Orlando is not only the place children dream of visiting, it’s the place parents and grandparents often dream of taking their family, so that everybody can enjoy the experience together. With the numerous theme parks and non-stop entertainment on offer, a trip to Orlando is almost guaranteed not to be a relaxing holiday though! On arrival at one of Orlando’s major airports, the chances are that you and your family will probably have had to travel on a long-haul flight to get here and could be suffering with jet lag. Add onto that, the overall confusion that comes with sitting on an aeroplane for nine hours and the daunting wait in immigration means that the start of your holiday might not be as full of fun and laughter as you would have wanted! But don’t worry; things will only get better from this point onwards!

Dress for Comfort

Make sure that your wear loose comfortable clothes for the journey, including footwear. Don’t worry too much about fashion on the aeroplane; fellow passengers will be far more excited about their holiday to worry about what people are wearing. It’s also a good idea to pack spare T-shirts in your bag as well, in case of spillages or to change into if you want to freshen up.

Be Proactive Not Reactive

This is our way of saying you should be over prepared for anything that might crop up. If you’ve travelled with children before, you know how unpredictable they can be, whether this is from their own volition or otherwise.

For babies, make sure you bring enough nappies, snacks and medicines with you for the entire length of the journey, plus a little more in case of unforeseen accidents or delays. For toddlers, again snacks and medicines, but also plenty of things to keep them occupied. If they have a favourite cuddly toy then take that with you, if they have a second favourite toy then take that as well, but don’t show them. If they lose the first one and seem upset, then you can produce the alternative toy to appease them.

For youngsters, encourage them to think for themselves a little bit and pack what they think they will need, but add in a few extra items yourself that you can distract them with when they start getting fractious.

Books and magazines are great for big groups as they can be passed around when one person has finished with them.

Snacks and Treats

Often the smell of the food coming round turns the sweetest child into a being from another planet, so pack their favourite snacks in your hand luggage. Peanuts, for obvious reasons, are often not allowed on flights, but there are plenty of other options. Try to avoid sugar-filled items because the whole idea is to keep children calm and not full of energy. Most food items are allowed through security checks in the UK but anything containing fruit, dairy or meat will have to be consumed before arriving in Florida.

Water, Water Everywhere

Take a couple of empty refillable water bottles with you, and if possible make sure they are the insulated type that keep drinks cold. Once you have passed through security in the UK, use the water fountains to fill these up free of charge. Even if you don’t want a drink right now, they could prove extremely useful later.

Be Prepared for Change

Although most children will take everything in their stride, the excitement of going to Orlando, lots of new things to see and do, changes in the environment and the time difference may have some unsettling effects. Take a few deep breaths, think of the good times to come, and stay calm. Enlist the help of your partner or other adults travelling with you, as well as empowering any older children to help you.

Use Technology

Although you might have strict limitations in place for the amount of screen time you allow your children at home, it may prove wise to relax these rules on the day of travel. To feel better about compromising on your screen time principles, why not play an educational game such as Scrabble with them? Tablets and phones pre-loaded with lots to keep them entertained, might seem like a bit of a cop-out, but you will be thankful in the long run. Making sure they have their favourite game or have plenty to watch on their device could take up a long time, very useful during a nine-hour flight! For teenagers, obviously tablets and phones can be handy, but, and this goes for anyone taking tech, don’t forget to pack earphones and charging cables. Most planes have charging points in the seats, but not all, so perhaps invest in some battery packs as well. These can be taken in hand luggage, so no reason to have concerns about them when going through security.

Loo Breaks

Make sure the whole family uses the loo before disembarking the aeroplane. Although there are toilets in the immigration hall, you don’t want to lose your place in the queue by spending a penny.  

Maintain Some Normality

Easier said than done sometimes! Although fixed breakfast, lunch and dinner times, along with regulated bedtimes might be the key to happy, healthy children at home, these get completely disregarded on holiday. The time difference, late night Disney shows, eating out at restaurants, catching the fireworks and plenty of other distractions will mean that you will have to relax the rules for a little while.

If you have any tips that you’d like to share with us then please get in touch using our Facebook or Twitter pages. If you haven’t already booked your Orlando villa holiday, you can check out our range of fantastic properties here.