Q.  Help! We're leaving for Spring Break in a couple of days and I don't know how I'm going to travel with all these kids.  My kids are ages 3, 5 and 9 and we're taking our first airplane trip as a family and heading to Disney World in Florida.  I'm just so nervous;  we've spent a lot of money on this and I want to make sure everyone  has the best trip ever!!!!

A. Whoa!  Sounds like you will have lots of opportunities to make many happy memories,  but it will be very helpful if you reign in your expectations and dial down the superlatives like "best ever."  

Your vacation will have some wonderful moments,  and chances are there will be some glitches or disappointments as well, so keep your expectations real and that will help keep emotions in check. 

My first tip would be to plan well before you go and then once you're there you can relax and enjoy. Showing up during spring break at Disney World and opening the map for the first time as you enter the park would not be recommended. Do your due diligence here at home,  whatever your destination with small children. Be prepared. Check out library books on your destination,  watch travel videos, check out websites for your destination. 

A favorite of mine is www.tripadvisor.com.  Real people,  giving first hand reviews of hotels, restaurants, sights to see etc.  They even have a "forum" where you can ask specific questions and others will likely post answers for you.  I read through TripAdvisor  listings and forums,  copy and paste and end up with my own individualized guide to where we're going.  So when it's 6 p.m. and the kids are whiny and hungry,  I pull out my notes and can quickly locate a well-recommended family friendly restaurant. 

For Disney travelers,  I highly recommend the "Unofficial Guide to Disney World" by Bob Sehlinger.  He gives lots of great tips,  touring guides and well researched advice. 

Packing for a family can seem daunting. It doesn't have to be.  Let each kid have their own roller suitcase and even the youngest can pull their own through the airport. I give each my kids an index card that lists what needs to be packed,  ie:  5 pr socks,  1 swim suit etc. 

Then I ask them to lay out the clothes they'd like to bring,  according to the pack list on their beds. Once I've checked over their choices to be sure the clothes are appropriate and they've included everything on the list,  then I give them the "OK" to put it all into their suitcases. Each child can also have their own backpack to carry on the plane. 

Make sure they've packed it with some books, coloring materials, maybe a portable DVD player. Snacks are important to take with as well- you never know when flight delays can keep you flying for longer than expected and young tummies get hungry quickly. My own tote bag for on the plane and throughout the trip is filled with large heavy-duty zip lock bags.  One contains diapers/wipes,  another kid friendly snacks,  another activity/coloring books and crayons to keep busy at while waiting at restaurants,  another my travel notes/ maps etc. ... you get the picture.  Then I simply pull out the bag I need when I need it.  It makes it so much easier than rummaging through a tote trying to find the baby's pacifier when it's an urgent need.

Most of all enjoy. Kids will enjoy Disney in different ways at different ages. The youngest may be enchanted by the characters ( or afraid),  next kids are loving the themed rides,  and now,  in my case,  my teens are all about the thrill rides like Rockin' Roller Coaster or Space Mountain.

Don't expect to do everything. Pace yourselves and let your kids have time to rest and relax at some point during the day. Don't fret when things don't go as planned.  Some of our "fondest" travel memories include the time when Michael fell  head-first into the "stream" at Mini - golf,  or the trip when a bird "dropped" right on dad's head in Frontierland... take it all in stride and enjoy the adventure of family travel!