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

Thank you all a lot for the information, now I know I can take my doll with the airplane without getting all nervous. Of course always with me in the carrier bag!

 

As a former airline employee I would not recommend anyone putting an ABJD in checked baggage. Your baggage and contents are only insured for a maximum of $250, less if you are flying internationally. Because ABJDs are not common articles you would have a very hard time proving that it was worth even the full $250 if it was lost/damaged/stolen, even if you had your receipt (you might well find yourself accused of faking it). Things are stolen from baggage all the time, and even if it was not stolen, your bag could be pulled at any point for a random inspection, which means it is possible you would arrive at your destination to find your doll in pieces with the faceup ruined because inspectors took it apart to look for explosives/drugs. If that was to happen, you would not even be able to claim damages (read the fine print on your ticket envelope some time). And all that is aside from the way that baggage is tossed about, left on the tarmac, run over by vehicles, run over by airplanes (the folk musician Stan Rogers was once looking out an airplane window and watched in horror as his very expensive acoustic guitar was run over by an airplane).

 

When I was planning on how exactly I was going to pack Pierrot to go with me to NYC I went to a couple of musicians' forums since I figured that musicians would have the situations most like us when they tried to travel. The horror stories boggled me. Professionals who had bought traveling cases that cost several thousand dollars to protect an instrument worth $10,000 or more who had their case speared in the middle by a fork lift. People who had the same above mentioned cases who had the case come back to them in two pieces and the instrument inside come back in dozens. The general agreement there was if humanly possible take your instrument on the plane with you no matter what. For people who played instruments too large to be considered carry-ons? Buy a second seat so your instrument rides next to you. Airline travel with delicate things are scary...

As for car rides? They're as safe as you make them. If you drive over 100 mph, weaving through traffic, and make every turn into a hairpin your doll may need a small safe to protect them. If you drive the speed limit and no one around you does anything stupid then any regular carrying case is fine or you can have them sit free in your car (although I still usually put a seat belt around mine).

 

When I took a flight from Adelaide back to Singapore alone, i carried Kaito (SD13 boy) in a Dollmore carrier as one of my hand lugguges. During the check-in process, i double-checked with the airport counter staff whether i was allowed to bring him as a hand lugguge. The airport staff had the most amusing look on their face when Kaito went through the X-ray check!

While in the airplane, i took him out of the carrier and he sat beside me throughout the whole trip. Kind of a little squeeze though, since we were taking the economical class. I covered him with a blanket when i was having my meal to avoid getting him dirty, keke. I didn't dare to put him up in the overhead compartments as i was worried that he might get crushed by other hand lugguges in times of air turbulences, etc. Everyone was pretty kind to him and helped me keep an outlook on him while i went to the washroom. And i wasn't told to put him under the seat.

As for car trips, we went to Mount Gambier from Adelaide City and the journey was ~5 hours. Kaito sat beside me all the time I never left him alone in the hotel or car though - he was always with me ^^.

 

How have people handled them on a train journey? I'm talking regular train and then subway?

 

I've had dollies in cars, planes, trains and boats and all were fairly hassle free.

For trains, since that wasn't covered; I packed Lan in his bag and off we went. Short distance trains (and subway) he was in my lap the whole time. When I bought Titterwing's Umibe, he was in his Volks box which went between my legs.

When I took the Shinkansen (long distance train) Lan was in his bag, in my pack, in my sight at all times. I'm a little paranoid, though. Everytime he ended up fine.

 

I take my doll on trips with me all the time. The only thing I would say is a definite is take you doll and a carry-on. I heard stories of people putting there dolls as checked baggage and their bags turning up missing or their dolls being broken.

 

I almost always take a couple dolls with me when I travel on a plane, and they are always big ones(Dollshe and Models).

I carry them on in a Dollmore carrier, and stash them in the overhead. The Dollmore carrier I use is this one


It sits upright in the overhead and fills the space so no one can put anything on top of them. They have always traveled safely this way.

As to leaving a doll in the room, I do it all the time. I simply put them in a drawer.

I would not take a large doll to a theme park, just because of their bulk. I have taken my Uyoo to Disneyland and have had alot of fun with her, but she's little and fits in a purse.

 

take the doll with you on the board of the plane - like not with your bags...who knows how they treat them...

 

Oh, I just realized that we're going to have a condominium, so basically our room is not going to be messed with by maids. So maybe I can keep Larue in the room? My family's going to Disneyland, Epcot, Magic Kingdom (lol is that the same as Disneyland? I think I misheard my mom on the first place), and Sea World, oh, and Universal studios. I have forgotten much about Epcot, but I believe it's not really an amusement park, and Sea World...well...I look at a lot of fish and stuff...XDD Maybe I can bring Larue at those times?

*sigh* I'm just afraid that I"m gonna get dolly separation anxiety when I go on vacation, b/c I just got him two weeks ago and I'm still not used to keeping him at home when I'm out. ^^'

 

If you bring your dolly to Sea World remember to always sit way above the splash line! Those killer whales can really kick up a lot of really cold salt water.

 

XD yeah I get you there...then again, I don't know how Larue would feel about going to SeaWorld...he is a fire lizard after all...^^'

 

I dragged two dolls through the Washington, DC Metro system to Katsucon this year in a hard-sided case along with my luggage, and everything went just fine, though I was holding the case the whole time. Haven't done lone distance train travel with them, as there isn't really any around these parts...

 

I took Vodka with me to Taiwan early April, and for the flight to I just kept him in his DoD carrier and under the seat in front of me. For the flight back, there were more seats open so I was able to take him out and sit him down next to me Both ways worked well, but I did feel terribly guilty about leaving him in the bag during the first flight

 

Who-hoo! Gayle you ROCK! I'll be getting a couple of these ASAP. Think I can fit a change of clothes (for me ) and a few odds & ends in there w/ my SD16s & SD13s?

Morgan

 

If you are carrying two big dolls with you in the carrier, you will have a small amount of room in the center for additional doll clothes etc. Probably not enough room for your own clothes, unless you are talking smallis stuff, like underwear and socks.

 

Ive learned that, I have a big problem with getting them around! I have taken them, but every time I do take them some where, they always get some type of marking j-j maybe Im jus a bad mommy *shrugs but I always clean them right as I get home. Bad kidos of mine XD

 

If no one else was riding with me on the car, I usually sit my DoT shotgun, on a folded towel (to prevent sliding), and buckled in.

And I second all those before me to not check your doll in. Lugged my boy around in a ChocoCat yoga matt bag (purchased from Sanrio! haha), stowed the bag under the seat during flight -carrier was slightly long, had to fold one end in- and throughout the flight took peeks at the cranky fellow to see how he was doing. Went well both ways of the flight! Best of luck and hope you have a safe trip with your cutie. =)

 

Can anyone recommend a sturdy (and reasonably priced) carrier that can hold two MSDs? I'm a bit worried about transporting my pair to Otakon.

 

I'd like to know if there was a carrier (sturdy, reasonably-priced... roomy?) able to fit 3 MSDs. =)

The more the merrier, right?