We are planning a visit to WDW with our 20 month old daughter in mid-November. We are flying in and will be staying at one of the resorts. We aren't planning any trips outside the park other than to/from the airport. Do we need to bring a car seat for our little one?

Thanks for your help!

Are you buying your child an individual seat on the plane? If you are, I'd bring the car seat and your child will be safer. If you are not planning to buy your child a seat, then no you won't need the car seat and the seat will likely be filled by another person and you'll have to hold you child. However, your child will be much safer in his/her own seat and you will be more comfortable not having to hold your child the entire flight. I also depends on how big your child is as to whether you should bring a car seat. Our child will be just over three at our next trip and we hope that we can just have him sit in the seat without the carseat. It means we have to pay for a full seat, but it's worth it to us.

How are you getting from the airport to the hotel? If you are taking the bus you wont need it. If you are taking a shuttle, rental car, or cab you'll need the seat.

Sorry...I should have been more clear. My question is in regard to whether we would need a car seat in Orlando using the Magical Express Service and moving through the park in Disney transportation. We don't need the seat for the plane, as we are not purchasing a seat for her.

Thanks!

I would err on the side of caution (and safety) and look into one of the car seats that is also a stroller. We have one and use it everytime we travel and it really easy to gate check.

Personal Soapbox: I'd seriously reconsider the plane seat for the baby. 20-month-olds are big, can be squirmy and flight attendants refer to lap sitting babies in turbulance as 'footballs'.

I'd buy a ticket and bring the carseat for the plane.

Adrienne

Sorry...I should have been more clear. My question is in regard to whether we would need a car seat in Orlando using the Magical Express Service and moving through the park in Disney transportation.
Thanks!
No. They are large buses (larger than some of the planes I've ridden in GETTING to MCO!) There are no seat belts and no way to use a car seat.

At that age I would definitely use a carseat on the plane for my child. But last year we went to WDW - my son was almost 4 at that time and was already in a belt-positioning booster. We did not need a carseat at all for that trip since you cannot use a booster on the plane, Magical Express is like a big charter bus with no seatbelts, and we were not renting a car, we only used Disney transportation for our entire trip.

moving through the park in Disney transportation.
Side note, if you're using your own stroller, you'll need to take your child out and fold it up for the trams and busses. You can wheel a stroller onto the monorail and large ferry boats. I'm not sure about the policy on the smaller boats since sometimes, I've seen people allowed to roll on, and other times, I've seen them have to fold it up.

Thanks for all the great info!

I have to add my 2 cents to this, if you dont mind...
I have done the fight both ways... with and without a car seat. While I know it is an extra expense, do yourself a big favor and consider buying a seat for the child and then using the car seat on the plane. (as long as it is FAA approved.)

When GusJr was 5 months old, it was simpler to just carry him on as a lap child. He slept the entire time. When he was 1.5 years old, we bought him a seat and he was really happy and content. A couple months later, we went again. He was under 2 (about 20 months as well) and again tried to take him as a lap child. It was then that I realised that I should have gotten him a seat. He was very active on the plane and it was a real hassle.

Add on the safety the seat adds and it is money well spent.

As a former flight attendant, and the wife of a commercial pilot, as well as a frequent, about every month, traveler with 2 young boys, ages 4 and 3, I say buy a seat for your child and put her in the carseat in the seat on the airplane. Not only will she be safer, but it will help her understand that she cannot get up and run around on the plane. Trying to hold an almost 2yo on your lap for a flight, even 1 hour, could be a lot of work. My 4yo has just, over the last 6 months, been allowed to travel without sitting in his carseat. My 3yo is still in his on the plane.
If expense is a concern, take the chance that there will be an empty seat on the plane, and bring the carseat, you can always gate check it if you are not able to use it. Most airlines will allow you to use a seat for your lap child, properly restrained, if there is an empty next to you.
Doesn't sound like you will need one once you arrive in ORD.

I say forget the carseat. I just took my boys in April. We bought the baby (17 months old at the time) a seat on the plane. We used his carseat and he only sat in it for take off both times. After that he screamed his head off and we took him out to keep the evil looks from other passangers away.

We have one of these and they work great. We bought it for my oldest son when he was a baby.

http://www.babybair.com/

Save the money on the seat and you don't need the carseat at all at Disney World itself.

We have one of these and they work great. We bought it for my oldest son when he was a baby.
Maybe you can elaborate a little more on how the device works if the child being restrained is a little more, um, wigglely or active. I dont see it working all that well if the child is naturally an active type who wants to move around if not actually in a car seat. I do see it working well for younger children who are not as active or who tend to sleep on trips. Funny how it is not approved for takeoff and landings, though... On many trips that I have been on, that is the bumpiest time. (Contrary to what the web site says...)

I am asking out of curiosity even though (respectfully speaking) I think it would be best to have the child in a proper car seat.

Maybe you can elaborate a little more on how the device works if the child being restrained is a little more, um, wigglely or active. I dont see it working all that well if the child is naturally an active type who wants to move around if not actually in a car seat. I do see it working well for younger children who are not as active or who tend to sleep on trips. Funny how it is not approved for takeoff and landings, though... On many trips that I have been on, that is the bumpiest time. (Contrary to what the web site says...)

