Going to Aulani, tips and helps please

[CEK40]

Good Evening Everyone...hope all are well after Sandy's passing...Now for my questions. My daughter is getting married on December 9, 2012 at the Aulani Resort. We will be traveling from Norfolk VA to Hawaii 6 adults and 2 children ages 1 year and 2 years old.

I am wondering if anyone has any tips for traveling with children on a long flight and if anyone out there has made a trip similar which airline did you use. Since it is December I would prefer not to travel to any northern airports for a plane change due to the possible winter weather. From Norfolk International the two most direct routes is Norfolk to Atlanta and non-stop to Hawaii or Norfolk to Dulles then non-stop to Hawaii. The other concern of mine is making the LONG flight to Hawaii with the little ones. Some say to make an extra stop on the west coast to break up the flight the others say it is easier not to have to get off the plane until you arrive in Hawaii. I am so lost. We have never traveled that far with little ones. If you were to break up the trip would where would you suggest LAX or ???

Also what type of "goodies" would you take for the little ones for amusement? We are probable not going to get a seat for the 1 year old since there will be so many adults we will pass her around. Have any of you not purchased a seat for a little one as well.

Well this is quite long so if you have any other information that may help us PLEASE we would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Thank you so much in advance,
CK in VA

 

[LJSquishy]

I don't have kids of my own but I have flown with one of my nieces and my nephew on a 5hr flight when they were 3 years and 8 weeks old. The best possible thing for the older one would be to allow them to watch a movie (or two) on an iPad or portable DVD player. Make sure to bring headphones that they can comfortably wear. An iPad is even better because you can rent or download your movies before you leave and also have access to all of the educational apps, etc to pass the time. Even if you don't typically allow that much movie/game time, it can be worth it to ease up on a flight that long.

Books for both children are also a must. I suggest bringing a couple of their favorites but also bringing a few new books as a surprise. In fact, going out and buying a few new little inexpensive (quiet) toys/activities would be great for them.

The travel Magnadoodle's are awesome for both of them...also stickers and a blank notebook and/or a coloring book. Maybe the Color Wonder sets from Crayola would be great...the ones with the clear markers that only color on the right paper so you wouldn't have to worry about messy hands.

Bring lots of fun little snacks like goldfish crackers, Craisins, cheerios, etc. Bring more variety than you would typically.

I flew a nonstop flight and preferred that because even the older one (3) fell asleep for a couple of hours at a time.

 

[chris31997]

The flight from Atlanta to Hawaii is 14 hours, just an FYI

Personally, I would rather get on the plane and not have to get off and worry about missing any connections. I would go direct.

Due to the time on the plane and crossing my fingers 1yr old would go to sleep, I would get 1yr a seat. That way you could use the car seat and hopefully, they might go to sleep

I would pack little wrapped toys that they could open while on the plane. Time to raid the local dollar store or the dollar aisle in your favorite store and find toys that they would like. I would also load up movies/tv shows on lap tops/ipods/tablets.

I would bring healthy snacks that they like. They may not like the food served or very little of the food served.

With a connecting flight, you should be given a blanket and pillow. If I remember correctly, it was 4 yrs ago But I would bring a fleece blanket for the adults to share with lil ones. I would also dress them comfortably, jammies or sweats.

 

[holden]

Please get the baby a seat. It is the safest way for the baby to fly. If you hit turbulance at all, you will be glad you can buckle the baby into his/her carseat. You should have a carseat for the 2yo as well. Movies, snacks, stickers, post-it notes...all of these will keep the 2yo busy. Think of things that might be "new" = duck tape is very popular now. You could tear off piece and he/she could put them on paper. Also, walks down the aisle now and then are good too. New books are a good idea. THose Fisher Price Little People books with the flaps are great for that age! They love opening flaps to see what is behind them.

