Airplane Carry-on Help

[byejou]

Okay, we have traveled numerous times with the children since they were infants and as the years pass, I have tried to minimize check-in and carry-on luggage. This is my idea for this years trip, keep in mind 2 adults, 2 kids DS's 8/5.......

1. Send down a package to CBR with essential must haves (sand buckets for cruise, rolling cooler for DH, snacks, cereals, paper products, extra duffel for sovvies....yadda, yadda, yadda)

2. Check-in all clothing and personal items, trying to take only 2

3. 2 carry-ons, 1 my tote and 1 my DH laptop bag.

Now, with that said.....I don't want to take a 50lb tote onto the plane to entertain the kids......THIS IS THE PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 bored kids, on a plane for 2.5 hours.

Does anyone have any ides or tips.....we have a DS, Gameboy, Didj, Leapster, TAG, books, crayons, DUCK TAPE

And Benadryl does not work, has the opposite effect, plus flight is 7pm hopefully nature will take effect.

HELP PLEASE

 

[ILoveJack]

We take coloring books and DS. That usually works to keep my 2 busy until they take a nap.

 

[cassandrap83]

we're bringing the DS, Bendaroos (super awesome) & a Glo Doodle!

 

[abouley]

Your kids are old enough that I'd given them each a small (and not too heavily packed) backpack to carry their own snacks and toys. My son (not quite 5 on our last trip) carried his own backpack and was feeling pretty grown up about it. It was a mistake having my daughter's backpack (26 months) though because I had to carry my backpack, HER and her backpack on and off the plane during our layover as she was asleep! You could consider just one backpack that they share too.

For entertainment...do you have a portable DVD player? 2.5 hours should go by pretty fast with the entertainment of take off and landing! Snacks work well for us too. Would the kids play a game? They have all kinds of travel games or maybe a card game. I acutally like the tape idea (and not to cover their mouth)! My 5 year old could entertain himself for hours playing with tape! Playdough or putty of some kind? Pipe cleaners or bendaroos? I'd probably only take 1 handheld game for each child (I think you mentioned 4)! LOL! My 5 year old and I also do thumb wars or tick tack toe or I spy! Maybe a book about disneyworld to look at during the trip. Talk about the things you're going to do!

I think the rest of your plan sounds great! Shipping stuff down or having a grocery delivery service seems to work well if you don't have a car. We rented a car for one day on our first WDW trip (7 day parks, 7 day cruise) and restocked snacks, drinks, diapers etc in the middle. I also did laundry before we got on the ship so only had 1 week of daytime clothes but then needed all those night outfits for the cruise. 2 weeks in the parks was easier to pack for since you can do laundry and reuse your first week's worth!

Have a great trip!

 

[byejou]

We are also renting a car. We do plan on a stop at a grocery store for last minute stuff like sodas, water and other things. We plan to drive to the Port for our cruise.

As for the kids, they do play with games but seem to get bored after a few minutes, mostly my youngest. I hope he falls asleep after take-off.

I was thinking about the backpack thing but I am afraid they will leave in the airport or get tired and lazy and I will have to carry it anyway, so I thought It would be easier to have one bag without a toy store inside.

I forgot my laptop plays DVD's, maybe that will work for awhile.

 

[dizneechic]

I was just at Michael's and they had some cute games and stuff in a $1 bin mid store. I picked up for my soon to be 8 y/o and 6 y/o the game that is a triangle with drilled holes and pegs (you hop the pegs over each other to see how few you can get down to), I have no idea what it's called, but that used to entertain me for hours on road trips. I liked that it was also made of foam so not as *dangerous* as the older style.

And I agree with one of the pp's, only bring 1 type of game system and then a few games.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well, with a 2.5 hour trip, at least with my family, there's barely enough time to get involved with something! First you're boarding and watching everyone (DS is saying hi to many people). Then you're getting settled. Then the plane is taxiing which is infinitely interesting (especially if you point out what's going on and explain things). For some reason my son wants to "read" the info thing about exits, even though he's not fully reading yet, and he pays rapt attention to the FA talking about drop down masks and such. Then you're taking off, and that's interesting until you level out. Once you level out, they start beverage service (at least the airlines I fly, still), once that's done they come by for garbage and refills, then garbage again. Then there's about half an hour where games, coloring, learning work, etc can come out, then it's time to descend!

On our last flight, which was 4 hours total b/c of one stop (where we didn't get off the plane), I *had* the Leapster, I had blank pieces of paper with crayons, I had a couple other things...he refused the Leapster entirely, colored a bit, and just looked through the in flight magazine at the pictures the rest of the time, along with all of the above flight-related things.

And if he had a sibling that he could talk with, I doubt I'd have even brought the Leapster.

So I don't think you need all that much anyway.

Oh, and if DS fell asleep on a 2.5 hour flight starting at 7, I'd be in serious trouble, because I would be carrying him through the airport. With that relatively late of a flight, having a sleeping kid for me would be a nightmare.

