The youngest you would take a kid

[jlsHouston]

Having first experienced WDW with my daughter and grandkids a couple of years ago when they were 4 and 6, I pretty much have been of the mind why do WDW and have to deal with diapers, bottles, naps and strollers. HOWEVER, we had this unexpected arrival last November....and since we skipped Thanksgiving and Spring Break at the World, my two older grandkids are in heavy withdrawls and we have a trip booked for June, with a 7 month old in tow. I have no idea how this is going to work out. I will probably be the only adult for many days of this trip since my daughter can only get a certain number off...I figure we can all do most of the Fantasyland rides together...and I will spend a lot of time waiting and watching and hopefully not feeling deprived while the older grandkids get to do the fun rides.... Will probably do a few character meet and greets this time too just because it is a first visit for baby Blake and I have a feeling he is going to LOVE the characters.
Truth be told if I could figure a way to leave the baby behind I probably would but that is not going to happen so I am going to make the best of it and have a great vacation with the 3 of them... in the end it is all about the memories you make so make good ones!

 

[AnCsMommy]

Well, I think the biggest question is are you going for you, or are you going for the baby? If you're going for you, GO! We had Disney Land passes when we were SoCal residents and my youngest son went to Disneyland at 7 weeks old. His older brother was barely 2. We were going for us really.

If you're going to the baby, I think closer to 3 is the earliest they'll really enjoy it. My youngest was just 2 at his first trip, and while he did have fun, I don't think he had as much fun as his brother. We went again for his third birthday and it was a world of difference, he remembers it and talks about it often (six months later). I cannot WAIT for our next trip when my boys will be a month shy of 4 and 6.

 

[boilerpicc]

We took our daughter for the first time at 3 months. Of course she doesn't remember it, but even then you could tell she enjoyed it. She was a little sponge taking in everything (colors, music, etc). She enjoyed the Dumbos and Small World (smiles and giggles). Most importantly, we really enjoyed the trip too. That trip was really a trip for us. It was the start of the transition from going to Disney as adults and going with a kid. Since then, we have been two more times (when she was 1 and 2). Each time, she is able to do and enjoy more things, and we are able to enjoy watching her experience them.

 

[Tom P.]

I personally think any age is the right age to go to Disney! But as others have said, it depends on you and your family.

My wife and I have five children, and the oldest of those is 8. So we're used to wrangling a bunch of little ones. Last year, we did it with five children, one of whom was still in the womb. This year, we're doing it again and the youngest one will be 1.

Some people might say that we're crazy for doing that but, honestly, they're so engrossed in the experience, that I find managing all of them through the hustle and bustle of Disney World to be a heck of a lot easier than just managing them each week at church or in a restaurant when we go out to eat. Sure, someone might get overtired and have a meltdown along the way. But that goes with the territory. You just step back, take a breath, and adjust. It's part of being a parent.

Regarding the "they're too young to remember it" argument, I agree with what others have said here. They may not retain a conscious memory of it, but every experience shapes them. They'll still get something out of it. And so will you! I say go for it.

 

[12_Ears_Dad]

My wife and I have five children, and the oldest of those is 8. So we're used to wrangling a bunch of little ones. Last year, we did it with five children, one of whom was still in the womb. This year, we're doing it again and the youngest one will be 1.

Some people might say that we're crazy for doing that but, honestly, they're so engrossed in the experience, that I find managing all of them through the hustle and bustle of Disney World to be a heck of a lot easier than just managing them each week at church or in a restaurant when we go out to eat. Sure, someone might get overtired and have a meltdown along the way. But that goes with the territory. You just step back, take a breath, and adjust. It's part of being a parent.

We have 6 children @Tom P. And we would never even think about leaving them behind for a Disney Vacation, (maybe unless they get old enough to stay home and really don't want to go). I agree with you wholeheartedly about not leaving young kids at home. I usually get slammed on here for calling out people who don't take there kids. Its a part of being a parent. You don't get to go off by yourself and just leave your infant or toddler because they might "inconvenience" your vacation... that's selfish and really not a good parenting decision at all (please note I didn't call anyone a bad parent..) . Yes they are going to have a melt down. There kids. But it's all worth it to me when they get that sparkle in there eyes when they get to the magic moments.. they've never been to Disney yet but that will change here in a couple weeks, but every vacation has it's magic moments that will shape them or they will remember for the rest of their lives.

 

[Squigglove]

My husband is of the mind that if the baby isn't going to remember it then he doesn't deserve it.
I am of the mind that QUALITY OF LIFE should begin as soon as possible!

But if it's a case of your wife being concerned with the Florida heat, the UV factors, dehydration, etc. Then perhaps consider those.

