flight times - when would you rather travel with 2 young kids?

[dawnmommy]

I'd love to hear opinions from others, as we try to pick our flight. We have to change our travel dates, and my "perfect" flight times are no longer available.

For a semi-reasonable (ha!) price, our choices are now:

leave our home at 4am, but be at the Poly before 1pm

Leave our home at 1pm, arrive at the poly after 9pm


I am sort of hesitant to wake my kiddos that early, but I also don't like the thought of arriving late the first night and navigating to our Poly longhouse in the dark. We need 2 bedrails, so I'd hate to have to scramble with that at 10pm as well.

I'm just very very torn here. My husband is afraid that if we wake them at 4am, they'll be too excited to sleep in the car or plane, then we'll have meltdowns by 3pm anyway.

thanks for any feedback!

 

[surfgirl]

I love early morning flights... yes, it is painful, but the first flight of the day has a much higher probability of getting there (much less on-time) than the last flight. Usually, the plane is at the gate and waiting. If you fly the last (or next to last) flight of the day, anything that goes wrong during the day is compounded by the time you fly.

Yes, they might be awake the entire time... but I would have something non-park fun to do that day (maybe play mini-golf?) but you could check in, get settled and have a normal bedtime and look forward to the fun the next day. Getting in at 10pm (perfect scenario with no delays) just mean you'll have a brutal next day. When you would rather have the pain ? Day 1... non-park day or day 1... full park day ?

 

[dizneechic]

Either way consider the day wasted since if you took the later "kids won't melt down" flight you wouldn't get there till bedtime. The kids may be antsy and excited to fall asleep right when you get there anyway and then you'll all be tired the next day.

If it were me, I would take the morning flight and spend the 1st day relaxing. Check out the resort, maybe swim, you can even take a monorail ride since your at the Poly. Plan on going to bed early and being well rested to hit the ground running the next day.

 

[aidtrismommy]

Definately the am flight. It will be rough, but once the plane takes off, the kids will probably sleep. When you get to the hotel you can eat lunch, explore, relax, go for a swim, and when your room is ready, unpack and go to bed early. This works for my family really well.

 

[Steve's Girl]

We love the early flights. We don't plan much for that first afternoon/evening. We often swim, have an early dinner and get the kids to bed early so they are ready for a full day the next day. I don't like to get to the hotel late because the kids are wired and it takes them forever to get settled down and to sleep. Which in turns makes the next day rather challenging. But, if they have the afternoon to get all their "yay we're here" excitement out, they generally are ready to go to bed earlier and get a good nights sleep.

 

[MinnieGi]

We have done those early morning flights several times when our kiddos were preschool, toddler age and they always went well, very well. Our kids were excited when woken up but b/c it was so early once on the plane they did settle in for a little sleep. It was very exciting getting to WDW so early still in the day. But we did not go to any parks that day, used it to settle in, relax by pool and do a dinner at resort. Its a great way to start a weeks vacation.

 

[design_mom]

If it were me, I would take the morning flight and spend the 1st day relaxing. Check out the resort, maybe swim, you can even take a monorail ride since your at the Poly. Plan on going to bed early and being well rested to hit the ground running the next day.

This is what I'd do, too. (And the bed rails are a concern too since they are not guaranteed. We traveled several times when we needed rails. The only times we did not get them were when we arrived at the hotel late in the day. Getting to the hotel earlier would, I think, increase your chances of getting the bed rails you need.)

 

[deerhart]

we almost always fly out as early as we can in the morning. First year we went (kids where 5 and 8) we flew out at 6:30 and we were at the airport by 5:15 am.

 

[The 4 "Quay"balleros]

We always like to get the earliest flight because the kids will be up, but are always a little bit more laid back(and we get more time at the world) The return trip we like a late trip- we ware the kids out that day and again they are laid back for the plane

 

[kpgriswold]

Early! Even if they have a mid-day meltdown, you'll be settled in at the resort and can offer a nap or a swim to get them through. A 10pm meltdown in the dark would be awful for everyone, and they would be tired the next day.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

I have 1yo, 4yo, and 6yo and definitely would do the am flight. Getting there at 1pm is great and you will have plenty of time to relax, have an afternoon nap for little little ones and get ready for an early bedtime. I find that when we arrive late, the kids are too excited to sleep and end up staying up super late and then they get up early because they are excited and everyone ends of being tired the second day, too. AM flight.

 

[floydfamily4]

I agree with the previous posters. Plan for the early flight, nap/rest in afternoon, and non-park day. The whole family should be ready for a great park day the next day

 

[*BTMRR*]

We travel frequently with our small kids. Neither of those flights is ideal, but I'd definitely pick the earlier one. I absolutely hate the stress of checking in/settling into the room late in the evening. It seems to take forever, and DH and I always end up snapping at each other as we try to do everything that has to be done (getting bedrails or sofabed set up, giving everyone that last snack or drink, finding toothbrushes, PJs, etc. etc.) before everyone finally gets tucked into bed.

I'm sure it will work out fine either way, though. Enjoy your trip!

 

[myhouseofmouse]

We have traveled the last 7 years and have always doen the early flight. (my daughter was 2 for the first one, now i have a 2 year old son) There has never been a problem , nmosre times then not they have slept on the plane on the way down.

 

[starsweeper]

I'm not a morning person at all, but I'd take the early flight. My kids are better in the morning than around naptime and afterwards without a nap. You'll also have plenty of time to get settled in your room and relax before hitting the parks.

 

[aussietravellers]

Yes I think I would take the early flight also. If you get the kids to bed really early the night before, waking up earlier may not be so hard.

At least getting there at 1pm, you will be able to have a relaxing afternoon and evening (dinner), early night and be fresh and ready to go the next morning. Arriving later at night, the kids may be over tired and excited about being at Disney, have trouble getting to sleep and be more tired on your first day.

 

[sk!mom]

When my two were young, I would have taken the early flight- no question.

My kids were early risers and often up by 5:30, anyway. My DD didn't do well after about 8 pm so I would have just planned an early to bed travel day

Will your kids be ready to nap when you arrive? Could you just check in/ chill and go to bed early?

 

[squirrel]

In your case I'd pick the early am flight.

We are taking the red-eye, but will arrive in the am. No plans for that first day. Get to bed early and then hit the parks then next day.

 

[mumto2]

For our Mommy and Me trip in January, DS5 and I took a flight that had me pulling out of the driveway at 4:30. He woke up excited enough not to be cranky when getting dressed, and then fell back to sleep before we were 10 minutes down the road. When we got to the airport, he was fine, and enjoyed the flight.

The only concern I had was our room being ready when we arrived at the resort, but fortunately, our room was ready. With two little ones, I'd be sure to pack the things you need for several hours at the resort without a room, just in case.

Another reason to go with the early flight, IMHO is that you are paying $$$$ for each night at the Poly, and by arriving too late to do anything other than be tired, cranky and off-routine that first night, you are not getting anywhere close to your money's worth.

Have a great trip!

 

[set1208]

We did it both ways last year when my youngest were 2 and 10 mos. We took the early flight in which was nice b/c they slept in the car on the way to the airport. They plane ride was exciting so they didn't nap until we got onto the DME bus!

On the way home, we took a late flight which ended up being delayed for 3 hours so that was terrible having cranky boys in the airport but once we got on the plane, they slept the entire way which was wonderful.

Traveling with tiny kids stinks either way so I'd say go in the am and leave in the pm. At leat you've made the most out of your days.

GL