Tips for flying with a 3 yo.....HELP!!!

[dsnygirl2006]

Hey Guys,
Ok I have spent the last 6 mos planning my 3 yo's first WDW trip and had made plans to drive, flying never entered my mind, so this whole time I thought we would be driving, on Tues I saw the incredible prices that Southwest had released and now we are flying down....Now I feel like I have to plan and pack different because we are flying...any tips for me, what are the must have's for me to take on the plane for my 3 yo, any and all tips would be greatly appreciated...THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

 

[seven dwarfs]

I would take some snacks. I also made a trip to the dollar store and bought some things for the kids to play with. Also, a Disney sticker book was great fun. We found one at Sam's Club. The kids were great on the plane. Better then I thought they would be. Congrats on the good prices to fly. I have been checking but still cheeper for us to drive.

 

[IWannaBeAPrincess]

We fly often with our 2 yr old... I think the key is to bring a drink, their favorite snacks, and a few different toys that keeps them busy. My daughter loves the color wonder marker books (they only color on color wonder paper) and we buy her a new one for a plane ride... We'll also bring a toy she's never seen and hold it for mid trip and tell her that she has a surprise toy for being a good girl on the plane... That keeps her interest, because about midway she gets bored...

We also talk about WDW the entire way... She loves to talk about it!

-Wendy

 

[karliebug]

snacks, drinks and sticker books, disney stories, pipe cleaners (you can make all kinds of fun animals and people with them and they are quiet). Magnadoodle. coloring books if she is into that. A portable dvd player is wonderful if you have one.

 

[CleveRocks]

My daughter loves the color wonder marker books (they only color on color wonder paper) and we buy her a new one for a plane ride...

YES! COLOR WONDER!

I thought of this as soon as I read the OP. My then-5 year old and 2.5 year old enjoyed coloring with Color Wonder during their first plane ride last year. And since the markers only leave marks on the special paper, you have NO worries about the kids ruining their clothes or vandalizing the airplane!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

We went with DS2.5 last year and he was fine. We talked about the airplane leading up to the trip (You will be sitting in the seat, not your car seat; You can't get up to walk around; You can't talk aloud etc.) and he was great since he knew what to expect.

We brought Winnie the Pooh Fruit snacks to eat during departure and landing and his sippy cup of water to help with his ears (He never complained once about them- DH, well thats a whole other story ). We also got a cheap portable DVD player with his Bob the Builder DVD and the Disney Planning Video (his favorite DVD at the time).

He did get a little cranky on the plane ride home since we landed after 9pm CT (which was like 10pm WDW time) but fell asleep before the descent and slept the whole way home from the airport!

 

[Caleb's Mom]

When we took our 3 year old on his first plane ride we actually brought his car seat on board the flight with us. We were renting a car. It gave him a little extra boost so he could sit and see nice and high. We also let him have the window seat so he could look out of it. We brought juicey fruit gum and juice boxes to handle any ear problems during take off or landing. To keep his hands busy we bought some magic ink pen books with Disney themes.

 

[travelitis]

I flew many times with my kids when they were little. I believe in M&M's. They aren't the 1st or 2nd line of defense against the screaming pre-schooler all-out fit, but if all else fails, they were the sure thing. My rule was on a travel day I'd start with a healthy b-fast, but on the plane they could eat as many M&M's as it took to not disturb the other passengers. I never told the kids that, and cheese cubes, raisins, Teddy Grahams, and Ritz Bits were all profered before the cure-all chocolate pill. Now my kids were not the kind to get wild and buzzed by sugar, and I thought that was all a myth until my dd's friend proved otherwise, so my method won't work for everyone.

For non-food bribery, besides a DVD player, I found a few small toys and wrapped them. Then not only were they new, but my child would pick a package and get to unwrap. I mean really small stuff - inexpensive.

Then the obvious. Let the child wear something comfortable that they like. Don't insist on cute, precious clothes that you have to pretreat if they drop a Cherrie O on them. Precious and cute gets stained when they drop their food or drink on themselves on the plane, and they will do that unless they are in clothes that are hard to ruin.

