How old do you think kids should be before

[WDWmom64055]

There is a difference between taking a child because

you want to go and taking them when it is appropriate for them.

I think most babies and toddlers do fine at Disney if their parents are willing to tailor the trip to their needs. If you have a child who, for instance, won't nap if there is activity around or a toddler who has a melt-down at schedule changes, any travel is going to be a crisis.

My response was to point out that there is a difference between saying, "We want to go to Disney, can we haul the baby with us and still enjoy ourselves," and asking, "When will my child enjoy the Disney experience?".

I'm not saying babies don't like sparkly lights. But, they would like the sparkly lights at your local mall or local parade or festival just as much as they enjoy Disney. Until a certain age kids are not able to enjoy what is uniquely Disney.

So, I stand by my answer, if you want to go to Disney and don't want to or can't leave the baby at home, take him or her along. Be honest with yourself, though, about whose needs and wants are being met.

BTW...my older son was almost 4 for his first Disney trip. He remembers nothing! The trip was planned around his interests, though, and he had a wonderful time there. Were we at the park open to close? No. Were we able to make use of EMH? No. Was I able to ride what I wanted to ride? No. Did I have a great time? Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the preschooler-appropriate parts of the parks with him.

I was not stating that you should wait until a kid can remember the trip. I really hate when people take my point of view, twist it, and try to make me look like some sort of a stick-in-the-mud. Your point of view is your point of view. It doesn't make me wrong. To clarify my answer: if you want to take your child to enjoy Disney...those things that make Disney Disney...as opposed to all the other experiences he/she will have in life...wait until your child is old enough to be able to recognize and enjoy them. If you want to go to Disney as a family, take your kids any time.

 

[Monty]

I took DS for his first WDW trip at 5. He had a wonderful time and remembers portions. :shrug:

But I would point out that I did hundreds of wondrous, amazing things with him from the day we brought him home from the hospital. Most were things that excited me to do and he was along with me to do them. Circuses, magic shows, carnivals, car races and air shows, anything that was exciting and active and he soaked it all in from the comfort of my arms.

Does he remember any of those activities? Not at all. But the bond we developed by doing them together is amazing to me. It comes from a deep place in him that knows I shared my joys in life with him. He is 13 years old now and anyone who sees us together sees this amazing bond between us. He knows he can be independent and make his own way in the world with my support there if he needs or wants it.

Spending time with your parents when you are too young to remember details doesn't matter if you get instilled in you their joys in life... That's what makes it worthwhile to take your babies/infants/toddlers with you to such a magnificent place as WDW. The only reason my DS didn't go with me earlier was because we discovered the joy of Disney together.

And we're both better for it!

 

[TwoTigersMom]

Excellent post Monty! Both my boys went to Disney for the 1st time at 2 years old. The oldest's only memory from that trip was/is the scary polar bears on Maelstrom and the scary princesses kissing him at Cindy's breakfast. My youngest is a sponge and although he's only 3, he can tell you in detail about most rides and just about everything about Cirque Du Soliel :lol:

I know i'm just being selfish, but at 2 years old I didn't take my children for their memories. I took them for MY memories. Their first trip and every subsequent trip after will forever be engrained in my memory and scrapbooks

 

[maggiegrace1]

you want to go and taking them when it is appropriate for them.

I think most babies and toddlers do fine at Disney if their parents are willing to tailor the trip to their needs. If you have a child who, for instance, won't nap if there is activity around or a toddler who has a melt-down at schedule changes, any travel is going to be a crisis.

My response was to point out that there is a difference between saying, "We want to go to Disney, can we haul the baby with us and still enjoy ourselves," and asking, "When will my child enjoy the Disney experience?".

I'm not saying babies don't like sparkly lights. But, they would like the sparkly lights at your local mall or local parade or festival just as much as they enjoy Disney. Until a certain age kids are not able to enjoy what is uniquely Disney.

So, I stand by my answer, if you want to go to Disney and don't want to or can't leave the baby at home, take him or her along. Be honest with yourself, though, about whose needs and wants are being met.

