Sunday, March 8, 2009
Trip
I know I posted about this once, but to recap: Matt won a trip through his work last year. We have to use the trip by November. We can go anywhere in the continental U.S. free airfare and free stay at The Marriott for 4 days/3 nights. Originally we were going to go to Las Vegas, but I am not ready to leave Olivia for that long and that far away. I don't know when I will be ready either. After talking it over with Matt we have decided to make it a family vacation. We will have to buy Olivia a plane ticket, but besides that and food (and possibly a rental car) things will be relatively on the inexpensive side. We are most likely going to go to Seaworld in Orlando. I would really like to go to Disney, but we are still negotiating. Matt's best friend lives in Ocala, FL and he said him and his girlfriend would love to spend a few days with us in Orlando. Since we have never taken Olivia on a plane I was wondering if anyone could give me some helpful tips. We will need to take her carseat and I am unsure how that will work. We may or may not get a rental car. We might be able to just ride with Scott and his girlfriend. We're working on the details, but my biggest concern is taking her carseat. Also, for anyone who has taken their kids on a plane how did that go? I am worried about her ears popping and I don't know what to do for that. Any tips you have would be great. OH and if you could give me any suggestions for Seaworld or Disney. If we did go to Disney what would we want to see or do since she is only 2.
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5 comments:
Well, from this household, I can think of no better place to go than to Disney. Of course Olivia is so young, she won't remember the trip later, but that does not mean she won't enjoy the heck out of it while she is there. As far as riding in a plane, it really should not be a big deal. We took Ryan quite a few times and it worked fine. Since Olivia likes her bottle still, that makes it easy. On take-off and landings, give her a bottle to suck on. The sucking motion will keep her ears from popping. Also, you could take a small sucker or something for her to hold and suck on to keep her ears clear during the flight (although the biggest issues are with changing of altitudes, not just being up there). The flight from Cincy to Orlando is a bit over 2 hours non-stop. if you have to do a layover, it will make the individual flights shorter, but you have 2x the number of take-offs and landings.
I highly recommend having a rental car. If you need to find a good deal on one, I can give you some websites and show you how to combine discount deals to get a great deal. Having a way to get around is very beneficial, I hate being on someone else's time schedule when I am on vacation. Plus, it will allow you to save some time if you need to go back during the day for a rest.
On the plane, a car seat is very simple. We always took our stroller and car seat up to the gate and then checked them there. You can roll all the way to the door of the plane and leave the stroller there and then you pick it up outside the door when you get off again. Also, you can ask to board at the very beginning of the process since it may take you a bit longer to get settles. It was never a problem for us. Ryan loved the time at the airport as well. We always bought him a small toy either at the airport or before and waited to give it to him when we got on the plane to keep him occupied. Also, a portable DVD player is a good diversion, if you have one (or a laptop).
As far as Disney is concerned, if you only have 2 days or so to spend, I would do both days at the Magic Kingdom. It will be the place with the most for Olivia to do and you can take your time and take everything in. Also, if you or Matt would like to ride some of the bigger id rides, just go up to the entrance of the ride and tell them your spouse is waiting for you with Olivia. They will give you a "baby swap" pass and it allows you to swap after the ride and the other person can ride without waiting in the regular line again. If you have a few more days and Olivia likes the characters, I would recommend either Epcot or Hollywood studios. Both have few "rides", but tons of fun character experiences. If you need any other advice, I am sure lots of us can help you out.
For cheap fares for Olivia, don't forget to look at leaving from Dayton. Right now one way fares are less than $100 for Orlando.
Have fun no matter what you decide. SeaWorld is fun, but I am not sure it is worth the cost of admission right now, if you have a short time, you save more money by buying multiple days at Disney and I think that may be your better value.
Kevin
Well I had tons of advice but Kevin took it all. The flying with a baby or young child really isn't hard. No more than a 2 hour car ride. You can even get up and move int he plane. Just check your stroller and car seat like Kevin said, unless you want her to ride in her car seat. We had Ryan ride in it a couple of times, he knew once he was in it he couldn't get out like int he car, but we were all more comfortable when we just belted him in. The DVD player is the best. His first flight was to CA and was 4 hours long. His doctor had us give him some meds to make hi sleepy for his first flight. The bottle is important, He was only 17 months the first time and it went great. Good luck, I can tell you lots more if you need to know anything else. we have done it so many times. If you want you can give me a call. I'll email you my #. Good luck, it should be a lot of fun.
Oh I love Sea World but it usually only takes us about half the day to do it all.
Well, you know we are planning on doing Disney in October (hopefully). you guys could always go with us. seriously. Only a few people from Gary's family are going (George & Glen & spouses - that's it) and have said if other family wants to come they are fine with it. Anyway, I'll call you and we can talk about it.
i agree with everything with the exception of choosing Magic Kingdom as your first choice. I am a Hollywood Studios NUT and i love it there. But, not minding what i like, i think Olivia would like that even better than Magic Kingdom with her age. The reasons are the following... it is almsot always less crowded..the mermaid show is amazing and someone she would recognize, there is the beauty and the beast show which she would love if you sit real close so she can se and hear well..there is toy story mania, perfect for a little one..and meeting the cars cars and the toy story characters are usually a hit. Also, that parade is off the charts! It has all the pixar characters in it and she would love that.
Also, about the 2 year old thing. BOTH of my boys first Disney experiences were at the age of 2 1/2 and sammy could give you every detail of the trip. He may forget eventually but right now he can stil tell us.
last we are going in sept and would be happy to meet you a day there.
This conversation just upholds why we love Disney so much. Everyone has something that they think is the coolest thing for them. We happen to be big fans of Animal Kingdom, but it is definitely a park that grows on you. I would think a lot of people who have only spent a day or 2 there would disagree with our love for that park.
My best suggestion is to go online and order a Disney planning DVD, also ask for a personalized Disney map. You answer a bunch of questions about your group and the ages of everyone and they will send you a map of each park and highlight things that they think are recommended for a family like yours. The best news is, you cannot make a bad decision. Whatever you decide will be fantastic. Plus, the next time you go, you will have a completely different experience and there will be tons of new stuff to do.
For us, Disney is a place where as a family we can do everything together for the entire time we are there. Unlike Kings Island or other parks where there are "kiddie" rides and adult rides, Disney is full of family experiences. Almost all of the rides (coasters being excluded), are family friendly rides. Plus, the shows are so much fun for young and old.
Each park has so many unique things, I do not know how you decide how to spend just a few days. (Heck, we now go for 2 weeks at a time and still feel like the trip is too short).
The new parades that Disney has our are really fantastic as well. The Block Party one at the Hollywood Studios is really upbeat and fun to watch. The energy of this parade was so much fun, they moved a similar parade to the Magic Kingdom this year, called Move It, Shake It, Celebrate it. It is a high energy parade that everyone is invited to join in on. We haven't seen it yet, but the reviews on the message boards I read have been very positive. Plus, there is the SpectroMagic electrical parade and the Wishes fireworks there at night. When Ryan was Olivia's age, he was absolutely amazed by the electrical parade.
When planning, be careful to check out the Disney calendar before your trip. Due to the economy, Disney has cut out a LOT of their entertainment schedule. So, events that used to be nightly (SpectroMagic and Fantasmic) are now only done a few times per week. Make sure your plans include going to a park when the special performance is being done.
Other than that, have fun, I guarantee you will enjoy it.
Kevin
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