The Age Debate (will they remember it?)!

[rufio]

Someone brought this up in another thread and it really sparked my interest.

I went to WDW for the first time when I was 20 years old, so there's no way I could NOT remember it. However, my best friend went for the first (and only) time when she was around 3 years old. She has a Minnie hat and a cute little caricature from Main Street USA, but she doesn't remember a thing about it. Similarly, my cousin and her husband have already taken their kids - the oldest one is 9 or 10, but the younger ones are 5 and 2. The 5-year-old might remember something, but no way the then-1-year-old will.

I don't have any children, but I do plan to at some point in the future. DH and I have discussed whether we'll leave our future children with my parents when we go to WDW or whether we'll take them and be that couple on the bus with the screaming toddler.

What are your opinions, whether you have children or not, on if you should take them as babies or wait til they'll remember it?

 

[DW1]

My two oldest boys are 14 and 12 now. We have been bringing them since they were 2. I know that they won't remember a lot of the things from their first trips but one thing is for sure, I WILL. I will always remember Pooh taking my sons hand and walking with him through the park. I will remember my son being shy of the princesses and covering his eyes. I will remember the look of my sons face when he was 1 and went on Small World for the first time. The memories are for more than just them, they are for our entire family. When we go back this February I know my two older boys are excited to bring their 2 year old brother around the parks. He loves Mickey and Minnie and I know I will always remember the look on his face when he meets them.

 

[donaldtoo]

I've "listened" to this debate many times, and I've always thought, If you can afford to go every year it makes no difference. But, if you can't, you may want to wait 'til the kiddo(s) are old enough to remember a lot of it.

 

[stevehousse]

I have brought both my boys for their first trip incidentally about 10 months old. I know they will not remember that first trip but it was great for us and the family to see them enjoy it!

My oldest son is now 5 and does actually remember his trip from age 3. He has been 4 times now. My youngest son is 2 and I actually have him pumped to go this year! He knows all about meeting the characters and the rides from YouTube. He now even will straight out ask you to watch a ride on your phone! LOL (his favorite is "Woody Ride" (TSMM).

Even though they might not remember a trip so early on, the joy of seeing your child enjoying something the whole family enjoys and that smile when they first meet Mickey, is what makes the trips worth it...no matter what age. If you can afford it, go for it!

 

[Tinkerbella16]

My baby cousin who is now 2 went to Disney when we was only 1 last year. He was just the ring bearer in my Sister's wedding over the wedding. We all walked out to "when you wish upon a star" at the ceremony. As soon as music started to play when we lined up, I hear my cousin shout "DISNEY WORLD!!!" It was the cutest thing. They may not remember every little thing, but remembered the music right away. He just kept saying "Disney World!" over and over. So stinking cute!

 

[GoochDSA]

I went on my first trip when I was 4 and I remember a lot more than most do at that age. It actually shocks my parents when we talk about it the things I remember. We don't have many pictures from the trip, so remembering things is purely out of my memory with nothing to really spark it like watching hot air balloons being blown up for the grand opening of the Grand Floridian from our balcony at CR or Mickey and Minnie grabbing me and my sister to go into Mickey's Birthday show or how the character breakfast had like 10 characters or dragging my mom onto BTMRR or scaring my dad by trying to shake the Fantasyland Skyway while my mom and sister followed us from the ground or how CR smells exactly the same now as it did 25 years ago, etc. etc. etc.

Sure, I don't remember every little detail and there are pictures that remind me of other things, but the reality is you have no idea what a child will and won't remember. You can expect them to remember nothing, but 25 years from now you never know how they may finish the sentence "Do you remember our first trip to Disney World when...." and that, I can only assume since I don't have kids, makes the whole trip worth it.

 

[Longers]

I took my nephews to euro disney when they were 3 and 5 and they both remember it and loved it. Just wish I could afford to take them with me to Florida

 

[RobnRachal]

My parents took us when I was 3 and my brother was 7. He, of course, remembers way more than me. But when I see the pictures of our trip and hear the stories (like Maleficient coming over to my stroller during the parade and scaring me or my Dad having to carry me everywhere ) I do think I remember and honestly I believe it has greatly influenced my love of Disney. My husband and I took our girls for their first time when they were 7 and 5 and I truly wish we had taken them sooner. Each family has to look at their individual situation and decide what works best for them. Just remember, they grow up SOOOO fast and you don't want that opportunity to slip past you.

