Do you take a portable DVD player for your kids?

[BethCarp]

I'm thinking mainly for the airplane ride and down time in the airport, not necessarily for the cruise itself. We have an hour and a half flight to Atlanta and then a two hour flight to Ft Lauderdale. Not to mention the times waiting to board. We'll have lots of time just sitting around the airport. I just wonder if we'll actually need it and I hate to lug it around. But on the other hand I wonder if we'll be kicking ourselves for not bringing it.

 

I know this is really a decision I have to make based on my kids, but I just want to hear from people if they "couldn't live without it" or "we brought it and never used it". That sort of thing. My kids are 3 and 6.

 

And of course we will use headphones and we will not be using it at the dinner table. :p

[Kerry's Girls]

I use mine a lot in our travels. It's great for the waits and I use it for the twins to wind down for their afternoon nap or while I get ready for dinner. Also, there can be a lengthy wait at the end of the cruise. I set mine up on a table and had half a dozen kids watching "Shrek" while we waited to disembark.

 

I'm all for packing light, but I think this is a useful item to have.

 

Best,

Mia

[notentirelynormal]

Not only do we take it, we are taking a back up on the Australian flight! There is the time at the airport, the time on board when they are not playing a movie - or one they like. Bus trips, you name it. You can plug it into the TV on board so they can watch their favorite movie ... which might help settle them down with a movie "habit". Shrek and Monsters Inc. I can only hope he'll (2-1/2 YO GS) start to like new movies since we don't believe in just setting him in front of the TV. We're there too talking and relaxing and tickling and jumping at the scream. Go ahead ask me to quote anything from either movie. He watches to settle down for his nap. Wouldn't leave home without it!

[Warm Breezes]

Both my kids have their own DVD player that they carry in their rolling back packs along with their own DVDs/CDs. With a DS(13) and DD(10) they have very different tastes. I always purchase them a few new DVD's/CD's before we leave so they have something new to keep them occupied.

[louanne93]

You know it was a woman that invented the portable DVD player!!:D We have 4 kids and NEVER travel without it. In the cabin it is great for down time, on the airplane, waiting to disembark, it is usful for so many things.

[NoelsCat]

Since my child goes on all vacations, I would leave my spouse home before leaving the portable DVD player.

[JSR]

Hi Beth,

DD took hers on the last cruise. It was great she and her friend watched movies on the flight and in thier cabin. I don't think we took it before. Now she has a laptop, an ipod, a cell phone. YEA GADS See you in a few months.

 

Jean

[crusinmama06]

Yep, two kids, two DVD players for the flight.

 

Now on the cruise, their DVD players stay in their backpacks. We don't use them on the cruise. There are just too many other things to keep em busy. :D

[CanadianTwosome]

We take the dvd player as a backup for the laptop. Our laptop has a bigger screen, but depending on how long your travel days are (ours are long) battery power only lasts so long, so it's good to have a second player. Once on board, of course, it gets plugged in. Our daughter and her friend watched movies a few nights on our last cruise. Each had brought at least one movie the other hadn't seen, so it was a nice way for them to relax and wind down at the end of an active day.

 

DVD players are a good thing. They don't take up that much space, either. Your kids are all entitled to a carry on, so let them cart the player and movies. They're definitely a good thing to have along.

[BethCarp]

Ok Thank everyone! We'll take it, but there's only going to be one. So they'll have to share. :cool: Our flights aren't too long so hopefully we'll have time at the airport to charge up. Now unfortunately we may have to buy a new one because I can't find the wall charger for ours. :rolleyes: We've only used it in the car up to this point.

[abitaturbodog]

We definitely fly with the DVD player! We only have one and the boys share. We have a headset jack that converts into 2 jacks so they can both listen. Usually when we're on the plane, I'm looking over their shoulders to watch too!!!

 

On the ship, it goes into the luggage under the bed. We're playing too much $$ for my kids to watch TV on a cruise!

[jlbl4902]

I wouldn’t’ leave home without ours. We even have an extra battery for it. We are usually flying from one coast to the other coast. However, I don’t put headphones on my 3 year old…. We have traveled several times with it and I keep the volume so low that nobody around us can here it. For me it just feels wrong to me to put headphones on a 3 year old.

[clansac]

Oh go with the headphones! My 4 year old learned when he was 2 to wear the headphones. Then you can have a private conversation with your spouse without eavesdropping!

 

We always travel with the DVD player. I recently added an iPod to my gadgets but it's all full of audiobooks for DS. He doesn't nap anymore but he'll lay down and listen to a story for an hour. It's great if you get stuck in a long security line too because I can throw it into a backpack in about 20 seconds.

[Onessa]

We got our first portable DVD player in 1999 (!). We were going to Italy for just over two weeks (land trip) with our then 4YO DD. We didn't want her to be watching the movie on-flight and felt that after a busy day doing alot of mostly adult-oriented things (a lot of art museums and historical sites) that she should be able to relax in the hotel with some cartoons in English.

 

We use the portable DVD player when we are on long raod trips and flights. We will be flying to Venice in a few weeks (eek!) for our Thanksgiving week cruise -- no portable DVD player, but instead a Disney Mix-Max with a number of her favorite movies on SD cards. Smaller and since she will have homework, LOVES to read, and is more likely to be interested in the in-flight entertainment; the smaller screen and smaller media will make the trip easier.

[jmw2323]

Only time i don't take it on a flight is if we are on jetblue. Taking airtran down this time so the DVD player is coming with us.

[abitaturbodog]

Only time i don't take it on a flight is if we are on jetblue. Taking airtran down this time so the DVD player is coming with us.

 

What's the difference between Jet Blue and AirTran?

[larronry]

Jet Blue has I believe it's DirectTv on their flights. I think you pay $5 but it's worth the $5. TV screen is on the seat in front of you.