At what age to start bringing the kids?

[wdwjmp239]

My wife and I have two children (3 year old daughter and 15 month old son). We love our kids to death and miss them dearly when we go away on our adult-only Disney trips (usually for a birthday or anniversary) which begs the question between my wife and I: At what age do we start bringing the kids?

How old were your kids before you started bringing them to Disney? Did you wait for the age where your kids will remember Disney? Or, did you bring them when they started to recognize the characters?

I remember I was 5 years old when I went to Disney for the first time and I remember every time after that. If my parents told me they brought me to Disney when I was 3, I wouldn't have remembered (other than pictures that proved I was at Disney when I was 3).

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We waited until our girls were 2 and 4 to first take them...

1. We didn't care about them remembering since even older kids forget many details of their first trip. I was 11 the first time I went and there is sooooo much I don't remember. So we decided the whole "they won't remember it" is a non-issue.
2. We did want to make sure they at least recognized enough characters to make it worth it...although, they both probably would have been fine with this by 18 mos.
3. We wanted enough time to work on them in other crowded situations before getting them into a huge Disney park...i.e. taking them to local parades so we could teach/enforce parade rules, smaller parks and zoos so we could establish the "you will hold my hand/stay with me if you are not in your stroller," and ultimately figure out napping/breaktimes/and other down time so we could get the most from our days
4. We wanted to work on dining out as much as possible at home so that TS meals on vacay would be no biggie
5. Take them on smaller trips so they'd be used to flying and staying in hotels before spending a week + at WDW
6. We did not wait until our younger one was potty trained...the time changing diapers is really no different than the time spent running to the bathroom for a potential potty emergency.

All in all, their first trip was great. It had its bumps and unexpected issues (like who knew my meltdown prone 4 yr old would be an angel at WDW, but my mellow easygoing younger one would lose it in the middle of Dinoland, the WS, and a crowded bus), but it was mainly positive and I'd do it all over again.

 

[journ116]

We took our oldest DD7 when she was just shy of her first birthday (and she's been back 11 times), and our youngest DD3 was only 8 mos. old (with 6 trips under her belt)! My DH and I looked at it this way:

1. Kids can fly free up until age 2 (sitting on your lap of course) AND they can get into the parks for free up until age 3! Why not take advantage of this while you can? I remember dreading the very first time I had to pay full price for my oldest DD's plane seat , and how I teared up a little when she scanned her park ticket for the first time !

2. We don't care if they can remember it or not: my DH and I have the memories (both good and not so good)! Besides, we took plenty of pictures and videos to show both our children when they're older (possibly for bribary).

3. Our girls could begin recalling certain areas, rides, and characters by age 2! Now, it's like a second home to them! And when my youngest DD3 sees a TV commercial for Disney World, I hear, "Mom, can we get on a bus, go to Disney World?"

4. My DH and I were "ready" to take our girls. If you're not mentally up for the challenge yet, that's perfectly O.K.! Every person is different. You know your children and you know yourselves best. But whenever you are ready, have the camera ready, pack extra patience, and slow the pace (it's amazing at what my DH and I have seen and experienced through touring the parks through our DD's eyes!).

Happy travels!!!

 

[DisneyGuyNYC]

I think 3ish is definitely the earliest but I wouldn't wait past the age of like... 8.

 

[popcenturylover]

Well, we took our oldest kids in their teens! Our youngest was just 8 months old. We have a photo album from that visit & our youngest who is now 4 asks to look at that album all of the time! She doesn't remember it but, WE have all of the memories & we captured a few on camera! Some kids are more easy going than others. So , my advice is to take your kids whenever you are comfortable taking them.

 

[jmorri26]

Agreed with many of the points in the first 2 posts.

We brought our son at 7 months. I first went at a year, my brother at 6 months and my youngest brother first went in utero! We went pretty much every year after that too. So will my kids.