My husband wanted to put off Disney until the baby was 6. Unfortunately it's a disagreeable marriage, I will take my son this year for his 2nd Birthday; my husband refuses to be part of the experience.
It's quality. It's not about what my son may or may not remember. Some people act like the parent doesn't deserve to include him or herself. My child will have a good time. He will probably forget most or all of it. BUT I WON'T!!!! These are MY memories too! And it will make Disney a different experience this time as my son will be my primary focus, it will definitely be a more leisurely vacation but certainly worth going! He will get his picture with Mickey Mouse. He will get his first Mickey Mouse ears and his first Disney World balloon. He will watch the parades and go on rides. And these memories will be placed lovingly in his scrapbook and photo albums. And when he grows up he will be able to compare his trips just as any of us would.

Personally, I have a poor memory. Life isn't fully about what we remember. It's about getting the things that make us smile. It's about escaping the daily weight of constant bills and gas in the car and the a/c unit is broke down again! etc. You don't think about that crap when you're taking your baby's picture with Mickey Mouse!!! And you'll go back home to your bills and your gas-guzzling car and you'll hang your picture with Mickey Mouse on the wall and there will NEVER be a time that you look at it and not smile. They're your memories too. And I vote - go catch your stars! Because even the little ones shine!

 

[Master Yoda]

My husband is of the mind that if the baby isn't going to remember it then he doesn't deserve it.
I am of the mind that QUALITY OF LIFE should begin as soon as possible!

But if it's a case of your wife being concerned with the Florida heat, the UV factors, dehydration, etc. Then perhaps consider those.

My husband wanted to put off Disney until the baby was 6. Unfortunately it's a disagreeable marriage, I will take my son this year for his 2nd Birthday; my husband refuses to be part of the experience.
It's quality. It's not about what my son may or may not remember. Some people act like the parent doesn't deserve to include him or herself. My child will have a good time. He will probably forget most or all of it. BUT I WON'T!!!! These are MY memories too! And it will make Disney a different experience this time as my son will be my primary focus, it will definitely be a more leisurely vacation but certainly worth going! He will get his picture with Mickey Mouse. He will get his first Mickey Mouse ears and his first Disney World balloon. He will watch the parades and go on rides. And these memories will be placed lovingly in his scrapbook and photo albums. And when he grows up he will be able to compare his trips just as any of us would.

Personally, I have a poor memory. Life isn't fully about what we remember. It's about getting the things that make us smile. It's about escaping the daily weight of constant bills and gas in the car and the a/c unit is broke down again! etc. You don't think about that crap when you're taking your baby's picture with Mickey Mouse!!! And you'll go back home to your bills and your gas-guzzling car and you'll hang your picture with Mickey Mouse on the wall and there will NEVER be a time that you look at it and not smile. They're your memories too. And I vote - go catch your stars! Because even the little ones shine!

You can let your husband know that science says he is wrong.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97848

 

[Tom P.]

My husband is of the mind that if the baby isn't going to remember it then he doesn't deserve it.

Doesn't deserve it? Wow. If a decision about going to Disney World is based on his assessment of whether or not your child "deserves it," he's doing it wrong.

I can understand debating whether or not the experience is as valuable to the child if they are below a certain age. But not deserving it? That's... harsh.

We don't take our children because they "deserve" to go to Disney World. It's not like they're entitled. If we were broke, we wouldn't go to Disney, and that would be fine. We go to Disney World because we are blessed enough that we can afford to do so and we *want* to provide that experience to our children. And also because it's incredible fun for us as well.

A 2-year-old may or may not remember a trip to Disney World. I don't think anyone can say for sure. But having been to Disney World more than once with a 2-year-old, I can tell you that they will most definitely enjoy it and that it will be a magical experience for both of you.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

So im slowing trying to convince my wife to take our baby girl to Disney this year. Was born in December so would 9-10-11 months be too early?

We took our daughter when she was 6 months old in August last year. She loved it! Slept amazingly there... We stayed for 9 wonderful Disney days. The long length of time was great because we were able to EVERYTHING we wanted to do at our baby's pace. We never strayed from her schedule... Actually there may have been a night or two where she fell asleep in the stroller so we could watch fireworks or whatever.

It's never too early! I love looking at the video we made there and looking through the pictures. The memories are amazing. You won't regret it if you go!

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

We will have 3 younger teenagers in our group... id take 3 infants over that....lol

haha that's funny!!!

