Towncare advice

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Hi! I was planning to use the Mears shuttle for our trip next week, but have gotten tons of advice from this board to try to get a towncar instead! Having the car ready and waiting, as opposed to the long wait for the correct shuttle to arrive, would be a huge help when dealing with 3 small children.

My biggest concern is the car seat situation, as we have a 5-month-old, and won't have the car seat (I'm now wishing we had purchased the extra seat). Do you know of any car companies that will privide an infant seat?? One of the websites I found claimed that children ages 0-3 need only be in a front-facing car seat, whereas they need to be in a rear-facing seat here in Maryland. Does anyone know about this? Also, we will be in need of two car seats, and certainly don't mind paying for the second seat. Has anyone had experience with a company who provided 2 seats without it being a huge ordeal?

So far, I've found websites and good reviews for Legacy, Tiffany. I also found one called Murray Hill which looks good. Has anyone used this company?

Sorry to bombard you with questions....but I figure it's best to ask the Disney experts!!!

 

[dsp2]

Tiffany is one of the best, We have used the twice. They can provide you with what you need for seats.

-DSP2

 

[crazyforgoofy]

FLTours is wonderful and they sponsor THIS board. Don't just take my word for it, read the reviews you'll find around here. Go to the website (connect via the link in the ad at top of page) and e-mail or call Andy. He'll make sure your baby is safe. We've used FLTours twice and I wouldn't use anyone else, dependable, clean, on-time, great!

Mary Alice aka crazyforgoofy

 

[Trekker]

Another vote for Fl Tours Andy is a great guy and will be sure all your needs are met and that you are happy with all the plans.

 

[mobetsy]

Karen, on your question about front vs. rear-facing...REAR FACING!! I am stunned that any website would suggest otherwise; I wonder if it was one with quite old information (which can certainly happen). One year is the minimum any baby should be rear-facing, and the longer you can keep the child that way, the safer it is; the protection for their necks and heads especially is way greater in case of an accident. There are infant only seats that typically are rear-facing only, going up to 20-24 lbs (this should be clearly stated on the seat and instructions). Then there are convertible seats which can rear or front face; some of them are approved for rear facing to a higher limit...the Britax convertible seats (pricey, but one of the very best on the market for safety, ease of use, and longevity) go rear facing to 33 lbs, for example, and forward facing to 65 lbs (well over the usual 40 lbs of most seats, which many children will outgrow before they are old enough to be in a booster rather than a 5-point harness). My guess is any seat you get from a towncar/limo company will be a convertible one (check in advance, though!), and you should install it rear facing.

Are you not bring your own infant seat along because it seems like too much to carry? Even if you don't have a seat on the plane for your baby, you can "gate check" the infant seat; basically, you carry it right to the gate and check it there. It is one of the last things put in the cargo hold, by hand (no bumping on machines), and removed by hand at your destination and given to you as you get off the plane (again, no machine handling). Works for strollers, too!

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

mobetsy--

Thanks for your reply! I certainly know that rear facing is best, and that's why I was surprised to see the "0-3 front facing car seat" on the website. I was wondering if it was just a Florida thing. I did call and check out the car seat...just to be sure it would be rear facing.

I honestly didn't know you could gate check a car seat. I thought I had read that it has to fit into the size restrictions of a carry-on and would have to be stored with carry-ons. I couldn't even imagine trying to stuff a car seat in those overhead bins!! Thanks for updating me!

Now that I've found a place that offers a safe infant carseat, I won't worry about it. Next time, however, I think I'll bypass all this and just buy the extra plane ticket