 

[Fabooliss]

We took our DD to England (10.5 hours and she only slept 2 of them because they added a stop on the way back ) when she was 2. My tips are:

1. bring that car seat!! It is worth it, if you are renting a car you'll feel better anyway and toddlers know that they have to stay in a car seat.
2. Stickers... they can go everywhere, on colouring pages, faces, arms etc.
3. bring snacks and drinks (use a sippy cup or something with a straw for the descent and takeoff.
4. bring a sweater... it can get cold
5. read a book about airplanes ahead of time so they know what to expect... there is a fantastic one by Mr Rogers and a cute Caillou one (you should have heard our 2 yo DD explain how she was going to "taxi down the runway" to everyone around

 

[TruBlu]

Earplanes!

Pack a carry-on with new books, games, snacks, juice box, gummy candy (for take-off and landing), anything you child really likes.

DS4 had so much fun with his backpack that he didn't want to get off the plane!!

 

[dsnygirl2006]

Awesome Ideas....Thanks guys ....Our flight is only 1 hour and 40 min....so I am thinking we will be ok....I am a little nervous about take off, I think he is going to flip out, but I think it will be ok once we get in the air, he LOVES our portable DVD player so I will take a fave movie and I like the idea of taking "new" toys on the plane that he doesn't know about, that is a great idea...thanks again Kristy

 

[cdrn1]

Bring the car seat! DGD uses her car seat everytime she flies and either sleeps or just talks/plays to herself, just like in the car. Takeoff is nothing for her. She barely notices. We do bring a sippy cup so she doesn't spill on herself since we usually fly early in the day and have plans for our destination. She stays clean that way. Also little snacky-type things in case she doesn't sleep, things she is not usually allowed to have i.e. M&M's.

 

[mla2177]

I just got back from WDW a couple of weeks ago and flew w/my 2 yr old for the first time. He just had his 2-year well visit before we left, so I asked my pediatrician for any suggestions for the ear popping. She recommended giving him 3/4 tsp of Sudafed. I was a little leary, but bought it "just in case". I didn't give it to him on the flight down, and he cried the entire flight! On the way home, right before boarding I gave him the Sudafed and he never cried once. I don't know if it was a coincidence, but it may be worth checking w/ your pediatrician about!

 

[schlepsnort]

and this year it will be a 4 yr old, 2 yr old and 6 mo old..Our plan of attack:

Good healthy breakfast (we have a 9a.m. flight)
Dress them in comfy clothes
Bring a coveted security toy (a blankie, teddy bear, etc.)
DISCUSS the plane before your trip, look at books about planes, videos, talk it to death! Repetition is key to dealing with a toddler. But be upbeat and happy and excited about it, the minute a toddler smells fear, it's over with!
We are packing each boy a special Disney car that we found at a flea market, I'm wrapping it in special Mickey wrapping paper and it's their 'gift' from Mickey who can't wait to meet them! They love cars and it will amuse them for at least a few moments.
Also bringing a portable DVD player with their all time favorite movie, Toy Story 2. I've actually confiscated the movie from them so that they cannot grow tired of it before the trip.
Also bringing various small snacks and the special treat of M&Ms because, it too, works wonders on quieting my 2 yr old down quickly!
Now the baby, who will be in a snugli strapped to me I'm not too worried about, pop a binky in and I think he'll be fine.

My one DS shrieked and cried the entire way home from NJ to IL last year. I tried everything. I learned one thing: If they freak, they freak. As long as you are at least TRYING to calm them down then the other passengers are just going to have to get over it. Besides, it's not like your going to see those people again! I was worried about ticking off other passengers too but really, what can you do? It's a child, they are going to get upset and sometimes there is just no calming them down!
We've done the sudafed thing, it works on our older son but not the middle son. It actually made our middle son more hyper which is scary in itself! Always check with your ped. first!!!

All in all, food, bribery, and just a lot of preparation and discussing the plane will help. Also keep in mind about going through security! It's a bear to do while handling a toddler, carryon luggage, etc. What I plan on doing since i ALWAYS get the special 'treatment' of a pat down (I have two metal hips which always set off the monitors...one agent in Hawaii still owes me a dinner for THAT pat down!), anyway, what I plan on doing is wearing sandals that I can slip on and off easily. I will stand a few people behind DH with one child so that by the time he gets through with the two boys and gets the carry ons, I can get through, get patted/felt up, and we will all be together. Last time we all went through together and between struggling to tie my shoes, put my DSs shoes back on (yes, they made a THREE year old take off his SHOES) and grab our bags that were being shoved off the conveyor belt we almost lost a child. I'm all for security but I'm thinking there should be a separate area for people traveling with kids to go through the checkpoint. When you have about a hundred bitter travellers behind you glaring at you because they are frisking the 3 year old, it just isn't a pleasant start to your trip!
The kids will also be wearing slip on shoes!
It's just all in the preparation. I love the preparation because by the time I'm done, it's time for the VACATION!!
Woohoo!

