| Author |  Topic  | |
PAUL GIZZI
 United Kingdom
27 Posts
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Status: offline |  Posted - 01 May 2008 : 10:30:46  
| Hi all will be going back to orlando next year either may june or september, could anyone give me any advice on the best time to go with a small baby as she would be 15 months in may next year, and do there have there own seat on the plane, and do the hire cars have isofix.
any advice would be great
Paul |
Edited by - PAUL GIZZI on 01 May 2008 10:32:07 | | Report this post to a moderator |
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DANESKA18
 United Kingdom
195 Posts
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Status: online | Posted - 01 May 2008 : 11:10:54
| Hi Paul
We took our baby with us last October when she was 12 months old and had a great time. We took her car seat with us on the plane (checked baggage) although ours is not Isofix and I didnt' notice any Isofix fixings in the car we hired - probably worth asking the car hire company.
At fifteen months babies do not have to have their own seat on the plane (it's only after 2 that you have to have a separate seat for them - and don't forget that they have to have their own passport). The downside of this of course, is that you have to have them sitting on your lap for the duration of the flight (either that or you'll find yourself walking round and round the plane for the journey!!). You can buy a separate seat for her if you want (we took our older daughter to California aged 19mths and as I was pregnant with no 2 at the time we paid for her to have her own seat) and alot of airlines do a special seat insert for little ones. All told, our daughter loved it on the plane (we took with us a small selection of toys/books and had the kids pack from the airline), and the air stewardesses made a huge fuss of her. As the return flight is overnight, we just got her comfortable and she slept all the way home.
Make sure you either take some food that she likes with you on the plane or, if she's pretty good with eating, pre-order a kids meal (not a baby meal as this is just a jar of baby food!!)
Apart from that, once you're there prepare yourself for some funny sleeping/waking patterns for the first few days whilst she re-adjusts and don't try to do too much initially. Stick with whatever routines you have at home and she will slot back in quite quickly. We would go out in the evening with the buggy and our daughter would stay awake for a while before dozing off and it meant that our older children could still have fun.
AS far as when to go, I would have said either May or September would probably be best (June may be getting a bit too hot). September after the schools have gone back would be great (we normally go either March/April or October as we have to fit around school hols). Whenever you go though, remember that the sun is far hotter than here so smother her in suntan cream and glue the sun-hat to her head!!! (Those UV swim suits you can buy are worth every penny!)
Hope this helps a bit and that you have a fantastic time - we are going back next April with all four of our kids who absolutely love it!!
Alison
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Alison and Danny
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steph_goodrum
 United Kingdom
6667 Posts
Joined: 12 Feb 2002
Status: online | Posted - 01 May 2008 : 12:41:38
| Paul
There are also lots of other tips on flying with small children as well if you search such as giving her a drink as you take off and land or a dummy to suck to encourage her to swallow to keep her ears clear etc.
You can usually preorder skycots with Virgin but as with most things they dont always guarantee them.
It's definitely best to take your own car seat so you know its suitable for her size and weight, she is comfortable with it and most importantly you know its history and that it hasnt been involved in an accident which could have rendered it unsafe (+ you also save around $5 a day from the hire company) and can use it to/from airport in UK if you are getting a txai etc.
I would also have said Ma/October would be good weatherwise and if you work it so you avoid school hols, flights, accommodation etc will be cheaper and lines will be less busy in the parks if you are visitng them.
If there are just the 3 of you going and you both want to go on a ride your daughter cant, then the major parks have parent swap places where one can wait with your daughter whilst the other rides and then you switch afterwards so you dont have to queue up twice.
As mentioned above with the sunscreen don't forget to do the soles of her feet if she is likely to be in the pushchair with her feet uncovered. It's amazing how you wouldnt think of it until you see a little one in a pushchair with the soles sunburnt and how painful it is. |
Babblin Boo
http://www.orlandovillas.com/villas/92.aspx
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Albert the Frog
 United Kingdom
329 Posts
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Status: offline | Posted - 01 May 2008 : 13:57:41
| What great advice!
I'd reinforce the taking of your own car seat-and buggy of course. The parks are very toddler friendly but in some you have to look for the toddler/play areas-well worth the effort though. | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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Paula D-S
 United Kingdom
4409 Posts
Joined: 18 May 2005
Status: offline | Posted - 01 May 2008 : 14:09:09
| We took our youngest when she was 14 months old. We went in April and had a wonderful time. We did pay for an extra seat on the plane and were able to take her car seat on board with us so she was very comfortable when it came to sleep time.
We also took our own pram........we looked like The Clampets (the beverly hillbillies)at the airport but I wouldn't take an expensive pram as they do get thrown about a bit. |
Paula
www.orlandovillas.com/florida-vacation-rental-2140.aspx |
Edited by - Paula D-S on 01 May 2008 14:09:53 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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sammibabe
United Kingdom
269 Posts
Joined: 19 May 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 02 May 2008 : 22:59:56
| We took our youngest when she was 17months old. We bought a stroller there very cheaply from one of the supermarkets and then took it home with us. She wouldn't go to sleep during the day because of all the goings on so we bought some material from Walmart(?), pegged it onto the suncanopy, just dropped it down when she was tired and she went to sleep. Added bonus was that she was completely shaded from the sun. We flew with Virgin and at the time I think the sky cots were for 12 months and younger. I did wonder how much she would enjoy the trip but even at her age she had a wonderful time, particularly the shows.
She cried a lot on the way there but the stewardess was wonderful and bought me a drink when she eventually stopped crying to sleep. Coming home there was a spare seat so they gave it to us for her. | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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PAUL GIZZI
United Kingdom
27 Posts
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Status: offline | |
berni_richards
 United Kingdom
646 Posts
Joined: 01 Dec 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 06 May 2008 : 13:10:21
| our daughter was 4 months first visit to florida in a sky cot and slept for most of the flight (there and back). 2nd trip to florida she was 1 so I spent many hours walking from 1st class to back of the plane with her every hour on the hour she made many friends along the way. When she was 1 she was not in a sky cot but a seat that looks like a bouncy chair I would say she slept for 5 hours out of the 7.5 hrs in total on the way back as it was a night flight, slept most of the way to florida as well. When we go in sept she will be 2 so will have her own seat. I guess we will be walking alot on that flight with her too.
I take my travel pushchair aria bought cheap from argos but hire a car seat on the drive to the villa and one the way back to the airport but we have our own car seat at the villa as you have to take lots of stuff with you with a baby we dont want to take 1 of our UK car seats as well as everything else.
Find out what baby equipment is in any villa you hire and take anything else you need from home.
I found most restaurants in US cater for kids small and babies alike not like in the UK. We also have a travel high chair but have never used it whilst in the us yet though we do take it just in case. You should have no problems going to restaurants with babies. |
Berni Deno and baby Maya
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Best time to go with small baby
