Young Children riding on Laps of parents

[MattIL]

When we traveled to WDW last year my son was 4 months old and was able to ride in a baby carrier on my chest. This summer he will be 15 months when we return and is to tall to ride in the carrier anymore. My question is about children riding on the laps of parents. I had heard that this was not allowed. However a number of people on this board have mentioned putting their young ones on their laps on the rides where it is possible. Is there an actual rule against this (The Six Flags near us doesn't allow it) and if so is it one this isn't enforced as long as parents don't flaunt it in the face of the cast members? I think my son will ride ok on most of the children appropriate rides but if he got a little scared I'm sure he would want to sit on our laps.

 

[HappyMommy2]

Just got back with our 17-month-old and I had never thought about this issue till I read your post just now--we took the baby on all the kid-friendly rides (which turned out to be most rides that didn't have height restrictions), and we just either sat him on our lap or sat him beside/between us, depending on what seemed most natural. CMs saw us doing both and never said anything either way. For example, on Peter Pan, the lap bar came down kind of low so DS didn't fit comfortably on my lap (though we could have managed it if we had really wanted to)--he just sat beside me and I held on tight to him. He rode on a lap on lots of rides, including Tomorrowland Transit Authority (one of his favorites!) and the Safaris at AK (you definitely want a baby on your lap, held TIGHTLY on this one). The only ride we went on that he really HAD to sit beside us and not on our laps was Dumbo--tried to put him on my lap so he could reach the little control stick but the seatbelt didn't seem at all secure that way. And I'm all for tight seatbelts when you're "flying" that high!

Someone may be able to tell us if there's an actual rule about this issue but if there is one, in my experience it wasn't enforced. We were pretty much able to do what seemed safest and most comfortable for the baby.

Have fun! Our 17-month-old (and 3-year-old) had an absolutely magical time at WDW!

 

[HappyMommy2]

You know, I just remembered something--the first time we rode on Peter Pan, we asked the CM if all four of us (DH, DS3, DS1, and myself) would fit in one "boat," and she said, "Yes, if the baby rides on your lap." From that it sounds to me like lap-sitting is officially okay, at least on kid-appropriate rides.

 

[Baloo]

I don't know any "official rule" but Erich rode in our laps on a bunch of things when he was that age.

 

[NotUrsula]

If there is a lap bar, it has to lock down or the safety stops will kick in. However, on something like Peter Pan, you can just set the child next to you with your arm around him.

The only rides I know of where you really can't "snuggle up" with a child are rides that a child that age will not be allowed on anyway, due to a minimum height requirement.