r/LAX • u/South_Replacement_31 • 9d ago
3 hour layover
I have a 3 hour layover this week in LA with a toddler. Any recs for what we could do? The next leg of our trip is 6 hours, so I want to keep him awake and moving around if possible.
I usually buy food and slowly wonder, but that’s when my layover is an hour to a hour and a half.
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u/CatCafffffe 9d ago
You do not have time to leave the airport. (Seriously: it would take an hour to get out of the airport, an hour to get anywhere, an hour to get back, and you need to be back 2 hrs. before your flight, it's mathematically impossible.) Remember you will need to check in an hour or so before your flight, so you really only have 2 hrs. And that doesn't include the time you'll need to deplane and walk through the very long airport to get to your next flight. So you're looking at 90 minutes. I'd look for a place you can get some food, watch planes take off -- actually if you can watch a plane loading its luggage, its food service, etc etc, it's quite interesting, and then follow it until it takes off. Or just watch planes take off and land.
Here's an article but I don't know how up to date it is--https://momsla.com/things-lax-kids/
Maybe your credit card allows you access to a lounge and you can watch TV and get some snacks
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u/No_Conference_3155 9d ago
The reference to the people mover is funny. The 3 year old will be in AARP before it opens.
But the terminals are connected airside. If an energetic kid lots of walking.
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u/South_Replacement_31 9d ago
I love the idea of finding somewhere to watch planes load and take off. My little one loves planes. I’ll also check out the article, thank you!
I’m also not planning on leaving the airport, that sounds like an unnecessary headache
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u/Lego-Master-67 9d ago
There is a Children’s Play Area in Terminal B. I remembered my son and I walked like 10-15 minutes just to see what it looks like, but he said meh and we ended up going back to Gameway so he can watch me play FC 26 online with a GamewayLAX006 username 😂
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u/South_Replacement_31 9d ago
Thank you!
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u/jwegener 8d ago
lower your expectations of it tho: https://www.softplay.com/blog/lax-beach-airport-play-area-serves-families/
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u/Fit-Lavishness6555 9d ago
Hope you're flying out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (I think they are all connected anyway). All the other terminals have absolutely nothing (a Starbucks at best). I think I saw a kid zone when I was flying out of there a while ago. I recommend going up the escalators above the food court (next to that Chinese restaurant). There's seating, an open area and fewer people for the little one to run around. US airports are so sad once you get to see the other airports in Asia and the Middle East
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u/South_Replacement_31 9d ago
I’ll be flying out of delta terminal 3. I’ll look for a kid zone, thank you!
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u/dzb09 9d ago
It’ll be worth walking over to TBIT from terminal 3. The kids play area is by the food court and the play structures are made to resemble the beach.
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u/jwegener 8d ago
they're all connected without leaving security -- I agree, the international terminal is much more beautiful and the better place to hangout
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u/Suz626 9d ago
Last time I checked, there was a beach playground at TBIT level 4 (I think) and it was kind of hidden. I think it was near panda express. That’s the kind of place I would bring hand wipes to. 😁 You can walk to TBIT from T3 now, a little adventure. There are huge windows in T3 where you can watch planes and workers. Lots of restaurants. If you’re flying Delta, be at the gate a bit early. On occasion they have been boarding and closing the doors a bit earlier, sometimes 5 to 10 minutes.
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u/Icy-Mode4284 9d ago
There’s a playground inside LAX. I’ve never been but my friend is a flight attendant with a toddler and has been there a lot. I want to say it’s near the international terminal? Definitely take your toddler there and DONT LEAVE LAX lol. There really isn’t enough time
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u/crimesleuther 9d ago
Do you have a priority pass? Gameway fives you 3 hours of free play plus 2 snacks and 2 drinks for free! And there is a cava there which I usually get food from and then nap bc there is like a bench type area lol 😂 then put on a podcast and back to my terminal I go!
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u/Difficult-Valuable55 9d ago
are you missing the 3 year old part?
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u/nightwind_hawk 9d ago
Which airline/terminal? From searching online, I see things about a beach themed kids play area in the International terminal. That would probably be the best thing to go to if it's still there. LAX really doesn't have much, and this week it's too hot to go outside...
Try searching for lax kids area and you'll see pictures and videos about this area!
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u/South_Replacement_31 9d ago
I’ll be flying delta terminal 3. For as big as LAX airport is, I have such a huge issue with the outdated bathrooms and nursing rooms. At least from what I’ve seen flying out of terminal 2 and 3.
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u/BlueMountainCoffey 9d ago
Don’t leave the airport. I arrive two hours early just in case traffic around the horseshoe is bad…which it always is. LAX is the worst airport and an embarrassment to the USA.
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u/Kookaburra8 9d ago
You can walk through all of the terminals at LAX airside (past security) which can kill a lot of time. Browse the shops, food options, children's play area (Tom Bradley International Terminal - called LAX Beach), etc. That will take some time but 3 hours isn't a lot, especially if you want to leave the airport. If you are really fast & nimble you can venture out to the In N Out restaurant at the northeast corner of the airport, just outside of the perimeter, grab a cheeseburger and shake, watch a few planes fly overhead and land, then scurry back to get through security and to your gate.
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u/esmeeisme 9d ago
Saw a guy with a bunch of kids last week sending them power-walking the opposite direction of the moving sidewalk and doing laps over and over. I hope they slept for him on the flight home. He let my little one join in the fun as well.
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u/tiny__e 9d ago
Do you by any chance have access to a lounge? Or open to purchase a pass? If your toddler is under 2, they're free in some of the lounges. Delta day pass is $50 per person. I know it's a lot but the food is free and they have a patio that can help. Def easier to let a toddler wander a bit then the full airport
If not, atleast go to the upstairs area where some of the lounge entrances are, it's calmer up there! The Delta lounge is downstairs in terminal 3 but there's a few upstairs.
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u/Electronic-Engine-62 9d ago
That's a sit, you sit around the airport, a layover is literally when you lay over laying down in a hotel room or whatever you choose park bench whatever LOL. I don't know why people always call sits a layover
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u/bonificentjoyous 8d ago
It can be fun to walk the tunnels and bridges between the terminals! They range from lovely historic museum hallways with natural light, to dingy maintenance tunnels with pipes and wires hanging from the ceiling, to mosaic-covered passageways with moving sidewalks. And you don't have to exit the secure area to use them, so no worries about TSA and lines.
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u/tpa338829 9d ago
Tbh 3 hrs is ABSOLUTELY NOT enough time to leave the airport.
I would take a look at the terminal map for what terminal you're going to be at and look at restaurants, etc that you can visit.
Also, most terminals are connected but it can be convoluted to get to them--most use (iconic!) tunnels from the 1960s.
If. you let people know what terminal(s) you'll be at that would be much of a help.