 

[75disney]

I have been going since I was 2. We have been taking our DDs since they were 2. Do I or they remember everything about those early trips? No. But my parents still have wonderful stories that they still tell about those trips. My DH and I tell our kids stories about those first trips. Kids are only young once so capture the wonder and magic while you can. I have said this before and I will say it again now, there is nothing like experiencing the magic of Disney through the eyes of a child.

 

[rsoxguy]

Remembering isn't the point of going. Many of the memories of our young childhood are lost within time. Those events, however, serve to help in forming who we are as adults. They also help to make "today" special for the child, regardless of what is retained beyond the experience. Our childhood experiences serve as building blocks of development and do not necessarily need to be consciously remembered. Every day is a gift, and I think that children know this better than we do as adults.

 

[luv]

I wouldn't take a baby or toddler on a Disney vacation because I wouldn't want to do the work, lug all the baby accoutrements around or keep to their schedule. I'd leave the little one with grandma or someone. For a few hours, sure. I'd take a little one to a park. For a vacation? Nope. No way.

If I knew I'd only take one WDW vacation, I'd wait until the kid was 11 or 12, so that they could remember it.

Otherwise, it doesn't matter if they won't remember it. We do all kinds of things for young children that they won't remember. Even when they're babies, we play peek-a-boo and do "So big!" and read Pat the Bunny to them. We take them for walks, in the stroller, do Itsy-bitsy-spider, wave bye-bye and do "this little piggy." We sing them lullabys and bounce them on our knee.

They don't remember it, but they enjoy it at the time. That is all that matters.

If you're willing to haul the baby stuff around, do the work and are willing to keep to a young one's schedule (which requires a lot of sleep normally and even more at WDW), there is no reason not to take a wee one.

 

[Nemo14]

We didn't take our daughter til she was out of diapers, but my son was 10 months old on his first visit. To be honest, it was much easier for us, or me anyway, to take him then. No "emergency" trips to the bathrooms, no finding food for a somewhat picky eater. But we enjoyed every trip, just because of the precious time we had together.

 

[graphite1326]

I asked my son the other day if he remembers when he took him the first time (he was 6 at the time and 23 now). He said he doesn't remember a thing.

However, my parents took me to the Worlds Fair in 1964 when I was about the same age (6 or 7). I remember going to Small world and CoP. I remember them buying me a hat that had my name on it but not much else.

On that same trip my father took me took Yankee stadium. I remember seeing Mickey Mantle and that they lost the game.

So some things can be remembered. But is it worth it to you?

 

[Gomer]

We didn't take our daughter til she was out of diapers, but my son was 10 months old on his first visit. To be honest, it was much easier for us, or me anyway, to take him then. No "emergency" trips to the bathrooms, no finding food for a somewhat picky eater. But we enjoyed every trip, just because of the precious time we had together.

I completely agree with this. People make a big deal out of taking a kid who is still in diapers, but having now travelled with kids of all ages, I find those still in diapers and drinking bottles (or even easier breast feeding) to be much easier to handle than ages 3-6. As long as you are willing to cut your days off early and take lots of rests, pre-toilet trained kids are many times easier than the older ones. And Disney's baby care stations are great to abuse as a nice respite from the heat and crowds of the park. Sometimes, just as beneficial for Mommy and Daddy as it is for the little one.

 

[durangojim]

If someone has the money to take regular trips to WDW, then I don't think it matters what age you start. As others have said, the kids might not remember but you will. We took both of our children to WDW before they were 2 months old and have been back every year since. I have pics of both of them in front of the totem pole at the WL every year of their lives, and my son is now 8 and my daughter is 5. We're fortunate that we have the means to go each year and there's no way I would give up any of the memories we've made.