 

[EOD K9]

I took my ten month old daughters on a Disney Cruise in March and both of them loved it. They enjoyed their nursery time, the time on Castaway Cay and seeing the shows. When we got off the boat, we took them to the MK for a day. We took advantage of the baby care stations as well and used baby swap. The girls enjoyed Small World, PoTC, and the TTA. Their eyes were wide and had huge smiles. Since the wife and I have been there several times, we just made sure we took it easy and took breaks. It was one of our best vacations. We have cruises and trips to WDW planned for December and March. We obviously don't feel held back. It is what you and your family can handle. Every family is different. Seeing the smiles on my girls was well worth it!!

 

[aporthole]

For me personally, I won't take my kids until they are at least 2.5 years old. We went when my oldest was 5.5 and second was 2.5. It was perfect. Our next trip the oldest will be 8.5, middle 5.5, and youngest will be 2.5. At 2.5 they are old enough to really enjoy the wonder of it all, potty trained (at least mine were), and able to fully communicate.

 

[RandomPrincess]

I took my son at 11 months but he was just there. We have great memories but it wasn't about him. 1 1/2 was a great age to take them. They are so much fun and everything is so exciting!

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

So im slowing trying to convince my wife to take our baby girl to Disney this year. Was born in December so would 9-10-11 months be too early?

Took my first when she was 6 months old, 18 months old, 2 years old, 27 months and we're going again when she's 3... Every time has been a wonderful experience. More specifically, when she was 6 months old we went for 10 days and that was PERFECT because we kept her sleeping schedule (went back to hotel for mid-afternoon naps) and it still gave us plenty of time to have fun in the parks and not miss anything that we wanted to see or do. I say go and have a blast. Baby will LOVE it!

 

[GoofGoof]

I know you asked for advice, but just do what you want. There's no right or wrong answer.

One thing I never understood was why people say they won't take a child under X age to WDW since they won't remember the trip. Even if your child doesn't remember the trip it doesn't erase the good times you all had as a family and by the way your happiness still actually matters too (maybe only a little tiny bit). Do people who think this way not have birthday parties for their kids or buy them toys or take them to a park? They won't remember that stuff anyway so why bother? Just seems like an odd mentality to me.

I can understand if someone says they are doing a once in a lifetime trip and want to wait for their kids to be old enough to do everything but that doesn't sound like it's the case here.

 

[MotherofaPrincessLover]

I know you asked for advice, but just do what you want. There's no right or wrong answer.

One thing I never understood was why people say they won't take a child under X age to WDW since they won't remember the trip. Even if your child doesn't remember the trip it doesn't erase the good times you all had as a family and by the way your happiness still actually matters too (maybe only a little tiny bit). Do people who think this way not have birthday parties for their kids or buy them toys or take them to a park? They won't remember that stuff anyway so why bother? Just seems like an odd mentality to me.

I can understand if someone says they are doing a once in a lifetime trip and want to wait for their kids to be old enough to do everything but that doesn't sound like it's the case here.

This is my thought exactly. And even if you wait until your child is older, they might not remember. I went to Disney once as a kid; I was 11. I really don't remember it. The trips I'm taking my kids on now, they probably won't remember them, but I will. I will remember the looks on their faces and all the fun we had as a family. I would never want to wait until my child was a certain age to experience that.

 

[Angel Ariel]

So im slowing trying to convince my wife to take our baby girl to Disney this year. Was born in December so would 9-10-11 months be too early?

Our first trip with DD was when she was 8 months old. I have to be honest - it was a trip for us, not a trip for her. She just happened to come with us She was a very happy and content baby, and she enjoyed the trip. It was an extended family trip (so us, plus my parents and my brother and his family), so there were opportunities for DH and I to enjoy the rides together (and with my nephews) as well as times when we used rider swap and one of us stayed with DD. That made a difference. I don't know that I would have taken a trip with just the 3 of us when she was 8 months old.

One thing I will say too, though, is that the best advice I got in thinking about that trip was to wait until DD was a few months old before making the decision (like 4-5 months old), in order to settle in to the new normal for the family and get an idea of what kind of a baby she was. I think that was a great piece of advice. DD has always traveled well in the car for multi hour trips, so when we decided to go we knew a short flight would be OK. Friends of mine had a baby in 2015, and their son HATES traveling in his car seat. Absolutely screams. They didn't even want to drive 45 mins with him for a while, much less get on a flight with him. I can't say I blame them either. I'm sure you've got an idea of what your daughter is like now, but giving it another month or so isn't necessarily a bad thing . ADRs can be made "just in case" and cancelled if you change your mind!

 

[HoneyBee1991]

I know you asked for advice, but just do what you want. There's no right or wrong answer.

