3.5 and 2 y/o: too young for a nice trip?

[Chelle's Belles]

Please help me! My husband and I are divided on going to Disney this fall. Our children will be 3.5 and 2. I think this would be a wonderful time to introduce them to Disney, but my husband swears that everyone he talks to says we will all be miserable if we go.

Pardon me, but I think all my husband's friends must be smoking crack. Little kids miserable at WDW. Yeah, that's a good one

Which of us is crazy? Will it be a wonderful trip or a horrible ordeal if I take my 3.5 year old and 2 year old to Disney?

(FWIW, my plan is to stay at GF for four nights and probably do 3 half-days of parks with lots of pool time.)

I do not want to wait! Life is short and uncertain.

 

[traviesojmt]

We took both my children, now DS9 and DD3, to Disneyworld for the first time at 2yrs of age. Actually, we are going again in Feb and it will be DD3's third time to Disney. They loved it. It took my DS a little time to warm up to characters but he was hugging everyone at the end of our first trip. Our DD loved the characters from minute one. My DD3 tells everyone she meets that she is going to Disney in a few weeks. We were there in Aug. and she remembers everything. I know that you will find some who prefer to wait until children are older, but I am so glad that we started going when we did. My children have such a love of Disney. We do make sure not to push our kids past their limit though. We usually hit the park at opening and take a nap/pool break after lunch. Then we go back to the parks for a few hours in the evening.
So, you can tell your husband that you have talked to at least one person whose family had a blast taking their children at a young age. Hope it works out for you.

 

[720L]

I think any age is perfect to bring them to Disney. The younger they are, the more they believe. It is so cute to watch their reactions to the characters. My son didn't want anything to do with the characters until he was 4, but my daughter loved them right away. They both always loved the rides. It won't be horrible to bring them! Life is short---GO GO GO!!! I don't know about the GF with kids though......why not save money and stay at a "fun" resort while they are small?
p.s.----we started bringing our daughter when she was 2, my son went for a short trip at 10 months(which was a little more difficult) then we went again when he was 2. We've been going twice a year ever since!

 

[tripplanner]

We took the kids as toddlers. They loved it. We also chose the GF when they were young and also loved it. Being on the monorail and having a boat option for transportation to MK makes it so easy with young kids. You can easily take a break when you need to without wasting alot of time. The resort is relaxing and low key. We found out very quickly that the kids could ride the majority of the rides and they really had fun. We also discovered that the grownups had just as much fun as the kids did. I hope you choose to go.

 

[honeymom]

I went to the Worlds Fair when I was 3 years old (home of the first Its a Small World now at Disneyland). It is one of my earliest memories and very magical.

 

[Bibbidi]

We took our kids for the first time one May when one was 3 yo and the other was 10 months. It was a GREAT trip. They both still napped in their strollers, it was far easier bringing an infant than I thought and we had lots of down time to take naps. Flash forward about 15 months later and we were back at Disney with a 4 yo and a 2 yo. That trip was a disaster--but granted we had just moved across the country 8 weeks earlier, had moved into our new house 5 days earlier and everyone got sick--youngest had croup and a trip to the ER. We didn't give ourselves enough down-time, the kids were no longer napping (at home or elsewhere) and everyone was just cranky. That said, I think that can happen at any time and not just at Disney. It was unfortunate that we had a crummy trip, but that's not stopping us from going back this May. Now the kids are almost 6 and almost 4 and because neither one has been napping for several years now, we know they have more stamina and we'll still definitely plan more breaks--we learned our lesson last time!

If you want to go, GO! The kids will undoubtedly love it. I think the main thing is to truly make sure you take a break every day and definitely take a day off entirely from the parks in the middle of your trip just to relax by the pool. We usually do parks two days, then off one day. In my opinion, taking your kids to disney is no different than taking them on any other vacation--except the expectations are greater for a good time and the disappointment is often greater if things don't go as planned. If you go with an open mind and are willing to take some free time to just hang out and slow down a bit, you should have a great time.

 

[Chelle's Belles]

Thanks so much, a couple of you touched on our reason for choosing the GF -- I think being on the monorail with the little ones will make it much easier.

Please send lots of Disney magic vibes this way so my husband will say YES!

 

[blessedby3]

We have taken our children at all ages and have never had a bad experience with a certain age. Any age is a good age for Disney because they have so much to do for people of all ages. Hopefully your DH will agree to go and I know you will have a blast. Disney through your childs eyes is just amazing. Be sure and take lots of pictures so the kids can look at them over and over when you get back.

 

[bopper]

How behaved are your kids in public?
How well do the kids eat?
If they are reasonably behaved and are not too picky with food, it
seems like what you are planning is very reasonable for that age. You are not going to over tire them and the vacation isn't very long. You will be close to the monorail for getting back to the hotel.

 

[tadamom]

We took our son when he was just about to turn 3 and he absolutely looooved it!! We have our trip planned for May and our son will be 5 1/2 and our daughter will be almost 2 1/2. I'm hoping for the same response out of my DD, except I know she wont be as excited about the characters!

 

[Sxofus]

1st family trip last year - off site. The kids were 5, 4, 21mo., 21mo.

We're going back in August.

