What age to take your kids to WDW ~ A Story

[SandraC]

LOL ~ next month is our 12th wedding anniversary and we still have the furniture we bought with our wedding gift money! I traded off new furniture for lots of WDW trips! I call our furniture VINTAGE LOL! It might even come back into style soon. I just painted my kitchen today and bought NEW accessories, the total cost of the kitchen face life $30! My car is a 1991 Tempo. I got so fed up with looking at the rust on my car, I just spray painted Temgled on the rust spots. I love my house, my furniture and my car. My house is full of Disney photos too! We had kind strangers take pictures of us in front of each of the 4 parks centre attractions (castle, spaceship earth, tree of life and the scorsocers hat at mgm) I bought a really nice frame and it looks great~ Chat soon! S

 

[HeatherT]

We took our twins to WDW when they were only 6 mo. old and we're going back in Oct. when they'll be 19 mo old. People thought we were nuts but we have some great pictures of our ds feeling Goofy's wiskers and our dd biting Minnie's nose. It looks like she's kissing her! We were given a lot of special treatment b/c they were so small, and it created some very magical memories for dh and I. I've been a little worried about dd and ds being afraid of the characters this time, but after reading all of you're posts, my fears have subsided. We'll make sure we have the video camera this time!

Heather

 

[c&m]

SandraC, I think you have your priorities in the right place! With so much chaos in the world, it's just so refreshing to hear someone proclaim that family is so paramount. Like everyone on this thread, my DH and I love seeing our 2 DDs eyes light up at DL. The looks on their precious little faces will last a lifetime in my memory--absolutely priceless and cannot be topped by any material goods in this world.

Our oldest DD was 2.5 when she first went to DL, the youngest DD was 15 months. Oldest DD will go on her 4th trip to DL in Sept 2002, 3rd trip for our youngest DD.

 

[vicb]

Just my 2 cents but I think people should take their kids as early as they want too! I really think if you travel with your kids at a young age (WDW or non-WDW) they become aclimated to traveling. It becomes second nature to them and to your family as a unit. And if you go to WDW, as the kids get older they can help plan where to stay, what to do and where to eat there. That is half the fun! My DD will be 11-1/2 next time we go and I am not worried at all about her having a "not cool" attitude. She loves to travel, we will just let her have more say in the planning!

 

[doggy]

We waited with all three of our kid until they were at least 4 years old and never have regreted it....The older kids enjoyed sharing their experiences with the younger ones and when we were at the parks the older ones were like they were little again...The older ones had just as much fun taking their younger brothers or sisters around to the rides and best of all at about 4 years old they can ride almost everything with there older brothers or sisters....This to me is Real Family Vacation!!

Any younger than 4 they simply can not handle all the walking and riding....They need their rest just like a baby does and babies still do need naps and not in stollers. We need to think about what is best for our children first and then consider which will work for the family as a whole...

 

[SandraC]

c&m, we took our ds when he was 15 months old too! It was an amazing trip for the whole family! I was shocked at the amount of things a 15 month old can enjoy at WDW. And you are right, since we started travelling with our kids young, they are pros and now have a 'worldly' way about them. I think it comes down to ecomonics to many folks. But if a family has a desire and the cash to go, I say go before it's too late. S

 

[booh]

Although we don't have kids, if we did (or ever do), I'm sure we'd not stop our yearly (or more) trips to wait until they were older - I've seen so many babies at WDW having a ball!! Not to bring anybody down, but my best friend planned a trip when her daughter was a little over 2. As the time got closer, they started making excuses - she's too young, we need this for the house, daddy would rather go hunting, etc, etc. So they "postponed" the trip. A month after they would have gone, my dear friend was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and died within a month. It breaks my heart that her poor baby won't have those precious memories with her mother! I love to look at the pictures from my early trips with my recently departed mother - what great memories! So take the little ones and have a great time!!! Life is too short to not make all the memories you can while you can!

 

[SandraC]

booh, my heart brakes for your friends family.....


Tomorrow is my dd's annual Sick Kids appointment (Sick Kids is Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children). I'm scared to death. My dd has complex heart defects and lately she's been complaining of racing heart. She used to go to Sick Kids every 6 months and another cardiologist in between. She's just been put on 6 months with both dr's.

We try not spoiling dd, but we also want to give her the best quality of life we can, since we don't really have quantity on our side. She's been to WDW 3x and she's 8.5 years old. I'd like to go again March 2003, but 2004 would be better for many reasons. I can see tomorrow's appt playing a big role on our next trip. S

 

[booh]

SandraC - a prayer has been said for your precious daughter! May God bless your family and hold your daughter in His loving hands and heal her!

 

[SandraC]

Thank you booh, I really needed that. I'm sitting here, 10 hours away from the appt and I am starting to freak out quite badly. I've been pacing and computing and braiding my hair. All the horrible things about the hospital are swimming in my head. I dread having to hide my fears from dd. I did tell dd that sometimes I get sad at the hospital because it reminds me of a time when she was an infant and we were scared because we didn't know of understand her heart defects. I reassure her that I trust she'll be fine tomorrow, it's just Mommy memoried that haunt me. She's cool with it. Before she went to sleep, I reminded her that McDonalds has new Barbie and Hot Wheels Happy meal toys tomorrow, so we are both trying to concentrate on that and other happy thoughts. Sorry to ramble, I'm pretty freaked out right now. I'll be better tomorrow afternoon. S

 

[Katiebug]

We brought our oldest dd last year. She was almost 2. Everyone told us she was too young and wouldn't remember anything. My dh and I took her anyway and she had a wonderful time. We watched the vacation planning video before we went and she loved and recognized all of the characters, especially Mickey, Minnie and Pooh Bear.

