What can a child get out of it?

[SCmom3]

We just took our 14 month old son. He had a great time and enjoyed everything. From the kiddie pool at Blizzard Beach to the monorail, he had a blast. He flirted with the princesses and chased his brother around outside of space mountain. I underestimated how much he'd like the characters and parades. He liked Pirates of the Caribbean so much that we rode it three times. I doubt he'll remember a thing about the trip a year from now, but I will. And behavior-wise, he was the easiest of our children. He never fussed for a toy in a gift shop, got upset about not being tall enough for a ride, etc.

 

[HoosierDisneyDad]

Going with a baby is not my idea of fun. You're going to subject it to heat, crowds, noise, and germs. If you're a selfish person, drag it along. If not, find somewhere else less daunting for a 18 month old like Sesame Park.

Thank you for that modest proposal JS.

 

[purpledisneyprncess]

Hello & welcome to the boards!! I discovered this message board back in 2008 when we were planning our 1st trip. (Which we had to postpone b/c I got pregnant with our 2nd, lol). Anyhow, I think you should go. Your 13 month old will most likely be mesmerized by all that is Disney. It is very stimulating for babies, IMO. There are plenty of indoor shows if it gets too hot outside for the baby, and of course you will have the stroller too for naps and a shade from the sun. I remember taking our kids, my youngest was about 2 years old. She was very easy on that trip!

I hope you decide to go, and come back here to let us know how it went...

 

[mm1971]

The baby will get exposure to pretty lights and sounds, the character (if not terrified) and time with you. That's about it. Won't remember any of it.

Now, you on the other hand will get great memories, pictures of a fun family time and a way to go back and review it when your child is older. Remember vacations are for everyone in the family and you should enjoy the time. It is a little more work with a young one, but I'd rather do the work in Disney than anywhere else.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

We took our oldest to Disney for the first time when he was 15 months old. I didn't really stop to think about what *he* would get out of it. *I* was ready for a REAL vacation that did not involve going to visit my in-laws. It turned out to be one of my favorite trips. Our son loved the characters and we have such sweet photos and memories of him playing peek-a-boo with Piglet around the columns at Crystal Palace, of Tigger getting down on all fours to be nose-to-nose with him at Animal Kingdom. I would not change anything about that trip. In retrospect, I'm sure it had its trying moments but I don't remember a single one of them, I only remember the fun.

Like the other posters said, if YOU want to go, don't let having a toddler dissuade you from going. Don't go FOR your child, but don't let it hold you back, either.

 

[DoseOfAtmosphere]

I suppose it might be something I should really consider. Abigail has always been an 'easy' baby, I suppose, and it would finally give me an excuse to dress her up like Sully from Monsters Inc. My DH has been adamant about me not taking her out in public dressed in a furry onesie!

 

[laughinplace199]

Thank you for that modest proposal JS.

 

[luvpooh]

funny, I was just coming on to post something similar. My little guy is almost 7 months and we were considering a trip for his 1st birthday. He LOVES being out and about, and does pretty well with being out of routine (can sleep anywhere, anytime, etc).

My biggest question is how do I know what his situation will be 5 months from now? These next few months are huge from a developmental perspective, there should be huge changes in his mobility, eating habits, etc. I know nobody can answer what my DS is going to be doing coming up, but I wonder what I need to consider to determine if the trip is right for us, like babyproofing the room, planning anything special for being in crowds if he is just starting to walk, what to do for the plane ride (lap child, buy a seat, how do the car seats work on the plane for rear facing)?

 

[quagmire0]

Hello all! I've just been introduced to the boards by the young daughter of a family friend who has an account here, and so, I decided, why not? Anyway, this is my first post! Ooh, exciting!

My daughter is 8 months old. We were recently invited on a trip to Disney World by my brother-in-law to accompany his family. My daughter will have just turned 13 months by the time that trip happens. I don't have issues taking her, however, I'm the kind of gal who doesn't do anything if I don't see a benefit. Could you help me understand the possible benefit of taking my young daughter to Disney at only 13 months?

Thank you very much!

Our youngest is 13 months and will be going with us in a few days here. Honestly, they won't remember it. Our DS was 18mo when he went for the first time and he didn't really remember it all. All he knows now are the videos of the rides I show him and anything he's watched on the Disney channel. I think at that age though, she's at the age where she's really starting to take things in and explore. For that, Disney will be an eye opening experience for her. Definitely some scary things, but a lot more fun things for her to take in.

 

[lauradis]

If you want to go then go ... I have to side with grumpy pants on this one I waited till my where out of strollers and diapers to do disney with them, perfect age to me is 5-8 year old group. for first timers.

