Minnie van and booster seats

[shortie88]

Can anyone who has used the Minni Vans tell me if their car seats convert to a booster easily and will cast members do it. We have an 8 year old who will need the booster and a 3 year old who will need a forward facing harnessed seat. Just wondering if we have to buy a separate booster to take with us or whether she can use the Minnie Vans car seat in booster mode. Thanks so much!

 

[sponica]

I think the car seats are the Graco 4ever all in ones (at least I saw that somewhere in this thread).

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Yes and yes. The cast members have to be the ones to install the seat and you have to secure the child in it. We used the MV extensively with a 9 month old and 4 year old.

 

[shortie88]

Thanks so much! I’m in a Facebook group and someone said that they couldn’t convert to booster mode, but I think they go confused between using it as a high back booster and backless. Sounds like they can’t convert to backless as that requires tools but can quickly convert to high back booster mode if needed, which is fine by me. My daughter rides in a high back at home, so this is perfect.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

DS is 7 and they converted it to a booster, I guess a “high back booster” as you describe above. The CM quickly sized him up and made the adjustments. He looked a little funny in it, but it was fine.

 

[Clojel]

Curious...what is the rule in Florida for requiring a booster? Where we live, DD no longer "needs" one legally...though we continue to use one most of the time b/c she is on the shorter side. She will be 8 years old and I'm guessing just over 48 inches by the time we next travel to Orlando...

 

[JimMIA]

Curious...what is the rule in Florida for requiring a booster? Where we live, DD no longer "needs" one legally...though we continue to use one most of the time b/c she is on the shorter side. She will be 8 years old and I'm guessing just over 48 inches by the time we next travel to Orlando...

She is not required to have a booster. Only kids younger than 6 are required to use car seats/boosters. Everyone under 18, however, is required to wear a seat belt, no matter where they are sitting in the car -- which I'm sure you'd do anyway.

https://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/safety-laws.php

 

[cel_disney]

She is not required to have a booster. Only kids younger than 6 are required to use car seats/boosters. Everyone under 18, however, is required to wear a seat belt, no matter where they are sitting in the car -- which I'm sure you'd do anyway.

https://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/safety-laws.php

All of this is absolutely true...just remember that the laws of physics will probably trump the car seat laws in every battle they have...so please make sure that your child can successfully pass the 5 Step Test before you transition them out of a booster

https://carseatblog.com/3966/the-5-step-test/

 

[JimMIA]

All of this is absolutely true...just remember that the laws of physics will probably trump the car seat laws in every battle they have...so please make sure that your child can successfully pass the 5 Step Test before you transition them out of a booster

https://carseatblog.com/3966/the-5-step-test/

Agree, and that is one thing that bothers me about some threads regarding car seats. There should be no "balancing" between safety and convenience.

Here's a great lesson from EMS training: "If the scene is not SAFE, do NOT enter the scene." That's an ironclad rule, never to be violated.

 

[cel_disney]

Agree, and that is one thing that bothers me about some threads regarding car seats. There should be no "balancing" between safety and convenience.

Here's a great lesson from EMS training: "If the scene is not SAFE, do NOT enter the scene." That's an ironclad rule, never to be violated.

Couldn’t agree more...

For several years we traveled with bubble-bum inflatable booster but recently switched to the mi-fold. It folds up super small and fits in our backpack but gives us the flexibility of taking an Uber if needed and still being safe. My daughter is almost 8, 56lbs, and 49” tall. She cannot 5 Step at all.

 

[rxbeth]

As long as my daughter fits within the forward facing harnesses limits, they should let me do that, not force us to use it as a booster, right?

My 5 year old is tall. Almost 47 inches and 49lbs

 

[cel_disney]

As long as my daughter fits within the forward facing harnesses limits, they should let me do that, not force us to use it as a booster, right?

My 5 year old is tall. Almost 47 inches and 49lbs

Absolutely!

I want to add though - for tall 5 year olds that could fit in a booster, the science says that at that age if they FIT in a booster - they are JUST AS SAFE IF (and it’s a BIG IF) they sit properly in the booster. They don’t lean forward or out of the seat etc. [ I don’t know if it’s still true, but a few years ago when I was really paying attention to this stuff - in Sweeden which has some of the toughest car seat laws (rear facing TIL 4 etc) they actually transition straight from RF to Booster because on paper with a crash dummy - there was no benefit to FF Harness.

So - I am sure that if your daughter fits in the harness - they will do that but in the event she does not - it’s a great way for her to practice booster training without setting a precedent in your car. Remind her that she needs to sit up nice and straight and not slouch or wiggle or peek out of her seat headwings! Once you enter school play date stage having a child that is booster trained is a huge must because most parents don’t have harnessed seats available for their friends kids ( and almost no kids are not harnessed after first grade - heck - most are in low back boosters by then too! )...