One thing I never understood was why people say they won't take a child under X age to WDW since they won't remember the trip. Even if your child doesn't remember the trip it doesn't erase the good times you all had as a family and by the way your happiness still actually matters too (maybe only a little tiny bit). Do people who think this way not have birthday parties for their kids or buy them toys or take them to a park? They won't remember that stuff anyway so why bother? Just seems like an odd mentality to me.

I can understand if someone says they are doing a once in a lifetime trip and want to wait for their kids to be old enough to do everything but that doesn't sound like it's the case here.

I kindly, disagree. It might be a different mentality or just a difference in financial situations. Yes, I still buy my nieces and nephews toys at that age. Yes, I take them to the park or zoo here and yes they have small birthday parties at that age. However, even though they won't remember I know they will enjoy it and it doesn't cost me thousands of dollars.

If I lived in Florida I would probably feel the same way as you. However, if I am spending thousands of dollars on a trip then I want it to be memorable for everyone I'm paying for. Including kids. I think a 18 month old will have just as much fun at the Detroit Zoo as they would Animal Kindgdom. Cost for me to take a 18 month old to the Detroit Zoo. Gas, my ticket, food, leaf to feed Giraffe about $80. Cost for me to drive or fly to Florida, hotel, my theme park ticket, food, stroller rental ect. At least $2,000.

So I don't feel like it's the same thing. For people who want to share that experience with their baby/toddler, enjoy it themselves, and have those cute pictures to look back on great. I'm happy for you. But I don't feel ashamed that I'd rather go without a small child or wait until they get older to take them. I feel, personally, that it would be more fun for us that way.

 

[GoofGoof]

I kindly, disagree. It might be a different mentality or just a difference in financial situations. Yes, I still buy my nieces and nephews toys at that age. Yes, I take them to the park or zoo here and yes they have small birthday parties at that age. However, even though they won't remember I know they will enjoy it and it doesn't cost me thousands of dollars.

If I lived in Florida I would probably feel the same way as you. However, if I am spending thousands of dollars on a trip then I want it to be memorable for everyone I'm paying for. Including kids. I think a 18 month old will have just as much fun at the Detroit Zoo as they would Animal Kindgdom. Cost for me to take a 18 month old to the Detroit Zoo. Gas, my ticket, food, leaf to feed Giraffe about $80. Cost for me to drive or fly to Florida, hotel, my theme park ticket, food, stroller rental ect. At least $2,000.

So I don't feel like it's the same thing. For people who want to share that experience with their baby/toddler, enjoy it themselves, and have those cute pictures to look back on great. I'm happy for you. But I don't feel ashamed that I'd rather go without a small child or wait until they get older to take them. I feel, personally, that it would be more fun for us that way.

Wow, if you took what I wrote as me saying you should feel ashamed that's not what I was trying to say at all. I started out by saying there is no right or wrong answer. I'm not judging anyone for going or not going to WDW on vacation. If you don't want to go that's certainly your business. I did say that if it's more of a once in a lifetime trip I could understand wanting to wait for everyone in the family to be able to enjoy everything. I know not everyone can afford multiple trips to WDW. As a kid I went to WDW once and my parents had to save for a few years just to swing that.

My main point was in reference to people who specifically say they wouldn't take their kids there until they were old enough to remember. I think that's an odd reason not to go and I've heard multiple people give that as the reason not to take a trip there. If you can't afford multiple trips or you just don't think it would be fun for you as a parent being there with a young child and a stroller that's a different story. Having been to WDW with a stroller myself and then a few years later when everyone could walk it's a lot easier logistically to wait until you don't need diapers and strollers...although I do miss the cup holders on that stroller and the underneath storage for bags and souvenirs.

 

[HoneyBee1991]

Wow, if you took what I wrote as me saying you should feel ashamed that's not what I was trying to say at all. I started out by saying there is no right or wrong answer. I'm not judging anyone for going or not going to WDW on vacation. If you don't want to go that's certainly your business. I did say that if it's more of a once in a lifetime trip I could understand wanting to wait for everyone in the family to be able to enjoy everything. I know not everyone can afford multiple trips to WDW. As a kid I went to WDW once and my parents had to save for a few years just to swing that.

My main point was in reference to people who specifically say they wouldn't take their kids there until they were old enough to remember. I think that's an odd reason not to go and I've heard multiple people give that as the reason not to take a trip there. If you can't afford multiple trips or you just don't think it would be fun for you as a parent being there with a young child and a stroller that's a different story. Having been to WDW with a stroller myself and then a few years later when everyone could walk it's a lot easier logistically to wait until you don't need diapers and strollers...although I do miss the cup holders on that stroller and the underneath storage for bags and souvenirs.

Okay, I feel ya. #RespectThat