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

I don't think I would enjoy myself near as much on a vacation if I took my dolls with me. I am a paranoid worrier and I would spend more time worrying about keeping my dolls safe than having fun. I like to leave them at home with the security system on with my three kitties and my mom to check up on things. That way I know they are safe and well protected like precious jewels.

 

I can't wait until I have a vacation I can take my dolls on, if only for AIRPORT WAITING PICTURES! (Yeah, I'm a Travel Dork. xD But really, as long as we go somewhere interesting, I'd love to.) Of course, I'm going to be ultra-careful with them. I wonder how airport security will react to a Puki. All those magnets, you know...

 

I took my Yo with me to Chicago on a plane...as part of my carry-on of course...i had no problems at all...just a few odd looks and a very curious little girl who had two American Girl dolls with her and was careful to look and not touch. There were also the many people that kept saying he looked like me LOL Spring break I plan on taking my MD Ryu with me to a bunch of different Civil War battlefields...in uniform of course If you're careful about it there really aren't many problems with traveling with your dolls. But I will say tiny's and minis are FAR more travel friendly.

TC

 

I really like this thread because i plan on also taking my followers or just one of them with me when i go to japan, as well as travel before and affter that too.

As long as i would keep them in their bag to carry them around, it shouldnt be a problem.
*hopefully* id love to see people vacationing with their dolls....

 

I'm going to Peru this summer, and definitely won't be taking my doll with me. It's a working type of trip rather than vacation, though, with strict weight limits on luggage and pretty rugged jungle camp style accommodations.

My sisters and I have a beanie baby kiwi that we take with us to Walt Disney World to put in many of our photos, but I think a bjd would be WAY better, much more photogenic! If I was going to take him anywhere, that would probably be the place. I might NOT though, since I'm the dedicated photographer and have enough to carry and keep up with already. I'd seriously consider taking him though, especially if my sisters would agree to help carry him. We actually bought a bunch of My Little Pony Disney costumes that fit on the kiwi, so we dress it up to go in the parks!

If I have a Puki by our next Disney trip, it is SO going with me. Though I think my mini would photograph better since it's larger.

 

I agree, bringing a doll along on vacation would be great for photo opportunities. But, for me personally, it didn't work. I always travel with "too much" luggage, and my doll was one more heavy thing to haul around when I went to Puerto Rico. Also, I was so busy getting good photos of my doll, that I didn't really step back and appreciate the scenery with my own eyes, or interact with my family as much as I should have; I was too distracted with my doll and photography. Of course, I'm always a scatterbrain, so maybe most people won't have the same trouble I did.

 

I took my 70cm boy and a 60cm girl and 60cm boy all in my carry on luggage in the same bag to queensland no one seemed to care my back did later but sacrifices have to be made lol not sure how i'm going to go when i get my new dolls will bring the total to 1 75cm boy ,1 70cm boy,3 60cm boys and 60 cm girl probably the point i enlist my mother to help lol

 

I'm currently in China on vacation with my doll.

Lugging her around was quite the hassle but the photo oppotunities can't be beat. Although, I didn't take her everywhere we went since some places were just not doll-friendly, like a cave we went to.

 

Ultimately the decision is yours, but I personally would not. We used to take a doll or two when we went over to Disney for the day or on vacation for a week. For the first couple of hours it is cute and we take lots of pictures. After that, we are usually wishing we never brought them. It can be a hassle to have to carry them and if you decide to leave them in the hotel room, etc. you have to be careful to secure them so they aren't stolen.

 

Wow, reading this thread has definitely allayed some of my worries about when my own dollie comes in! (Whenever that is, since I just ordered him and with the holidays and New Year's closing...yeah, ew. Oh well, I'll just have to be patient!) Two days ago I got my acceptance to Glasgow University for grad school and I was fretting about whether or not I'd be able to bring my boy along with me. I'm so glad to know that on the whole it seems like people have had a pretty easy time taking their dolls with them, even through airports.

Everyone talking about how heavy the 60cm dolls are makes me quite happy that I got a 43cm one, though! ^_^. (I'm a weakingly, I can barely even cart my guitar around, much less a bag full of heavy dolls!)

 

I thought I'd make a post here in regards to airport security and BJDs, because I just flew back home yesterday, and as I was walking through the checkpoint, the TSA lady stopped me, and wanted to inspect my doll carrier. I said, "oh, absolutely. Go ahead." At first, I thought she was gonna question the putty that was holding their eyes in. The putty wasn't the issue. If was the density of the resin. She then brought up the story about the Reborn Babies, and how they looked very lifelike, but they're dolls. I thought, "oh, but that's old news. I've heard about them before." I said, "oh, yeah. I heard about that on the news", and she said, "yeah, because of that, we want to make sure that they're actually dolls and not people."

*scoffs* As if my dolls were the actual size of life-sized babies. The length, maybe, but they're far much skinnier. *laughs* So, she just checked my bag, just to make sure that there weren't any irregularities, and then she sent me on my way.

Has anyone else ran into this problem recently -- sometime in 2009, that is?

 

I had no problems over the summer, but that's probably because my doll was partially sticking out of my purse when he went through the scan and he's an MSD. Since I was only traveling from Southern CA to Northern CA, and I'd only be there for four days, I didn't bother to bring his actual carrier.

