My husband left our home in Maryland a few days early for our family vacation to Orlando, Florida by car so he could visit and golf with a friend in Atlanta, Georgia along the way. So, I was on my own to fly with a toddler of just 2 years. AUGH!!! This could be an intimidating situation for many parents, but it doesn’t have to be if you are prepared properly for flying with a toddler. Here are a few tips to make the flight to your Orlando, Florida family vacation a success…
- Let the little one stay up late the night before by getting them hyped up about their upcoming Orlando, Florida and Disney trip then wake the tot up at his/her usual time, or even earlier, to help ensure that sleepiness sets in by the time the plane takes off. This will increase your chance that your child will sleep on the plane, as mine did. (Some people say to give the little one a bit of Benadryl to make them sleepy for the flight – that doesn’t work on my little one – and I’m just not a fan of giving her medicine if she does not need them).
- Get a fun backpack, with wheels for your child to wheel along so your toddler feels important with his/her own job in the airport. Only pack this backpack with fun things for your child so they can call the backpack their own. Doing so will also allow your child to find what they want, when they want without you having to dig through your bag every 5 minutes when they need something else. I bought my daughter a new Dora the Explorer (you can find her in character at Nickelodean Studios in Orlando, Florida) rolling backpack and hid it in a shopping bag – waiting to give it to my daughter until we arrived at the airport so the thrill of a new Dora backpack would keep her occupied through the security process.
- What to pack in the backpack? In addition to some of my daughter’s favorite little toys (mini baby dolls and accessories, little stuffed animals, dress up bracelets and necklaces, I also got some Disney theme park related character toys for her :Mickey Mouse crayons, a Disney Fairies coloring book, a Minnie Mouse coloring book, and Disney Princess mini board books to read. I also packed a hat and pair of sunglasses for her to wear on the plane if she ended up in a seat where the sun was shining directly on her. Keep in mind that new items are usually more exciting and attention grabbing for a longer period of time.
- Don’t forget your child’s lovey: favorite stuffed animal, favorite blankie, etc.
- Snacks – and make them fun! Let this be a chance for your toddler to indulge in the snacks that you would normally say no to (cookies, chips, candy, gum – helps with ear popping). Fun and rare treats will be exciting to your toddler and hey, when in such enclosed quarters with so many strangers, you never know when you may need to whip out something great to bribe your child with! Nobody wants a meltdown on a plane 40,000 feet up in the air!
- Portable DVD player with headphones and a few favorite DVDs. I had a couple of brand new Mickey Mouse and Disney DVDs to keep in theme with the whole Orlando, Florida family Disney vacation. Again, NEW things are exciting for longer periods of time.
- A drink bottle with a small spout to open and close will help keep spills at bay. I got a Minnie Mouse one for my daughter to keep in theme with our family Disney trip. Just don’t forget, it must be empty to go through security so you’ll need to buy a drink before boarding to pour into the bottle.
Most importantly, don’t forget to pack your patience and lots of it. Don’t think you’re for good for bribery with a special candy if it means letting the rest of the passengers keep their sanity. And hey, you’re going to Orlando, Florida where there is Disney World, Sea World, and all kinds of other theme parks fit for a kids dreams. Chances are that there will be plenty of other children on your flight so if your child does have a meltdown, it’s likely that most people on the plane will be understanding rather than hostile. All parents know that it happens to the best of us.
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