Looking for experienced parent reviews

[cyneswith]

This is a matter of taste, and I'm planning ridiculously far in advance (because I really want to go even though it's a ridiculous idea at present), but I want to know other parents' takes on it.

Here's my question. Would you rather take a 5 year old and a 2.5 year old, or a 6 year old and a 3.5 year old? I see it as a toss up between maturity and ability to ride in a double stroller.

(There's a 50% chance there will be a 6-18 month old in the mix in the later date, in which case I'm inclined to the younger set for our first DisneyWorld attempt with kids.)

 

[Lilliputian]

Go as soon as you can. You never know when life is going to get in the way and make a planned trip impossible. Go when you can go, and if you want to go later, go back.

 

[AZMermaid]

I would say the younger ages because your 2 year old will be free!

I also agree with the pp. 10 months ago, my best friend woke up to get ready for her 4 year olds birthday party that morning. Instead, she found her husband had died suddenly in his sleep. You just never know what will happen. She grieves the plans they had that will never be.

 

[cyneswith]

I could note that we're planning on going when each child is roughly 6, so this will be the first of three trips before DS is 12 (assuming we only have 3 kids.)

ETA: I forgot about 2.5 being free, mostly because plane tickets cost more than the military pass. Very good point.

 

[ajwolfe]

I say go the first time when they are younger. You never know what life holds. And in my case both of my boys were not relying on a stroller in Disney by the age of 5, so you might be surprised how much they are willingly to walk and go when they are having fun!

 

[puffkin]

I would go with the younger age as well.

Another reason is that at 2.5 they usually don't have a ton of fears yet. But between 3-4 they get a ton of irrational fears to things. Rides they did when they were 2 and loved are all of a sudden horribly scary.

 

[smiths02]

I would do the younger ages because the 5 year old will have a good time and remember and the 2.5 year old will be free. On that note, I would do the next trip before the oldest turns 10

Another advantage to 2.5 is potty training. 2.5 year olds can still be in pull-ups/diapers, most likely. If you wait until 3.5 and 6, you will have two kids in underwear who will have to go RIGHT NOW (ADRs, FP+, etc. be darned) (I'd rather change a diaper then have to get out of line or have to clean deal with my child peeing in line)

Also, I would get the trip in before another baby.

Also, you said military. Disney might not continue the good military discounts, and Disney keeps getting more expensive.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

6 and 3.5, no question. If I can avoid diapers at Disney, I will. Actually, if I can avoid a stroller, I'd do that too.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We first took our girls when they were 3 and 5 and have gone annually since then. Every trip has been great and just a different experience. Our trip in April will include a 3 month old as we are expecting in 32 days! Looking forward to it!!!

 

[SweetMissy]

I like the idea of the 2 1/2 year old being free, but I would probably do the 3 1/2 because 3 1/2 year olds tend to listen better than a 2 1/2 year old. However, 3 1/2 year olds can be "lovely" too, lol. Tough choice....good luck!

 

[Just Peachy]

OK…. You didn’t specify this choice and I fully expect a torrent of nasty replies to what I’m going to say. But, it is the way we ran our 4 kids through WDW and DL. We have made the first visit to Disney a rite-of-passage for our kids. Once you could ride the majority of the rides (~42” height), you could go on a Disney trip. Since we only went every 2 or 3 years and our kids are separated by 5 years, there was only one trip where the younger child would not go to Disney while the older siblings went. The younger child would spend a week with Grandma and Grandpa (always held in high regard as the better vacation by the younger kids). Waiting until the kids were at least 5 or 6 cut out the whole stroller and diaper routine while having the kids be old enough to really get into the entertainment and history behind the base story, book/movie of the rides and each of the “lands”.

We never put off a trip due to age. We just didn’t take the real little ones on that specific trip. We have always been fortunate to have a strong family support group where we live and our kids thoroughly love spending time on Grandpa’s farm. So, it was never viewed as a loss for the littlest one.