 

[hellowonderland]

Hmmm. If you're bringing kids so that they'll have a good time and remember it, I recommend (from my own personal experience and my year as a cast member) waiting until your children are at least five or six. But that's just my preference - and also, since Disney is super expensive, I think a lot of families go as a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, not every year. Or at least that's what I saw a lot when I was a CM - those families really wanted to make it count.

I went when I was four, and while I remember it, I was terrified of everything, slept most of the time in the stroller and cried when we went on Snow White. What a downer. Oh, and my brother (he was 9) and I didn't want to get out of the hotel pool. My parents aren't Disney fans, so it was a wasted trip. If they HAD been Disney fans, not so much, because at least they could have enjoyed the rides. So it all depends.

My husband and I don't intend to take our future, non-existent children until they are 4 or 5. It depends on how long we can hold out for though...

 

[KLeigh]

My first trip to WDW was for my 4th birthday, in June of 1990. I don't remember much of anything except how upset I was that I never got to meet Daisy - she wasn't available for M&Gs back then.

My parents admitted that my first trip was really more for them than it was for me. I was young enough to believe all the magic and characters were real, and they have very find memories that will last a lifetime.

When the time comes, I'll probably do the same thing with my kids. Take them when they're around 4, and rediscover just how magical WDW is through their eyes.

 

[4401DisneyMom]

Someone brought this up in another thread and it really sparked my interest.

I went to WDW for the first time when I was 20 years old, so there's no way I could NOT remember it. However, my best friend went for the first (and only) time when she was around 3 years old. She has a Minnie hat and a cute little caricature from Main Street USA, but she doesn't remember a thing about it. Similarly, my cousin and her husband have already taken their kids - the oldest one is 9 or 10, but the younger ones are 5 and 2. The 5-year-old might remember something, but no way the then-1-year-old will.

I don't have any children, but I do plan to at some point in the future. DH and I have discussed whether we'll leave our future children with my parents when we go to WDW or whether we'll take them and be that couple on the bus with the screaming toddler.

What are your opinions, whether you have children or not, on if you should take them as babies or wait til they'll remember it?

I don't know that I'd ever be one of the brave parents who takes an infant, but our first trip as a family with children was when our youngest was three and our oldest was seven. In many ways, it will always be one of my most favorite trips since EVERYTHING was so exciting and magical to them. While I know they remember very little, if anything, from that trip ... I remember and treasure so much!

 

[Monty]

Any age, if you can take them, take them. "Remembering" isn't always detailed memories, sometimes it can be the simple fact of going somewhere with your parent(s) and having fun. The bonding that results is the real intangible. My son, now 18, went first at 5. He has no specific memories of that visit, but he and I have a very special bond that while not solely attributable to Disney is certainly helped by it.

Even at 18, his shared love of WDW is a very powerful bond between us. Athough he does get a little upset that I go more often... I have more vacation time than he can reasonably take time off school/work.

 

[luv]

Some of my favorite memories with my son were at WDW. Real memories, lol, not the planned-out, manufactured, "this is going to be a memory" kind...just a great, shared experience.

 

[tmstephe]

Someone brought this up in another thread and it really sparked my interest.

I went to WDW for the first time when I was 20 years old, so there's no way I could NOT remember it. However, my best friend went for the first (and only) time when she was around 3 years old. She has a Minnie hat and a cute little caricature from Main Street USA, but she doesn't remember a thing about it. Similarly, my cousin and her husband have already taken their kids - the oldest one is 9 or 10, but the younger ones are 5 and 2. The 5-year-old might remember something, but no way the then-1-year-old will.

I don't have any children, but I do plan to at some point in the future. DH and I have discussed whether we'll leave our future children with my parents when we go to WDW or whether we'll take them and be that couple on the bus with the screaming toddler.

What are your opinions, whether you have children or not, on if you should take them as babies or wait til they'll remember it?

WDW is a once-every-four-years trip for us due to location and financial reasons. We took my DD at 6 months old and my DS at 3. Neither of them remember the trip, but *I* have great memories of riding Dumbo during the fireworks with DD and DS hiding his face in my shoulder on POTC. We took them again at 4 and 8 this past summer. Will they remember it? He probably will, her probably not. We again had a great time and my wife and I made memories. I think when kids are little it's more for the adults and for building that tradition as a family.