 

[plutolovr]

1. Send down a package to CBR with essential must haves (sand buckets for cruise, rolling cooler for DH, snacks, cereals, paper products, extra duffel for sovvies....yadda, yadda, yadda)

Just remember you can't take a rolling cooler into the theme parks.

 

[byejou]

Rolling cooler is DH's to take beer and coolers onto DCL Wonder after our land activities.

 

[Schmeck]

They let you bring a rolling cooler (filled with your own alcohol) onto a cruise ship???? Are you sure?

 

[RMulieri]

Last trip we bought a small backpack for our 4 yr old to carry that had her card game,coloring books/crayons, and dolls in.It worked out great

 

[mjkacmom]

As you can see, we are a big family. The last time we flew (2 weeks ago, 2 hour flight to chicago), we did only carry-on, since they now charge for checked luggage. For the flight, I brought a small backpack with markers, ds's, and books. No one touched the ds's - the older kids read, and the younger ones used the paper/markers. I flew alone with my twins when they were 4, and again, only used to paper/markers.

 

[VBAndrea]

My advice is to buy new things that are small. For our last plane trip (me alone with dd 3 at the time and ds 5 at the time) I went to the dollar store and got things like little squishy balls that would keep them entertained for awhile. I also bought each one a new book which we read a few times on the plane and I know they each got a new wooden Thomas train (which can keep my ds entertained for an hour). For us the "newness" of the items was the key.

One other thing I did before boarding was NOT to wait in the boarding area. We walked around the airport and looked at planes taking off and the like that way they weren't sitting for so long.

The kids did great. When we got off the plane the people sitting behind us commented that they had no idea children were sitting in front of them since they were so quiet.

And for car trips my son loves doing dot to dot and mazes. He's not big on coloring books but we can fairly easily do 10 hour car trips bringing a few of the right things. I generally keep a stash of toys that I reserve only for car trips, again, the newness or infrequently accessed factor makes a big difference.

 

[MomTo4+more]

This will be the first time my children have been on a plane. It's also the first time at DW. I can't imagine how excited they are going to be! I also don't know what to expect flying with three children - 5, 7, and 11. How many carry-ons do they allow typically?

I just picture us having way too much luggage!

 

[byejou]

They let you bring a rolling cooler (filled with your own alcohol) onto a cruise ship???? Are you sure?

You got it!!!!! DIsney is the only cruise line that allows you to carry-on your own alcohol. We are not big drinkers but my DH likes a beer here and there and this saves $$$$.

 

[TinaLala]

I hit the dollar store where they have Disney academic books - I've even found a Disney word find book that DD10 loves! I'll be bringing the DS with a few games and playing cards as well as Disney coloring books. Each girl (DD10 and DD7) will have their own carryon - found medium yellow duffle bags at Ocean State Job lot for $2 - with internet coupon $1 each - big enough to convert to a gym bag for DD10! We'll also have some snacks and mp3.

Coloring books
DS
playing cards
math flash cards (can't get enough math work done during the summer)
reading books
mp3
word find

 

[2littleprincesses]

I was wondering about carry ons as well. We have just bought a couple that are close to the limit for carry ons. Will there be enough room to store them? If everyone has large carry ons, can they be all stowed? I think you are allowed a carry on and one other bag, correct? Can that be a backpack? Or is a backpack a carry on? Thanks!

 

[whitneyNC]

We don't check a thing. We each carry a rolling suitcase (20" maybe), and a backpack. Husband carries his jansport sling that he takes into the parks, I carry a Vera backpack as my purse and kids carry good size ll bean school packs with ds, books, i-pods,swim trunks for easy access at arrival, hat, toiletries in quart size bag, etc. DH's carry one even has a built in place for laptop. Works great for us.
I wouldn't take too much, 2.5 hours will go by. Will they watch a movie? That will mostly take care of the "at altitude" portion. Have a good trip.

 

[mjkacmom]

I was wondering about carry ons as well. We have just bought a couple that are close to the limit for carry ons. Will there be enough room to store them? If everyone has large carry ons, can they be all stowed? I think you are allowed a carry on and one other bag, correct? Can that be a backpack? Or is a backpack a carry on? Thanks!

We were recently on a very small plane, so we had to "check" our carry-ons at the gate, and they were returned to us when we landed. Since most airlines are charging for checked baggage now, many more people are taking carry-ons. I think a backpack counts as the one other bag.

 

[mjkacmom]

This will be the first time my children have been on a plane. It's also the first time at DW. I can't imagine how excited they are going to be! I also don't know what to expect flying with three children - 5, 7, and 11. How many carry-ons do they allow typically?

I just picture us having way too much luggage!

Everyone gets to have a carry-on, including children. I had DH drop me and the kids off, with our 7 carry-ons, plus some bags, and it was very interesting getting the kids and luggage through security by myself!