Your youngest memory at WDW?

[Elliesmommy]

My DD will be two in Jan. and I have a trip planned for when she is almost three.

I want her to have at least SOME memories from her first trip to the World. Will it be too soon? What are your experiences?

I did not go to WDW until I was 18 so I have no input.

 

[clanmcculloch]

My own personal youngest memory is from my first adult trip because my parents are very anti-Florida so we never went when I was a kid. OK, I know that's not what you meant.

What I've observed about my own kids is that they have lots of memories of things they did as very young kids. In reality, the only things they remember is what we talk about and go over with pictures and videos. You'll be creating memories for yourselves and as you relive these memories with your kids as they get older, these stories that you tell will become memories for your kids. They'll swear they remember even though logically we all know that it's really just the retelling of the story that they remember. It doesn't matter though because what does matter is that you and your DH have these memories and you'll share these memories fondly with your little ones as they get older. Kids love hearing the same stories from their early years over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over until you want to scream. LOL!!!

Just make sure to take lots of pictures. If you keep some kind of trip journal then that'll be something additional for her to enjoy when she gets older and to help you remember those stories for going along with the photos and memories.

 

[Jenny-momof3]

I was 5 on my first Disney trip and I have only 4 vivid memories of that trip...there are no pictures from that trip so these are things that I truly remember.

Picking out my Mickey head balloon. I know it was blue. And this was back before they put the mickey head inside a big clear balloon.

Riding Haunted Mansion...I've remembered bits and pieces of that ride over the years but wasn't really sure what it was from. It wasn't til I finally got back to Disney in 2008 that I realized what it was that I remembered. We've gone to many amusement parks over the years so I just assumed maybe it was from someplace else...until I rode Haunted Mansion again!

Riding the tea cups...I remember my dad spinning and spinning them.

My poor mom trying to push my little sisters metal stroller over the big wires that were everywhere....I guess back then there must've been alot of cords not buried.

This is truly all that I remember. But I'm glad that my parents took me at a young age anyways.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I have to agree with the PP. My dd loves hearing stories from times she can't remember. She especially loves hearing it now that we have ds. I see him sometimes and say "you did that too" and she wants to hear all about it.

I remember going to WDW as a child. My dad took me when I was 7, which is how old dd will be when we go next week. The only things I remember are meeting characters (I only met 2). But the pictures were basically put in an album and I only saw them if I went to look at them. My mom and dad were divorced and there was no "remember when we" sessions when it came to that trip because my mom didn't go with us. Of course I've been looking at them a lot since I started planning this trip.

I only went that one time, so when we go next week, it will be like my first time too. I'm 38 now.

Dd has memories of things we did when she was 4, but not 3. She remembers going on a cruise at 4 years-old, but not the trip to Cleveland she and I took when she was 3. But we looked at the cruise pictures a lot more. She remembers everything from when she was 5. I think the difference was then too I took a lot of pictures and we looked at them a lot to keep things fresh in her mind.

My dd and I have gone to a lot of basketball games at UNC. It's my alma mater and we follow the women's basketball team. We have had season tickets and gone to away games and post season tournament games. We started when she was just under 3 in 2006, took last season off because I was pregnant, and we're back at it again this season with ds in tow. In 2008, we traveled a lot going to almost every away game we could get to. We took lots of pictures and looked at them a lot as the year went on. One day in January of this year, the TV was on and the logo of another school popped on the screen. Dd said, "We went there. My mommy took me there to see the Tar Heels and we had pizza at the game." We'd been to countless games and she remembered that from two years prior. I was amazed. She remembered something different about every away game we went to that season and still does.

 

[ThePumpkinQueen]

My first trip was around 5 or 6. I remember falling asleep at the Country Bears Jamboree! lol I don't remember a lot of specifics, but I do remember the trip. We don't have any photos from it.
We went in a big family group of 9 when my daughter was 2. It was me, DH, DD, my mom, dad, & grandma, and my sister, BIL & nephew who was almost 3. My daughter had a blast and has memories from that trip, but we've been once a year since so I think the memories kind of blur together for her. I'll tell you though, she won't go back to the "It's Tough to be a Bug" show at AK because she remembers getting freaked out by it on her first trip! She also remembers meeting Chicken Little- he was her big celebrity at the time because that was her favorite movie- the one we all had memorized because she had us play it and replay it. She was so starstruck!

