Kids sleeping at night in the car?

[roadtripper]

To the OP--
I was worried about the seatbelt thing, too, so I went to my car's website and found that the belts function in the upright or the prone position. We drive every year, with the kids sleeping on prone bucket seats with sleeping bags and seatbelts. They sleep from NJ to SC. Works for us.
Not sure about the law that Northstar referenced? I have never heard that before...

 

[mickeymousemom]

No way in H-E- double hockeysticks are my kids ever out of a seatbelt. It's against the law, it's dangerous, and if you're in an accident and something happens to your child, you're in some GINORMOUS trouble. Our kids always fall asleep in seatbelts/carseats with not much trouble. My oldest takes Dramamine and sleeps for hours(she's 16).

...I know...but I'm still lost at the person who said that flying makes you lose a day in the parks. We drive every time, but if DH could get me on a plane, we'd have at least 2-3 MORE days in the parks....

 

[MariaEllerºoº]

We always drive straight down and the kids are always belted in. It's safer and it's the law. We normally take off right after an early dinner and then only stop for gas. Each time we stop for gas I make the kidlets go to the restroom whether they feel like they have to go or not. I tell them we can get back on the road as fast as they pee. LOL They find their bladders are at least partly full and end up going so we can get back on the road and not have to stop again within the next couple of hours. LOL We always bring along pillows for them to lean against each other while strapped into the seatbelts. This helps to keep them from getting stiff necks and they do just fine. They also have a lot more energy than the parents do after a long drive, but the drivers are always switching to give each other a rest so that no one falls asleep behind the wheel.

 

[Tjaleks]

We drove down last Dec. from central IL. It took us abour 17 hours straight thru to get to Tampa, (we stayed with a friend for a couple of days before WDW). We left about 7pm on a Thurs. and arrived around noon on Fri. We took turns driving and didin't have too big of a problem. Our children, 9 & 10 at the time, stayed awake until about 1am and then fell asleep until the sun woke them up the next morning. We brought pillows and they slept upright using their pillows against the side of the truck. I am glad we had a break and stayed with a friend because we, the adults, were wiped out. We needed the break. If we had gone straight to WDW we would have been the crabby ones not the kids.

On a side note. I think we were lucky, but we hit almost no traffic in the big cities on the way down. We went through Atlanta before morning rush hour, don't remember the time, and also missed a large ice storm by 2 or 3 hours.

We are flying next time because we were able to use ff miles for all of us.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

We fly out of New Orleans and flights are somewhat limited. The earliest we were able to arrive at MCO was 10:30. So that would put us arriving at the parks well after lunch (transfering to the hotel (or renting a car), checking in, getting on bus etc). Last time we flew we didn't get in to the park untill after 2:00pm.

On the way home the latest flight we could get left at 6:00pm. With increased airport security lines we would have to leave the parks by 2:00 to get back to the hotel to catch the shuttle back to MCO.

So if the MK is open from 9:00 am to 10:00pm, I've lost 5 hours on my first day and 8 hours on my last day witch equals 1 full day of park touring.

We only travel to disney on odd numbered years, so I really like squeezing as much park time in as possible.

By driving and staying in Kissimmee one night, we can get into the parks before opening on the first day of our package and leave after fireworks on our last night.

It also alleviates us having to rent a car, or depend on Disney transportation.

Keep in mind that we are used to the old Disney packages that had tickets included for one more day than the nights of your stay. For example 5 nights at CBR came with 6 day length of stay tickets. So now with Magic Your Way you can pick the number of days you want park tickets, but I'm just not ready to not go to a park on my arrival day, nor am I ready to use one of my days for a half day in the parks. Silly I know. But aren't we all a little silly when it comes to our Disney vacations?

 

[clonetothebone]

We haven't driven to WDW but just got back from in-laws in west Tennessee and we left at 1030 pm and DW and I switched off driving. DS8 slept from 1130 pm until around 7 am and DD6 slept for about 2 hours then watched a movie and fell asleep again both buckled up the entire time. DW and I were a little tired the next day but the kids were fine and it was much easier on them because them didn't have to sit still for 13 hours of daylight driving.

 

[tink1978]

My son sleeps in his car seat (he still has to have one). Even if he didn't, I would make him stay buckled in. You never know if some freak is going to be out drinking and driving or falling asleep at the wheel.

 

[tink1978]

I failed to mention the answers to your questions. We leave the house around 4:30 or 5:00am and he sleeps until about 8:00am. He has a pillow that he lays against the window for his head.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I was in a car wreck when I was 6. We were traveling in a Bronco, it was late, and my dad let me stretch out in the back. A drunk driver hit us. As a result, I am a paraplegic. Had I been sitting properly in the seat with a seatbelt on, chances are I wouldn't have been injured so badly. Then again, I might've been killed.

Please keep a seatbelt on, and on properly, your children.

 

[va32h]

For those who let their kids lie down without seatbelts, you do know it's against the law in Florida (and probably most other states you'll drive through)??

There has not been a single post on this thread that said, suggested, or advocated not using a seatbelt, just wanted to point that out.

My older kids, who no longer require booster seats, sleep with the belt on, seat reclined a little bit, and a big pillow to lean on.

My youngest still needs a booster seat, and it has the sides that she can lean up against to sleep, so she is pretty comfortable.

However, having said all that, we prefer not to drive overnight because we adults get too tired! We plan two days for the drive. We leave early on the first day, drive until dinner, find a motel and eat, swim, relax. Then get up the next day, early, and drive all day again. Usually we arrive at WDW late that 2nd night.

