Help... Should I take a red eye flight with a 18 mo.?

[tootsiemolly]

I am going to WDW in Dec. We are currently booked on the 10am flight out of Salt Lake. It is a direct flight. We are traveling with my DS8, DD5, and DS 18mo. Has anyone taken a Red Eye flight with a toddler? The flight at 10am is almost full. However, I can take a flight that leaves Salt Lake at 11:53 pm with a stop in Atlanta arriving in Orlando at 7:50am. I want to try it. Are there any experts out their? My baby is a light sleeper. But, I thought if I keep him up he may be really tired and sleep. I am really scared of flying 4.5 hrs with him at 10:30am. The plane on the direct flight is almost full. The red-eye has over 100 seats left. any suggesttions? PS i am going on frequent flyer miles so I can change my plans without any penalties.
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[prplcrzy]

I have never flown red eyes with my kids, but have done the real early am flights (like 7 am). They would sleep for most of the flight (3 hours) because we woke them up early.

I would think if your son usually sleeps through the night, that he would on the flight as well. They tend to sleep because of the movement on the plane.

The only thing I would be concerned with is the take off and landing. They recommend that they suck on a binky or drink to help with the ear pressure.

This last flight, I gave my son (he's 2 now and doesn't take a binky) a dose of decongestant before we took off and it seemed to work, maybe you could try that.

Good luck!

Nancy

 

[spr0m]

We have done the San Diego / Newark redeye 3 times now with the kids. The first time my DD was 1 the last time she was 2.5 and my DS was 6 months they both slept the whole way home. It's easier the the way there we take a late afternoon flight when we go and they may sleep for half the flight.

 

[Rapunsel]

Ipersonally would say to stay on teh direct flight. I have traveled with my DS2 many times and we never can get a direct flight.. The reason why I say that is that a red eye and changing planes so early might mess up the kids schedule for sleeping for the rest of the day.

I have had to change planes at 6am and my little guy was not to pleased about that and cried most of the time... But I will say there is a first time for everything thig and who cares what everyone else thinks..

On our recent trip to WDW we were on a 2 pm flight and we had some really unkind people on the flight complaing about all the noisy kids and I just turned and looked at her and poiletly said.. "What do you expect.. You are on a flight bound for Disney world.. They are offering seats on the next plane.. Why don't you take them up on that... " She then didn't say a word after that... I said this after she yelled at another womans kid because she was crying...

 

[tootsiemolly]

sprOm, What time did your red-eye flight leave? Did you like taking the red-eye or the afternoon flight better? I think my son would sleep most of the flight. I assume he might cry out once or twice, but I think he would go back to sleep. I just don't know for sure. We haven't take him on the airplane yet. Did you give your children benadryl? Let me know. Thanks, Angee

 

[Bird-Mom]

We have taken our dd on 2 red eyes, and I prefer it because she is so sleepy by the time we board the plane that she drops right off before we even leave the gate. She was 6 months and 13 months on the flights. We flew SEA-DTW each time. I think waking them up early would be more of a disaster. There is no way my dd would get up at say, 4 am without some tears and then be up for a few hours and fall nicely back to sleep. No way-she would be really wired. The layover was fine, especially when she was 13 months. We let her crawl around and burn off some energy; she slept most of the second leg too.

Please, please do not give your children benadryl unless they are sick and need it! It is a medicine and should be used as such-not as a sedative. Be aware that not all children react to benadryl by becoming drowsy. It may have the opposite effect, and you could have a very wired child on your hands!

 

[bubbasmom99]

This is definitely YMMV. My son, now 4 1/2, would drop off to sleep anytime he was strapped in his carseat, especially if there was steady rhythm or humming. My daughter, now 17 mo, on the other hand, hates being in her carseat. On a red-eye flight last year from Sacramento to Orlando (connecting in Atlanta), she screamed intermittently the whole flight.... didn't want to stay in her carseat. I would up with her laying on me at a very weird angle, and by the time I got to WDW, I was ready for my room (and it was only 8 am!). She was 7 months old at the time, so I am willing to bet she'd be better at it now, but we have decided future trips will be direct non-stop flights, even though it means driving to San Francisco and flying from there.

 

[stacy6552]

we always take the red eye with our kids across the country. Only once when our son was about 18mos did he stay awake the whole first leg, but the plane was empty, so there werent alot of cranky people locked in around us. I just sang Sasame St the whole way................Every other trip its been awesome.