BTW...my older son was almost 4 for his first Disney trip. He remembers nothing! The trip was planned around his interests, though, and he had a wonderful time there. Were we at the park open to close? No. Were we able to make use of EMH? No. Was I able to ride what I wanted to ride? No. Did I have a great time? Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the preschooler-appropriate parts of the parks with him.

I was not stating that you should wait until a kid can remember the trip. I really hate when people take my point of view, twist it, and try to make me look like some sort of a stick-in-the-mud. Your point of view is your point of view. It doesn't make me wrong. To clarify my answer: if you want to take your child to enjoy Disney...those things that make Disney Disney...as opposed to all the other experiences he/she will have in life...wait until your child is old enough to be able to recognize and enjoy them. If you want to go to Disney as a family, take your kids any time.

I will not argue with you..because I would probably win..:lookaroun

I never twisted your words around at all..I simply quoted your post to state my reasons why I choose to do what I do.

Never said you were wrong at all..not once..just stated my feelings on the whole thing.

So no need to feel like some sort of stick in the mud...:wave:

 

[happymom52003]

Toddlers? I am not sure how developmentally appropriate Disney is for a toddler. They are old enough to enjoy...or be scared to death...by the costumed characters. They'll probably be entertained by parades and shows, but most of the rides aren't designed for such young children, and at this age they need to touch and taste to really understand. There are a lot of hazards for toddlers...they don't know enough to know what's dangerous or not, so all it takes is five seconds of inattention and your kiddo could be in for big trouble.

My opinion on this differs from yours.

As someone who has a degree in education with specializations in Early Childhood Education and Child Development, and who worked in education for 10 years mostly with children under the age of four, I feel that Disney is one of the most developmentally appropriate places for toddlers.

I am well aware that there may be others in the field who disagree with me and I respect their opinions, but based on the studies I have had and my own experiences, this is the opinion I have on it.

Not only is that my professional opinion, it is also my personal opinion as a mom of a child who went to WDW 4 times before her third birthday.

I also have to disagree with your statement that most of the rides and shows are not designed for toddlers. Yes, of course there are some that are not age appropriate. But actually, most of the rides were designed for families to enjoy together....even if they have an infant with them. If you make a list of all the rides at WDW, you will find that the majority do not have a height requirement, and are appropriate for all ages.

As far as fears, there is a possibilty that children of any age can have fears at WDW (or adults for that matter.....I have such an intense fear of heights that my heart beats fast on Dumbo....seriously...I am not kidding:lookaroun).

You really have no idea if your child is going to have problems with characters or rides until you go. There is no way to gaurentee ahead of time that everything will go smoothly. Even if your kids have been to WDW before, a new fear could develop that the child did not have on a previous trip...this happend to one of my children.

The key is in how parents handle any fears that come about. Next time you see a screaming toddler at Disney who appears to be scared to death, take a good look at what the parent is doing....chances are pretty high they are trying to FORCE the child to do something they do not want to do. But that is another topic for another time.

One of the wonderful things about WDW is that it is one of the few places a family can vacation that has something for everyone, regardless of age....where a famliy can do things together regardless of the ages in their group.

And I'd like to point out that I completely understand some parents who make the choice to take their kids when they are a bit older. It is a personal choice, dependent on MANY factors. What works for one family might not work for another.

Just because I have had amazing, magical trips with my younger children does not mean that everyone will have that same wonderful experience with their own younger children. And likewise, just because some of you think that you would have a bad experience taking young children, does not mean that everyone who takes a toddler will be miserable.

As a side note, an interesting observation that I have made in the MANY threads on this topic I have seen is that the vast majority of people who say babies and toddlers are too young have NEVER taken a baby or toddler. Most of the people who actually HAVE taken a baby or toddler have had nothing but great things to say about it. Just an observation.:shrug:

 

[Laura]

BTW...my older son was almost 4 for his first Disney trip. He remembers nothing! The trip was planned around his interests, though, and he had a wonderful time there. Were we at the park open to close? No. Were we able to make use of EMH? No. Was I able to ride what I wanted to ride? No. Did I have a great time? Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the preschooler-appropriate parts of the parks with him.

