Flying with a toddler.

[Ryansdad0727]

We are thinking of flying to Disney instead of driving. Our son is 3 yrs old. Will he have to have a car seat on the plane at this age and is there anything else i need to know before getting stuck in a plane with a 3 yr old?

 

[jennine]

I would suggest checking your car seat and using a CARES flying system instead. Believe me when I say it will save you a lot of hassle of lugging a car seat onto the plane. I speak from experience who just travelled with 3 yr old twins, one of who has CP. Here's a link to some info on the CARES system:
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/

There are companies that rent them to save cost over buying. That's what we did.

 

[Hannathy]

No he doesn't need a car seat on the plane. You don't have to lug it around if you are only using Disney Transportation.

The key to kids on planes is being prepared. Have toys, books you know he likes and have a few new surprises. Have lots of little snacks, especially busy snacks like chex mix, snack mix etc that they can spend time picking out different things from the mix. Have Dum Dums so he can suck on something while taking off and landing, If possible have a drink (have to buy something on the plane side of security) in your bag in case he is thirsty before the cart comes. Be prepared to devote YOUR whole flight to keep him busy and happy. This isn't the flight you get to read or sleep. If you have a port. DVD player bring it WITH headphones and some favorite movies or a new one they want to see. Wear soft easy to pull down clothes. wear easy on off shoes.

Make the upcoming trip an adventure and keep telling him what a big guy he is now and how well he will behave ahead of time and all the noises he will hear.

Flying with kids can be a lot of fun!

 

[pooh4evr]

I agree no carseat (our youngest was a week from 3 last time we flew) it is too cramped for the child and the passenger in front of them. We usually bring, a few snacks (not peanut ones because you never know) a cup (we buy water, juice or milk in the airport) and something chewy to help with ears (starburst, gum, suckers)-- then for the activity type things- coloring/sticker book, portable DVD player with a new movie or 2 depending on the length of flight and a blanket - we also take an umbrella stroller for the airport- it is much easier pushing a 3 yr old than dragging them and your bags!

 

[pktbMouse]

We fly alot with our toddler...and have never used a Cares system. He fits in the seat perfectly with his little seatbelt on. We put something under his butt (cushions, jackets, anything)to boost him up a bit so he can see out of the window and he loves it! Like previous posters said...snacks, drinks, toys..last time we flew with him he was obsessed with pulling the window shade up and down for the full 2 hours of the flight!!

 

[Johnson1220]

I agree with all of the posts here. No need for the seat on the plane and def bring an umbrella stroller for the airport.

We also bring the portable DVD player and headphones.

 

[jennine]

I agree with all of the other posts on being prepared with "stuff" for your toddler to do. We were well prepared and in that department and lucked out with our kids falling asleep 20 minutes into the flight!!

I only ended up renting the cares system because my DS has Cerebral Palsy and I figured if he still had something that felt like his 5 point harness on him on the plane then it would help put him at ease and less likely to squirm! His twin (DD) ended up not using hers at all.

 

[BBG-BLT]

I'm there - no car seat - yes umbrella stroller. I always bring a portable DVD player with Disney movies to get us in the mood

 

[pilotwife_02]

I agree with others, I wouldn't bother with the car seat on the plane. We also give our boys (2 and 3 years old) the window seat, they LOVE looking out the window. And that usually entertains them for a good portion of the flight.

We let the boys pick out a few of their favorite toys that they want to play with on the plane and then I pack a few surprises for them. I also make sure I have plenty of snacks that are easy for them to eat and get to so I know they can't fuss while on the plane that "it's not what they want"

As for the toys we have for the two, their back of toys usually include: the leaspster, coloring books, flashcards (my 3 year old likes to practice his letters all the time ), travel magna doodle, stickers, Disney Cars Matchbox cars and of course DVD's! Surprisingly this all fits in their little backpacks that they carry on their own. I don't bring anything that won't fit in these. They LOVE having their own backpacks and carrying their own "luggage" around, makes them feel grown up.

As for snacks I usually pack goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, animal crackers, cheez-its and some lollipops for take off and landing.

I have to say I am surprised each and every time how good they are when we fly, guess they think it's a special treat.

 

[MickeysFans]

We did a carseat since we were going to rent a car and did not want to pay for their nasty carseat. It did help on the plan as our kids understood that they have to stay in their carseat and can't get up to move around..... They are a pain to carry, but if you rent a car, bring your own. If not, you probably don't need it.
As someone else said, DVD player is a lifesaver.

 

[BigDogHU75]

Just flew with DS who was almost 3 at the time on a 5 hour plane trip. We brought him a V-Tech Smile and he played with that for almost the entire time. I also had books and cars and his favorite blanket. Of course, the snacks were important as well. We did not bring a carseat. The airplane seatbelt worked just fine.

 

[kim532]

No carseat. I flew internationally with my son a 2 years old and he did great. Snacks, movies, and little hand toys. I think because at home they are so used to being confined by the car seat, that just a lap belt makes them feel grown-up. My son hates car seat, but loves air plane belts.

 

[alyssa810]

We've been flying since DS was 12 weeks old (I think he's been on 10 flights), and we've never brought the car seat on the plane. We always rent a car and bought a car seat that we use only for travel, and we just check it. Now that he's a little older, DS has his own little backpack that he brings on the plane with coloring books, crayons, snacks, little toys, lots to keep him entertained. We too have a portable DVD player, and he has one of the leapfrog tag reader thingies. He tends to take a short nap at some point too, which usually helps!

 

[Jenn4615]

As the other posters said. The CARES is wonderful! Totally worth every penny!

 

[bearlyanne]

A Look and Find book (like a where's waldo but with more activities is a favorite of mine to bring along.

Is he potty trained? If not put what you need in individual ziplock so you don;t have to carry a large bag into the crowded restroom. I packed a disposable bag, diaper, wipe and diposable packets of butt pastes in each ziploc and kept the readily available in the pocket in the seat ahead of me. I also put wipes there too for easy access.

A three year old can carry/roll his own backpack full of his toys too. Might as well put him to work, but I usually add a carbiner to the bag so I can hang it from the stroller or my roll on if needed.

 

[pilotwife_02]

A Look and Find book (like a where's waldo but with more activities is a favorite of mine to bring along.

Good idea, they actually have Disney look and finds!

 

[stacy6552]

It depends on how tall he is. Most 3 year olds are big enough to sit in the plane seats with their legs hanging at a 90 degree angle. If he's short for his age, you probably want the seat. Cares Harnesses are not recommended.

 

[hereyago]

May I also recommend you prepare him for the airport security part as well. Make it like a game about taking his shoes off and walking through the detector.

Does MCO have those new detectors yet? Just prepare him so he doesn't get upset. He will have to walk through the detector by himself,etc.

 

[TaliaB]

For those of you that check in car seats: Do they usually overcharge you or is it exactly the same price as an extra luggage?

 

[pilotwife_02]

For those of you that check in car seats: Do they usually overcharge you or is it exactly the same price as an extra luggage?

Car seats are free. You don't have to pay to check them.