 

[texasroni75]

Yep - the benefits are mostly for YOU the parent at that age. But, I can say that the pictures I took of my oldest DD when she was 5 months old in Key West, and of her when she was 4 on her first trip to WDW are some of her favorites. She keeps them framed in her room and she's 18 now. So even though she can't remember being there, she is still getting something out of it - it's something we still talk about and makes all of us smile

 

[bartleby1]

Hello all! I've just been introduced to the boards by the young daughter of a family friend who has an account here, and so, I decided, why not? Anyway, this is my first post! Ooh, exciting!

My daughter is 8 months old. We were recently invited on a trip to Disney World by my brother-in-law to accompany his family. My daughter will have just turned 13 months by the time that trip happens. I don't have issues taking her, however, I'm the kind of gal who doesn't do anything if I don't see a benefit. Could you help me understand the possible benefit of taking my young daughter to Disney at only 13 months?

Thank you very much!

I haven't read the responses, but little ones get "something" out of EVERY experience, whether it be going to the local park, going to the grocery store, or going to Disney! They learn through experiences. The more they are exposed to, the more they take in. We have taken our kids everywhere we have wanted to go since they were born. Of course they don't remember the experiences from when they were infants and toddlers, but they did learn from them. I'm sure none of us remember our moms/dads teaching us to put shapes in a shape sorter, teaching us our colors, teaching us to go on the potty, etc, but those were still very valuable experiences.

My kids are now 8, 11, and 13 and have traveled all over the country, including driving from NJ to California. I've never had issues in restaurants or riding in the car for long distances because we exposed them to traveling from the beginning. I'm certain that none of them remember their first Disney trip but I have great memories and they have a great foundation for loving to learn and explore the world since they have been exposed to so much.

 

[corneredbycorn]

My husband and I just took a trip in May. We opted not to take our daughter, who was 16 months at the time. It was our anniversary trip and we wanted time to ourselves, as well as not having to deal with all the stuff and stresses that come with a baby. It was, beyond a doubt, the right decision.

That said, while we intended for her first trip to be around 4-5 years old, we are tentatively going again in September for free dining. Our daughter will be joining us on this trip and we are so excited to bring her. We know that she will love it and will just soak everything in. Our daughter loves mascots. While we don't have anything to compare the rides to, she is such an easy going baby, we are not too worried about them and she is pretty fearless. We are not naive though. We know the trip is more for us than her. Even though I do believe she will get a lot of out of it, it's nothing she will remember. But that's ok because we will.

 

[Burnedout]

I haven't read the responses, but little ones get "something" out of EVERY experience, whether it be going to the local park, going to the grocery store, or going to Disney! They learn through experiences. The more they are exposed to, the more they take in. We have taken our kids everywhere we have wanted to go since they were born. Of course they don't remember the experiences from when they were infants and toddlers, but they did learn from them. I'm sure none of us remember our moms/dads teaching us to put shapes in a shape sorter, teaching us our colors, teaching us to go on the potty, etc, but those were still very valuable experiences.

My kids are now 8, 11, and 13 and have traveled all over the country, including driving from NJ to California. I've never had issues in restaurants or riding in the car for long distances because we exposed them to traveling from the beginning. I'm certain that none of them remember their first Disney trip but I have great memories and they have a great foundation for loving to learn and explore the world since they have been exposed to so much.

Well said!!!

 

[caselaw3]

if she hasn't had a haircut yet - you could do her first hair cut there- that is a really cool thing to do

 

[tartemis]

Hello all! I've just been introduced to the boards by the young daughter of a family friend who has an account here, and so, I decided, why not? Anyway, this is my first post! Ooh, exciting!

My daughter is 8 months old. We were recently invited on a trip to Disney World by my brother-in-law to accompany his family. My daughter will have just turned 13 months by the time that trip happens. I don't have issues taking her, however, I'm the kind of gal who doesn't do anything if I don't see a benefit. Could you help me understand the possible benefit of taking my young daughter to Disney at only 13 months?

Thank you very much!

Disney World is full of bright colors, wonderful music and overexaggerated characters and faces. It is the PERFECT stimulation for babies. I took both my girls when they were 6 months old and THEY (and of course us) had an amazing time. Both of them seemed to mature so much while they were there -- I think new experiences are critical for brain and social development, so I strongly disagree with the notion that babies would be just as well off with a bottle in their living room.

 

[Pollito916]

If you would enjoy it then go. My daughter's first trip to DL was just before her 1st birthday and her 1st trip to WDW was at 13 months. Those 2 trips are some of my favorite memories of her ever. She was just so cute and agreeable and absolutely adored all of the characters. She held on to Tigger and wouldn't let go, danced with characters, and she was FREE!!

Her last trip at age 25 months to DL had some of the biggest tantrums I've ever seen. 13 months was much more pleasant. But we're still planning another trip to WDW for later this year when she will be a little over 3 years. Because the good moments are generally more than the bad and outshine them by far. Every time she sees a Disney commercial or we watch a program on tv, she jumps up and down in excitement shouting, "I want to go there! I want to do that! I want to go on that ride!" It's hard not to get caught up in the excitement...who am I kidding, I wanna go there too!!