If you go with a baby, be prepared for people to give you eye rolls or a hard time with the "but they won't remember" stuff. If you're bringing them at that age, it's more for you than them (which I'm clearly good with!) but my way of seeing it is this: Babies learn from visual stimuli and the world around them. They are formed early on by their earliest interactions. My son was 7 months and you know what? He bounced up and down on my lap on the Haunted Mansion over and over while other people have kids terrified of it at 7 or 8. I have photos to show him when he's older and reminisce over. He won't remember any of it, but that doesn't mean the colors, the grins when he met characters, the crazy excited looks when he first tasted ice cream in the Magic Kingdom, the sounds and sights won't be a part of him for years to come. My first real memory is of Disney World and when my mom and I traced it back, I must have been about 18 months, but I can describe specific things that happened to her she didn't remember til I mentioned them all these years later. My youngest brother waved for the first time at 6 months to Mickey. So yes, I 100% think Disney at a super young age can be amazing for kids.

Plus- you can't ask for a better place to travel with a baby or small child. EVERY restaurant is baby/kid friendly, theres changing places everywhere, they're 100% cool with breastfeeding if that's your bag, and kids can ride most rides from infancy on. Being free til 3 and free to fly til 2 helps too

I love Disney too, so why wait til they're "big enough" if you want to have a fun memorable time with them. I had a blast and I'm sure he did too. Can't wait to take him back this fall

 

[erasure fan1]

Both my kids started at 1 and both had awesome times (even though they don't remember). It never really mattered to us if they remembered things, it was more for us and creating memories that we will always have and we can then share with them through pictures and video. There are a whole lot of disadvantages of taking kids that young, it really puts a strain on things because of their age. But if you can manage it, you will end up with some priceless memories that you will always remember.

 

[Figgy1]

This is both the easiest and hardest question to answer. You can bring them any time after they are born so long as you practicioner agrees. Now for the hard part what do you expect to do and how much do you expect them to remember. My little daredevil loved roller coasters at just 2 and wasn't afraid of large characters but every child is different. Just make sure when you bring them watch lots of Disney movies, the planning dvd and some of the rides posted on the internet so they will know what to expect! Best wishes for a happy trip!

 

[Weather_Lady]

We took the kids for the first time when they were 4 and 6, and it was fantastic. For us, the determinative factors were whether they were fully potty-trained, able to sit quietly through a 20-minute show, able to walk a sufficient distance not to require strollers when touring the parks, patient enough to stand in line for an attraction or wait around at the airport, and tall enough to be able to experience the majority of the attractions.

I know many parents start bringing the kids as infants, and I think that's fine, but for us it was worth it to wait a few years so that all four of us could really enjoy the trip to its fullest.

 

[RandomPrincess]

We went to WDW with my kids for the first time when they were 11 months and just under 3. My 11 month old did great but wasn't into it yet my almost 3 yo LOVED it! She was in heaven.

She lived meeting characters and liked the rides. She really liked the safari and tea cups the best.

We did two days at DLR when my daughter was 18 months and she had a great time then too. She knew who Mickey and Friends were from Disney Jr and she didn't know the princesses or Tinkerbell but liked their pretty dresses and would go to say hi.

My daughter still talks about our trip to WDW she remembers many details. I think modern tech helps with that. She can look at pictures and video and it jogs her memory. Every once and a while she will mention something I forgot.

 

[RedDad]

Our youngest was 14 months for her first trip and it was a great time! We took her three times before she turned 3, mainly because she was free! No, she probably won't remember much of them, be we sure will.

Every kid is different, but I personally wouldn't take a child until they are a year old and walking. It's enough work then! You definitely have to slow down and make sure you allow time for naps - one of us would take the little one back to the resort mid-day for an hour or so. I think you just have to know what works for your family - there's no set age, but I would try and get at least one trip in before you have to pay for the little guy!

 

[ExtinctJenn]

There are tons of threads out there on this topic and usually the answers are the same and vary dramatically (as you've already seen).

DS6 (will be 7 in 2 weeks) had his first trip when he was 10 months old. Tons of people told me I'd regret it or that I was wasting my money because he wouldn't remember it. I didn't listen and I'm glad. Not all kids are the same but the next time we took him (which was just a few months later because we lived in FL at the time) he very very obviously remembered his previous trip. On the trip we took when he was 3, he referenced things that he could only remember from that first trip (because after that we didn't do it again or it was gone). On the trip after that when he was 4 he told us about things he remembered doing when he was little (I love it when a 4 year old refers to things as "when" they were little lol).

