Using VENICE Vaporetti Pass from Airport

I am no expert on the public transport options in Venice, but from experience, the passes are an unnecessary purchase. It's not a great big place where taking the water taxis are a necessity, and you will most likely walk everywhere. If you are staying on the island, then consider taking the Alilaguna from the airport into Venice, and then buy the one-time rides that you will need. You are there a pretty short duration, and given the jet lag on the first day, you may not get to both Murano and Burano. I would buy those as you go along. The price would be about the same. I will be there on the 8th (for the same duration as you), and can only picture taking the Vaporetto twice (one of the times I am doing it just for "fun" and not a need). There is so much to explore in Venice on foot!
If you do go with the passes, buy them once there.

Say you're able to get to your hotel and checked in by 11:30 (a guess-timate because I don't know where you're staying). You'll probably be hungry and want to get lunch somewhere near your hotel. That essentially means you're only site-seeing in Venice for about 1/2 of May 31 and a full day on June 1, with perhaps one last vaporetto ride to the train station the morning of June 2. A single-ride vaporetto fare is €7.00. You would have to take 5 rides in your available time to make the €30 pass worth it. If you took only 4 rides, the difference of €2 might be worth it for the convenience factor, but keep in mind that you might have to waste precious time standing in line to purchase the passes at the airport. (Edit: Oops, you did say you plan to do advance purchase. :) ) You may want to plot out carefully what you hope to accomplish during the hours you have and then decide. As another poster said, it's unlikely that you could fit both Murano AND Burano into such a short stay. However, I met someone once who spent about that much time in Venice ONLY riding the vaporetti up and down the Grand Canal and over to the islands and back without actually getting off to walk much. It's what she wanted to do, and it satisfied her dream. Have a wonderful trip! Venice is magic.

1) yes. I think you have a better handle on it than many. It sounds perfect to me. 2) you don't get the deals for advance purchase that you once did and I always get into the little tent thing at Ferravia, you can easily get them at the airport. 3) yes. I disagree - that's what forums are for, right? - and my wife and I always get a vaporetto pass for the duration of our stay, no matter 3 days or 12 hours. A trip up and down the Grand Canal at dawn or dusk (better at dawn), one over to San Georgio for the bell tower, better than the campanile in S Marco IMHO, one out to a lagoon island or two and you are way ahead. Peace of mind. And when one walker decides that the last bridge really was the last bridge for a while you can take a load off and keep everybody happy. Have a wonderful time!!

THANK YOU EVERYONE! We were originally going to take the Alilaguna from the airport to the Hotel (by Rialto Bridge), but for about the same amount of money, we can get the unlimited pass and have the flexibility to ride wherever and whenever we want. I understand the trip from the airport to the hotel will take longer then the alilaguna..... We plan to do a lot of wandering on foot, but it might be nice to be able to hop on a Vaporetti whenever we please. I'd like to go to Burano (for photography) if we have time, but I know our visit is a short one. So it sounds like, we should buy all of our passes at the airport when we arrive. Perfect!

Yes there is a 4Euro extra charge for the one-way ACTV bus trip from the airport to the Piazzale Roma if you buy online. The normal fare is 7Euro if you buy at the airport. I just completed buying two 72-hr travel passes plus the one-way bus trip in from the airport. Total was 39Euro. I also purchased the toilet cards that you have to get when you purchase the vaporetto tickets. Toilets are a bit scarce in Venice unless you are in a restaurant or hotel. Buying online at www.veniceconnected.com will save a couple of Euros besides the convenience of just picking them up at the HelloVenezia booth at the airport. We did not take advantage of the museum passes as there are too many included that we don't have time to visit. Also, we like the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and its not included in the pass. Just get out early to beat the cruisers or go late when they are heading back to their ships.

The No 5 bus costs 6 euro, so you will have to buy tickets for the kids as that is not included in the Rolling Venice card. Otherwise, sounds like you have a good handle on everything. You will probably have to go into the Hellovenezia office at the airport anyway to get the Rolling Venice cards, so you might as well do the whole transaction there in one shot.

If you do get passes, remember to tap them on the electronic validating pads before you get on each and every vaporetto. That's different, say, from bus passes in Rome where you only have to validate them the first time, then just have them on you. In Venice, you have to tap the pad every single time.

THANK YOU EVERYONE.... for helping me figure this all out!!!!!