travelling with kids - need advice!

marleysmom

Wow, so much to think about! We've never taken either kid on a plane, but in less than a week we'll be on our way to Florida with both of them. We are flying to Sarasota (where my parents have a condo) and bumming around at the beach for 3 days, then driving to Orlando where I am attending a work conference. I was planning to just take an umbrella stroller and check it at the gate . We are renting a double jogger in Sarasota, and will rent a stroller at Disney when we go. Otherwise, we were planning to just use the umbrella stroller to get around the airports and the resort in Orlando. However, I've been having second thoughts...

Mainly I'm worried about Connor napping when Jocelyn wants to be at the pool or doing other activities at the Orlando resort while Chris has both kids and I'm at the conference sessions, or even when we're hanging around the resort as a family. Connor's nap schedule is still somewhat unpredictable and I don't want us to be tied to the hotel room whenever he needs to sleep. I was thinking if we had a carseat, he could sleep in that poolside or wherever we're entertaining Jocelyn. We are returning the rental car as soon as we get to Orlando so we will no longer have a car seat to use unless we take one. We rarely us the snap n go anymore now that Connor is so big, but I'm debating taking that and the car seat vs. the umbrella stroller. Downside is having to check both at the gate, and Jocelyn can't ride in the snap n go. Connor is plenty big enough to be in the umbrella stroller, but it does not recline for sleeping babies. We also have a BOB that reclines, but that seems like overkill. Any thoughts from those who have travelled with little ones before?

beccabrad

Hi Whitney!

 I think you'll be ok with just the umbrella if I'm reading correctly that you'll be using it at the resort only.  I just put Kamille down on a towel on a lounge chair and she slept there just fine.  You can always make a make shift bed on the ground with some towels for Conner if he needs a nap while at the pool.  Maybe call the resort and see if they offer any sort of rentals as well.  Good luck!

EMWindy

We've done airport travel with 2 kids a few times - it went OK but I was ready for a margarita afterwards!    We brought 2 single strollers both times - one travel system type for the baby (with the car seat attached to it), and a Maclaren for the older one.   And we carried her Britax convertible seat in a backpack carrier.   Sheesh - we must've been quite a sight!

Traveling with 2 is a game of logistics!    Sounds like you have a lot of options.   We preferred to 'travel heavy', and have a lot to gate check/manage at the airport, but this gave us more stroller/carseat/nap-for-baby options when we were on the rest of the vacation.

The DVD player we brought for my older one was a life saver for us (and probably the people around us, haha).

Good luck

marleysmom

Thanks for the tips, ladies. Good to here from those who have survived Here goes nothin'!