We have flown from PA to HI many times with our kids. We always fly into San Francisco and spend the night. Then we fly again the next day. It is much easier on the kids (but maybe harder on us). It takes my younger daughter a few days to adjust to the time difference (maybe 2 or 3 days), so we add a few extra days onto our trip. Every kid is different.
Enjoy!

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Benadryl

 

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
I have never flown that distance with a 1 year old but I have flown many times when my kids were babies and toddlers. I have always purchased a seat. For whatever reason, my kids always settled down and fell asleep once I put them into the car seat. I guess it depends on the children. Do they normally fall asleep in their car seat on a long car trip?

For a short plane ride, I would not bring play-doh. It makes too much of a mess but if I had to entertain toddlers for 14 hours, I would. That's a tough age to expect to sit for that length of time. I suspect one of you will be walking the aisles a few times. Have plenty of healthy snacks. Maybe, a small bag of building blocks and plastic toy animals, coloring books, DVDs, books, an etch a sketch or magnetic drawing boards. My kids were much older but the new crayola white boards with markers and crayons kept them happy through two states.

Good luck!

 

[BlueBeagle]

We flew to Hawaii when my middle son was 18 months. I felt like I was trying to solve a riddle...

How do you keep a toddler entertained for 10 hours with one bag?

We got him his own seat and put the car seat on it (he was much better strapped down. He was very, um... opinionated at that age). The seats are 17" so we had to find a car seat to fit that. Lots of food (whatever fruit not eaten will have to be thrown away once you get to Hawaii before you get off the plane) and water (buy your own. I heard never to use the airlines). Also a couple changes of clothes. Hand sanitizing wipes. Movies, books and toys like those string ones that you thread worked well. Don't bring toys that make noise - you can't hear them over the noise of the plane. Oh, and don't put them by the aisle - if they drop toys you have to rely on someone else to pick them up.

My son would NOT sleep on the plane. It was a LONNNG flight. Coming back we had the redeye and that was much easier. My son really enjoyed Hawaii and did well on the plane. I was super tired though!

 

[crashbb]

Oh, and don't put them by the aisle - if they drop toys you have to rely on someone else to pick them up.

If you have them in a car seat, you cannot put them by the aisle anyway. They need to be where they will not impede the emergency exit of anyone else - so in the window seat (if in the group of seats along the window) or in the middle seat (if in the group of seats in the middle of the plane). You might get the occasional FA who doesn't enforce this, but it is the way it is supposed to go.

If you are going to with benadryl (I don't recommend drugging you kids, but I know people do), do a test run before hand. Some kids (and adults) react weirdly to it and actually more hyper.

Keep some of the toys/treats in the bag to bring out as the flight progresses - to keep things fresh and interesting.

I'd advise against play dough - it can create a really big mess. Pipe cleaners and post-it notes seem to provide entertainment for quite a while.

 

[got2sammies]

I dont have any good ideas but I just wanted to say HI to another DIS board member from Chesapeake!! But my dad and mom have flown from ORF to San diego on Southwest. They normally have one stop on tennesse but there is no plane change...so makes it easy when traveling with little ones....The flight was long but they brought travel pillows and lots of snacks!
I have flown out of newport news to sanford before (used alleigant..very cheap). Delta and US Air fly out of there as well. They prob will be more expensive than southwest but check it out just in case.
My "little one" is 13 and as tall as me but he has his IPOD to keeps him company.. I can load movies/music and games on it.
A seat for the little one would be best. They can have thier own space and get comfortable when they get tired.

Have fun!

 

[ah1126]

If I had a choice of my layovers in Atlanta or TX, I would choose TX! It will split the trip up a little more.

 

[disneymom2003]

Just another heads up. Flying can hurt the ears because of the change in pressure. My youngest daughter still has this problem and she is in her 20's. If the babies still take a bottle give it to them during take off and landing. The sucking helps. If not have them drink something. For adults chewing gum helps but not too good for little ones. YOu can also buy something called ear planes. Once again these are good for adults but I wold not use them for children. By the way I second the idea to get each one of them their own seat much safer. Have a great time!