"You know he won't remember it" what do you say back?

[kjw42]

Ugh, I hate when people feel the need to chime in about stuff like that. It's your trip, your money and your memories. Besides, I think kids become so much better travelers when they start early ( at least that's what I'm telling myself).

 

[yooperfan]

I would say "why should I deny my child joy in his life just because he won't have memory of it, he still experienced the joy!"

 

[Mom2Maybabies]

We didn't take our son until 2nd grade and always regret it because as a boy he was over Mickey and just wanted to do big rides We missed the magic and now I say --
"Even at 13, they may not remember!"
I remember very little about any trips we took once! I remember beach trips because we went every summer! So I think it about enjoying life and seeing him react to new experiences! We try now to go every other to every 3rd year. So our daughter has been at 18 months, 4 yrs old and now at 7 yrs old we are going in Nov.

 

[ash_xox]

We are heading back to our happy place at the end of January and this time we will be taking our then 2 year old for the first time!!!!
So excited!
But honestly I can't stand that everyone tells us that our son won't remember the trip.
What do you say back when people say that??

I remember my first trip at 16 mos. I remember the view from the Contemporary, the light parade in the water, and crying at meeting the Dreamfinder because he was so damn creepy. Always have those memories, always will. Every time I walk into MK/Epcot I feel like I'm back on my first trip. He'll remember

 

[BuckeyeBama]

When you discussyour plans with others, you can't get sensitive about their responses. Sounds like they were just trying to help. Just thank them and move on. After all, they are not wrong.

 

[larryz]

But honestly I can't stand that everyone tells us that our son won't remember the trip. What do you say back when people say that??

If I like them, I'd say "But I'll remember it!" If I don't, I'd say "Mind your own business."

 

[DisMom1981]

We are heading back to our happy place at the end of January and this time we will be taking our then 2 year old for the first time!!!!
So excited!
But honestly I can't stand that everyone tells us that our son won't remember the trip.
What do you say back when people say that??

I always say- I'm 34 and I only vaguely remember the details from my vacation LAST YEAR. The sad thing is I'm serious!!

 

[DisMom1981]

And my good friend just told me I'm crazy because we are going with our will be 4 month old. How do you respond to "you're crazy."

 

[EllinK]

We took our 18 mo old to Paris and everyone said he wouldn't remember and he doesn't. But my husband and I remember that the first time our son said his name he was on the Eiffel Tower.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

This reminds me of the time a family member actually told me I was wasting my time reading to DD when she was just months old. I told him I was getting her used to it early.

Wish we had had the Disney bug back then -- same thing!

 

[Colleen27]

"That's okay, there's always next time."

Usually the comments about a child not remembering the trip (which is, by the way, very hit or miss - my best friend went to Hawaii at 8 and remembers almost nothing about that trip!) are rooted in the idea that Disney World is a trip you take once in a lifetime, not an experience to be repeated like the zoo or museum or beach. So it "matters" more that the child should be old enough to remember. And if you're only going to go once, I can understand that logic. But for those of us who do go often we have the luxury of enjoying each trip for the stage at which it takes place without worrying over whether the timing is right for maximum lifelong appreciation.

Besides, just because a child doesn't remember something when he's 30 doesn't mean it didn't shape him. DD7 probably won't remember her first trip (at 16mo) when she's an adult. In fact, the memories are pretty faded already and she only clearly remembers a few snippets. But when she was 2, 3, 4 years old she talked about that trip all the time. When we went back a little more than a year later she remembered the rides she'd enjoyed most on the first trip and wanted to ride again. She still remembers character interactions from that trip. Are those temporary memories worth less to her than the ones she holds on to for a lifetime? I'm not sure. She'll forget a lot of what we did together when she was very young but those experiences shaped who she is now which in turn frames the memories she will hold on to. And WDW as a familiar "happy place" is the frame for her memories of the trips we've taken more recently and the ones we will take in the future.

 

[Colleen27]

I tell them how magical taking a two year old is. Watching their eyes light up when they see the characters or a special parade makes me feel magic. I'll never forget the first time I watched my 2 year old daughter watching her first Disney electrical parade. Her face was beautiful.

Life isn't primarily about the memories. It's about the moments.

That sums it up perfectly!

One of my favorite Disney memories is of my daughter, then 16mo, watching the castle stageshow. Her whole face just lit up watching Mickey & Minnie dance, and I got a perfect close-up of the look on her face at that moment. It is in a frame on my piano and even if she doesn't remember that moment I'll never forget it.

And my good friend just told me I'm crazy because we are going with our will be 4 month old. How do you respond to "you're crazy."

"Do you just now figure that out?"

 

[aprincessatlast]

I would say "I will" sometimes but usually 2 words were not enough for me.....

This was usually asked by those who always went to the beach. I would reply with "Hmm well Disney entertains him for me so really it is a vacation for me! I don't know how you go to the beach at this age I would go crazy having to entertain/chase him all day long in the sand. How is that a vacation?"

If it came from someone in general I usually would respond with "OH but you should see a one year belly laugh when meeting a character. It will melt your heart and have you hooked plus you always have those pictures to remember"

FWIW Disney Parks really can be a small window of time in a lot of kids eyes. Mine have started to become disinterested in it. So OP soak it up while you can!

 

[MischaOz]

When people tell me they're waiting until their kids are older to take them to WDW, it makes me feel sad. I'm sure we (hopefully) will have just as much fun when DD is older (she's 3 1/2 and we're going for our 3rd trip I'm Dec), but it is SO awesome to go when they're young enough to really experience the magic. For my daughter, meeting the character was like meeting a celebrity because to her they're REAL!

 

[valentinasdad]

We are heading back to our happy place at the end of January and this time we will be taking our then 2 year old for the first time!!!!
So excited!
But honestly I can't stand that everyone tells us that our son won't remember the trip.
What do you say back when people say that??

Nothing drives me more crazy. I brought my dausghter when she was 14 months old. She loved it so much...WE loved it so much now she is 20 months old and we are leaving for airport in an hour...kids wont remember anything what are you gonna do lock them in a closet. The memories we already made will last forever in her scrapbook. There are no guarantees for tomorow...live in the now

 

[kathy884]

"They won't remember it"

Depending on the tone of it -- Laugh -- That's a great excuse for going back again.

I have seen people who postpone trips out west, to Disney, etc. as they want their kids to remember them too and then we they do decide to go, their kids are doing their own thing and not interested. // Bringing them along when they are little fosters a love of places you love. Then when they are big OMG -- it's so cool that they still want to go and still want to go with you.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I think a lot of people question taking a young child because their thinking is that Disney is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Many of us here are really lucky; we have already taken multiple trips and plan to take many more. Personally, I think every age at Disney can be magical, and once that age passes, that special kind of magic for that age passes, too. I like to take my girls every year because I don't want to miss any of the magic.

There are a lot of people, however, who really will only take the once in a lifetime trip, and they try to determine the perfect age to take their child/grandchild. My coworker was just saying something similar. She has a 3 year old grandson and was telling me how much he loves Cars. I suggested she take him to stay at Art of Animation, Cars section. She said, "He's not going to remember it if we go now. And it is just so expensive. I don't think we can afford it." To me, that said that she would love to take him, but she is waiting for that perfect magical age when he will remember the trip. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. She is single and supporting herself on her teacher's salary and trying to plan for retirement. She is hesitant to take him at age 3, because if they can only afford to go once, she wants him to remember it.

I'm never bothered when people make comments about taking young children to Disney. They have their reasons. I just take it as an opportunity to expound on how fabulous Disney World is and to talk more about my favorite place.

 

[Angel Ariel]

We are heading back to our happy place at the end of January and this time we will be taking our then 2 year old for the first time!!!!
So excited!
But honestly I can't stand that everyone tells us that our son won't remember the trip.
What do you say back when people say that??

One of two things..

1. We will remember it
2. we are going because *we* want to go, for ourselves. DD is coming with us.

 

[Sleepy425]

The same people who tell me I'm crazy to take my kids to Disney at such a young age (we have 4 kids from 22months-5 and go every year at least once) all take their kids for week long vacations to the beach. Sun, sand, water with young kids - that sounds horrendous to me! Disney
Is meant for kids, the beach isn't!

 

[GatorMama]

Now that I've TAKEN kids that young, I say "they may remember more than you think! My son very clearly remembers parts of rides from his first trip at 22 months and even more clearly can tell you about his first MNSSHP, which was ON his 3rd birthday" people also tend to act aghast that we are taking an infant on this trip. "I survived when we took our second son when he was even younger. They're so easy when they're babies!"