is there a chance that the Magical Express will come back?

[jloucks]

Well, there is another way. We only had two children, two years apart. Even then we didn't travel any further than our car would carry us and didn't need a utility trailer to carry all the things that younger children needed. Don't get me wrong, if anyone wants to travel with a lot of backup equipment due to the younger years, by all mean do it. My wife and I agreed that until they were old enough to not require diapers or special feeding needs or strollers we would not go to WDW or any other intense type distant family locations. We just waited and when our youngest turned 6 we planned for and went on the best road trip/WDW vacation that we ever had. It was tremendous, they could go on all family rides and be aware of what was happening, could join in with us for discussions and even helped make decisions.

I know a lot of people think that it is a good experience with a small child, but I didn't think it was worth it to drag along all the things necessary, not always be able to ride attractions together, and have to stop often for extended rest breaks. Once a kid reaches a certain age and they start to get a little grouchy the carrot needed to stop it is to simply say, "if you keep acting that way there will be no pool time when we get back to the hotel". That always worked to extend their good behavior for the duration.

I even sponsored a family trip to WDW from Vermont where I paid for airfare, rented a six bedroom villa, rented two cars besides my car that I drove down to Florida, bought them all 7 day non-expiring tickets for the grandkids and their parents, of course, (there were three grandkids at the time) and the only provision I had was everyone had to be over 6 years old. I wanted them to remember that Grandpa brought them there. We still occasionally have discussions about that trip with them and they are now all in their 20's and amazingly all remember it in detail. Wonderful memories for all of us.

Kids grow out of strollers & diapers way before they do car seats. In Texas, kid seats are the law until 8!! ...or 5 feet tall.

I mean, nowadays. There were no car seats when I was a kid. Or seatbelts. I kid you not, I used to ride on the dash of our old Chrysler. ...and in the bed of the pickup. Fun rando side story. I have been pulled over by the po po very rarely since my 20's. One of the few times was for having a pickup bed full of kids. Now, in my defense, I was in a state park going 10 (ten) miles an hour on a 10 speed limit road in a giant dodge dually. I was trying to give the kids and their friends a memorable experience. The park ranger didn't see it that way. Apparently, I could have driven, ever so slowly, off into a ditch.

 

[jloucks]

I will admit that many of the positions regarding the DME here just confuse me. Yes it was a nice feature, especially for families with multiple younger kids with car seats. But seriously people travel all over the county (the world for that matter) and have done so throughout history. Somehow families manage to go on vacation hundreds of other places, and all without a DME variant.

Hell DME was only introduced in 2005, so for well over 30 years families managed to get to/from WDW without it, and have been doing it for years now after its closing down.

So sure it was a neat feature, but let’s not hype it up as being indispensable to families with kids, or that people can’t/wont go to WDW because it doesn’t have an option that most other tourist destinations also don’t have

I mean, you could say the same about airlines. You don't have to have them to get to WDW/DL (or anywhere in the U.S.), but it sure is nice, and it makes it more likely you will go. We drove from Texas, twice, to the parks. I can tell you, flying is better. Same with the DME, you can rent a car or ride a taxi, but DME is/was better.

I don't think anybody said DME is the only possible indispensable way to go. It is simply a factor, one of many, in the decision-making process.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Kids grow out of strollers & diapers way before they do car seats. In Texas, kid seats are the law until 8!! ...or 5 feet tall.

I mean, nowadays. There were no car seats when I was a kid. Or seatbelts. I kid you not, I used to ride on the dash of our old Chrysler. ...and in the bed of the pickup. Fun rando side story. I have been pulled over by the po po very rarely since my 20's. One of the few times was for having a pickup bed full of kids. Now, in my defense, I was in a state park going 10 (ten) miles an hour on a 10 speed limit road in a giant dodge dually. I was trying to give the kids and their friends a memorable experience. The park ranger didn't see it that way. Apparently, I could have driven, ever so slowly, off into a ditch.

If people followed that stupid height rule my mother would have had to use a car seat when I was a baby until she passed at 87 years old. She never got taller then 4'10". I don't know of anyone that ever got stopped for anything if the kids head was high enough to easily look out the window, Which by 6 years old they would have been which is why they came up with boaster seats for kids too short to have the seat belt fit properly. Both of my children did have car seats when they were younger but that would have been the measurement to not take a plane to places until they grew taller, by 6 they were tall enough.

 

[graphite1326]

Not with my kid but with my sisters kids a few years ago. We managed to do it. If it's that big of an issue for you don't take them til they are out of car seats. Visit Carowinds instead

I waited until my kids were out of car seats. I am so happy I did. No stroller either.

 

[jloucks]

I waited until my kids were out of car seats. I am so happy I did. No stroller either.

We never did strollers either. Well, not to WDW & Uni. Six Flags we did.

 

[DisneyHead123]

The suggestion is to use the car seat in the plane. Airlines don't charge for items like car seats

I think that only applies to infant seats. Laws keep changing so that older and older kids need car seats in cars, and those types of seats I believe are not allowed on airline seats. They would need to be checked.

 

[celluloid]

I think that only applies to infant seats. Laws keep changing so that older and older kids need car seats in cars, and those types of seats I believe are not allowed on airline seats. They would need to be checked.

They are always checked free. Not just infants. Even booster seat per child flys checked for free.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I think that only applies to infant seats. Laws keep changing so that older and older kids need car seats in cars, and those types of seats I believe are not allowed on airline seats. They would need to be checked.

Probably the full size kid seat might be an issue, but the booster seat would not be a problem and the kid could carry it on themselves. Planes only have lap belts and the booster seats fit those like a glove and it also makes them tall enough to safely use a car lap and shoulder belt.

