Travelling with your dolls: issues/ideas/etc. Part I

i traveled with 2 unoa in a small DOD carrier bag - it was 1 of my carryons, and I had them bubble wrapped, and then double-cushioned, and they were fine. I just made sure I was very careful with my bag all the time.

 

How are you able to get a dollcarrier in the luggage compartment above the seats? Doesn't it take up a lot of space?

 

Not at all, actually. Even on fairly tiny planes there has always been enough room for my Volks SD-sized carrier. Remember, LOTS of people expect to put those small suitcases with roller-wheels in those luggage compartments, and they typically take up MORE space than a typical doll carrier.

(Kasai and Zhong Wu just travelled round-trip this past weekend with us from San Francisco California to Des Moines Iowa and back, as hand luggage of course, and with several different types of airline connecting flights.)

 

Now that I have been off island with my dolls I can tell what happen with me, I'll tell about my Las Vegas one ^^ even tho I said that all would come along they didn't. Crescent was sent away for a Tattoo so I decided to leave the kids at with my friend and take Quatre (EL) only. Plus he made me feel less chiken to be doing a solo trip ^^;
So going threw the airport was fine he didn't have a carry bag
I carried him by hand along the way I got looks (of course) and good complaments and one or two what a cute girl...(note he was dressed all man 0o)
On the plane ride there was nice no one sat next to me so quatre had a seat to himself during my day on the Vegas strip, I got questions and complaments a few odd ones and 2 chukys I gave the guy who said it the first tome a F u look .
I got stoped a lot while walking.
after one night at the MGM Grand
I went to my sister home in parump. She teased him a lot, it was cute I was so tierd when I got there I feel asleep on the couch with him. Durning my week there we were jus lazy bums on the couch.
Plane ride back sucked some lady kept her chair back the whole time and quatre had to stay in my arms it was hard. I was happy to be home and so was he. We missed crescent,helios &, yue ^^
Sorry for the long half butt story I'm a bit sleepy. But I'm no longer afraid to take my dolls off island ^^ yay

 

I wasn't very descriptive before, so gory traveling details. Back at the end of January of this year I took Tasuki (SDC Arashi) with me on a plane trip from Philly to Atlanta. He fit in my oversized purse so that was easy. I just put him under the seat in front of me so he'd be "at hand." I was stuck with other people next to me both ways. They wouldn't move over a seat even though the plane was half empty. I hate being stuck by a window like that. He survived the trip. Last weekend for a convention, my larger boys both fit in my oversize rolling bag and my smaller boys fit in my old DOD bag together. Sesshoumaru sat in his chair stapped into the car seat. I was afraid to pack him up because of all his parts. ^^; Sesshie is just difficult to travel with in general. X_X

 

My AngelRegion Violin case that I got along with Dusk is an absolute GODSEND. It helped aizentaicho and me get too and from Boston with our dolls safely. It has a hard frame like a violin case so it was completely safe in the overhead compartment on a VERY small plane. (I love you AirTran and your cheap ass fares!) It was designed for 1 doll, but I've fit up to 2 SD sized dolls in there, plus my 30 cm Bobo (who doens't take up much room).

On the way up to Anime Boston, we had Aizentaicho's Eiji (AR Ren) and my Arya (AR Diana - Pride) in the case and I had Dusk (AR NT Kai) in my messenger bag. On the way back to Philly we had Eiji and Dusk in the case and arya in my bag.

The best part is that everyone kept asking if I had a violin in the case ^_^

 

Also, just to add: I would NOT take a doll in anything and then let the staff take the bag or suitcase it is in as non carry on luggage.

People 'lose' luggage on planes all the time, especially if they're not carry on. The luggage can be lost or stolen. One man finished tow valuable paintings (worth 15k in sale price) and they were actually stolen by airline staff. Nobody knows who did it though, so nobody was caught and the paintings were never retrieved. Also, a friend of mine went to Vancouver with 5000$ worth of clothes in a suitcase and it got lost too.

Don't leave your dolls at the mercy of plane staff, or worse, people who take your luggage at the airport. Bad, bad, bad.

*paranoid*

 

I remember when I was a kid and I took my gigantic stuffed bear with me on a plane ride (much to my parents' chagrin) with no problems whatsoever.

Now that I'm older and now that there are all these new security rules in place... I feel hesitant in taking my little one traveling with me.

I'll be heading to AZ this week on Thursday and I'm still debating on whether or not I should bring him with me.

 

Actually, my dolls travelled to that same event, from the other coast, in a wheelie suitcase.
All four legs of my trip were on tiny airplanes--around 50 passenger jets, so the suitcase was 'valet carry-on', and I retrieved it on the tarmac (1 time) and at the tunnel thing (3).

Poor Peter, a Hound, had to travel kneeling in that suitcase; it isn't set up for a Hound to be upright.
Except for Peter's trauma and cramps, though, all Five bjds travelled perfectly safely. So did the other dolls, who were of different sorts.


Ann in CT

 

Wow this thread is exactly what I need! I'm flying to NJ in a little under two weeks and there's no way I can get a doll carrier by then so I'm trying to figure out how to carry Donovan. It's killing me that I can only bring one of my boy but I'm not going to risk bringing two! If my mini was here I'd just bring him but since I just ordered him yesterday that won't work. *L*

My boyfriend has told me that they can tell you your bag is too big for carry on and that it has to be checked. By this time you're in the airport away from whoever dropped you off so you have no choice but to check the bag. I'd have to chose between checking my work laptop or my doll. O_O I'm terrified this is going to happen to me!