 

I went to LV last weekend with 1 MSD, 1 Yo and 1 OT Doll.

When they scanned, you can see the outlines on the X-ray machine (it was really cool, I wished that I could take picture) But TSA did not ask me to open my carrier nor even ask me about it.

 

RE: Oh, okay, you flew out of McCarren. Yeah, I flew out of LAX, and they were really cracking down on everything. When I checked in, the lady at the desk specifically asked me to take my check-in bag to the x-ray machine. In all my years of flying, I was never asked to do that... not even post 9/11. Then came the checkpoint, and the TSA lady suspected my doll carrier. I didn't really think anything of it; still don't. The way I see things at the checkpoint is, better safe than sorry. *shrugs* So far, you're the first person to say that it hasn't happened to you this year. Hmmm... maybe it's because LAX is really cracking down on luggages and other items. *shrugs*

 

Mods please move if there is already a topic like this. I did find the "Your Dolls and Security Officers-ever a problem?" thread but that focused mostly on mall security...


Hi everyone!

I've just been informed by my grandmother that I will be leaving NY for Minnesota sometime soon. That means getting there on a plane. Fun! (...Not really) Being on a plane and in an unfimiliar place can be lonely without a friend to keep you company right? Right. So that's why I've been thinking of bringing Darry, my 60cm Bobobie Weylin, with me for the trip. I'd bring my DollZone MSD with me because of the smaller size, but I don't think I should due to the fact that she has more metal parts than my Bobobie. (Not to mention the fact that I lost track of her wig cap to keep her wig from slipping and falling) Still, he has an S-hook, and magnetic headcap...and is sturdy, yet breakable (and I can't even do a simple face-up re-do.) so I'm pretty sure that it might be a problem with the airports. They kind of were even careful on my last plane trip since I wore a metal studded belt. (bad idea people...) Also, if I DO take him with me, should I get him alot of protection and buy a carrier, (or make my own) or just carry him in my arms with me?

So, if you have anything to add here about issues, tips/things to know, and of course...worries about dolls with planes and airport security, please feel free to post them here.

Thank you everyone!
--- Baby_Bat

 

I went on a trip last summer to PA. Cross country and an all day trip..x.x eesh.. it was tiering. I took my MSD Luts bory, Glyph with me. I dont have a carrier. I merely wrapped him in his blanket and kept him packed away neatly in my wheeled backpack. Nothing went wrong there. I had worried about his metal parts, the s hooks in his wrists, ankles and in his head, but it turned out all right. The only problem I had was actually on the trip back through the security in washington. The security guards gave my backpack a funny look going through the x-ray thingy.. of course they had to see what it was.. so they took my bag to the examining table. The woman wasnt being very gentle at all. I told her once nicely to becareful as she was pulling Glyph out.. of course she ignored me.. -.- So I snapped at her to becareful, explaining it was a rather delicate doll. She gave me a very weird look. lol. Other then that, I had no troubles once getting past security.

So I suggest showing up very early at the airport so you dont get rushed when going through security so you have time to pack things back away.. also it might be better to just have your doll out when going through security.

 

I have 2 friends and they went to Japan with her 2 SD in the airplane... they didn't have problems. And 2 years ago, I traveled with them in airplane and they went to the trip with 2 dolls again xDD, this time MSD and Yo-SD. I remember that I was seeing the doll in the scanner xDD.
Anyway, you can ask in the airport before the trip ^^
But you never leave the doll in the suitcase!

( I hope you can understand my english xDD)

 

Thanks for the helpful post Foxxian! (And poor Glyph, glad he's okay. )

Having him out of a safe carrying bag in security does sound like a good idea, I already know how hard it is to pack and tidy up things like a suitcase, and also how hard it is to re-do that if security decides to check through them. (This could probably be avoided if I wasn't such a tech junkie. Hahaha)

Edit:

And thank you Kirara too. It must have been funny to see your doll in the scanner, I think it was for my cousin with babydolls in her bag going through the scanner once too. XD

Yes. Dolls in suitcases sounds like a bad idea. o__o

Thank you for the advice.

 

Whichever doll you decide to bring, make sure they are in a carry-on. The metal parts don't matter since the carry-on is scanned by the security machines.

When I brought my big boy to MN from Chicago, I carried him in a violin case that I had modified to be a carrier. I got some weird looks, but nobody had to open or touch anything since he could clearly be seen.

If you have a doll bag, or another bag that you can use strictly for your doll/doll items, that would be best so there are minimal things for them to see (you're allowed 1 carry-on plus 1 "personal" item).

 

I took my Soom Sard with me to Australia 2 months ago. On my way there, I unstrung him and packed him in bubble wrap in a box. They sent my carry-on bag with the box through x-ray a couple of times. Once they asked me what it was (note: unstrung body parts, hooves and horns probably look fairly odd) and took a swab test (harmless!), but it wasn't a problem. On the way back I didn't unstring him, just packed him in carefully in a fetal position with lots of wrapping. That was no problem at all. He has magnets in his horns and headcap, but it wasn't a problem. You are allowed to bring metal onto planes, just not pointy metal (no knitting needles, but s-hooks didn't worry anyone). You'll have to send the doll through the x-ray, but that shouldn't cause any problems.