I am asking out of curiosity even though (respectfully speaking) I think it would be best to have the child in a proper car seat.
As you said, those devices would work great with smaller children. But to try to keep a child who is already wiggly in a carseat, it would make it hard. For my kids, the carseat is a signal to them that they need to remain still.
The way the Baby Air works is that it attaches also to the seatbelt that the parent is wearing, and also goes over the child's shoulder. I know people would argue with me when I was working, telling me their BabyBjorn would hold the child in.
Parents think they could hold their child in severe turbulence or a crash and they can't. When I was in flight attendant trainging we saw some seriously disturbing video of lap children in turbulence. Hence the reason Adrienne said FAs call lap children footballs, at America West, we called them missles.

What I have found interesting on a few trips now is that almost every time we have run into not only other passengers, but flight attendants who seemed as though having to get the car seat installed on the plane was more of a pain for them than if we had held the child. The air attendants have stopped allowing pre-boarding anymore either which makes it a little tougher.

What I have found interesting on a few trips now is that almost every time we have run into not only other passengers, but flight attendants who seemed as though having to get the car seat installed on the plane was more of a pain for them than if we had held the child. The air attendants have stopped allowing pre-boarding anymore either which makes it a little tougher.

I haven't flown since the latest security changes. Stopping preboarding is sure to make more flights delayed. That is a shame.
The airlines are always about on time departures etc.
Funny story, my DH is a stickler about departing on time, not a minute early. He has had numerous agents sit there and keep asking him if he is ready to close yet. He waits until the exact departure minute, drives them nuts!

The air attendants have stopped allowing pre-boarding anymore either which makes it a little tougher.
Are you finding this to be true on just just one airline or mutiple carriers? I ask because I from what I see the boarding experience varies. SWA, for example from my last trip, still has a preboarding time. AA, on the other hand still does as well, but does not with flights going out of MCO "because of the many children that tend to fly out of that airport." (From an AA gate agent.) Was kinda wondering if there is a new trend going on between carriers.

I think preboarding is needed for the vast majority of flights that include any young children, especially infants or parents who do decide to use a car seat. I agree that failure to retain that option will only delay things more.

Are you finding this to be true on just just one airline or mutiple carriers? I ask because I from what I see the boarding experience varies. SWA, for example from my last trip, still has a preboarding time. AA, on the other hand still does as well, but does not with flights going out of MCO "because of the many children that tend to fly out of that airport." (From an AA gate agent.) Was kinda wondering if there is a new trend going on between carriers.

I think preboarding is needed for the vast majority of flights that include any young children, especially infants or parents who do decide to use a car seat. I agree that failure to retain that option will only delay things more.

Honestly, I don't remember. We've flown on Delta and SWA I believe. I'm sure my husband will chime in with the exact details of which airline was like this. We've also only flown to MCO/LAX and to Phoenix. But it does make things frustrating when you are having to stand there in your seats waiting for everyone to get past you before you can start to install a car seat and your holding a child, a car seat and can't reallly sit down yet.

Honestly, I don't remember. We've flown on Delta and SWA I believe. I'm sure my husband will chime in with the exact details of which airline was like this. We've also only flown to MCO/LAX and to Phoenix. But it does make things frustrating when you are having to stand there in your seats waiting for everyone to get past you before you can start to install a car seat and your holding a child, a car seat and can't reallly sit down yet.

Not only those with kids but the elderly and those that are in wheelchairs.
I just confirmed with my DH that AWA/US Airways does still offer preboarding on their flights.

Continental and Hawaiian still do pre-boarding. You never appreciate pre-boarding until you have kids!:D

I think some airlines do a 'silent' preboard. If you need to preboard with them, you need to have told the gate agent, and they'll either call you up by name, or otherwise indicate to you they are ready for you. So if you haven't said anything to them, they 'don't know' that anyone needs a little extra time.

This is based solely on my observations, though, as someone who does not need extra time, so I could be totally wrong.

I figure if you want to preboard, it can't hurt to mention it to the gate agent when you get to the gate that you have a seat for your infant and need extra time to install the car seat.

Honestly it depends upon the child, I guess.

My boys are the super wiggly type and they hate airplanes so sticking them in a carseat makes a horrible trip for all the passengers. They will scream and cry and fight the carseat the entire trip so the other device works much much better for us.

We have been in some very bad turbulence and it works very, very well.

Honestly, I don't remember. We've flown on Delta and SWA I believe. I'm sure my husband will chime in with the exact details of which airline was like this. We've also only flown to MCO/LAX and to Phoenix.

It was actually just on the Delta flights to and from Orlando. I suspect that they skipped the pre-boarding on those flights due to the large number of families with children travelling to/from Orlando. We have also done flights to Phoenix and to Las Vegas on Southwest and they did pre-board on those.

-Jeff

I remember they had an announcement playing over the loudspeaker in Orlando stating they would not preboard people with small children because everyone had a small child.