The bottom line to me is to make the decision based off what your instinct tells you. Does it really matter if they remember the trip? The idea is you'll remember their first time right? You'll have tons of photos of them as a little one at Disney to look back on and remember fondly how they looked around at everything with awe. You'll be able to watch as they grow and take in new experiences and compare them to how they were their first trip.

One of my favorite pictures of my son is his first ever character greeting at 10m old... in Daddy's arms, gazing up at Winnie the Pooh with a gigantic smile on his face like he was seeing heaven. Whether or not he remembers that isn't what's important... what is, is that daddy and I do and treasure those memories!

 

[George]

I think it is best to give birth at WDW. I suggest you find somewhere quiet and out of the way. NO rides. You have to finish before the ride is over. We learned this the hard way on Triceratops Spin.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

I think it is best to give birth at WDW. I suggest you find somewhere quiet and out of the way. NO rides. You have to finish before the ride is over. We learned this the hard way on Triceratops Spin

Say what?!?! That's a joke right?

 

[wm49rs]

I think it is best to give birth at WDW. I suggest you find somewhere quiet and out of the way. NO rides. You have to finish before the ride is over. We learned this the hard way on Triceratops Spin.

I hear Typhoon Lagoon is ideal.....

 

[Hakunamatata]

I think it's fairly simple and it doesn't have to do with age. As soon as they are big enough for ghekids leash to stay on is the right time.

 

[foreverbelle]

We took our son for the first time on his 1st birthday. We knew he would never remember it, but we also knew that there were plenty of memories that mom and dad would hold. I loved seeing him light up at the animals. I loved watching him take those wobbly steps around the park. And I loved the fact that we took things at a slower pace and actually looked at things. In the past, before DS we ran from ride to ride to ride. But bringing him that young made us stop all that. I know he won't remember any of the stuff, but I do.

We like other posters also knew that he could get in free up until 3, and we wanted to take full advantage of that while we could. We knew they would have our money soon enough off of him.

However If you want your kid to remember things however then yes I would dif wait til after the age of 4. I know my son remembers a lot of things from the previous trips and its great to finally be able to talk to him about things and have him relive those memories.

Whether you choose to wait til they are older or go when they are younger is really up to you guys. But no matter what there are memories to be made, and things to do for kids of any age...

 

[Clowd Nyne]

We've taken the kids as young as five months. The baby didn't really slow us down but when we took our son at 11 months it was a much better first time experience. In August we will have 4,2 and 11 months I think it will be perfect.

Not that even babies can ride any ride without a height restriction.

 

[dopeylover]

We took out DD a week shy of her first birthday, but the only reason we did so was b/c we were supposed to go when I was pregnant with her and I ended up in ICU, so we had a ton of flight credits we had to use before they expired and got a great deal on FD. She really did enjoy it though. She had mixed emotions on the characters- one day she loved them and was kissing them, the next day she was screaming bloody murder at them! But she went on a lot of rides and enjoyed it at the time.

We were set to take her next December, but now we have another Mouseketeer on the way, so we've pushed that trip back a year. (I swear to you, all I need to do it plan a WDW trip and a major life event will happen, lol!) In 2014 she will be 4 1/2 when we go, and our new addition will be 14 months. I'm not worried about it b/c we now have experience taking an infant with us, and I couldn't even imagine waiting to take our DD any longer than we are...she asks EVERY DAY when we're going back to 'Mickeys House'.

 

[Hot Lava]

We took the kids for the first time when they were 4 and 6, and it was fantastic. For us, the determinative factors were whether they were fully potty-trained, able to sit quietly through a 20-minute show, able to walk a sufficient distance not to require strollers when touring the parks, patient enough to stand in line for an attraction or wait around at the airport, and tall enough to be able to experience the majority of the attractions.

I know many parents start bringing the kids as infants, and I think that's fine, but for us it was worth it to wait a few years so that all four of us could really enjoy the trip to its fullest.​

This was originally our plan - to wait until he was older. But events are intervening, so we are going with the flow!