Sort of OT but HOW do YOU DO IT?

[Brika]

We are heading out for a two and half week vacation... part to Arizona to see grandparents (my parents) part Disneyland and part Las Vegas. We have two Daughters.

SO, what my question is... how do we pack all the crap?

We will each have a seat on the plane.
We each will have one suitcase... and prolly one more checked bag.
Two strollers
Two car seats
and our diaper bag and carry on bag...

HOW, do we get the shuttle from the hotel, then into the airport with ALL of that AND two young children.

UGH.

I'm thinking we'll find bags for the car seats and check them. Strollers and our diaper bag and carry on will go with us.

What do you do and HOW do you do it?

 

[AskTheChief]

How old are your kids? I always put my kids in carseats on the plane, if they are under two. We have a stroller (cheap evenflo or something) that has a largish basket in the back so we are able to set the carseat on the back of the stroller, backwards, and secure it with a bungee cord.

Then we just stroll up to the plane and leave the stroller right there. When we step off the plane, it's right there waiting for us.

I would use a skycap for the luggage (just hand it to them at the curb, with a tip, voila!).

 

[AskTheChief]

Oh, and what *I* do, is drive. We have three kids (so our last trip the kids were 4, almost 2, and 3.5 months).

I haven't flown anywhere with all of them yet (took my youngest with me overnight to Idaho for my gramma's funeral last summer), but I have flown when my boys were 3 and 1 years old. As long as you have two adults to push the two strollers with the carseats on the backs (if your carseats will fit. Ours are Britax so pretty big and they fit!), you'll do fine.

Or, if you're comfortable just checking the carseats, you can buy those bags and do that as well, just check them with the luggage.

 

[MATTERHORN]

We are heading out for a two and half week vacation... part to Arizona to see grandparents (my parents) part Disneyland and part Las Vegas. We have two Daughters.

SO, what my question is... how do we pack all the crap?

We will each have a seat on the plane.
We each will have one suitcase... and prolly one more checked bag.
Two strollers
Two car seats
and our diaper bag and carry on bag...

HOW, do we get the shuttle from the hotel, then into the airport with ALL of that AND two young children.

UGH.

I'm thinking we'll find bags for the car seats and check them. Strollers and our diaper bag and carry on will go with us.

What do you do and HOW do you do it?

Well we have 3, ages 6, 3, and 14 months and you use the stroller all the way up to the gate to carry all your stuff!! It works great, although we only have to take one because we have a double. That makes it easier than two seperate if you have access to a double. ALso depends how old your kids are if they can walk by you fine or if they need to be carried.

We check in all we can with the skycap at the curb, hang the diaper bag on one stroller with younger child in it, put carseats (hopefully one is only a booster, again not sure of ages) in the other stroller stacked and make older child walk with you!

Also we only take carseats on board for our kids under 2! After that they sit in the regular seat so we check the car seat as luggage and that is one less thing to get to the gate. Not sure if that would work for you!


Andrea

 

[MATTERHORN]

Forgot to add, that's another reason we stay within walking distance, NO WAY I'm doing all that for the ART shuttle a few times a day!!!


Andrea

 

[Brika]

Our kids are 5 and 2. I like having them in the stroller so I know where they are during the stressful check in and security times. We do have a double stroller but I always find I like the individual strollers better so one can go with dad and one with me at times. Especially when we are at vegas.

Last year when we got to the airport there was no skycap... we had to pile our stuff on the curb, I went in with the kids and DH had to go back and forth while I watched our stuff from the window making sure no one took it. We did check one seat last year... but this year we'll have two. DD doesn't weigh enough for a booster so they are both BRITAX car seats. Big and bulky.


It's such fun to go, but it's a bit stressful getting there.