 

[minijeanie]

not even a consideration

seat belts all the way

 

[pepperw23]

My two are 18 and 15 (very important age for safety). I do not bend on the seatbelt thing. They are teens, if I let them think it is okay "sometimes" then they will justify not wearing one in their little teenage brains when I am not around. The only excuse they have to take off a seatbelt is to get out of the car. (when it is stopped of course....gotta be specific they ARE teens after all)

 

[PA Princess]

We have driven from PA numerous times and usually we do start through the night. It just works well for the dynamics of our family. We tried twice to break it up, but we all disliked it. We usually go have a nice dinner about 6 PM and we are on the rode about 7:30. The kids are usally animated and talkative for the first hour or so and then they watch a movie and after that they go to sleep. We ALWAYS use seat belts and carseats, and the kids have always managed to get comfy enough to sleep just fine on the trip. It sounds like the way we do things with taking a slow day our first day and enjoying the resorts is similar to how many people do things. For our next trip we are taking the auto train, so it will be interesting to see if we like this better than driving.

 

[torinsmom]

When I was a kid and we drove to Florida, one of us laid in the seat, one over in the rear window on the ledge and one on the floorboard! I am NOT kidding! If we knew then what we know now!

So, when you recline bucket seats, but leave the seatbelt on, what happens in an accident? We are talking about a 12 year old here, too large to slip through the seatbelt. Do the seatbelts work the same in this position? We are leaving NC at 4pm and arriving at WDW at 1am.

Marsha

 

[pepperw23]

When I was a kid and we drove to Florida, one of us laid in the seat, one over in the rear window on the ledge and one on the floorboard! I am NOT kidding! If we knew then what we know now!

So, when you recline bucket seats, but leave the seatbelt on, what happens in an accident? We are talking about a 12 year old here, too large to slip through the seatbelt. Do the seatbelts work the same in this position? We are leaving NC at 4pm and arriving at WDW at 1am.

Marsha

I used to LOVE laying in the back window!!! Shhhh, don't tell my kids. I dunno though, it seems like things were different then. (seventies)

Edited to add:
I don't know how close you are to Va. Beach, but if you are close enough you may remember a couple of years ago there was a thing on the news about a young girl (I think pretty young like 6-9 age range) who was sleeping in her seat with it reclined, he mom hit the brakes and it strangled the little girl. Horrible story I know, but I wanted to answer your question.

 

[TENIA66]

When you drive to WDW,do your kids sleep in their car seats/belted up? or do you let them lay down?

I'm a safety nut and never let my kids (8 & 12) out of their car seats/belts for almost anything, but we are thinking of driving in the future and I do think that it makes sense to start at night to avoid the traffic,but I'm not for sure how much actual sleep would take place for them. I think from the middle of Illinois it will be a 18 hour trip.

How do you all handle this issue? Do you get them up in the middle of the night to start your journey? Do you start of in the evening? Are they really rested for the start of a very physical vacation?

I'd hate to get all the way down there and have crab monsters our first day. We have drove it in two days but was thinking it sure would be cheaper to do it in one day (down at least).

Thanks

from southern illinois it is 14.5 hours.....we stop in northern georgia then arrive at disney 3 pm or so..go to downtown disney for evening...


i do not unbuckle while on road, i've wondered if it would be ok slide out of the shoulder strap sideways and use the middle belt on upper torso.....i wouldn't experiment with kids lives to try it though...

 

[Lesley]

For a while we did the overnight drive from PA to WDW with our kids. This worked when my oldest was 4-6yo and my middle child was a baby/toddler. Once the baby got to sleep it was clear sailing through the night. We hit a point, however, where my ds (the oldest child) would not fall asleep or sleep well. This was likely because he was in his seatbelt the whole time. We drove a Geo Metro back in those days so he didn't exactly have room to lay down anyway. By the time my middle child hit this point we had baby #3 and I was just to tired to do an overnight drive....we had a miserable first day a couple of times before we learned our lesson.

The best I can say is to give it a shot but be prepared to pull into a motel if necessary....if your kids won't sleep or the driver gets too tired to contemplate an entire day at WDW. Also, don't forget that check in time isn't until 3 or 4pm (depending on where you're staying). That's a long wait when you're dead tired with goofy excited kids.

 

[Cool-Beans]

The country sure is different now. When I was a kid, we rode in the back of station wagons waving to all the drivers. We rode around in the back of pick-ups. I think it was more fun and I miss those days.

One time I slept on the seat and my brother slept on the floor - even though there was a big hump in the middle.

If my kids were tired, I'd let them lie down.

 

[100 acre wood]

Ours sleep in their seat belts, saftey mom here too...But that being said I survived numerous trips to FL, sitting on the floor of the back seat, stretched over the hump in my parents Chevy..Remember those cars? Ya know without AC? But mine are always in their seats as I could never forgive myself should we crash ( in my mind it is the second we let them free of the belt for a second) without their belt on.

 

[100 acre wood]

We have driven from PA numerous times and usually we do start through the night. It just works well for the dynamics of our family. We tried twice to break it up, but we all disliked it. We usually go have a nice dinner about 6 PM and we are on the rode about 7:30. The kids are usally animated and talkative for the first hour or so and then they watch a movie and after that they go to sleep. We ALWAYS use seat belts and carseats, and the kids have always managed to get comfy enough to sleep just fine on the trip. It sounds like the way we do things with taking a slow day our first day and enjoying the resorts is similar to how many people do things. For our next trip we are taking the auto train, so it will be interesting to see if we like this better than driving.

AHH YES< THE AUTO TRAIN.....

I hope you got a little cabin? We took the aurotrain twice, when the kids were younger, they slept fine.....Myself, however heard every creak and clak of the track....felt every turn, and thought I was going to die numerous times throughout the trip. But if you don't get motion sick, you will most likely be fine (and a non over reactive imagination!) We found that by driving , we made just as good time, and we could make the motion stop whenever we needed. Good luck, and don't let me scare you!