Funny how you make 4 sound so young. At 4 years old my daughter had taken 9 Disney vacations plus a Disney cruise (we also have a son 2 years older than her). Out of all of those trips, only the first one (when she was 1 year old) was challenging due to having to lug bottles and diapers around. (It was the bags that were a challenge - not the baby!) But she is a member of our family whom we didn't just ditch with a babysitter when we went places, no matter how much equipment we had to carry along. She just turned 5 two days ago (my son is almost 7) and I would consider them both Disney World experts and they ALWAYS want to go back. I can't imagine if we were just now starting to take them to Disney. We have so many wonderful family memories from all 9 trips we've taken them on that I wouldn't trade for the world.

And what do you mean by "preschooler-appropriate"? My daughter was riding Tower of Terror when she was 3 years old and by 4 years old her favorite ride was Thunder Mountain Railroad (which we rode a million times a few weeks ago). You make it sound like someone who is "almost 4" is restricted to the baby sections of the park, when really, they can do almost everything the adults can do. And maybe its just because my kids are really active kids, but we DO go from park opening to closing and they do great and have a blast!

 

[sbkline]

Our son was almost one when we went in 2007 and almost two when we went in 2008, and we left him with his grandparents for the week each time.

At what age anyone else takes their child to WDW is entirely their own business, but we think it's best not to do it until the child is 3 or older. However, this may change on our next trip, whenever that may be. Our son will be old enough to take along on our next trip, and if we have an infant by then we may or may not take him/her depending on how old the infant is, whether or not my wife will be willing to leave a baby behind again, etc. I'd rather go with the baby and make the necessary adjustments than to scrap the whole trip.

IMO, if you take your infant/toddler along to WDW, you're not doing it for the child, but for yourself. And I'm not saying that there's a thing wrong with that. I'm just saying let's be honest enough to admit it. Most people probably aren't thinking that they would love to take this 6 month old to WDW because he would just have such a blast down there. They're thinking that they would love to go to WDW for their own enjoyment, and they either don't believe in leaving the child behind, or they are simply unable to do so. And again, I'm not saying that they're wrong in doing so. I just wish people would be honest enough to admit it rather than trying to make it sound like they're doing it for the child. :lol:

But, as others have stated, while that child may certainly enjoy himself on the trip, he's probably not enjoying himself any more than he would playing blocks on Grandma's living room floor, or being pushed around at the local Walmart. For the amount of money you've spent to take him down there, he's probably enjoying himself just as much as he does back home, because I don't think children that age have the capacity to really comprehend where they are or what's going on.

I already said that I don't consider it a bad thing that parents bring their kids to WDW out of their own "selfish" motive to have a good time for themselves. After all, I am just as selfish in my preference to leave the child at home. Because I have preferences on how to do a WDW trip, and having to tend to a baby throws a monkey wrench in the whole trip. You have to get back in at a reasonable hour to put the baby to bed. You have to piddle around more in the morning getting the baby ready, whereas I'm more of a "get up early enough to get to the park when it opens" type of person. You can't do certain things you want to do because there is a baby there, etc. I don't like the possiblity of having to leave a restaraunt or cancel an ADR, or leave a park early, or postpone going to the park because of a fussy baby. Am I being selfish? Sure. But at least I'm man enough to admit it. :lol: Taking a baby to WDW changes the trip drastically from when you went without a baby. And those were changes that we just weren't willing to try to deal with...me perhaps more out of selfishness and my wife more out of laziness.

Granted, our future trips will never again be like our previous trips, because we will be taking our son from now on (and any future children), so our trips to WDW will be changed forever beginning with our next trip. But at least he will be more able to comprehend where he's at and to actually enjoy it and participate, rather than just snoozing in the stroller while we push him along.

 

[Laura]

By the way, I started visiting WDW regularly when I was 7 months old. I'm now 26 years old and I can't stay away from the place. Throwing kids into WDW from the time they are babies can certainly affect the level of magic in their lives as adults.

