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?

 

[ToTBellHop]

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.

Exactly. I often wonder--to the people who suggest waiting to take kids to Disney World once they can "remember"--should we do nothing with our children for the first 3 years of their lives because they are unlikely to remember?

 

[JillC LI]

I don't think there is a correct answer to this question. If the parents wish to take young children to WDW, then they should enjoy doing so whether the child remembers it or not. My husband and I decided to wait until our children were ages 5 and 7, but not because of the memories thing. We just wanted to wait until we wouldn't have to deal with strollers! (And the fact that we hadn't been there ourselves in decades and had not yet caught the Disney bug as we have it now made the wait easier. Now we have to get back there every 2 years or so!)

 

[quirkle]

I was 3 when I first went to Magic Kingdom in 1976 - I remembers everything!! I really do. My oldest daughter was 2 1/2 and she remembers everthing too. My youngest was 3 months and she really does not know anything but when we went and she was a little over a year she stopped breastfeeding on Its a Small World - that she does not remember but she does remembers staying in the cabins.

Her last time she was 3 and my eldest was 6 - they can tell you the whole trip - it is the impact and the family memories that makes it something to always remember.

 

[DizneyPryncess]

I took DD at 13 months and 19 months, and loved it! She won't remember running up to Mickey and giving him a big hug for the first time. Or me tearing up the first time I saw her walk down Main Street dressed in a Cinderella dress, pointing to the castle with a big smile. Or so much more. But her Dad & I will.
These are some of our best memories ever, and we have lots of pictures to show her someday!

She has definitely been the screaming baby too, but we try to go take naps or get something to eat when she gets mad. It has all worked out for the best for us, but I understand why it's not for everyone.

 

[wrpdndprsd]

The first time I went to WDW I was 12, and I honestly only remember the part where my parents made me ride Space Mountain (and it stopping near the end and the whole room being lit up). I see the photos but nothing else stands out in particular, I vaguely recall riding It's a Small World.

Either I was so overwhelmed by the amazing trip my brain has blocked the memories to avoid a complete overload, or something traumatizing happened. I remember going to Universal Studios the next day more than Magic Kingdom.

I just went for my second WDW trip in August at the awesome age of 26 and I feel like I have been really missing out on the fun. WDW spring break in March 2014, and then Disney cruise in Oct 2014, have to make up for lost time

 

[MaxsDad]

I was born in Florida in the late 60's. I was taken to the Magic Kingdom; therefore, shortly after it opened when I 3 or less. I can not even "remember" details of some things in the mid-70's or even 1980's. So, I can not say I remember, mentally, those visits.

However, as corny as this sounds, my heart remembers. There is something about the place that feels like home to me. It reminds me of the time in my life when everything was good, everyone was happy. When I returned many years later with my kids, I realized this.

I waited until my daughter was 11 and my son was 9. I regret it to this day that I waited that long. We went to FL three years prior to that and I took them to Sea World because we only had a day and everyone said WDW takes more than a day. Still wish we had gone to MK.

I am not making that mistake again. We are taking kids, spouses and 2 grandsons (2.5 and 2 yrs old) this summer and I can not wait. They may not be able to recall details of the trip, but I know it will be in their hearts.

 

[polynesiangirl]

I took my oldest when he was a year and a half, and again when he was just over 2. My younger son will be going on his first trip at about 5 months old. I would not trade my oldest's first two trips for anything. He may not remember all the details forever, but my husband and I will, and he loves looking at the photo books we made of those trips. I can't wait to take our new family of four this winter. Why wouldn't I want to share my favorite place on earth with my two favorite little boys?

 

[RandomPrincess]

The look on my son's face when he met Alice was worth every penny! He's was so excited jumping up and giggling. We had several moments like this every day! He's only 2.5 so most likely won't remember but to us it was worth it! Driving the cars at the Speedway riding his first coaster, twirling on the tea cups Meeting Mickey, Minnie and Goofy, riding the boats and monorail, playing on the Splash Mountain playground, riding Nemo and so many more great moments and memories and that is just my son. My DD had a great time too and at 4.5 will also most likely not remember in 20 years.

 

[Mukta]

If I ever had kids, I would take them to DL and WDW every chance I had. As soon as hey have some vaccinations, we would be in the parks.

 

[tor29c]

I took my nephew for his first visit when he was a toddler (2 or 3 years old) and he doesn't remember exact events (like being scared to death of the Toy Story Army men and Mutant Turtles) but he remembers the feelings of fun and excitement so well that he and his wife are considering joining us in April with their newborn who will be 5 months old in April. That speaks volumes to me! Take them any time you can afford to!