Good luck, take a deep breath and what happens, happens, in the end you'll be at WDW and the fun will really begin!

 

[DJSMOM]

My son has been traveling since he was born. He is now almost 4 and we are heading for the World in September for our first trip.

My family lives in NC and we live in PA. We are veterans of the 7 hour car trip as well as numerous plane trips with him at various ages. We have tried alot of things.

The color wonder coloring books are wonderful but only for a short time. Plus, no matter what my son always has a hard time putting the lids back in the markers.

The last trip we made he played nicely in the backseat with some of his action figures for a LOOOOOOOONG time. (It was also entertaining for my husband and I to listen to his role playing.)

If you are familiar with Aqua Doodle, they make awesome pictures that can be colored with their water pen and then air dry. The water activates color on the page, kind of like the color with water books I had when I was a kid. They can be reused over and over again. I get mine at Walmart.

My son also has 2 electronic toys that I think are the best investments I ever made for plane trips and car trips. He has a Video Now Jr that plays movies made just for that player. They are not full lenght movies but each has a few episodes of the Wiggles, Barney, Dora or shows like that.
The other recent addition is a Pixter. It is a drawing type computer that also has games to be plugged into it and is absolutely amazing. I am guilty of using it to fight boredom myself when he isn't using it on long trips.

I personally use Earplanes when I have to travel internationally for my job. Shorter trips don't bother my ears, something about the longer trips does though. I love them. My son can't wear them because he has tubes in his ears. His doctor tells me to just give him some Tylenol Simply Stuffy about 45 minutes before our flights.

I hope this helps. Have a great trip! If you need any other help, let me know.

 

[SLDL]

"If you are familiar with Aqua Doodle, they make awesome pictures that can be colored with their water pen and then air dry. The water activates color on the page, kind of like the color with water books I had when I was a kid. They can be reused over and over again. I get mine at Walmart."

I was going to suggest this also...we just got a travel size AquaDoodle at Target last week. This one helps you draw ABC's & is $9.99 & it's a perfect size...you never need paper, it has a small board that flips over & you can draw on either side. Of course you never have to worry about markers leaking or losing the caps. I think I have enjoyed it as much as my son has!

 

[marathonmommy]

My son also has 2 electronic toys that I think are the best investments I ever made for plane trips and car trips. He has a Video Now Jr that plays movies made just for that player. They are not full lenght movies but each has a few episodes of the Wiggles, Barney, Dora or shows like that.

We bought Video Now Junior in April to help with the plane, BUT we can't find the videos anywhere. I don't think they even make them anymore! I've tried Walmart, Target, Toys R Us . . . any suggestions?

 

[marathonmommy]

We bought Video Now Junior in April to help with the plane, BUT we can't find the videos anywhere. I don't think they even make them anymore! I've tried Walmart, Target, Toys R Us . . . any suggestions?

Well, now that you got me thinking of it, I did a search - which, by the way, I had done before to no avail. But this time, I was able to find some videos. Hasbrotoyshop.com had them! Yippee! Also ordered the carrying case.

 

[marathonmommy]

Well, now that you got me thinking of it, I did a search - which, by the way, I had done before to no avail. But this time, I was able to find some videos. Hasbrotoyshop.com had them! Yippee! Also ordered the carrying case.

Oh, and do you know if the Video Now Jr discs will work in the older kids' Video Now players? I would like to pick up my daughter the older kids' version, but she still loves Max and Ruby and Little Bill! (She's only 6.)

 

[CapeCod53]

I vote for the earplanes, we traveled several times when my kids were really little. The bottle/blinkie stage was easy. Once past that my son had a real problem with the pressure in his ears & they were a great help. The other thing he loved was to play simple games with me. We had color bingo & go fish cards that were just color matches.