Age of First Visit

[scheat]

We have a grandchild that is only 1 year old so she is not ready for WDW in our opinion, as of yet. Obviously this question varies between children, but on AVERAGE what would you say would be the BEST age for a first visit to WDW. Best meaning able to take it all in, understand most of what is going on, and be able to physically handle the parks(for the most part.) We are thinking 6-7 years old. What would be some of your opinions? Thanks.

 

[DivineMadness7]

I was 4. I think it was the perfect age. I have some memories of it and was old enough to really enjoy the trip. My parents said they didn't use/need a stroller though my dad did carry me on his shoulders at times. They also have said it didn't seem like I was "overwhelmed" as a lot of small children can be...sometimes it can be a bit too much but I think around 4 is a good age.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Four or five years old, to be able to enjoy the experience

 

[tigsmom]

We brought our first when she was 4, our second made her first trip when she was 20 months. She had a blast! Loved the shows, rides & especially the characters.

 

[KC82271]

Mine was 10 months old and I would do it again. It was easier then when she couldn't tell me she didn't want to see something!!

 

[bgraham34]

Mine was 10 months old and I would do it again. It was easier then when she couldn't tell me she didn't want to see something!!

I bet. I would hate for my kid to say I dont want to go on Peter Pan.

 

[disneymyway]

Honestly I think it depends.

When our daughter was little we did not have the money to go often and the first trip was a really big deal financially that we saved for. We waited until she was 6 so that she'd remember it and get the most out of it.

But if you can go every year I don't think it matters how young they are. The first trips would just be slower and more geared to little ones - but they'd still be fun.

If this is your once in a lifetime or once in a long time trip, I'd wait until they are 6 or 7.

 

[Master Yoda]

It all up to you and what you want to do at the parks. If you want to get up early stay out late and spend all day at the parks then you will want to wait until they are nearly teenagers. If you are willing to take it down a notch and go at the child's pace no age is to young.

My youngest daughter's first trip was at 10 days old and we had a great time. She has grown up going to WDW every couple of months since birth and she absolutely loves it.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Almost 3 for me!

I actually remeber the highlights of the trip.Esp EC.

And that was...14 years ago.

 

[coltow]

My oldest has been at 8mo, 22mo, 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. Although he doesn't really remember anything from the 1st 2 trips, we sure do and we have some great pictures. His trip at 2 1/2 was amazing and he still remembers so much from it that it amazes me. Obviously the older the more they remember and can appreciate. Our last trip was great he was tall enough for most things which made it more fun for the adults too.

The downside is that the older they get the more stubborn they can be. Also the more scared of things they can be. At 2 1/2 he rode HM about 5 times, last trip we could only get him on once, we tried a second time, but he wanted nothing to do with it. We also tried to get him on Dinosaur and ToT and again no such luck. He had never been on either of them, but the sight of them from the outside was enough to throw him into panic mode.

 

[VT GAL]

My DD was 19 months, and we had a blast! She is very outgoing and isn't really scared of anything, so she was game for riding any and everything she could.

The best advice I can give you about age is be realistic with what YOU expect out of the trip. If you are going to "Dumbo or Die" tour the parks, you may run into some problems. But if you are willing to slow the pace down and enjoy things you might normally pass (Pooh's Playful Spot was great for my daughter) the trip will go a whole lot smoother.

When we took my DD, we knew that the trip was more for us than her. I will NEVER forget the sight of my daughter walking down Main Street in her Cinderella dress after her first haircut holding hands with my parents. Those are the things to focus on with a little one, the rides will be there next year.

 

[Eyorefan]

Honestly I think it depends.

When our daughter was little we did not have the money to go often and the first trip was a really big deal financially that we saved for. We waited until she was 6 so that she'd remember it and get the most out of it.

But if you can go every year I don't think it matters how young they are. The first trips would just be slower and more geared to little ones - but they'd still be fun.

If this is your once in a lifetime or once in a long time trip, I'd wait until they are 6 or 7.