 

[Laura]

But, as others have stated, while that child may certainly enjoy himself on the trip, he's probably not enjoying himself any more than he would playing blocks on Grandma's living room floor, or being pushed around at the local Walmart. For the amount of money you've spent to take him down there, he's probably enjoying himself just as much as he does back home, because I don't think children that age have the capacity to really comprehend where they are or what's going on.

I can see your point, but I have to disagree. I think a lot of baby's happiness comes from the energy that mommy and daddy project. If mommy and daddy can feel elated and over the moon without a care in the world while waiting in line at Walmart, then more power to them I guess. But I think the magic the adults feel in WDW easily spreads to the kids and gives them a taste of magic too, even if they are tiny babies.

(But of course this depends on the parents' ability to stay calm and relaxed in an environment like WDW!)

 

[maggiegrace1]

Our son was almost one when we went in 2007 and almost two when we went in 2008, and we left him with his grandparents for the week each time.

At what age anyone else takes their child to WDW is entirely their own business, but we think it's best not to do it until the child is 3 or older. However, this may change on our next trip, whenever that may be. Our son will be old enough to take along on our next trip, and if we have an infant by then we may or may not take him/her depending on how old the infant is, whether or not my wife will be willing to leave a baby behind again, etc. I'd rather go with the baby and make the necessary adjustments than to scrap the whole trip.

IMO, if you take your infant/toddler along to WDW, you're not doing it for the child, but for yourself. And I'm not saying that there's a thing wrong with that. I'm just saying let's be honest enough to admit it. Most people probably aren't thinking that they would love to take this 6 month old to WDW because he would just have such a blast down there. They're thinking that they would love to go to WDW for their own enjoyment, and they either don't believe in leaving the child behind, or they are simply unable to do so. And again, I'm not saying that they're wrong in doing so. I just wish people would be honest enough to admit it rather than trying to make it sound like they're doing it for the child. :lol:

But, as others have stated, while that child may certainly enjoy himself on the trip, he's probably not enjoying himself any more than he would playing blocks on Grandma's living room floor, or being pushed around at the local Walmart. For the amount of money you've spent to take him down there, he's probably enjoying himself just as much as he does back home, because I don't think children that age have the capacity to really comprehend where they are or what's going on.

I already said that I don't consider it a bad thing that parents bring their kids to WDW out of their own "selfish" motive to have a good time for themselves. After all, I am just as selfish in my preference to leave the child at home. Because I have preferences on how to do a WDW trip, and having to tend to a baby throws a monkey wrench in the whole trip. You have to get back in at a reasonable hour to put the baby to bed. You have to piddle around more in the morning getting the baby ready, whereas I'm more of a "get up early enough to get to the park when it opens" type of person. You can't do certain things you want to do because there is a baby there, etc. I don't like the possiblity of having to leave a restaraunt or cancel an ADR, or leave a park early, or postpone going to the park because of a fussy baby. Am I being selfish? Sure. But at least I'm man enough to admit it. :lol: Taking a baby to WDW changes the trip drastically from when you went without a baby. And those were changes that we just weren't willing to try to deal with...me perhaps more out of selfishness and my wife more out of laziness.

Granted, our future trips will never again be like our previous trips, because we will be taking our son from now on (and any future children), so our trips to WDW will be changed forever beginning with our next trip. But at least he will be more able to comprehend where he's at and to actually enjoy it and participate, rather than just snoozing in the stroller while we push him along.

*steals your pringles and at you because you know I have too*

Anyway...

It does change the trip drastically..but having a child changes EVERYTHING drastically..from vacations to sleep patterns to being able to use the bathroom alone..:lol: but that should be a given.

I have been going to WDW since I was 2 and I dreamed of the day I could take my child there to enjoy the magic that I have enjoyed through the years.

I have never ever said I was going to WDW for Maggie..we go because we want to go. We enjoy sharing the place we love so much with her and hope that she will love it just as much as we do.

