How old was your child?

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

My oldest was 2.5 on her first trip and my youngest was 22 months.

 

[FamilyGuy]

1st trip to DW was Dec 2004, we had 3 kids at the time, who were 10,9 & 5. They have been back more than a dozen times since. We took our granddaughter for the first time at 12 months of age, and then our grandson a couple of years later when he was 18 months... fun times!

 

[Funfire240]

DD was 3 1/2 and DS was 16 months. Everyone said we were crazy because they wouldn't remember but we have the best memories

 

[barb969]

DD was 5

 

[PollyannaMom]

first day trip @ 18 mos.

first week+ trip @ 5 yrs.

 

[M23F5]

Our first trip my oldest was just under 3 and my middle was 16 months. We didn’t take my youngest until she was 4 but she has had the benefit of many more trips since then.

 

[goofyernmost]

My oldest had just turned 9 and the youngest was about to turn 7. I found that the perfect age. We all were able to do things as a family, didn't have to stop for naps or diaper changes. They could communicate about the things they liked and the things they didn't, they could decide what they wanted for meals and didn't have to haul around half a household to cover all possible scenarios. They had memories that have lasted for almost 40 years. Now that they are older we sometimes reminisce about that trip and how special it was.

I know that new parents, especially new parents that already love the parks get all excited when their baby or toddler looks mesmerized but, to me, that is something that can be duplicated by flashing a flashlight on and off. And there are no shared experience later in life when a child is to young to really understand what they are seeing.
If I had it to do again, I would do it the exactly the same way.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

6 months. There's no place in the world easier to be with a diaper-aged baby than Walt Disney World.

 

[projectx3]

4 years old.
Rule of thumb for us is potty trained and 40" tall. I don't need the hassle of dealing with diapers in theme parks and while 40" doesn't get you on all the rides, it does open up a lot more of the larger rides (BTMRR, Splash, ToT...).

 

[CaptainAmerica]

4 years old.
Rule of thumb for us is potty trained and 40" tall. I don't need the hassle of dealing with diapers in theme parks and while 40" doesn't get you on all the rides, it does open up a lot more of the larger rides (BTMRR, Splash, ToT...).

I'm asking this sincerely, not being argumentative.

Where would you go where you wouldn't have "the hassle of dealing with diapers"? Or would you literally just not go on vacation for four years?

If you take your baby to Cape Cod or the Grand Canyon or Grandma's house or any other place, you're still going to have the hassle of dealing with diapers. What about Disney do you find uniquely difficult? Personally, I think it's among the easiest places to deal with diapers. There are changing tables everywhere, and everything is clean.

 

[projectx3]

I'm asking this sincerely, not being argumentative.

Where would you go where you wouldn't have "the hassle of dealing with diapers"? Or would you literally just not go on vacation for four years?

If you take your baby to Cape Cod or the Grand Canyon or Grandma's house or any other place, you're still going to have the hassle of dealing with diapers. What about Disney do you find uniquely difficult? Personally, I think it's among the easiest places to deal with diapers. There are changing tables everywhere, and everything is clean.

Dealing with diapers and lugging around everything that comes with it during peak Disney crowds (wife is a teacher, so think spring break and thanksgiving) brings in a lot more logistical considerations than a beach vacation. Add in the number of top tier rides we'd have to skip with the lower height, and it's just not worth it to me when you're spending that much money.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Dealing with diapers and lugging around everything that comes with it during peak Disney crowds (wife is a teacher, so think spring break and thanksgiving) brings in a lot more logistical considerations than a beach vacation.

I guess. I don't know, I just never felt like 8 diapers, one tube of A&D, and one pack of wipes was much of a burden to carry.

Add in the number of top tier rides we'd have to skip with the lower height, and it's just not worth it to me when you're spending that much money.

That makes sense. My parents (and sometimes my adult sisters) usually travel with us, so we've never had to skip anything. There's always someone willing to sit out a ride, take turns, split up, etc.

 

[KristaZ]

4 months - he'll have been 4 times by the time he hits 1. We're also AP, so definitely not once in a lifetime. We like to travel (WDW and the world in general), and I'm a pretty firm believer in where we want to go, he goes. He's took his first European trip at 9 months.

 

[CinderEmma94]

My kids went to WDW for the first time when they were 5 and 2. However my oldest’s first Disney trip was to Disneyland when he was 6 months old (we went several times before moving east).

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Our first DD was 6 month old and then when we had a 2nd DD she was 5 months old, great trips and memories. We would go for a week and then do a couple of 4 days trips per year, until our 1st DD got into 5th grade. We took our camcorder back then and now both DD's love to watch the videos of those trips

 

[DizneyFamof4]

6 months. There's no place in the world easier to be with a diaper-aged baby than Walt Disney World.

Ditto
We LOVED having a stroller to put everything in and never understood the parents that thought it was a hassle to have one. We went from a stroller to a sit-n-stand and still no issues and I totally believe that kept our DDs from having melt downs because they were able to sit in it anytime they were tired. As a matter of fact, the first year we no longer needed it, I still wanted to take it, but my DW talked me out of it. LOL

 

[pixiegoose]

Odd was 6 months for her first trip. Ydd was 2.5 years old (odd was 5.5 years old) for her first trip. We’ve also taken them at 5.5 and 8.5 and they will be 9.5 and 12.5 for our trip next month. I don’t miss the diaper days but I do miss the absolute wonder and joy of an infant or toddler enjoying all the bits of magic at Disney.

 

[goofyernmost]

I'm asking this sincerely, not being argumentative.

Where would you go where you wouldn't have "the hassle of dealing with diapers"? Or would you literally just not go on vacation for four years?

If you take your baby to Cape Cod or the Grand Canyon or Grandma's house or any other place, you're still going to have the hassle of dealing with diapers. What about Disney do you find uniquely difficult? Personally, I think it's among the easiest places to deal with diapers. There are changing tables everywhere, and everything is clean.

I stayed home or just traveled locally. It was easier and they usually just wanted to stay home and play with their toys anyway. Even when they were older I spent all kinds of money to take them to WDW and if given the choice they preferred just staying at the hotel pool.

 

[2letterwords]

My kids were 6 months and 2.5 years on our first trip.

 

[Lilsia]

Our kids are 13 months apart so we waited until the youngest was 18 months old. I wanted to make sure that she had her 18 month immunizations before taking them into huge crowds.