 

[polynesiangirl]

The look on my son's face when he met Alice was worth every penny! He's was so excited jumping up and giggling. We had several moments like this every day! He's only 2.5 so most likely won't remember but to us it was worth it! Driving the cars at the Speedway riding his first coaster, twirling on the tea cups Meeting Mickey, Minnie and Goofy, riding the boats and monorail, playing on the Splash Mountain playground, riding Nemo and so many more great moments and memories and that is just my son. My DD had a great time too and at 4.5 will also most likely not remember in 20 years.

View attachment 38383

My older son has the same shirt, and also loves Alice.

 

[dmbcrush5]

MY DS never ceases to amaze me. He's 2.5 and we're here now for his 5th trip. We walked to Studios today from BW and when we turned the corner and he saw the entrance, he yelled "mom - nana took me here! She took me to see Mickey!" (at Animation building). That trip was just over a year ago (trip #3) when he was 1.5. We skipped Studios during our spring trip, so this was his last memory of the park. It's crazy the stuff he remembers.....

 

[RandomPrincess]

My older son has the same shirt, and also loves Alice.

We didn't even know he like Alice so much until he saw her at a nearby table. She was the only character meal character that could tear him away from his food the whole week everyone else was lucky if they got a wave.

 

[Redhawk]

Gee, I'm one of those who would have said it was dumb to take a kid under 5 years old. But after reading this thread I realize that for toddlers the experience of Disney can be so "in the moment" and magical that it makes all the extra effort worthwhile for the parents (and also grandparents) to take them. As MaxsDad wrote above, even if the child doesn't exactly remember their Disney trip, if they enjoy it, they will remember it in their heart.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

Who cares if they don't remember it? You will and that is just as good.

I've posted this in other threads on this topic but it bears repeating here... this, to me, is exactly the point. If it were about the child remembering it, why would we as parents bother taking our kids anywhere before they turned at least say 5 or 6 years old? Why put presents under the tree on their first Christmas? They won't remember it. Why take them to the zoo? They won't remember it. Etc. The key is you will and you will have those wonderful memories of their first trip to WDW for the rest of your life.

Some of my favorite trip memories are of my son's first trip when he was just 10m old. Not only was that an incredible experience but because we have been taking him since such an early age, we've been able to watch him "grow" into his trips. We've been able to watch what fascinates (or terrifies) him change as well as see him grow to be able to take on new experiences (i.e. did RNR for the first time this past March after years of saying no way would he ever consider it).

Now all that said, it all comes down to a parent knowing their child. If you don't think your kiddo is ready for such an "intense" experience as being at a place like WDW then you know them best! Me, the day he was born I started planning for when we'd make that first trip with him (sadly that is very literal lol).

 

[SMS55]

They'll remember some. My two and a half year old went to a Christmas amusement park in town a few days ago and she won't stop asking to go back. Of course eventually she'll forget. The best way to address this is to think back to when you were three and think about how much you remember from back then. With time a 3 year old will forget. My 16 year old doesn't remember his first trip anymore. He was 3. However, I think as a family you will enjoy it and enjoy the family time. I think that's what's most important though.

 

[jmcdougall]

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?

My husband and I went last Sept with our daughter, son in law and grandchildren (7,4,2). Our son in law was being deployed to the middle east jan 2. It was a wonderful trip. We went for 6 days and had 2 strollers (oops call out the stroller police). The kids had fun but even if the little ones don't remember it we felt it was a great trip before their dad left. We have great memories and can show them all the pictures one day. I think every family should just evaluate their situation and go with it. At work I have many friends whose kids are spread out in ages and want to wait till the youngest is old enough. For our family I didn't think this was fair so we went as often as we could afford regardless of ages. Love this site!

 

[jmcdougall]

My husband and I went last Sept with our daughter, son in law and grandchildren (7,4,2). Our son in law was being deployed to the middle east jan 2. It was a wonderful trip. We went for 6 days and had 2 strollers (oops call out the stroller police). The kids had fun but even if the little ones don't remember it we felt it was a great trip before their dad left. We have great memories and can show them all the pictures one day. I think every family should just evaluate their situation and go with it. At work I have many friends whose kids are spread out in ages and want to wait till the youngest is old enough. For our family I didn't think this was fair so we went as often as we could afford regardless of ages. Love this site!

said last sept but meant sept 2012.

 

[lunchbox1175]

I have two children, DD14 and DD12, and neither of them went until they were 5, and we feel that it was the perfect age, they still remember their first trip their, and that to me does make it more special. For us it is a special place of memories and fun, and personally, I don't think it would have been as fun if we were having to change diapers, use a stroller, or any of that other stuff. Now, having said that, they also have never been together, and that has made each trip special for each of them. A couple months ago, we took DD14 for her Birthday, and DD12 is going with her grandparents this weekend. I asked them recently if they wanted to go together next time, and they both said "NO!". So it really is different strokes for different folks.