Stroller children on resort boats.

[Kimberle]

When you take the boats from your resort to the parks or other resorts, please take your children out of the strollers. Wheel them onto the boat, leave them all "loaded" with your stuff, but take a few seconds to take them out and hold them in your arms or sit them next to you.

If the boat was to have an accident and sink, it would happen so fast, you would not have time to remove your child from his/her stroller. The stroller would be at the bottom of the lake in a flash.

I certainally don't want to tell anyone how to raise their children, so please don't take offense.

Sometimes we get such a feeling of saftey and comfort while at Disney, we forget to take precautions that we would take anywhere else.

We used the boats at least 2-3 times a day during our last trip. I saw so many small children left strapped in their strollers. I was a little saddened. Boating accidents can happen to any boat. Who would have ever thought the Staten Island ferry would have such a terrible accident. I've lived in the NYC area since 1984 and have ridden that ferry several times. I don't remember any accident.

Our children are just to precious to risk.

Again, please don't take offense, I only want to offer a suggestion to those who may not have "realized".

Thanks so much,

 

[campingcorgi]

Originally posted by Kimberle
The stroller would be at the bottom of the lake in a flash.

If the boat went down that fast, I'd be at the bottom of the lake with the strollers, too. Sometimes in life you just have to take chances--getting in a car, on an elevator, in a plane, in a boat, etc. Trust me, I can unbuckle that stroller in a flash if I have to.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Thanks Kimberle for caring about children. That's something I have never thought about. We will be at the WL in 7 weeks and using the boat a lot. I agree all children are precious!!!

Jordan's mom

 

[HappyMommy2]

Thanks for your thoughts on keeping kids safe. You're right--we do tend to feel so secure at Disney sometimes that we may not always take the precautions we'd take elsewhere.

I'm not sure I'll take my babies out of their stroller on stroll-in transportation, though. I'm going through various awful scenarios in my head (boat sinking, monorail fire, etc.) an I really can't see that having the babies in the stroller would make much of a difference (other than that the kids wouldn't be able to run off in the chaos, and that my hands would be free to put on life jackets if there was time, etc.). If you know your stroller you should be able to get baby out in an instant.

I guess the key is to be alert at all times. DH and I are beginning to teach our kids the habits of always knowing the locations of multiple exits wherever you are, always being very aware of your surroundings, etc.

Thanks again.

 

[deb305]

OP thanks for your suggestion. Never though of how fast a stroller could sink in a wink of an eye (unlike a fiery monorail where I could push it off fast). The shuttle boats are small, and the lagoon can be over 7 feet deep in places. Good Idea, thankfully both kids are about out of the strollers)

 

[tjmw2727]

My experience may be unique but on our last two trips we often used the friendship launch to and from MGM and Epcot. Every time the captain would insist that the strollers be parked empty at the front or rear of the boat. They didn't have to be folded but the children did have to get out and the breaks had to be placed on.

TJ

 

[marymrg]

And if you do leave your little one in the stroller, make sure they are belted. I was pushing my son (a 3 year old at the time) and I hit the edge of the boat on the way off and he fell out! He could've crushed his fingers between the boat and dock or worse. The poor people in the front row tried to catch him It all happened so fast. Luckily, he was just scared.........no bumps or bruises. They are precious cargo for sure. (my ds(6) is looking over my shoulder and asked me to put the Pirate on here too!)