ME and Disney transportation or rental car with car seats?

[mom22boys]

How many of you feel comfortable letting your small children ride ME without seatbelts or car seats and then ride Disney transportation around WDW also without seatbelts or car seats? I am really struggling with this. I would never allow my kids to ride in a passenger vehicle unrestrained, so why should it be okay on public transportation?

I am not trying to create a big debate here, I am truly asking are buses that much safer than passenger vehicles? Would my children be safer on a bus with a driver who knows where they are going or would they be safer properly restrained in a rental car with DH who doesn't know his way around (its our first trip to WDW)?

Much thanks to anyone who knows the facts!

 

[staci]

honestly, i was more than a little concerned too but we used both.

the on property buses didnt bother me AS MUCH, because the traffic on property always seems to be pretty low, with a huge majority being the buses, who are very familiar with where they are going/what they are doing (at least my thoughts-if they are incorrect please dont tell me our trip is over, he is safe, and id rather not worry about what i 'should' have done!).

but the airport to wdw property on ME, that definitely freaked me out I mean, I totally understand that its not illegal or anything, but i am a parent who at home only uses five point harnesses, has all carseats professionally installed, etc. To hope in ANY vehicle and not use any restraint for him was a very weird feeling! we are also from the midwest, where people NEVER use public transportation, so it is something that we have never had to even think about before our trip.

I am interested to hear others thoughts as well.....

 

[Alicnwondrln]

we were also concerned about this
we have a rent a car on hold right now for your next trip but i dont know if we will use it

 

[tlbwriter]

Buses are statistically much safer than cars. I'd still prefer a bus with seatbelts - that would be the best of both worlds. But I'm a carseat fanatic (well, I've been called worse by other DISers ) and I would still let my child ride ME and on-site Disney transportation.

 

[Lewisc]

Do school buses even have seat belts in most of the country? Never made sense to me.

 

[jodifla]

If you are going to WDW, it's going to be near impossible not to use public transportion at some point. Even if you bring a car, there's the tram ride into the park. Are you not going to ride the monorail because there are no car seats?

 

[mom22boys]

Glad to hear I am not the only one debating the issue! Thanks for the input so far!

Tracy, thanks for the encouragement!

 

[tlbwriter]

Even if you bring a car, there's the tram ride into the park. Are you not going to ride the monorail because there are no car seats?

Those aren't really relevant, since they're not public transportation and aren't travelling on public roads.

 

[jodifla]

Those aren't really relevant, since they're not public transportation and aren't travelling on public roads.

I, of course, disagree. There's certainly potential to get injured on a tram (although, most likely not a monorail).

My point is that lots of kids ride in public transportation all over the world every day, without car seats. The brainwashing of American parents that kids have to be in car seats until they are practically in college has gone overboard, IMO. It's made them paranoid to the point of absurdity.

 

[jodifla]

Actually, my apologies, OP. You said you didn't want to turn this into a debate.

My DS has been going to Disney since he was 5 1/2 months old. He has always taken the Disney transportation without any problem (other than figuring out how to fold the stroller!). We drove up, so he used his car seat then. But like I said earlier, even if you rented a car, you would most likely need to use Disney transportation at some point. For example, to get to the Magic Kingdom. There's just no way to drive there.

 

[tlbwriter]

I, of course, disagree. There's certainly potential to get injured on a tram (although, most likely not a monorail).

Of course there's potential. But how often is that potential realized? Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury and death to children. How often do you hear about someone getting injured on the tram? And even if you did, what does that have to do with public transportation? It's apples and oranges. If you're going to compare a bus on a public road to a tram meandering through a WDW parking lot, you might as well compare it to Splash Mountain too. Anyway, the buses, and the trams, and even Splash Mountain are safe.

 

[jodifla]

Of course there's potential. But how often is that potential realized? Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury and death to children. How often do you hear about someone getting injured on the tram? And even if you did, what does that have to do with public transportation? It's apples and oranges. If you're going to compare a bus on a public road to a tram meandering through a WDW parking lot, you might as well compare it to Splash Mountain too. Anyway, the buses, and the trams, and even Splash Mountain are safe.

OK, now I'm losing track of what we are disagreeing about!

My posts were aimed at the OP, who seemed unsure of transporting her kids in any vehicle without seatbelts or car seats. I was pointing out that it would be pretty close to impossible not to get on some sort of moving vehicle at WDW, with all its inherent dangers, and that when you did, there wouldn't be a restraint system available.

 

[mom22boys]

paranoid to the point of absurdity

Actually, you have described me perfectly!!!! Unfortunately for my kids it doesn't stop at carseats. My list goes on and on...... how much television should they watch, what food should they eat, how many hours of sleep should they be getting. If my children don't end up in therapy at some point in their lives, it will be a miracle!!!!

Thanks to all for the different perspectives!

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I'm a car seat freak. I would not feel comfortable not using a car seat on the way from the airport. Highways and traffic would make me too nervous. But if I was taking on property transportation I would feel better about that.

 

[jodifla]

I'm a car seat freak. I would not feel comfortable not using a car seat on the way from the airport. Highways and traffic would make me too nervous. But if I was taking on property transportation I would feel better about that.

So, you'll never let your child ride a bus?

 

[jodifla]

Actually, you have described me perfectly!!!! Unfortunately for my kids it doesn't stop at carseats. My list goes on and on...... how much television should they watch, what food should they eat, how many hours of sleep should they be getting. If my children don't end up in therapy at some point in their lives, it will be a miracle!!!!

Thanks to all for the different perspectives!

My mom was a lot like you. I'm sure you're a great mom, but frankly, it drove me nuts. It's a hard life, always being worried, and second guessing yourself. I hated it. For the first 10 years of so of our marriage, my husband would look at me and ask me, "What are you worried about?" I would claim I wasn't worried, to which he would reply: "You're awake. You must be worried about something."
It has taken some doing, but I am not that way with DS, because I want him to enjoy his life.

 

[mom22boys]

My mom was a lot like you. I'm sure you're a great mom, but frankly, it drove me nuts. It's a hard life, always being worried, and second guessing yourself. I hated it.

Oh, I am really not that bad. Just having fun, making fun of myself!

I must say though, I think our generation, more than any other is feeling pressure from society to be "superparents." There is just so much information out there as to what parents should and shouldn't be doing these days.

 

[jodifla]

Oh, I am really not that bad. Just having fun, making fun of myself!

I must say though, I think our generation, more than any other is feeling pressure from society to be "superparents." There is just so much information out there as to what parents should and shouldn't be doing these days.

good point. enjoy your trip!

 

[Brina]

we did rental car with carseats on our last trip. this trip we are renting again and will have two booster seats and one carseat with us. My kids are 5,5 and 2. I have ridden busses with them unrestrained in NYC and it does make me uncomfortable.

 

[Stephres]

We drive to WDW so we don't have the issue of car seats on highways, but when we fly to PA for vacation we try to rent a van that has car seats included. They say they can't promise you'll get one, but we have every time. Otherwise we would have to pay $10 a day to rent one, which is robbery to me!

As far as riding the buses around the World, we were in a near miss car wreck when a car ran a stop sign right in front of our bus. My husband grabbed our three year old before she fell out of her seat, but it did make me very nervous. We don't let the kids sit by themselves and I do worry that in a serious accident, they would be hurt.

FYI, some of the school buses here have seat belts, but not all. We were lucky last year but not this one. I think they should be required, but seeing as my kid rides on the bus for 30 minutes to a school about a mile and half away, they are not too concerned about what parents want. Sorry for rambling...