Waited too long - kids too old for WDW

[peg2001]

DH talked to our vet about boarding our dog during our trip to Disney World. She lamented that she had wanted to vacation there with her children but waited too long and now they are "too old". DH asked how old they were and she replied 15 and 10. DH noted that we were going with ours, ages 14 and 17, but she didn't waver from her conviction that hers were too old.

Do you think that is common belief, that once someone's age hits double digits, they are too old for Disney? How sad.

 

[JoeA]

We started going to Disney with our kids when they were in strollers. We lived in FL and had 3 Season Salute passes (that was a long time ago!) so it was easy.

We moved out west and the kids are now in their 20's. And we still go. We have family reunions there with "kids" aged from in their 70's on down.

A good buddy of mine just took his family and the daughter just graduated from HS and his son is entering 9th grade.

"Kids" are never too old.

 

[worm761]

DH talked to our vet about boarding our dog during our trip to Disney World. She lamented that she had wanted to vacation there with her children but waited too long and now they are "too old". DH asked how old they were and she replied 15 and 10. DH noted that we were going with ours, ages 14 and 17, but she didn't waver from her conviction that hers were too old.

Do you think that is common belief, that once someone's age hits double digits, they are too old for Disney? How sad.

That is a very common belief. Most people believe that Disney is for kids.

Honestly, of those I know that have taken their kids once it was a once in a lifetime trip. Not because they can't afford to go back but because they just don't see why an older kid would want to.

I was at a farewell BBQ for one of the sailors that left and one of the wives said that she wanted to go to Disney but couldn't convince her husband. I asked him why he didn't want to go and his response was that it was for kids. Then I informed him of all there is that is NOT for little kids. They will be planning a trip soon!

 

[poooh]

She must not know much about Disney World then. My parents surprised my sister and I with a trip last January. We're 19 and 23 and when they told us, we cried and hugged each other and jumped up and down. We hadn't been to disney in 13 years. No one is too old. What a sad way of thinking.

 

[boltfan]

Absolutely not! I didn't go for the first time until I was 22 and that's when the obsession started. And I went one year without my older daughter because she had volleyball and she insisted that I never go without her again (and she's 17!).

 

[Simba's Mom]

DH talked to our vet about boarding our dog during our trip to Disney World. She lamented that she had wanted to vacation there with her children but waited too long and now they are "too old". DH asked how old they were and she replied 15 and 10. DH noted that we were going with ours, ages 14 and 17, but she didn't waver from her conviction that hers were too old.

Do you think that is common belief, that once someone's age hits double digits, they are too old for Disney? How sad.

Well, something like that happened with our DSs when they were both teenagers. But at least in our case, it was a temporary situation. When DS #1 graduated from college, his desired celebration? A trip to WDW! Then DS #2 decided while he was in college to apply for the Disney All-American band, because he wanted to be a CM so bad. Took him 3 years of auditioning, but he was so thrilled when he finally made it. So please don't worry too much about teenagers being too "old" for Disney-they'll grow "into" it again!

 

[Aquatic]

My 2 nieces were probably 9 and 11 when they went on a family trip to WDW years ago. They haven't been back since. When they heard we were planning our second trip, they said they were jealous because they wanted to go, too. They are now 18 and 20. So, no... I don't think you're ever too old.

 

[WDWFan06]

It took me 9 years to convince my older sister that disney was not " just for kids." I convinced her to run the half last January at Disney. She was still skeptical from the moment she stepped on the Magical Express to when she walked in our royal room at POR. Now Disney is still not her favorite place like me but we had a great trip and our signed up for the Marathon this January. There is so much to do at Disney and is it definitely not limited just to kids.

 

[tajz90]

My kids are 21 and 15, both still love visiting Disney. Never too old.

 

[Alice Royal]

I've been going to WDW since I was in diapers. When I was getting closer to the college application process I knew that I needed to at least be close, if not work there.

I'm now 18, a sophomore in college, and living 20 minutes away. I'm not working there yet, but it's still a goal...NOBODY is too old for Disney!

 

[MataHari22]

Wow, 10 years old is a great time to go, and my niece was 15 when I took her, I think. I only got to take her for one day while we were visiting someone else while in Florida. I wanted to take her to the Magic Kingdom, but my step mom said she was too old for MK. So, we went to Animal Kingdom, because I could not convince my step mom that MK would be fun for her.

