Flying by myself with 2 kids!

[UAGirl7]

We are going to WDW in December for my brother's wedding. Due to work, my husband is not going to be able to come until 2 days later which leaves me flying down by myself with my 4 year old and 19 month old. The only time I have flown in my adult life was 7 years ago and I am so nervous about being by myself with the two boys. We are flying out of Huntsville and my husband is going to help us get to the airport so I'm not too worried about that bc Huntsville is a relatively small airport. It's what happens when we arrive in Orlando that makes me nervous! We are flying Airtran and my brother and his fiancee arrive 20 minutes before us on Delta. Will they be able to meet us at the gate?If not, where will be the best place to meet them? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Sandi]

Both Airtran and Delta fly in to Terminal B, so both of your flights will be on the same side of the airport. You just won't know at what gates your flights will disembark. AirTran uses gates 100-129 and Delta uses gates 60-79. Your brother should be able to figure out what gate your flight will come to when they get off their plane. They'd just look on the "arrivals" monitors and look for your Airtran flight from Huntsville. Then, they could go to your gate and probably be there when you get off the plane. It will be a little bit of a walk for them, but not bad.

Here is a link to Orlando's terminal map: http://www.orlandoairports.net/ops/terminal.htm

Of course, if his flight is delayed, that could mess up your plans a little.

Otherwise, you could just plan to meet at baggage claim for Terminal B or the Magical Express area (you didn't say if you're staying at a Disney Resort).

Good luck with your travels. I know you didn't ask about this, but if your 18 mo has a seat instead of being a lap baby, that will make your trip better. It's an added expense, but under your circumstances, it would be worth it.

 

[DebbieB]

I pulled up some sample flights from today, Delta is around gate 73, Air Tran is around 110.

AirTran is actually terminal A. Looking at the map, your best bet might be to meet in by the fountain in front of the hotel.

http://www.orlandoairports.net/ops/images/maps/airline_locations.pdf

 

[dudspizza]

I pulled up some sample flights from today, Delta is around gate 73, Air Tran is around 110.

AirTran is actually terminal A. Looking at the map, your best bet might be to meet in by the fountain in front of the hotel.

http://www.orlandoairports.net/ops/images/maps/airline_locations.pdf

You are correct about A and B. Baggage claim will be on opposite sides of the airport. PP pointed out that they could still have her brother meet because both of those gates use the same security checkpoint on that side of the airport.... I can't picture if it is possible to get from gate 73 to 110 without leaving the secure zone...... I just don't recall if there is a way to walk between the two... I think the trams are close, but I am blanking......

OP, you could meet by the fountain as suggested. It is right after you excited security. It will be right in front of you and also right in front of brother as they leave security. If you both have to claim bags, you will have to go right and down the escalator after exciting security, while your brother will have to go left and down the escalator. If you are using DME and their luggage service, you can simply proceed to the DME welcome counter.

Duds

 

[Detailor]

You are correct about A and B. Baggage claim will be on opposite sides of the airport. PP pointed out that they could still have her brother meet because both of those gates use the same security checkpoint on that side of the airport.... I can't picture if it is possible to get from gate 73 to 110 without leaving the secure zone...... I just don't recall if there is a way to walk between the two... I think the trams are close, but I am blanking......
Duds

You can't walk between the two gate areas. The two gate areas (60-99 and 100-129) have separate trams to the main terminal. Exits from the trams do, indeed, empty out directly into a common area at the same end of the terminal building.

OP: to see what it looks like upon arrival, go to http://www.orlandoairports.net/arrive/index.htm for a series of photos taking you from the gates to the baggage area. Note that the next to last picture in this series shows the fountain in the main terminal that others have suggested that you use as a landmark to meet up with your brother.

MCO is a busy airport but not overly confusing because of all the signs. I'd suggest that you take your time making your way to meeting up with your brother. The trams run frequently (there are two trams serving each gate section and they take about a minute to travel from the gates to the terminal so there's only going to be a couple of minutes between available trams).

Dick Taylor

 

[UAGirl7]

Thanks for the advice! We are staying on property and will be using DME so baggage claim will not be an issue. We do not have a seat for my 18 month old. We just don't have the extra money for it. I'm hoping with plenty of snacks and Barney on my iPhone, we should be ok! Lol

 

[sargenca]

One thing you might want to do for the little ones, is do a trial-run at your Huntsville airport - even if it is on the small side. When we flew last year with our DD, then age 4, my DH and I had flown before, but not with a kid and kiddie stuff in tow. We took an afternoon and went to the airport to just get a feel for it and let her get a little excited about it too.

There is a cute book about the airport that would be fun for your boys. It is called Airport by Byron Barton. http://www.amazon.com/Airport-Byron-Barton/dp/0064431452. It's still in our reading rotation.

It's good that you are planning ahead and I wish you luck!!