Roof Bag?

[LisaAP]

We always travel to WDW with my parents and we always rent a minivan for transportation. In August, we will be making our first trip with two children instead of just one since our son was born in May. We are still renting the minivan and have determined that there will be enough room for the 6 of us to travel around between the resort and the parks once we are there, but with all of our luggage, it doesn't seem like we will fit going to and from the airport. We are trying to come up with a solution so that we can all stay together and my parents do not need to take the Magical Express and I was wondering if anyone has ever flown with and then used a soft roof bag to strap to the top of the car to carry some of the cargo. I have found some online that would roll up and fit into a backpack to be carried onto the plane. Has anyone tried this? Is so, what brand do you use and how do you like it? Thanks so much for any advice.

 

[dallastxcpa]

The type of bag you would get would depend on the type of roof rack. My roof rack has two bars going across the car. Some roof racks have four bars two along the sides of the car and two across.

We do have a roof bag and it works great. We paid somewhere between $20 and $40 for it. If you want one that is water proof they are more expensive.

My other suggestion to you is to ship some of your clothes ahead to the resort and just carry a small carryon on the plane. Of course with a baby you will need other things, but maybe it would be better to rent those from one of the local companies.

 

[CarolA]

Warning!

Lots of the rental car companies consider the contract agreement "voided" if you add something like this to the car. That means that 'insurance' etc would not be looked to, but you would be since you "broke the contract terms" Make sure you know what your agency says!

 

[LisaAP]

Thanks for the warning about the rental contracts. I didn't even think of that!

 

[Brer Shay]

I can't comment on the rental agency, but we have a soft side rooftop carrier from Samsonite that has been fantastic. It goes on very easily and has made many of our trips more comfortable. It would fit into a large backpack or a small dufflebag - certainly okay to be a carryon item. Good luck!

 

[francie57]

Another option to consider is upgrading to the Toyota van since it is an 8 passenger van and has much more room for luggage. We have rented these in the past from Alamo and love the extra room. We were able to stand all of our luggage sideways in the back (30" suitcases, so they are big). You would be able to get at least 4 back there and have room to put smaller things on the floor by seats.

 

[francie57]

Saw that your are staying at the Beach Club. Are you in a villa? If you are, the 1 and 2 bedrooms have washer/dryers in the room so you would be able to get away with bringing less and just throw laundry in at night (thats what we do).

 

[LisaAP]

Thanks. I will look into the bigger van.

We do exactly as you suggested in the villa and throw in laundry at night. The problem is, with 4 adults and 2 babies it seems like we still have too much stuff. I think it is the carriages that put us over the top. Thanks for the suggestion though!

 

[LisaAP]

Just wanted to update this with some additional information I got. It is definitely a good idea to check with the rental car company. We are using National this time. I called customer service and they checked into it for me and informed me that it is okay as long as it is the soft type of carrier. I will be ordering our carrier from roofbag.com tonight. Thanks for all of the info!