 

[Twingle]

We took our son when he was 3.5 and I was pregnant with his sisters. It was AMAZING - he had such a good time, and still remembers lots of it (especially with the gazillon pictures I took to jog his memory!). We stayed off site, and it was okay. He napped in his stroller which was surprising, since he would never even sleep in the car at home!

We took our girls for the first time when they were 2, again, we had a blast. Very special trip, lots of great memories. We stayed at Saratoga Springs, and again, the girls slept in the stroller when they were tired.

I think you would have a great time taking your kids at 3.5 and 2, just remember to go at their speed. That was a HUGE help in us having a good time.

Also, GF is my "dream" resort to stay in! I love it there, it's just so pretty, and being a monorail resort doesn't hurt.

Lots of pixie dust your way so you get to have your trip!

 

[PrincessasMommy]

"I do not want to wait! Life is short and uncertain."

My sentiments exactly!!!

We took our kids in 2005 at ages 9 months, 27 months and 9 years old and we had THE best time ever!!! The 27 month old and 9 month old rode so many rides , loved it's a small world, winnie the pooh, everything at AK, especially the Safari and we did 3 character meals - Pooh @ Crystal Palace, Donald's @ AK and Princesses @ Epcot and the little ones loved it more than our 9 year old!

In 2006 we took them to Mexico - it wasn't half the fun for any of us!

So, our 2007 trip is WDW again with 4 kids - the youngest has yet to arrive - due in late June! Our children will be 3 months old, 3 years old, 4 years old and just turned 12 the day we fly (suprise birthday trip)!!

Before we went the first time I played lots of Disney films so they would be familiar with the characters and discussed plane/travel behaviour with them. Everything was such an adventure and without a doubt that week created some of our family's best memories ever.

You won't regret going, but you may regret not going!

Good Luck convincing!!!

 

[Cindy's Mom]

our kids are the same age difference as yours, 18 months apart. We took our children there when they were that young and they loved it. We loved it too, because DS was practically free. Under 3yo is free park admission and buffets too. We took them back again a week before DS's 3rd b-day, because he was still 2 and took advantage of his "freeness".

Every time we go back, its a different trip....hopefully this time, SOMEONE will go on Splash mountain with me.

 

[Chelle's Belles]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

You won't regret going, but you may regret not going!

My thoughts exactly. I'm really leaning toward just doing it. If my husband goes, he goes. If he doesn't, he'll just regret missing it forever and ever. I have 10 months for him to change his mind. And if he doesn't, I'll just take my mom instead -- ha!

 

[Marshay]

"Definitely go and take it slow" -- that's my motto. We are taking my now 18 month old to WDW in Sept. I cannot wait to see her face when she rides 'It's a Small World' or when she sees all the Mickey balloons from the street vendor or sees the incredible water fountain in Epcot.

I know we may only get on two or three rides a day but we will get our money's worth from the smiles and looks of awe on her face as she has new encounters.

I can't imagine any parent (or grandparent) who would choose to miss these precious moments.

Best of luck!

Marsha

 

[Pooki]

I took my daughter her first time when she was about 27 months, and she remembers it! I actually thought she might have been too young to remember it, and only "remember" things that she sees from pictures, but about a year and a half after the trip, she says out of the blue "remember when it was raining in Disney World and you bought me those Pooh lollipops?" That was obviously a memory that I didnt even remember until she brought it up! She was shy around the characters, but she is very shy and reserved by nature, so my husband and I took turns holding her while meeting characters so she wouldn't be as intimidated.

We also went this past December with my son who was about 3 years 3 months old, and he remembers so much of it as well. He had an absolute blast, and he is not a shy kid, and loved meeting every single character (even Jafar who acted "mean"), and he was tall enough to ride quite a few bigger rides.

No regrets here!

 

[Perditamarie]

This is just about the perfect time to take them!! Our kids have gone since they were very young and they thought everything was a ride, like the buses. That age is just magical for them...and for mom and dad...or grandma as the case may be! Go, go, go!! You will all love it...my kids remember their trips and always play they are "going to Disney" and pack a backpack with clothes and stuffed animals and go under the dining room table to take the plane to Disney.

Has your DH watched the planning video? The one w/Erin (before YOAMD) really showed a lot of fun stuff for that age. Anyway, when he sees your pics/video from your trip w/out him, he will be ready for next time!

 

[Grendalynn]

No they are not too young for a nice trip! As long as you nap and take things slow. If they aren't up to it ont day, take it easy at the pool and have a nice dinner after a good, long nap. Other days do the parks and pizza or a cafe dinner that night. Its only as stressful as you make it.

Besides, you don't want to wait too long for them to experience the "Magic", if you wait too long they may be past the best age!! They are never too old and never too young. They will be into one thing one trip and something completely different the next! Just my 2 censt worth. Enjoy and take LOTS of pictures!!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

We took our children for the 1st time at ages 25 mos. and 4.5 yrs. They had a blast! We stayed at the Poly and between the Monorail access and the zero entry pool, it was perfect. Just to reiterate what a previous poster said, "take it slow".
We did early mornings and left the parks by 1pm, before the meltdowns. Back to the hotel for lunch, a swim and a nap and back out to the parks for more touring and dinner around 5pm.
It really was a perfect trip and 5 months later, my DS still talks about the monorail.

I hope DH changes his mind and you have a wonderful trip!