 

[TwoTigersMom]

SBKline, it's hard for you to determine if taking a baby changes a Disney trip, since you haven't taken yours yet. It totally depends on the child, as to whether or not you will be able to do the things (and way) you normally vacation. Luckily, with my kids, we haven't had to change anything. My kids are very adaptable and have no problems doing anything and everything at WDW. We enjoy the parks just as we did before kids, we eat at the same nice restaurants we did before kids, we enjoy the resorts the same as we did before kids. The only difference is now we're a party of 4 instead of 2. We've added some new things to our trips since we've had kids like Cirque and fishing. Our kids are so used to going places with us that going to Disney has never been a problem. We don't leave them with a sitter to go to dinner here, they go with us. Unfortunately, my timing was off when i had the first and he was born during the middle of football season. I ended up missing one game. He went to his first football game at a week and a half and has been to every home game since. I had a little better timing with the 3 year old so he got a late start, but he's been to almost every (was sick a couple) home game since he was 8 months. They've been to several away games and a bowl game. My point is, until you try new things with your child, you won't know if it will be chanbged or not. Exposing them to a ton of new things at young ages, I believe, helps them be more adaptable people. At least this has been my experience with my 2.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Mmmmmm, let me see, nope your right, Im a selfish bar steward. But I can sleep at night and it works for me.

But Im sure the Child Raising Duide for Dummies makes no mention of it being compulsory to have the child dictate conditions for the family

 

[Lucky]

Granted, our future trips will never again be like our previous trips, because we will be taking our son from now on (and any future children), so our trips to WDW will be changed forever beginning with our next trip. But at least he will be more able to comprehend where he's at and to actually enjoy it and participate, rather than just snoozing in the stroller while we push him along.

Yes, they'll be changed, but maybe they'll be even better - you may get more enjoyment from giving your son a great WDW trip than you would from a trip without him.

 

[Phonedave]

If someone wants to go to Disney and haul a baby along, while I think they are completely nuts, it's their choice to make.

{..... snip ....}

I don't want flamed on this unless, like me, you have cared for an elderly, infirm relative in your home for at least 15 years.
.

Not flaming, because I have not cared for the infirm in my house for at least 15 years.

I took my kids when they were about 2 and 4, but if I was going when they were younger, they would have gone as well. I took (and still take) my kids everywhere I can. Naturaly there are some places - R rated movies, etc - that are not OK. But by having my kids out there and living life with me does two things - It makes a closer bond between my and my kids, and they have learned how to behave socialy, they know for example that we can goof around at the table at home, but in a formal situation they act accordingly. Now of course they are not going to learn this at 6 months, but whats wrong with "getting them out there'

As for the elderly. I wonder how many are "dragged along" and how many other are doing the dragging. My grandfather took my parents and my brother to WDW (I was in college and did not get to go ) and it was HIS idea. I knew my grandfather well, and WDW was not his idea of fun, but it was something he wanted to do for his family. He and my grandmother used to take me and my brother to Asbury Park (when it was nice) all the time when we were kids. I wonder if he thought WDW was just a big Asbury Park. I wonder how many grandparents decide to take the family to WDW without realizing that it can be a strenous trip.

-dave

 

[BRIANASCASTLE]

Disney is a GREAT incentive!!

I know alot of people take very young children to amusement parks and have a great time. I am a Florida native and have worked at an one of these parks so I have seen the ups and downs of this. I chose not to take my children to any theme park until after they were potty trained. I used Disney as an incentive. They were told that when they were big enough to use the potty instead of diapers, they were big enough to sleep at Mickey's House. This worked like a charm for both of my kids and gave me time to save up for the trip. Now we will start exploring the other amusement parks but Disney was used to kick it into gear.

 

[WDWmom64055]

My opinion on this differs from yours.

As someone who has a degree in education with specializations in Early Childhood Education and Child Development, and who worked in education for 10 years mostly with children under the age of four, I feel that Disney is one of the most developmentally appropriate places for toddlers.

Well, honey, if you want to pull out degrees, I have early childhood certification and a specializion in reading, which focuses largely on cognitive development. Oh, and I'll see your 10 years of teaching and raise you 15....