I agree. Its a personal choice. If you are only planing on going once in a life time, I would wait until the child was 5 or 6. They will be able to ride more, and handel the parks better. They are also still young enough to enjoy the magic of it all.

I went twice when I was growing up. I turned 4 on my first trip and still remember a lot of it. The second time I was 10, and able to enjoy more of the roller coasters and such.

It is really up to you and the kid.

 

[The Mom]

I was 31 on my first trip. I took my parents, who were in their early 60s. No whining, no complaints.

Same for my husband; he was 36.

My daughter was 20 months old, and her 15 year old cousin did all the whining. We went back a couple of months later, and had a great time.

My son's first visit was in utero, so he definitely doesn't remember it. :lol: He went again at around 18 months, just so my daughter could have a trip. She and her friend (both 11) were old enough to go on rides without me, while my son and I did something nearby, and they could find us.

 

[rsoxguy]

My wife and I had agreed to wait until our daughter was 6 or 7 years old before we took her to WDW. We received free AP's to EPCOT when she was about 2 years old and, much to our surprise, she loved every trip that year (30+). She has been in love with all things Disney World since. I would imagine that the personality and temperament of each child is a determinant, but our kid is now a teenager and has loved Disney since a very young age. Best wishes on your decision.

 

[Since1976]

If the child had only one chance to go to Disney, I'd wait until they are age 8. More rides are available to them, and they are less likely to be too frightened of the scarier attractions.

If you plan on doing multiple trips to WDW anyway, then by all means, don't wait until they are 8! Your child won't remember going as an infant, but you will, and you will have plenty of photos and video to enjoy and reminisce.

 

[shoppingnut]

I think 6 or 7 is too old to wait for the first trip. We brought my nephew at 2, 3, 3 1/2 and 4 so far and he really enjoyed it. The first trip he wanted nothing to do with the characters, but by 3 he started to like them more and by 3 1/2 was great with them. It took him a bit to adjust to how big they are. He enjoyed to rides and got used to the fact that the rides in FL are indoors mainly which is a big thing for kids because most parks they are all outdoors.

Also, depending on your age and health, you might not want to wait that long to go with the grandchild. The advantage to going before they are 5 is that you can go any time of the year (the cooler, less crowded times), since you don't have to worry about school.

 

[SchultzFamily]

I think it all depends on the child and that child's personality, stamina, etc. We took our oldest for the first time when he was 18 months old. Did he understand everything? No, not by any means. Did he have a great time? Absolutely...he never cried the whole trip, smiled, ran around on his wobbly little legs and scared the crap out of us when he took off with Mickey and we couldn't find him for what seemed like eternity and was probably just a matter of two minutes (he was outside Mousegears--which had a different name then--sitting on the bench with Mickey and then Minnie came over and they played with him for about five minutes and wouldn't let anyone else near them. We took our youngest son when he was about 18 months old too. Totally different personality with this child (still is too :ROFLOL. He whined a lot, cried a lot, had to have more naps, be carried more (wouldn't ride in the stroller), was a little afraid of the characters.

 

[disneynut4u]

I have a few different opinions. We took my son for his birthday when he turned 7. We had been planning for 3 or 4 years, but AK was under construction and we knew he'd want to do that. Then he loved dinosaurs, but when Dinosaur first opened, there was an age/height limit and he would not have been able to ride it. We decided that we weren't going if he couldn't ride the 1 thing he wanted to do. So we went for his 7th birthday. It was great for him. He could walk (no stroller renting) & he still believed in the characters. (not to spoil anything for you believers!) Now, he's 15 and "Mr. Macho". No character interaction whatsoever!

We took my 3 year old niece a couple years later and she was perfect. She still remembers certain attractions/buildings 5 years later. The 9 & 10 year old cousins were awful, however. It's all a matter of the child's temperment (& yours) and what they want to do. If there are rides they want to do, but don't meet requirements, why ruin it for them?