I have to do a 5Night trip to Maui sometime in the next couple of months as a prepaid hotel stay at the Westin Maui will expire otherwise. Our son is four months old now and we are wondering if it will be better to bring him along with us, or bring grandparents along with us, or leave him with grandparents and come alone. To complicate issues, flights from NRT are overnight ones, the worst kind that take 2-3 days at least get adjusted to time zones.

If you have any experiences that will help make a decision, please let me know. Thanks!

For the record, I am not against children (else we wouldn't have had four of them )

It's been a long time since we traveled with infants, but I do recall the extreme hassle and crankiness associated with even a simple midcon flight.

As a Hawaii resident, I can tell you that I see all the time parents and infants in the airports, looking stressed out, sniping at each other, tired, and schlepping those Humvee-sized baby strollers. When you add in the overnight time zone change, and consider the possibility of irregular ops (do you want to have to be dealing with figuring out whether to sit at the airport for 12 hours or find a hotel if you flight is cancelled/delayed?) I'd say leave the the baby with the grandparents.

If this is a trip you've looked forward to, use it instead as an occasion for some R&R time as a couple. If you find you love Hawaii and want to come back, bring the child when he's 10 or 12 and will be able to enjoy it and remember it.

Fwiw

I agree - go by yourselves.

We took our daughter to Maui for Thanksgiving when she was 2. We flew ORD-SFO-OGG. Although everything went well, when she woke up at 2:00 AM the first morning, my wife and I realized for the first time there was a 5 hour time change for her to get used to. It took several days and many trips from Wailea to Lahaina so she'd sleep in the car.

We had a nice time, but don't plan on bringing her or our son back to Hawaii until they're old enough to appreciate it.

One four-month-old and two of you? Piece of cake! Save the grandparent child care for when you really need it. I don't think your situation would be very challenging. Two kids, say 4 and 1.5 -- now that's a lot tougher than a single 4 mos. old baby.

After spending 7-days at Disneyworld, I can't imagine how any parent would want to take any child on vacation unless the primary benefeciary of the trip is the children. I second, third the advice above.