in the stroller but it only had diapers, wipes, extra snacks, change of clothes, and a cup. Also left our refillable waterbottles and sunscreen.

We kept a drawstring or crossover bag with us at all times with our camera, handheld camcorder, phones, a diaper (in case of theft), and a few snacks.

 

[pooh4evr]

That's definitely ALOT of stuff to haul around, especially if you are taking the bus and have to handle all of it when the stroller is folded. I have taken 3 kids at all different ages the youngest was 11 months and we never brought a booster / high chair thing or anything for bathroom seats. The high chairs were always just fine we wiped them down before we used them, so no big deal. As far as bags go we leave the diaper bag in the stroller, take the camera bag and my purse, or wallet with us. We usually parked it in the designated area, and put a poncho over it in case of a quick shower, no problems.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

good point with not too much stuff... so i just bought jansport's big backpack. it looks great and we can put the travel potty in the large part, chromebook in the second pocket, diapers and wipes in the middle pocket, and food/juice in the front pocket. that means we will only need to have the backpack on and leave the empty stroller behind... maybe with the booster seat in it, haven't decided on that yet. looks like most of the table services would have booth seating that we could request to have her sit there.

on our last trip having the diaper bag on one shoulder, falling off and twirling around while trying to hold hands with DD and latch the door and everything wasn't very fun.. i think having a backpack solid on my back will be great and for rides and ques as well.

 

[Angel Ariel]

why are you bringing the chromebook into the parks? From the looks of a quick google search, it's an actual laptop not a tablet? I would seriously consider leaving that in your hotel room in the room safe, or locking it up in your luggage with a travel lock while you're in the parks.

Personally, I wouldn't bring a tablet into the parks either, but those are at least a bit smaller and more easily used with one hand than a laptop.

 

[texasroni75]

I bring disinfectant wipes for the high chairs and straps just like I do at restaurants close to home. And like PP said, I wipe it down after if my child makes a huge mess out of it during the meal.

We've always left the diaper bag in the stroller, but never leave it with anything of significant value. Cameras, phones, etc. go into a bag I bring with me on rides and to meals. I'd never leave that stuff unattended when eating out/shopping near home, so on vacation it's no different. Laptop/tablets do not come into the parks with us.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

What do you mean by travel potty? A seat that goes on the regular toilet? Or an entire potty you sit on the ground? Because you are going to have a hard time finding a place to put a travel potty on the floor, except in the handicapped stall or companion restrooms, and Disney restrooms tend to have lines, especially for the handicapped stalls and companion restrooms.

On the Disabilities board people report it not being uncommon for them to wait 15-20 minutes for a bathroom they can get their wheelchair in.

Also, a regular backpack does not have enough padding to protect a laptop for a day at Disney. With what you are describing, the bag is mostly going to be jammed on the floor at your feet, and I do mean jammed. A bag that size will not fit in the pockets under/in front of seats. The bag is going to be wedged between your legs/feet and the seat, with everything else in the bag pressing against it. Very easy for something to get cracked. And why do you need it in the parks anyway?

 

[Gracie09]

Seriously reconsider what you are bringing into the parks. You don't need a laptop! We travelled with 2 three year olds, one very recently potty trained, brought a folding seat in a plastic bag, a couple changes of clothes again each outfit in its own plastic bag for ease of grabbing, some snacks and wipes. All easily fit in a backpack. The trip before we had one baby in diapers and her normal diaper bag wa all we brought.
I cannot recall ever not being able to get a booster seat or high chair when we needed it.

 

[bumbershoot]

well the stroller that i have has a larger area underneath and the booster fits in there pretty well, like you have to maneuver to pull it out, so that would help against theft because you'd have to try to get it out.

Not at wdw but at dlr, we had something stolen from under stuff under our stroller. Theft happens.

what about diaper bags and other bags you keep in your stroller... do you bring all your bags with you on rides or do you leave them in your stroller. makes me nervous, because those items would be detrimental if stollen, but then again begin bogged down with bags all over the place doesnt make the ride very fun.. do they even allow you to take bags on the ride? i've seen their small compartment for small items behind the seats, but what about a larger bag? we'll have the diaper bag with her travel potty, etc. it doesnt squish down smaller. oh gosh.

You don't bring that much and yes you carry things with you.

When DS was tiny we only went to dlr but they had everything truly needed. Of course all we needed was a lap for meals; easy booster seat. . And he just used the toilet. It was the only option unless he wanted a diaper again and he chose to not have a diaper.

I agree with leaving the computer in the room. You are just asking for a crack in the screen or theft by taking it with you.

 

[kastoney]

Anyone know if the disney booster seats have "seat belts"? My daughter prefers that to a high chair but she is a squirmer.

 

[dsneygirl]

Never brought my own booster and never had an issue not getting a high chair. We have been many times with a toddler and it never occured to me to haul that around.

 

[maxiesmom]

good point with not too much stuff... so i just bought jansport's big backpack. it looks great and we can put the travel potty in the large part, chromebook in the second pocket, diapers and wipes in the middle pocket, and food/juice in the front pocket. that means we will only need to have the backpack on and leave the empty stroller behind... maybe with the booster seat in it, haven't decided on that yet. looks like most of the table services would have booth seating that we could request to have her sit there.

I think you are asking for trouble. Disney does not watch the strollers in any way as far as seeing which stroller belongs to who. They will not have any responsibility at all if your stuff gets stolen or broken. You leave it behind, you assume the risk.

The computer needs to be on you at all times, or left at the resort in the safe, or locked to a table. Even if you have it on you in the parks you are taking a huge risk that it will be cracked.

I have to agree with the poster too who said if your intent is to bring a stand alone travel potty, it will be a lot of trouble. You can only use them inside the restrooms, and there are not that many larger stalls. Many people post they bring potty seats like these, if you truly need one:
http://www.amazon.com/Dreambaby-Sof...F8&qid=1375037019&sr=1-22&keywords=potty+seat

That you can place on any toilet and be fine.

Remember you are going to WDW. Not the back woods.