Now….fire away……

 

[laughinplace199]

We took our first WDW family trip when DD was 3 and DS was 1. We had a great time! After that, we went every year or so. When we added another DS to the mix, he was 5 months on his first trip.

I'd say go while the younger one is 2.5 and free!

 

[jessiesgurl]

We have made the first visit to Disney a rite-of-passage for our kids. Once you could ride the majority of the rides (~42” height), you could go on a Disney trip. Since we only went every 2 or 3 years and our kids are separated by 5 years, there was only one trip where the younger child would not go to Disney while the older siblings went. The younger child would spend a week with Grandma and Grandpa (always held in high regard as the better vacation by the younger kids). Waiting until the kids were at least 5 or 6 cut out the whole stroller and diaper routine while having the kids be old enough to really get into the entertainment and history behind the base story, book/movie of the rides and each of the “lands”.

Now….fire away……

I personally like & understand your plan. It makes the trip more fun for everyone w/o having kids sitting out because they aren't tall enough! I personally don't think I could do it myself, my own feelings would be hurt for knowing what the other child is missing out on, regardless of whether they realize it or not! But, I do like your way of thinking

OP, We decided to go sooner (5 & 3) rather than 6 & 4 because we don't know where in the world we may be next year (coming up on orders soon); and right now we are in pretty close proximity, w/ good ages for the kids to go so we decided to go ahead and go now. You never know where the military will send you

 

[Lincolnshire]

We just finished a trip with out not-quite-2.5 year old. Honestly we will have more fun with him at 3.5 I think, but there were highlights at this age too. If it's not a once in a lifetime trip, I would go at the younger ages because your 5 year old will have so much fun. The downside of 2.5: possible tantrums, inability to stay up past regular bedtime without courting meltdown, and wanting to ride nothing but It's a Small World in MK. YMMV. ;-)

 

[crewsn]

It's a toss up. I would go as early as you can. I just took our 4 year old and 1.5 year old for their first trips. It was a great time. Sure the 1.5 couldn't do everything, but there is SO much that he could do. Honestly he rarely had to sit out because there were so few attractions that the 4 year old wanted to do that he couldn't (fears or height issues). I think mine train and soaring were the only two swaps needed. Though we did do Everest in single rider ourselves.

My thoughts are actually to do it younger because some of the magic as the kids get older goes away. My 4 year old was skeptical at first if the characters were real. Took him to talking Mickey first that helped

I loved taking our 1.5 his reactions and love for the parades, lights, characters was amazing.

 

[JamJamFam]

We just got back from a trip with our five year old and two year old, and we had a BLAST. Go when they're younger! The two year old will be free, which makes it a bit cheaper. Our two year old is 41 inches tall, so he was able to go on almost all the rides with us - he went on Tower of Terror even! We rented a double stroller from Orlando Stroller Rentals and it was a huge blessing. Have fun!

 

[Pixiedustaway07]

I vote for the younger age. Free park admission, plus my kids liked the characters most around the 1.5-2.5 year old range. As my son got older he started to go through a phase where he was scared of all of them.

That and since most kids I know won't sit in their strollers much when you are trying to get around, the smaller they are, the better when it comes to carrying them.

 

[jenthern]

We just finished a trip with out not-quite-2.5 year old. Honestly we will have more fun with him at 3.5 I think, but there were highlights at this age too. If it's not a once in a lifetime trip, I would go at the younger ages because your 5 year old will have so much fun. The downside of 2.5: possible tantrums, inability to stay up past regular bedtime without courting meltdown, and wanting to ride nothing but It's a Small World in MK. YMMV. ;-)

Thank god for the short lines in small world. My son loved that ride when we went just after he turned two.

 

[cjbcam]

I went with a 2.5 yo, 5 yo, 8 yo and 10 yo one year and we did it the next year as well. So my kids where 3.5,6,8&11. There is not a ton of difference other than cost (way cheaper when child is under 3 food, tickets etc). I would go as soon as you can.

 

[navyblue8]

Younger. $ and because they are just cuter at that age. All my kids have been before 3 and my 2 year old has been twice.