Hello, in a few months we plan on taking our 2yr old niece to Walt Disneyworld. But we have never flown with her on an airplane, what suggested can you give us. I think a stroller is a must as a carry on, do we need to bring a car seat, etc.. any tips will help. You'll definitely want a stroller, as for a car seat I'd suggest bringing one, if you have a seat for her. If not she'll have to sit on your lap. Bring something for her to chew/suck on for the altitude adjustment and ear popping. Snacks and toys are a must for distractions and to keep crankiness to a minimum. Good luck. I have a tip... keep her quiet and keep her from wondering around in the aisles, SO annoying when parents cant control their children on planes.
Also, she is too young for Walt Disney World. She wont remember it, there are very little rides she can go on, and she wont appreciate it. I went to WDW last December and hands down the most annoying thing were bratty whiney children. Spoiled brats asking to LEAVE instead of enjoying it. when we took my niece..we didnt take a car seat..just a snack a stroller..something to entertain her with and plenty of emergency items such as medicine, bandages, clothes, and things to clean up "messes" with i worked selling flights .ask about excess baggage as some airlines will charge for buggies and car seats.you can hire buggies and car seats at your destination.may be easier than struggling with that and a two year old we flew to Dominican when our daughter was 2. We had no problems whatsoever. Well, we did get lucky and had an extra seat next to us so she had her own space. We didn't take a car seat - don't think it's really necessary. I did have a lot of entertainment for her - I went to Party City and got her little sticker booklets, crayons, coloring books, doodle pad - all miniature size. Our flight was 4.5 hours and we made it just fine... :) And, if the flight is during nap time, she'll most probably be sleeping... Enjoy! dramamine, trust me I had five , they slept no air sickness, pleasant trip for them , me and the passengers. we love take our children on airplanes. The airplane ticket should be half the price!
We use Hertz Rent a Car. They are the only ones to offer car seats. They will also install the carseat for you at no charge. Just make sure to add it when you reserve your car.
Depending on where you are flying, ours is only a 3 hour flight. but we bring our laptop and she watches movies while we are in the air.
Bring chewing gum (sugarless) to pop her ears.
we are dentists but we bring whatever it takes to keep them quiet. Even if if means CANDY!
I would bring her favorite stuffed animal and maybe her security blanket for the plane.
we did a late night plane thinking she would sleep but she was too excited and talked the whole time. The next time we went during the day. She was happier then and people were more tolerable of her talking.
i would carry her immunization card. We were asked for ID for our kids. I can't believe it. They have nothing. Except now our daycare has kid id cards. But we were asked to bring our immunization record. We didn't have anything and they still let us board.
airplane security was STRICT after 9/11. We weren't allowed any bottles or juice boxes or liquids. We bought from the airport stores and then brought drinks onto the plane. Watch for medicines you may bring.
Please make sure you make her go potty before and after boarding. So difficult to get two people into those tiny airplane bathrooms. If you are really worried and she's not quite potty trained, then put on a diaper. It'll be less stressful during the trip.
if she's a wanderer, you may want to consider getting a kid's body harness for the airport and disneyland. It's a big place!
Yes bring the most lightweight stroller you have. You could always rent one at Disney World. Hard to carry with you on and off the plane. They will just check it at the gate.
Never needed dramamine or any drugs to help them on the plane. I'm a former Flight Attendant and I now fly a lot between Europe and California, usually alone with my three kids since each was 4 months old.
Are you able to take her to the airport and at least show her what's going on? That might help.
Try to book a window seat so she can enjoy the view and watch what they're doing at the airport. Seeing all that efficiency (we hope) might put her mind at ease.
The security is usually the scariest part of the experience for kids. Here's a good site;
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/c...
Show her the people going through and what you have to do. Let her know that although she has to put her things on the belt, they'll be given right back to her on the other side.
Go through the whole experience, step by step and mention the emergency briefing they do onboard. Remind her of how safe flying is, that most F/A's and pilots retire and never have any sort of emergency.
Get a book on airplanes. There are some specific for children about to fly for the first time.
Let her pack her own small backpack with toys she picked. You take a change of clothes, a sippy cup (empty if you're concerned about security) and some snacks. Also, pack a few suprises, new toys she's never seen.
I recommend the DVD player only if the flight is over three or four hours but bring it anyway if you think it'll help her if it's a shorter flight. Perhaps a new movie is a good idea, something you know she'll like. Make her understand that she has to use the earphones onboard. Please juice it up before leaving and consider purchasing another battery if it's a long flight and make sure it's fully charged as well. Bring the recharger just in case you need it on the ground for a delay.
When you board, tell the Flight Attendants that it's her first flight. They might have something special for her but don't expect it or tell her.
I think she'll be fine in the aircraft. In 13 years, I saw many, many children fly and never did I see any "freak out" or be scared once we saw them.
As a former Flight Attendant, I urge you to try to use your car seat onboard if possible. Never rent seats from a car rental company. They are often old, dirty and you don't know if it's been compromised in an accident. I had a bad experience once with this and I'm not alone!
This is the only way to fly safely with a child. It also guarentees that the carseat will not get lost or damaged in the hold.
First, check that your seat is FAA approved;
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_childr...
Most car seats in the U.S. are.
It's a myth that they need to suck during take-off and landing. It's a good idea at any time during ascent (after take-off, while reaching altitude) and the most critical point is at the top of descent. This is when passengers of any age complained. Landing (when the plane touches down) is too late.
To really prevent ear problems, see the doctor before leaving. One of mine was very good at getting symptomless ear infections. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes. I never do anything special on take-off and landing and none of them, including one with the "history", never had any problems. I rarely saw them in my 13 years in the air either.
Never try to take a stroller on the aircraft as a carry-on. Gate checking is fine and there's usually nowhere to stow them onboard. They'll give you a tag when you check-in and you can take the stroller to the aircraft.
Before handing the stroller over at the door of the plane, remove all "extras", i.e. cup holders, toys, even the sunshade depending on the model (I put mine in the checked suitcase). Attach the straps. Bring a bungee cord and after folding it, double secure it so that it doesn't pop open en route and get damaged.
If her parents aren't coming, make sure you have "power of attorney" so that if anything goes wrong... Also bring a permission letter from her parents.
For more information on Disneyland in general, visit the Disboards. They really helped us with our trip.
http://www.disboards.com/
I spent many hours going through safety and security training over a 10 year period with two companies before I had my first baby. For more information from someone who actually worked in the industry as well as flown many times with my own children, feel free to visit;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
My contact info is at the end.
Have a great time! |