 

[PirateKate]

I was also five on my first trip. I remember it, but we did have a video of it, so I am not always sure how much of it I really remember and how much of it I have seen on the video.

 

[jason4024]

MY earliest memory was on my first trip, but I was 9 already. Its kind of sad, but I remember my grandfather being mad at me because all I wanted to do was go to the hotel and swim.

My daughter talks about her memories quite often. She talks about meeting the princesses and how she didn't meet Jasmine her first time there. She was definitely her favorite at that time. And then last year, she wanted to meet Silvermist, and of course she didn't find her. She now thinks that you have to go twice before you can meet your favorite charater.

My son also talks about his first experiences on a big roller coaster, when he rode BTMRR for the first time. He can not wait to ride it again.

Their next memories are coming a lot sooner than they think!

 

[AnnMarie3]

My ds now 14 remembers a few things from our trip when he was 2 1/2. He remembers Watching the water pagent from the GF and meeting Buzz and Woody, and riding Kilamanjaro Safaris for the first time.

 

[Lamping3]

We took our DD last December just after her 2nd birthday. I really don't know how much she remembers...she can tell you about Dumbo and that we rode the green one. She looks at the different pictures daily. She is very excited to see the castle and the princesses on our next trip in May of 2011.

I first went when I was 5....I'm 30 now. I don't remember much. Most of my memories were from what pictures we have. I do remember the lizzards being all over the place in the hotel we stayed at.

Most important is what YOU remember. I cherish the time we spent with DD last December and I can't wait until we get to do it again in May. This is our last trip to take before we start trying for baby #2 so it might be a while before we get to go back. Seeing her face when we met Mickey was one of those priceless things that made all the hard points of traveling with a toddler just disapear.

Good luck!

 

[Fall1]

We took DS and DD last Fall when they were 2.4 years old and on this trip in October at 3.4 years old they remembered things and places we went last year. They remembered where some rides where in relation to others and which hotel by looking at it that Chef Mickey's is in. They also rememberd how to walk to the BCV pool and where the sand was.

I am guessing they won't remember these things long term, but they did from last October to this past October.

 

[Disneymooner07]

My first trip was when I was 4. I very distinctly remember riding Dumbo (and loving the feeling of flying) and meeting Donald Duck - the feeling of amazement and sheer excitement that this was *actually* Donald Duck still makes me happy to this day and is probably why I have such a love for Disney World. I also remember riding Small World and being so excited that I just kept poking my mother and pointing at things with my mouth agape. My mother tells me that this is her favorite memory from our first trip I also remember Mickey waffles and snippets from the hotel.

I can't say enough about what warm and happy feelings I have from that first Disney World trip - it truly was magical and I just can't understand people that don't want to take their kids until they're older. Sure, I don't remember most of the trip, but the gift of that Disney "magic" is priceless and not something you can ever reclaim at a later age!

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Well I can say that my DS who just turned 6 went at to WDW for first time at almost 5 and he remembers way way more than I ever thought he would.
I went to Disneyland for the first time around 9 and I have just a couple distinct memories otherwise I like looking at the pictures
My memories are probably not the ones my mom intended either
1. Mom not taking the picture fast enough in the tomorrow land car and I had to go potty.
2. Falling asleep on the floor of the overstuffed trolley after the electric light parade
3. The awesome pool at the Marriott. I loved it.
4. Walking THROUGH the castle to get into the park (I love that about Disneyland )
5. My favorite rides Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Its a small world, carousel of progress, Captian Eo.

Pictures will definitely help you bring the memories back to her and it will be great fun for her to relive it all through you. Shared memories are priceless

 

[okeydokey]

My youngest was 2 on our first trip and I have to say he remembers very little if anything. However, WE remember lots and had a great time so I'm glad we went. The next trip he was 5 and remembered a lot more from that one.