I would love for you to share the research on how Disney is the most appropriate place for toddlers. All of the research on early childhood I've ever seen says that babies and toddlers learn best when they can interact...touch, taste, smell, and manipulate their environment. Sorry, but Disney is largely a passive experience. The experiences that are interactive are designed for older children and adults. Babies aren't going to get a whole lot out of Innoventions.

It saddens me to see that you would allow your devotion to Disney to cloud your professional judgement. If you truly believe that sitting on rides is developmentally appropriate, you might want to find some PD to do further study on brain development in infants and toddlers.

 

[happymom52003]

Well, honey, if you want to pull out degrees, I have early childhood certification and a specializion in reading, which focuses largely on cognitive development. Oh, and I'll see your 10 years of teaching and raise you 15....

I would love for you to share the research on how Disney is the most appropriate place for toddlers. All of the research on early childhood I've ever seen says that babies and toddlers learn best when they can interact...touch, taste, smell, and manipulate their environment. Sorry, but Disney is largely a passive experience. The experiences that are interactive are designed for older children and adults. Babies aren't going to get a whole lot out of Innoventions.

It saddens me to see that you would allow your devotion to Disney to cloud your professional judgement. If you truly believe that sitting on rides is developmentally appropriate, you might want to find some PD to do further study on brain development in infants and toddlers.

Wow, a bit defensive, are we?

I still disagree with you.

And just in case you missed this part of my post, I'll quote myself:

I am well aware that there may be others in the field who disagree with me and I respect their opinions, but based on the studies I have had and my own experiences, this is the opinion I have on it.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

A perfect example of why women should stick to the kitchen. Their brains cant handle too much knowledge. :shrug:

 

[maggiegrace1]

Well, honey, if you want to pull out degrees, I have early childhood certification and a specializion in reading, which focuses largely on cognitive development. Oh, and I'll see your 10 years of teaching and raise you 15....
Well lets give you a cookie then..
I would love for you to share the research on how Disney is the most appropriate place for toddlers. All of the research on early childhood I've ever seen says that babies and toddlers learn best when they can interact...touch, taste, smell, and manipulate their environment. Sorry, but Disney is largely a passive experience. The experiences that are interactive are designed for older children and adults. Babies aren't going to get a whole lot out of Innoventions.

It saddens me to see that you would allow your devotion to Disney to cloud your professional judgement. If you truly believe that sitting on rides is developmentally appropriate, you might want to find some PD to do further study on brain development in infants and toddlers.

I do not think she is letting her devotion to Disney cloud her judgement at all.

She is stating what she has seen and believes to be true..just like you have stated..(rather rudely) your thoughts based on what you know..once again..quit judging if you do not want to be judged.

I also disagree with you.:wave:

 

[SweetMagic]

Well, honey, if you want to pull out degrees, I have early childhood certification and a specializion in reading, which focuses largely on cognitive development. Oh, and I'll see your 10 years of teaching and raise you 15....

I would love for you to share the research on how Disney is the most appropriate place for toddlers. All of the research on early childhood I've ever seen says that babies and toddlers learn best when they can interact...touch, taste, smell, and manipulate their environment. Sorry, but Disney is largely a passive experience. The experiences that are interactive are designed for older children and adults. Babies aren't going to get a whole lot out of Innoventions.

It saddens me to see that you would allow your devotion to Disney to cloud your professional judgement. If you truly believe that sitting on rides is developmentally appropriate, you might want to find some PD to do further study on brain development in infants and toddlers.

I don't usually comment in these matters, but I just have to say, that was an extremely rude comment to make to someone who was stating their opinion and clearly marked it as such. I don't see any need to be snarky in order to say what you think. We are all entitled to opinions, and not one of us here on this site is better equipped to have an one than anyone else. That's just my opinion, of course.

To the topic at hand. I've been taking my children to WDW since they were old enough to comfortably go (which means eating table food, but not necessarily stroller free), and not only do they remember being taken their whole lives, but they are annual passholders now as adults, and still join me often. It's something we have always, and will always share. Simple as that. For us, there is no reason to disect it any further.