 

[NelleBelle]

This is how big our son’s car seat was when we took it on the plane. Best flight ever so. R he slept the whole 5-hr flight to MCO from Seattle. No one had to hold a lap child. When my boys were older and we flew, we just took the boosters and either gate checked or if they were just the seat portion, put them overhead.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Probably the full size kid seat might be an issue, but the booster seat would not be a problem and the kid could carry it on themselves. Planes only have lap belts and the booster seats fit those like a glove and it also makes them tall enough to safely use a car lap and shoulder belt.

I Googled it and can’t find a clear answer. It seems like they could potentially be a problem? But I’ve never tried flying with one so not sure.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I Googled it and can’t find a clear answer. It seems like they could potentially be a problem? But I’ve never tried flying with one so not sure.

Inconvenient, I agree, but every passenger is allowed a carry on and a booster seat is a natural carry on, so even if they didn't allow it to be used in the seat, it is a perfect under the seat item. Might even be carried in a backpack but that would be to just have it be easier for the kids to carry and can't see any problem with it just out in the open either.

 

[Phonedave]

I don't get how so many parents are cool with just loading their kids up and trusting an untested, uncertified, non-commercial rando stranger to drive them around via Lyft/Uber when there are (or were) way safer options.

This. For me it is not even a parents thing (my kids are all older now). It is me. I kind of like the anonymity that goes with bus service. I say hi to the driver and that's it. I have had my share of Uber drivers that just won't stop with the talking. Some were also a little sketchy.

I have taken my fair share of taxis as well. Taxi drivers seem to be better at "reading a room" or car. They can tell it has been a long trip with multiple delays and all you want to do is get to your final destination without discussing why I am here, what I plan to do, or if I am excided about the trip.

 

[Phonedave]

Here's what I don't understand. For 34 years people with children managed to get to WDW from MCO, on their own why is it so difficult now. If you come in on a plane, don't you have to have car seats for the kids just like the ones that a car needs. I know they once did, or at least were allowed to be brought on for seating of the kids.

When WDW first opened, cars did not have seat belts, let alone car seats. That is how they did it.

 

[Phonedave]

If people followed that stupid height rule my mother would have had to use a car seat when I was a baby until she passed at 87 years old. She never got taller then 4'10". I don't know of anyone that ever got stopped for anything if the kids head was high enough to easily look out the window, Which by 6 years old they would have been which is why they came up with boaster seats for kids too short to have the seat belt fit properly. Both of my children did have car seats when they were younger but that would have been the measurement to not take a plane to places until they grew taller, by 6 they were tall enough.

It's 8 years OR 5 foot. Not AND

 

[lewisc]

When WDW first opened, cars did not have seat belts, let alone car seats. That is how they did it.

Law pased in 1966 required seat belts in all cars sold starting in 1968.

Car seats weren't a big thing. Many people, probably most, weren't using seat belts when WDW opened.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My son's carseat has a reinforced steel frame and it is heavy... I can't imagine how people with 3 kids travel with carseats. I assume you'd have to buy some kind of device just to transport them to the airport, and then pay a baggage fee for each one.

You can check or carry on as many car seats as you need for free.

It's still a royal pain in the butt and I don't recommend it if you can avoid it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

When WDW first opened, cars did not have seat belts, let alone car seats. That is how they did it.

WDW opened in 1971, I had a 1960 Plymouth with seat belts. I didn't use them back then like many people didn't but they were there. In the 70's and 80's they had car seats, used them with my kids. They had the infant ones and the toddler ones. The only reason why they added the last link was because they added shoulder straps to back seats and younger kids were sometime to small in stature so the shoulder belt might cause more damage then it prevented. Previous to that they were just lap belts. The front seats had the shoulder belts well before the rear seats did. Kids in the seventies were still require to not be in the front seats until they reached a certain height.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You can check or carry on as many car seats as you need for free.

It's still a royal pain in the butt and I don't recommend it if you can avoid it.

Everything about raising children is a royal pain, but we decide to have them and because we made that decision we have to perform all the royal pains that come with small children. That may mean if you want to go to WDW with them you have to tote that barge and lift that bale. I loved my kids but I will honestly tell you that I couldn't wait until they grew enough to be able to talk and tell us if they had a problem, could use a bathroom reliable, generally be way less dependent on us for their every need. That is why we decided that we were not gong to Disney until they could, walk talk and enjoy the place on around the same level as their mother and I. We decided on 6 years old, and for us it was perfect,

Babies are fun to hold and rock and play with, but they do come with some pretty nasty stuff that has to be delt with by parents not the least of which is crying when we had no way of knowing why. (you thought I was going to say diapers, didn't you?) As a warning that period of time is somewhere between 5 and 13 years old. After that the royal pain returns in different ways. They go from worshiping you to thinking you are the dumbest person they ever met and it happens in a flash and stays that way until they go off on their own and find out what life really is like If you can get them to go.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Inconvenient, I agree, but every passenger is allowed a carry on and a booster seat is a natural carry on, so even if they didn't allow it to be used in the seat, it is a perfect under the seat item. Might even be carried in a backpack but that would be to just have it be easier for the kids to carry and can't see any problem with it just out in the open either.

I’m feel like “booster seats” these days don’t fit in a backpack. They’re huge! Like this is a seat for a 4-10 year old. (Off topic but… also very very difficult to recycle and cannot be donated, which is frustrating. I wish they had better car seat recycling options.)

 

[lewisc]

I’m feel like “booster seats” these days don’t fit in a backpack. They’re huge! Like this is a seat for a 4-10 year old. (Off topic but… also very very difficult to recycle and cannot be donated, which is frustrating. I wish they had better car seat recycling options.)

The booster seat you offered can be installed backless, depending on size and weight of the kids

Some parents bring a bubblebum booster. Inflatable. Gives the kid enough extra height enabling safe use of cars seat belt.