Not sure why some people feel this way. I often have people wonder why I go to WDW since I never had kids and I'm old. Doesn't matter what age you are at WDW, it's for the young and young at heart. It's for those that can always see the magic in things.

 

[Figment Mom]

I definitely disagree that her kids are too old.

I'm bringing ds for the first time and he will be 9. I do regret that I wasn't able to bring him sooner since I do think around maybe age 5 - 7 is a really magical time. (That age range would obviously vary for individuals.) Still, I know he is really going to enjoy it at age 9 just as I'm going to enjoy it at age, um... old.

 

[juliebug1997]

Walt intended for his parks (and all forms of entertainment) to be enjoyed by kids of all ages. One can never be too old for Disney World.

 

[JimmyV]

Let's leave the 10 year old out of the discussion. No way is that "too old". As for the 15 year old, while that is certainly not too old, it is an age when a child might want to take other types of vacation. If a family can only take one "significant" vacation a year, and the family has to allocate its time and resources as best as it can, it would not be irrational to think that a 15 year old might want to do something else. My daughter grew up in a "Disney pretty much every year" household. But by her teen years, she wanted to check out places like Rome, Paris and Hawaii. We were lucky enough to toss some Disney trips in as well. But had we been limited to one vacation a year, our trips to WDW would have been the ones to get dropped. Not because she was "too old" per se. But because other places interested her more. So it isn't really a matter of whether someone is "too old". That probably never happens. It is more a matter of what one prefers to do. And interests change with time.

 

[knkmom]

We live in Cali and started taking our kids to DL when they were very very young! We did our very first trip to WDW in 2009 and the kids were a month shy of 22 and 15.........they both loved the trip. We are planning our 2015 trip and both kids are going again, they will be almost 28 and 21 and are just as excited as hubby and I are to be going back!!

 

[danielle.st]

I was 14 the first time I went to WDW. It was like a dream come true. I loved every moment. I do think some teens need a break if they have been going since they were little, but I think most teens are still super excited for their first trip there. I think it is a different experience for different ages. I think littler kids believe in the characters and the magic more. But I remember going and standing on Main Street and being in awe that someplace so pretty and that I saw on tv was really there and I was standing there. I loved every show, every parade, every ride. Another thing that amazed me, something I wouldn't have thought of when I was younger, was how much time, attentions and detail went into creating the parks and experiences. I think some of that is stuff littler kids, as much as they love WDW, don't notice or appreciate as much.

 

[JimmyV]

I do think some teens need a break if they have been going since they were little, but I think most teens are still super excited for their first trip there.

I think this sums it up perfectly.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

DH talked to our vet about boarding our dog during our trip to Disney World. She lamented that she had wanted to vacation there with her children but waited too long and now they are "too old". DH asked how old they were and she replied 15 and 10. DH noted that we were going with ours, ages 14 and 17, but she didn't waver from her conviction that hers were too old.

Do you think that is common belief, that once someone's age hits double digits, they are too old for Disney? How sad.

This was a concern for me and one of the reasons we went when my oldest was 11. We felt we were running out of time.

To be fair, that was in part based on a miserable day spent at MK when I was 17 - and that was with friends, not my parents. So yes, for many kids (especially boys), that is indeed "too late".

 

[usagibuffy]

My parents took us "kids" to WDW for the first time when we were 23, 22, and 20. We all shared a room at a deluxe resort and we had a blast! The only times we'd split up was when someone wanted to go back to the hotel and others didn't; otherwise we stuck together for everything. DH and I went two years later to celebrate our 1st anniversary. My 3rd trip was the first to involve an actual child; DD was 5 months old. December will be our first trip with kids who will actually remember anything about it. WDW is most definitely NOT just for kids, and I wish we lived closer so we could go more often.

 

[jdonat]

Huh? Nononono. My DD's now 21 and 26 just came back from a family WDW trip to celebrate their parent's birthdays with their parents and the 26yr DD's SO. My 21yr old DD, when we asked what she wanted to do for her 21st b-day, she said, with a gleam in her eye "can we go to Disney World?" We were able to do this, and had her sister and the rest of her family there for the celebration.

My DW and I have gone on trips without the kids! We have had a great time, but I'm a Lost Boy, and will always be a kid

Our kids LOVE going down to WDW even now! We're planning on a NYE trip, with some of the family.

WDW too old for their kids! Rubbish!