 

[estherhead]

I went when I was little (4? maybe) and I don't remember it at all. But I loved growing up hearing my parents talk about my first trip & how I kept saying, "Now that's real? Right, Mommy?" Especially on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

My first memory of Disney is eating at Epcot the year it opened (I was 9 or 10?) But for the parent's pleasure that's too late. My memories are not of being amazed.

Each of my kids first trip to Disney is before they turned one. They had no idea they were at Disney. But why do I care? I LOVED being there with them. Snuggling with them at my happy place. And I love the pictures of them there.

Travelling as a family is good for the family whether the kids have clear memories or not. You'll love it and so will your two year old!

 

[tres besitos]

My first trip was when I was 8 and it was also my first time on a plane. So some of my strongest memories are of the airport and the plane trip. I remember the flight attendant giving us those plastic wing pins, being amazed to leave a snowy cold Boston and arrive in a sunny warm FL and seeing palm trees for the first time. I remember the hotel and being allowed to go fill up the ice bucket with my sister. We were oddly fascinated with a soda a called Mr Pibb (it wasn't sold in MA) that tasted just like Dr. Pepper. We still laugh about it today, we both remember it so well and the only time we ever had it was from vending machines in Florida hotels. As far as WDW itself, I don't really remember my "first time" we went 6 or 7 timed during my childhood and the memories of all the trips and stories have kind of blended together to form very strong memories, especially of Epcot.

We have taken our kids 4 times now, and I agree with the PP alot of their memories come from looking at photos and telling and retelling and retelling... of the stories from our vacations. Certainly, my then 1 year old son doesn't remember ignoring all the characters in Chef Mickey's until he saw Minnie. He broke into a huge smile, giggled, reached his little arms up and gave her a huge hug. But I remember it. I have heard from friends/family that "they are too little, they won't even remember it" THat's OK because we are creating memories for ourselves too. Because you never know when they are older they may only reminisce with their brothers about how we let them drink soda on vacation!

 

[jimdsmith]

My first trip to WDW was in 1975, I was 7 years old, the only reason I remember that because I recently stumbled upon some old pictures that we took there. I distinctly remember riding Its a Small World, Space Mountain and the Tea Cups and Space Ship Earth. It wasn't until some 30 years later that I returned with my DW, and 2 DS ages 2 1/2 and 8. We haven't stopped going since and I think my now 7 year old through repetition and loads of pictures remembers a lot. He doesn't remember much from his early years of going. My now 13 year old has a pretty good memory of earlier trips. After returning to WDW after a 30 year hiatus it was truly magical to return to the rides of my youth and they gave me the same pleasures as they did the first time I rode them!

 

[bigal'sdaughter]

First, Iam truly enjoying all of these memories.
That being said - we took DD at 2.5 last November and while she does like looking at the pics and video every once in a while - she does have some memories becuse every once in a while she'll just bring something random up that we forgot about/do not have a picture of.
For example the other day she brought up the giraffes in "its a small world" and parts of "the donald duck show" aka Philharmagic.
My first memory - I was about 6 or 7 and my Dad was picked to be in the HDDR. I remember him on that stage with a little feather on his head.

 

[HockeyMomNH]

<------ That's me with Mickey in 1973. I was about 1 1/2 at the time. I did not go back to Disney after that trip until I was about 10.
I have memories of "It's a Small World" and the Swiss family tree house from that first trip. Honestly, I thought that they were dreams until I went back to see them again.

My son and daughter were both about 3 the first time we took either of them. My son has more memories of his first trip than my daughter does.

 

[magicalcouple]

I know you will like this answer OP! I was 4 when I went to WDW the first time and I remember 2 things! I rode Peter Pan and IaSW over and over and over and loved it. Oh I remember! And I also remember being dragged to SM to see if I could ride it against my will and screaming THE ENTIRE TIME TERRIFIED. I probably wasn't tall enough anyway. But boy do I remember! But the love of it's a small world has stuck with me all these years and it is a great memory- and feeling.

 

[mom2val]

We went for the first time when I was 7 and I remember nothing from that trip. We went again the next year and all I can remember is getting stuck on Peter Pan and being scared out of my mind!

We took dd for the first time at age 5 and she remembers nothing. She remebers quite a bit from the next trip we took when she was 8.