Hawaii or not?

[Ratpack]

Just wondering what others would do in our situation. My mom called and offered to take the whole family to Hawaii this year. Normally that would sound great, but here are my reservations. We have three kids, 8yo, 4yo and 1yo. The thought of 12 hours on a plane with a 4 yo whole is very active and a 1yo just doesn't sit with me well. Also, not sure what there would be for the kids to do out there other than the beaches and a few other activities. Then there is the 12 hours back after it is all over with. AND we would have to skip our Disney trip this summer as I can't justify two week long vacations in one year. I like one week long trip and then many 3-4 day weekends for lots of other trips. What would you do?

 

[DawnCt1]

As much as I wanted to go to Hawaii ever since I was little, we were happy visiting WDW until the youngest was 8 or 9. It is such a long trip and there are wonderful things for kids to do, but I wouldn't consider taking a 12 hour plane ride until the youngest was 5 or 6 anyway.

 

[Jennifer S]

I want to go so badly and my kids are 10 and 6 and I won't consider it until they are older. Plane ride is way too long. We went to Mexico last summer and it was 3 hours and my kids barely survived that.

 

[Hedy]

95% of the time, I'd be inclined to argue that life=short. However, I personally think a 12 hr flight with a 4 and 1 year old is no fun for anyone.

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

Hawaii is one of my favorite places, but not with small children. Our youngest is 11, so we are able to relax on the beach, go to shows, go snorkeling and do many other fun things. I don't know if there are many things for young children to do, other than playing in the pool or going to the beach. I think young children would have a much better time at Disney.

I would not want to take small children on such a long plane ride either. Even a four hour flight with a four yr old is an ordeal. I would choose the Disney trip.

 

[Kahana-ri]

We just did this very trip two years ago with our DS who was about 15 months old. We live on the East Coast as well and even though we stopped and stayed with family in CA, it’s such a long plane ride regardless how you break it up. Not to mention trying to get little ones use to a six hour time zone change. DS was waking up a 3am in Hawaii.
You know the screaming kid you dread to sit next to on the plane , well that was our son. Even the flight attendant took our son at one point to walk him around the whole plane trying to help. It’s such a long flight in general, but with little ones it’s almost impossible.
This year my sister-in-law is getting married. If she gets married in Hawaii as she wants to, we are just sending our love and some $$. With TWO little ones now, that trip is no longer an option. Besides, I would totally take a 2.0 hour flight to WDW any day!
Sorry if this completely sounds negative, but we have learned to tell our family on the West Coast, 'sorry not until the kids are older.'

 

[The Mystery Machine]

That is a tough one!!!! My condolences on the offer. I don't know really.

Probably best to go with your gut on this one.

 

[DawnCt1]

We just did this very trip two years ago with our DS who was about 15 months old. We live on the East Coast as well and even though we stopped and stayed with family in CA, it’s such a long plane ride regardless how you break it up. Not to mention trying to get little ones use to a six hour time zone change. DS was waking up a 3am in Hawaii.
.'

Heck! I WAKE up at 3 am for the first couple of days! But I can at least get up and sit quietly on the lanai!

 

[crz4mm2]

Heck! I WAKE up at 3 am for the first couple of days! But I can at least get up and sit quietly on the lanai!

Me too. I can't imagine taking a 1 yo on a flight that long.
We had a small child on our flight home in feb. Poor kid must have had an ear ache or something. Cried and cried for the first 3 hours of the flight. She just would NOT shut up. Talk about a miserable flight. I felt so badly for her and all of us too. Nope, you couldn't pay me to do it!

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

95% of the time, I'd be inclined to argue that life=short. However, I personally think a 12 hr flight with a 4 and 1 year old is no fun for anyone.

I'm with you on this. My kids are 10, 7 and 5 and I won't even consider anything longer than 5 hours and absolutley insist on nonstop direct flights. Life is indeed to short to be aggrivated before you even arrive at your vacation destination.