As of right now I'm planning on taking a backpack and I'm hoping I can fit both my laptop and Donovan in there, then I'll put Donovan on my lap during the flight. My boyfriend's laptop bag is made like a backpack and I'm sure he'll let me borrow it.

 

I'm going to Las Vegas shortly. I want to bring either Shindoni or my F-10,(both are SD sized) but... I'm so scared!! I'd like to bring Shindoni, but she's more fragile than the F-10 on CH body(she's got the weak SD10 girl knees ). I took Flint(MSD sized) with me to Texas, and he survived the flight just fine, as he fit perfectly in my purse. He was an absolute DOLL to travel with(heehee!)! But I want to bring one of my SD sized ones with me...

Hearing you guys' stories helps me feel better about travelling with them. So far I've had one plane ride and one train ride with my dolls... but it still makes me so nervous!! Keep the encouragement coming; we need all of it we can get


onnawufei, how long are you gonna be in NJ? You should come to a meetup if you get the chance! There's lots of NJ owners! ;3

 

I made Oliver a travel bag that fits his pilows, and it looks like a crazy furry purse, so he's safe and i can carry him everywhere.

 

Has anyone ever addressed whether it's dangerous to leave dolls in hot cars? I know resin can get soft when it gets hot, but I'm not sure even a closed car would get hot enough to cause damage. (Resin is used in many types of car repair, so I'm assuming it doesn't.)

 

this is just me but - I did NOT want mine in the luggage compartment above. I've seen people SHOVE their suitcases and LEAN on it to smash it in to get it to fit.

I kept the carrier under the seat in front of me. It JUST fit... again, it was my littlest carrier, my DOD carrier. My SD carrier would probably have been too long. EEP.

 

I shoved Phir's carrying case in the luggage compartment on the bus to Saskatchewan. But, I also have a hard carrying case. I've smacked it against walls (by accident, of course) and it's pretty much a godsend.

I've also sacrificed some of my seat/leg space on buses and sat the case upright next to me. Kind of uncomfortable, but it worked.

 

So... kind of a dumb thread... but since so many people seem to have the same questions I do about traveling with dolls, I figured I'd post Boe's travel report ;3 We're not out of the woods yet - I'll edit this post with an update once we're home.
(PS - I'm bored in an airport with WiFi. Can you tell?)

Transporting Boe from my dorm to the airport was no problem. I kept him on top of my clothes in my duffle bag, wrapped in a big Kakashi sweatshirt to protect him, and was obsessive about making sure he didn't slide around to the bottom of the bag and (gasp!) drag along the concrete.

For the record, my only other carryon is a fairly lightweight rolling laptop bag containing a laptop, sketchbook, The DaVinci Code, a Nintendo DS, and various other small items. Boe does not fit into said rolly-bag at all.
Boe, by the way, is a custom 'Bastion' head by batchix on a Hound body. So he's big XD And slightly heavy. I assume traveling with a smaller doll, or perhaps two smaller dolls would be even easier.

I kept him wrapped in big-Kakashi-sweatshirt after I'd checked my duffle bag. I carried him more or less like a small child, with only his feet sticking out. His wig fell off in transit, which was scary, but luckily remained tucked in the folds of the sweater.

Lesson #1 - Don't travel with the doll's wig on!

I was sure to tuck him carefully into the screening bin thing. He fit pretty well in a kneeling position with his whole body padded by my sweatshirt so it wouldn't rub on the nasty screening bins... XD People put their gross shoes in those things!
The screening guy didn't even blink when he went through, though his head was fully visible and he's traveling with a pair of tiny handcuffs XD I was mildly disappointed.
Granted, this is Port Columbus Airport and not, say, LAX, but I doubt security would be any worse about him at another airport.

Lesson #2 - Getting a weird-looking 70cm doll through airport security is easy!

After screening, I decided it was time to let Boe breathe. I'm not walking around anymore, so it was safe to pull his head out of the sweatshirt. I also gave him his wig back XD I've gotten surprisingly few stares... a couple of old ladies have kind of looked over and scowled, but that's it.

Lesson #3 - If you wrap your doll up in a sweatshirt, fewer people stare! Also, it made him easier to carry.

His legs keep getting twisted around as a consequence of being tucked up in a sweatshirt, but so far, no harm has come to him. Our next hurdle - airline attendants! If I'm not able to keep him on my lap, I'll just put my other bag in the overhead for takeoff. I am no longer worried XD

 

That's good I'll keep watch on your post! I have a dollshe and a souldoll I want to bring to Otakon and I am stopping at Colombus... My friend will opick me up and we'll travel to Otakon together. At least I know thre's no problem with the airport in Columbus.

You didn't bring the Dollshe bag?

 

*laugh* I've made posts like this from the airport before. Have a safe trip, and I hope Boe enjoys himself.

 

Yikes, poor Sewek... ...I think I'll stick to using my doll carrier, with straps inside to prevent jostling out of place, and with folded towels around and over them, bubble-wrap around their hands, and plastic face protectors - that gets across the immediate message of "Very delicate and expensive!!!!"