 

[abookworm]

Yes, definitely gate check the strollers-convenient and easy. The bags for the carseat is a good idea-that's what we did when we took 2 carseats. They were too big and cumbersome for the plane and my kids were fine in the seats (youngest was 2 last flight) I did hold him most of the time but he was fine in his seat for take off/landing which is "required" but it depends on your flight attendant if they enforce this. He fell asleep in my lap before take off on the return flight and she let me hold him. He did fly when we was 1 and then I could hold him on my lap which worked fine too.
Try to schedule your flights around nap time too! It's a lifesaver!
We have 3 kids and 1 of them is in a stroller. We had to get one of the luggage carts for sure and still pull the carry-ons.
And you can always use the skycaps or whatever the luggage helpers are called.
You can do it, it's just a little crazy
Also, don't overpack! It sounds like you can wash clothes at your parents so that will cut down on a suitcase perhaps?
We went with a family of 5 with 2 large suitcases and 1 small carry-on size that we checked, along with the 1 large carseat and 1 boosterseat.
I carried on a diaper bag and each older child had their own small bag for books/toys. This was for our last 2 week trip in November so we had to pack heavier clothes too-you can probably pack lighter weight clothes.
Have fun!

 

[AskTheChief]

I see Matterhorn and I are on the same page.

 

[MATTERHORN]

I see Matterhorn and I are on the same page.

Literally!!

Yes that works easiest for us! Our kids are about the same ages though. Mine are 6, 3 and a little over one so pretty darn close to yours. I do love that I am within driving distance of DL though!! Breakfast and a nap and we are pretty much there! If I did have to fly with the 3 every time, I'm not sure I'd go so often. If DH went then probably, but no way I'm doing a flight every other month with the 3 of them!


Andrea

 

[Amy&Dan]

Backpacks are a lifesaver. Also, most car seats (of the full size variety) can be worn on your back like a backpack. Luggage carts are great. And sometimes investing in a set of luggage that is meant to be strapped, one piece onto the other is great. That way you can each (adults) roll up to four suitcases if you have two stacked on each other (but I guess somebody has to roll the kids in their strollers). Also, the spacesaver bags are helpful with rolling the air out of items so that you can pack more stuff in each suitcase. And lastly, pack less than you have set out to pack. You won't wear half the stuff anyway. And if you are visiting grandparents first, you can always do laundry there. Good luck, travelling with small kids can be a real challenge!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Forgot to add, that's another reason we stay within walking distance, NO WAY I'm doing all that for the ART shuttle a few times a day!!!


Andrea

No kidding We did the ART with only 1 kid and a stroller, this year we'll have 2 kids and double stroller. No ART for us, we are staying right across the street.

 

[tracer]

I am with AskTheChief and MATTERHORN. They both have good ideas.

I flew alone when I was seven months pregnant and DS was about 18 months old. I had his luggage, my luggage, stroller and a carseat...plus my big huge belly. If you can backpack your carseat for long, some strollers can hold car seats with the child sitting in it. Try it and if it isn't safe, backpack the carseat or have the child walk. When you can take advantage of skycap...do it! You can do it! Backpacks and rolling luggage are very handy.

 

[tracer]

No kidding We did the ART with only 1 kid and a stroller, this year we'll have 2 kids and double stroller. No ART for us, we are staying right across the street.

Yup us too! Must stay within walking distance with two young ones and two strollers.

 

[Brika]

Yup us too! Must stay within walking distance with two young ones and two strollers.

We are staying at the Camelot (formerly Park Inn) so I think we are good there... right?

 

[Amy&Dan]

We are staying at the Camelot (formerly Park Inn) so I think we are good there... right?

Yes you are good, the Camelot is maybe 5 minutes to the turnstiles of either Disneyland or DCA. And that pool deck is a great place to watch the fireworks. Its also very close to both McDonald's and Mimi's if you want to eat some meals outside the park.

 

[DisneyNeckCoolers]

I second the backpacks.

Also, I make sure I can wash clothes where ever I am going. That can considerably cut down on the amount of clothes you have to take.