flight help with 16 month old

Disneydreamer23

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Happy Friday every one my trip to Disney is getting near I have a couple of questions about flights usually the travelers are my husband and myself but this time we will be going with our 16 month old daughter we're leaving Saturday September 13th and then coming home Saturday September 26 there and will arrive Saturday at 6 a.m. So all of her stuff will be with her she's also taking everything back with her that day when we leave I usually like to fly very early in the morning but now its a 16 month old does anyone have any suggestions on times to fly do you suggest an early flight a middle of the day flight or a late night flight we can pretty much arrive anytime on Saturday wanted to find out if anyone had any suggestions I know my times for flight will be coming out and would like to book as soon as possible thank you
 

Tom

Beta Return
Will she be 16 months old in September, or is she 16 mos now (2 yrs in September)?

You know your child better than anyone. Is she quiet in the morning? Would she sleep on the plane and not scream? What about flying during her usual afternoon nap time? Pop her a Benadryl and let her nap through the flight.

You're the only one who will be able to answer your question, honestly.
 
my daughter's first trip she was 18 months old. we took the earliest flight out in the morning from NJ so she knocked out as soon as the plane started moving. she hadn't slept well the night before and getting up early kept her tired. coming home I think we took a flight close to her afternoon nap time and had the same luck. be prepared with snacks on take off and landing to help with their ears. we also used these little things called Ear Planes that we got from an ENT that helped regulate her ears to avoid the popping we experience. good luck!
 

luv

Well-Known Member
It's very difficult to know if the baby is on a schedule it might be best to schedule the flight after baby wakes up so baby is in a good mood on the other hand it might be nice to have baby sleep through the flight but then what if the baby doesn't sleep but just cries the whole time and annoys everyone it's so hard to predict and flying with a baby is nerve wracking enough I'm sure you'll make the right decision and wish you the best.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
I flew with my girls a lot when they were younger. I didn't really look too much at time of day or their schedules...just more about how I can entertain or accommodate them in any number of situations. While I prefer to fly early, I liked later flights with them when they were babies since the business travelers on the morning flights weren't always so kind when they saw me with a baby. Ultimately, lots of snacks, quiet toys- pref new ones or ones they haven't seen in a while, movies/tv shows, coloring, a security item like a fave blanket/animal, and even something game like is always a good idea. A friend recommended bringing old pantyhose and tape as a sort of a game where you and the child gets to rip it and then try and tape it up. Sounds crazy, but I tried it once and it was a solid 30-45 min of inflight entertainment. There were a number of times I flew with my girls back in those stages where it was just me (i.e. DH stayed home), so you hit a point in flight where you'll try everything to keep them happy. Both of my kids were also always fascinated with the plane diagram/evac. card. That right there was often good for a collective 25 min of entertainment on any given flight.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
My flight is 2 hours and my daughter will be 16 months at the time

For a 2hr flight.. it's not that big of a deal. Bring something for the child to chew on -- that will help their ears equalize. Ensure they have something they like to try to occupy them. I think you know your child best in terms of what upsets them more... being tired or change/activity. I would imagine an early start would be best.. but that's really child by child.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
You can bring snacks just not liquids. We usually bring their empty drink cups in the carry-on and then just buy a bottle of water past security.

It probably depends on the kid and their schedule. I always look for the first flight out in the morning. Much less chance of a delay. Once the day gets going you potentially have flights backing up to take off and/or you could be delayed if your plane is coming in from another city. I usually fly from Philly which tends to be a bad airport for delays. May not be an issue elsewhere.
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Absolutely, try to schedule flights that coincide with times she'd normally be asleep (but which don't require her to stay up too late past bedtime -- you don't want an overtired, cranky little one, just a slightly sleepy one). To minimize her excitement/anxiousness, you may want to read her some books about flying ahead of time (my kids loved My First Trip on an Airplane and the Noisy Airplane, both available on Amazon). She won't understand much of it, but it will give her a flavor of what to expect and the pictures will acclimate her to what she can expect to see in an airport.

Be prepared in case she is too excited to sleep. Bring snacks and something for her to suck on to make her ears "pop" if she gets uncomfortable. (If you don't want to use a pacifier, try something like a Twizzler.)
Have plenty of quiet diversions ready (e.g., a favorite book, an iPad with headphones and a favorite movie or soothing music) and if she has a comfort item (blanket or stuffed animal), bring that along, too.

As far as things like Benadryl, that's really your call, but I'd advise against it out of an abundance of caution.
 

Figaro928

Well-Known Member
WE had our 16 month old and two year old for our trip. We took the first flight out of NY (i think it was a 6 am flight) and everything went off without a hitch. That early in the morning the airport was less crowded so we were able to fly through security and easily find a seat to watch the planes before we boarded . so that was the biggest convenience of an early flight.

On the plane we let them watch cartoons & had an entire carry on devoted solely for plane entertainment. A week before we left, I stopped by my pediatrician's office and picked up a bunch of their sugar-free little kid friendly lollypops(the ones with the loop instead of a stick) They were a huge hit & the sucking helped their ears. Both my kids were wide awake but peaceful for the plane ride, but fell asleep on the magical express bus.
 

Hot Lava

Well-Known Member
You can bring snacks just not liquids

You can bring bottles (formula or breastmilk). It is potentially a whole production at security (depends on the airport and the TSA agent you get), but we used to bring bottles through. But if you are past all that, I thought that maybe you could bring other drinks for a small child. But I definitely cannot recall this for sure, so you would need to check the TSA website.
As always, though, they can tell you nothing is allowed at all, and give you no real reason. I haven't had this happen, but I always brace for the possibility. :rolleyes:
 


Write your reply...

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom