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

[Pageantprincess]

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??

You will experience WDW through a 2 year old's eyes...I can't imagine anything more wonderful. When he is older, he can look at the photos and enjoy them.

We waited to take our DD till she was 6. She doesn't remember the majority of that trip. But she loves looking at the adorable photos of herself and comparing them to the next several WDW vacations.

Don't worry about what others say or think. This is your family and how you enjoy your life together and create memories is your business and nobody else's.

 

[muenginerd]

Next time we go to Disney we'll have a 2.5 year old and almost 18 month old with us. My parents offered to come to Orlando to lay by the pool and watch the kids while we go to the parks. DH laughed at them and said if we are going to Disney we are most certainly taking our kids with us. My dad didn't understand this, you're paying so much for the tickets, don't you want to get as much out of the parks without hauling kids around. We just laughed told him Disney is all about being a kid, what better way than to experience all the magic for the first time through a kid. You're just not going to understand until you see it.....

I also mentioned the tickets being free for under three. This is the last time in a long we'll go as a family on only two tickets. That made sense to my parents and they didn't question it after that.

 

[Dr.Mickey]

We didn't do ANYTHING with our kids at 2 because we thought they would remember it. Nor did we always pick activities specifically for them.

I see this is the consensus of this thread, but just adding my 2 cents.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

My son (now almost 4) still remembers and talks about specific details about our trip last year, when he was 2 turning 3. Like riding the elevator at the Poly while waiting for our ressie at Ohana, taking the monorail, none of the things we have pictures of or talk about. As for me, I hardly remember anything from my one and only MK childhood trip when I was 8 (or was it 9)? I remember Space Mountain, that's it. You never know what your kid will or won't remember. I know that I'll NEVER forget the look on his face when he first saw Pooh in person.

 

[Meldev]

First family trip DD's were 2,4,6 - 2 didn't remember a thing, 4 tells me she remembers we only ate pretzels as a snack! HAHA - But I have pictures and videos and memories of the amazement in their eyes and a quote from 4 saying "this was the best day ever of my whole life!"
First reponse was perfect if they say they won't remember the "I will." Says it all!

 

[fairy oma]

Our DGDs were 5 and 3 on their first trip and they monthly ask mom and dad to go back. Grandpa made them a video montage of their photos as well as a video of the fireworks and the Halloween Party. They both remember BBB and dancing with Goofy during the parade. The look on your child's face is one you will never forget so don't worry about what others think and enjoy your trip.

 

[Baklava]

I give my girl a big kiss and say, "She probably won't remember that either. Still worth it!"

 

[Plaid Princess]

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??

Ask them if they're being honest with themselves. Parents always take their kids to Disney for themselves. They want to see the kids reactions. They want a picture of the kids with Mickey for their desk at work. They want to be able to tell their friends that they took the kids to Disney. You're just honest with yourself and know that it will be fun to see the reactions of your little one at Disney. Own it, and have fun!

 

[Choozee]

I say, "Nope, he won't remember it..... But I will"

 

[fairy8i8]

I'd say, "We live in the moment, and right now we think everyone in our family would be delighted with a trip to Disney World."

What would be the purpose of him remembering the trip anyway? So he could say he had gone? So that it would strengthen your family bond? Pretty sure a trip would strengthen your family regardless of who remembers what.

 

[ambolejack]

I steam every time I get this question. My DD has been going since she was 5 months old. Who cares if she doesn't remember, I will. AND, we have some really great photos with Characters (DD chewing on Mickey's hand) before she became scared to meet them. OH, and does it really matter? SHE'S FREE!!!!!

 

[LemonNeko]

We took my son for his 3rd birthday last November knowing he wouldn't remember it. What surprised me is we were looking at pictures to prepare him for our upcoming trip a couple of weeks ago and even though he says he doesn't remember he would say things like that's where the train is (and the train wouldn't show in the picture but it was the entrance to the train) so months later he was remembering some aspects of it.

