Link of the Day

It seems like I've been posting a lot of travel-related stories lately but I hope you find the information useful! Here's another story: New trick to get the best seat in coach. Not exactly kid-related but could have some information and product recommendations that you find useful.

One little point I will quibble with -- don't think you actually get noise cancelling headphones in first class, though for the amount of money airlines charge for first class, you certainly should! If you are looking for noise cancelling headphones that work great but don't cost an arm and a leg, check out Able Planet Clear Harmony Active Noise Cancelling headphones. I got these for my husband for a Father's Day gift last year and he loves them. Right now, they are priced at $129 but I've seen them as low as $89.

Link of the Day

This is just ridiculous: Parents handled disabled guide to bypass lines at Disney

Looking for input

Have you ever used a breast pump on an airplane? In a car? Please share your experiences here in the comments! Please include any details you think would be helpful to other parents. Thank you!

Link of the Day

Most people don't like being stuck in airports but it's a bit more difficult to keep the kiddos corralled for long periods of time while waiting for a flight. The Consumerist shares 5 Airports Where Being Stuck with Your Kids May Not Be An Absolute Nightmare.

Passports for Minors (under age 16)

When traveling outside of the United States, all persons must have a passport; a birth certificate is no longer acceptable as a travel document. This includes countries like Canada or some Caribbean nations where the birth certificate was once accepted as an appropriate document.

You can find instructions and forms for applying for a passport for your minor child at the State Department's website. The government is also helpful enough to post current processing times for a passport here. In general, plan on at least 6 weeks processing time to get the passport after submitting the application if you don't want to pay the extra feeds for expedited service. Also take into consideration any time for applying for a visa for the country you're visiting; entry/exit requirements for countries can be found here.

For passport pictures, there are specialty places where you can get them, but it might be cheaper and more convenient to stop in to your local Walgreens or Costco to get them. The passport processing facility might also do a passport picture for you for an additional fee. Expect to pay about $10, give or take, for the passport pictures. If you're looking for a more frugal method, I used a free software called Cam to Print* for my daughter's recent visa application pictures. The software produced a 4 x 6 photo with 6 passport pictures on it; I had the photo printed at my nearby Walgreens for a total cost of 19 cents (including tax) for the six pictures. However, using this software is at your own risk; please evaluate your risk level before using.


* This software puts a lot of 'extra' software on your computer. Please be aware when adding it and use your Control Panel to remove if desired.

Kidco Peapod bed recall

I want to alert you to the recall of the Kidco Peapod travel beds due to suffocation risk (and at least one infant death). I actually purchased this bed for my child on a friend's recommendation but discontinued use after a couple of tries as my child rolled into the wall of the tent enclosure and couldn't get herself free; luckily, I was still awake and could hear her struggling and rescued her promptly. It was a scary moment and while I discussed my concerns with Kidco, I didn't necessarily feel they understood the sides of the walls were non-breathable and that advertising the beds for ages 0+ and up was probably not a good idea.

You can read more about the recall here and if you already own the Kidco Peapod bed, you can get the recall kit here. I've ordered and received the kit but have yet to use it. I'm not sure I could ever trust this bed again and plan to use the tent enclosure only outside as a playarea for my child when I'm supervising her.

I'm at a loss to recommend a good travel bed that isn't bulky at this point. We took our Pack 'n Play with us when we went overseas simply because we trusted it more than any other solution that we knew about at the time. A friend of mine recommends the Go Crib wholeheartedly as it folds nicely into a backpack; I have no personal experience with this crib, just passing on the recommendation since I know that finding a place for baby to sleep can be stressful when traveling!

Link of the Day

Are you thinking of taking a cruise? Here's a story on how often cruise mishaps actually happen.

Have you encountered an incident while at sea? Report it at CruiseJunkie.com.

If you're gate-checking a stroller or carseat...

Gate checking baby gear (i.e. carseats, strollers) on most airlines at the time of this writing is still free as long as the gear meets the airline's requirements for a gate check (for example, American Airlines requires any stroller over 20 pounds to be checked as regular baggage; check with your airline to make sure your gear meets their requirements so there are no surprises at the gate!). However, to save time, when you get to the gate area, talk to the gate attendant immediately about needing a gate check. They'll tag your item and will answer any questions you might have right there and then so you don't have to worry about the process while trying to board the aircraft.

When boarding the aircraft, step to the side of the ramp (just before the aircraft door) to fold your stroller or any other preparations you need to to do prior to leaving the gear, so other passengers can pass you easily. Make sure the gate check tag is clearly visible on your gear so the crew know it needs to be loaded on the aircraft.

When deplaning the aircraft, you'll need to stand on the ramp to wait for the gate check items to be returned to you. Most of the time, gate checked items are not returned to passengers with other baggage items, but at the aircraft door. Again, it's helpful and considerate to stand to the side so other deplaning passengers can move past easily while you're waiting for your checked items to appear.

If you have any questions about any airline's policy, do check with the gate attendant prior to departure or with the flight crew before you deplane.

Disney raises admission prices

Disney has raised the price of one day admission prices in both Florida and California. You can read more about this development here. If you are looking for discount tickets from an authorized reseller, I recommend Undercover Tourist. There are other legitimate sites out there but I'm citing Undercover Tourist simply because we used them when we went to the Orlando park in April of 2011 and were very pleased. Discounts vary based on the type of ticket you purchase and it looks like the deal we purchased in April 2011 is no longer available (buy 5 days, get the 6th day free). As of June 4th (when Disney announced their price increase), it looks like Undercover Tourist is honoring the older pricing until inventory runs out. If you're thinking about a trip to Disney in the near future, this might be the time to buy!