 

[Planogirl]

I'd agree but she's taking you!!! That makes it tough. I wouldn't worry about enough to do, there's plenty IMO but that flight is daunting.

My mother traveled successfully to Europe with a little one but then she only had one small child at a time. This is a difficult situation.

 

[lillygator]

I can't attest to the flights...but would love to do Hawaii, but aside from that...your kids wouldn't love or be happy on the beach? I only ask as you said you aren't sure of the "activities" for kids. Not sure where you are (if by a beach or not) but we live at the beach and my girls adore it....would definitely keep them busy for a week.

We were going to do the DCL med cruise this year and chose not to due to the ages of our girls (4 and almost 2) and the cost of airfare. Between now and 2010 though we hope to add a Hawaiian cruise to our vacations....the flight, who knows, maybe we'll be buying rounds for the passengers....

 

[DawnCt1]

I can't attest to the flights...but would love to do Hawaii, but aside from that...your kids wouldn't love or be happy on the beach? I only ask as you said you aren't sure of the "activities" for kids. Not sure where you are (if by a beach or not) but we live at the beach and my girls adore it....would definitely keep them busy for a week.

We were going to do the DCL med cruise this year and chose not to due to the ages of our girls (4 and almost 2) and the cost of airfare. Between now and 2010 though we hope to add a Hawaiian cruise to our vacations....the flight, who knows, maybe we'll be buying rounds for the passengers....

The problem with the beaches in Hawaii is the latitude. Even with beach umbrellas and a bucket of sun screen, it is still too much sun for a one year old. Coming from the east coast, its a lot more sun than they are used to.

 

[lillygator]

Help me out here....layman's terms as we have never done Hawaii, but my grandparents have lived in CA for quite a spell....

what's the difference sun wise?

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

We are getting ready to make that trek for the first time this summer. DDs will be 8 1/2 and 5 1/2. While I am totally confident about DD1 (she'll put on her IPOD and read or sleep the whole trip), I am still nervous about DD2. And we are leaving from Phoenix. DH's family (dad, stepmom and her 2 grandkids, mom, sister and her fiance) is joining us, and I made sure MIL's tickets lined up with ours so I would have help!! Especially since DH will be going in a week earlier for work related issues!

Although, I have to admit if someone else were paying, I would be hard pressed to turn it down. You do have very legitimate resons for not wanting to go this year. You know your family best. Do what is right for them.

 

[DawnCt1]

Help me out here....layman's terms as we have never done Hawaii, but my grandparents have lived in CA for quite a spell....

what's the difference sun wise?

The closer to the equator, the more intense the sun. Hawaii is considered to have a tropical climate.

 

[lillygator]

what's Florida considered to have?

 

[DawnCt1]

what's Florida considered to have?

Southern Florida is tropical. Most areas of the United States are considered temperate. I can't tell you off the top of my head where temperate leaves off and tropical begins. The further south you go, the greater the risk of sun burn in a shorter period of time.

 

[honeymom]

I don't know which island you would go to, or where you would be staying. Some of the hotels are very geared towards kids, others are not. We stayed at a hotel this past summer that had tons for our kids to do and they loved it - swim with dolphins, different types of pools with slides, lazy river, a protected lagoon with kayaks, pedal boats, snorkeling, etc. We did a luau one night. I think if you are staying somewhere with stuff for the kids, perhaps a kids club for the older kids, you could have a good time. Heck, I wanted to go to Hawaii so much that we even flew a red eye (something I normally avoid like the plague, but didn't even mind this time) just to afford it. But, I've also taken big trips with a baby in the past and that time difference thing is horrible.

 

[noseybuddy]

I love Hawaii, have been there twice, my cousin use to live there. I flew the flight both times by myself. It's a tough call. If you don't think that you will be able to go in the future, then I say go, if so, then maybe wait since kids are so young. I know they would appreciate it so much more when they are older. Everything I did there was really aimed for teens to adults, that's not to say there isn't things for the little ones.