 

[KTwiegs]

Also, I think we're planning our trip with our will be 22mo at the same time!

How fun! We we going 23rd to the 29th of January

 

[Accident]

I don't disagree with a Disney vacation at any age and my short answer is "I would be going if they weren't in our lives yet".

However, I will say I wish I planned my daughters first times in disney a little different. I planned the trip to be all about her, she loved 10% of it because she only recognized 10% of what was in front of her at the younger ages. I have fond memories and pictures to last my lifetime, she only has fond memories of bits and pieces. What I would do differently today is plan the trip for us and make sure to the things for her would be things she would recognize and know. No need to see chip and dale just for her when she only knows winnie the pooh for example. As they get older then there is ways to introduce them to things they will discover, older not in the latest blockbuster film characters, that are more meaningful.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We will be bringing our 12 month old in January for her first birthday. People keep telling me she won't remember it. I tell them it's for our memories of our family and so we can see her discover Disney World through her eyes.I also tell them that my parents took me when I was a baby and that seeing my reactions to rides like It's a Small World, Peter Pan, not to mention meeting characters was well worth it.
I also tell them that it's not the only time we will be going to WDW - we are DVC members so we will go there at least every other year (so it's not like a one and done trip).

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

We will be bringing our 12 month old in January for her first birthday. People keep telling me she won't remember it. I tell them it's for our memories of our family and so we can see her discover Disney World through her eyes.I also tell them that my parents took me when I was a baby and that seeing my reactions to rides like It's a Small World, Peter Pan, not to mention meeting characters was well worth it.
I also tell them that it's not the only time we will be going to WDW - we are DVC members so we will go there at least every other year (so it's not like a one and done trip).

Other people will love you for bringing your baby on IASW. It's pixie dusting everyone on the boat.

When my baby was 7 months, one of the times we rode this lady on the boat with teenagers was just SO excited to watch the baby bounce to the music. It was so nice.

 

[SadieDawn90]

I think the people who ask this question think of Disney as a "one and done" vacation destination. That it's only purpose is to be a rite of passage for kids around the age of 6, and you do it then and never go again. So why would you waste it on a 2 year old?

I took my daughter when she was 2 and it was MAGICAL. Her heart was in the magic 180% and I will remember that trip for the rest of my life. She will have the pictures to look at and we talk about it so often, she still remembers now (a year later) because we've kept it fresh in her mind.

My husband and I are currently expecting our second child. We had a trip planned for December that we were going to cancel (or drastically minimize) due to the fact that I will be 6 months along and WHAT IS DISNEY IF THERE IS NO SPLASH MOUNTAIN :[ However, after the announcement about the Osborne Lights we've decided to hold on to the trip (don't get me started on that, btw. An hour ago you could've found me on my iPad, watching YouTube videos of the lights, and SOBBING. Let's blame the pregnancy hormones...) and once we have the new nugget, we'll be making a trip then as well.

We went before kids. We'll go when kids don't remember. We'll go when kids are bigger. We'll go when kids are grown and gone. Disney is a part of our life at every stage. And that's not something most non-dissers can understand or relate to.

 

[momimouse27]

Sorry, this question is a pet peeve of mine! It's like, you should do absolutely nothing with your little ones because they won't remember any of it! So, no birthday parties, no vacations, no Santa- nothing-they won't remember it!

Seriously, though, they are FAMILY memories. For the parents as much as the kids. There are so many special things I remember from our Disney trips that I know my kids won't remember, but I will. Imagine throwing away those memories....it hurts my heart

 

[brelyt]

One of my favorite memories of my (then) 2 year old DD is of her climbing the stairs of the Swiss Family Robertson Treehouse, saying "big step" on each one. I can't tell you how many people passed us, it must have taken us 45 minutes, but she was a big girl and had to do it herself. Disney World is a place for everyone to make memories, not just kids.

 

[Hunterr]

They won't remember it, but you will and they will probably be entertained as they are while there.
And aren't they getting in free anyway? It's not like it's a waste of money