Now we are planning to go back and take our youngest dd who is 15 months as well as our oldest who is almost 3. Our oldest asks to watch the Disney video every day so she can show our youngest where we are going.

Does she remember? I would say she does!!! But even if she forgets when she is older, I will never forget the look on her face the first time she saw the castle and met Cinderella.

I say Good for us All!

 

[scanne]

I just had my 1st baby on 8/8/02 and my DH and I are already planning his first 2 trips! One is for Oct. 2003 and the 2nd is for his 2nd birthday in Aug. 2004.

BUT, I'm starting to think DH won't be able to wait more than a year to go......we may end up there next August when Chase turns one. I want him to have his first haircut on Main Street!!!

I can't wait to make our Disney memories abd family traditions!

 

[Magic2000]

We have three daughters, and all three had been to by the time they were 15 months old! I love being at Disney with the little ones - their faces the first time they see a character or the castle or whatever is just priceless!!!! Now my oldest two love going off by themselves, but we always meet up for lunch and dinner and see what everybody's done and what we've bought and which characters we met! They also like standing in all the different lines so their little sister can meet the characters!

I wouldn't trade all my memories of our family vacations for anything!! My oldest two (one graduated from high school, the other is in 11th grade) still love going to Disney. My six yr old loves Disney too - this Dec will be her seventh visit!!!

 

[booh]

SandraC - I've been thinking about you and praying for you! How did the appointment go at the hospital? Hope all is well. Just wanted you to know I care!

 

[disnaholic]

I agree not to wait. I struggled with the decision for a while whether or not to take my kids to disney until they were older. Finally I decided when they were 4 and 6 to take them. I am so glad we did! We have wonderful memories and I love it when one of the kids says "Do you remember at Disney World..... ' It was worth it to hold off on getting a new computer or redoing the bathroom.

I got a new camcorder for the next trip and I can't wait to put it to use!

 

[drewc]

I agree with everyone posting here. When your kids are young, you get just as much enjoyement and memories by re-experiencing everything through their eyes.

Will they remember every minute? Probably not. Will they have a wonderful time? Absolutely.

And don't be too quick to think that young kids won't remember. My daughter, who was 4 when we went last year, will casually mention minute details of our trip from time to time out of the blue - stuff that I have long forgotten. She happens to have a better than average memory (not sure where she got that - definitely not from me!), but the whole Disney experience is so vibrant and intense at that age, that it has to be indelible on some level.

Life is too short, and as many others have pointed out, kids have a way of growing up too quickly. Will they ever have as good a time as when they truly believe in the "magic"?

 

[ASFCurly]

About remembering a trip, it is not the next year necesarrily that it will be forgotten by, but by a couple of years down the road, there will very few actual memories. I went to Disneyland when I was 4 and my brother was 1. He doesn't remember anything, I only have one actual memory, and it wan't even really at DL, we were staying at my Mom's aunts house and we had bought plastic cups from DL for some cousins back home and her dogs chewed up all but 1, I was so upset, and it was right before we were leaving so we couldn't get another, I remember going home and giving the cup to them but being so upset, because they had to share the cup.

I am not saying that you should wait till the kids are old enough to remember, that it is still magic, and you will have the memories to share with them, and tell them about it, but it will be more for you then them, which isn't bad.

I think that what some people are trying to say is that if you can only go on one trip to WDW with your kids that you might want to wait a little. If I could only go on one trip with my kids (when I have them) I would wait till they were say, 5 and 7, it is still magic and they still love it, but they will remember more than if they were like 2 and 4.

 

[mommystieg]

My dd's were 9 and 2 when we went to WDW for the first time this June. Everybody thought we were wasting our money by taking a 2 y\o but she loved it!! She looks at the pix from the trip and sings "Hoop de doo, hoop de doo" when she sees the pix from the HDDR. She also sings "Yo ho, Yo ho" when she sees the PotC pix. She recognizes the pix from IASW as well-so I know she remembers her visit. My SIL keeps saying she is waiting until her kids older so they can enjoy it more-they are 12 and 11 now. Ya'll are right-there is nothing more magical than when your kids meet their favorite characters for the first time!! I will never forget the look on my youngest's face when Cinderella tickled her cheeks-you won't get that kinda reaction from a 12 y\o. I truly believe that you must live today because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

 

[Pookey]

Too old? Too cool? I didn't read all the posts, but can hardly believe it. We went to Disney for the first time ever when my oldest was 17, my daughter 13 and my youngest (son) was 6. We all had a blast! My kids never thought they were too old or too cool. We had never been able to go before and never thought we would go again. But luckily we are planning a trip with our whole family again, plus a family of good friends. My oldest is now 20 and a junior in college and when I asked him if he wanted to go and told him I would understand if he didn't, he didn't hesitate. He will be 21, my daughter - 17 and the youngest - 10. The kids in the other family will be 17 and 14. And everyone is thoroughly excited!
If you always value family time together, even the small tihings like suppers together, sporting events, etc., they should value it too. I realize I am very lucky, but I know others can have the same experience. Remember, the kids may think it's cool to say they're too old, but not really mean it. I would still plan a trip with their input and I bet they would get into it and end up having a blast. Never too old!!!!!!

 

[BarbOKW]

Hi Pookey,

I think the point of the post here are not that the kids are too old to go...but that some people wait until their kids are "old enough". My oldest is now 14 and we've been going pretty much every year since he was 2. We now have 4 kids with the youngest being 7. We still go every year. Because of a different discussion thread, I recently asked him what he thought of going to WDW now that he's a "teenager". His response was why wouldn't I want to go? I love WDW!

When you take very young kids, it's amazing how people think you're nuts because they are too young. What the people here are saying is take them when they're young, it's wonderful. And go have a great time when the kids are older too.