4 year old on a cruise

[ljs051]

I want to take my 4 year old son on a 3 night wonder cruise. Does anyone feel he may be too young for this? I will also have my wife, 10 year old daughter and her best friend along. I surprised them with this on Christmas morning and my wife feels the boy is too small to appriciate it.
Any comments??

 

[tstobb]

We went on the 7 day with our 3 (9,7 & almost 5). No question about it - she LOVED it. Even though she didn't spend much time in the clubs, she loved the ship, the characters, the shows, the pools, even dinner & she's a picky eater. I made her her own photo album when we got home & she shows it to everyone who comes over.

 

[KaitlinsMom]

We just went with our 4 year old in November and were worried because our daughter is a bit shy = But she loved it and we just booked a 7 day for next year! can't wait = I think a 4 year old is a perfect time to go!

Enjoy!

Karen

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We took our then 2 1/2 year old son on a 4 night Wonder cruise in Jan. 2001. We are booked to take him on a 7 nighter next Nov. Who knows if he appreciated it! But he sure had a good time and constantly asks when are we going on the "Mickey boat" again?

 

[jel0511]

WE also took our 4 year old in Nov, and she LOVED IT!!! All she wants to do is go on the MIckey boat again. We are next November, this time on a 7 night EAstern. The 4 year old is old enough to go into the clubs and they do a wonderful job!!!

 

[reveric]

We cruised in October with a 3yo and a 5yo. They both LOVED it!!!! My 3yo is very out going and loves people though so he really enjoyed the club. Even when they weren't in the club though we all had a great time. The shows are wonderful for all ages and there are plenty of opportunities to meet the characters.

It was only a 3 day cruise and we enjoyed it so much we're planning on the 7 day cruise in September with the addition of a new baby (hopefully arriving by the end of February!)

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

Our 4 year old DS LOVED our 4 day Wonder cruise in October. Our 17 month DS was a bit young and a handful but our 4 year old loved it. Every CM is SO nice to the children. The characters, movies and shows and food are geared toward young ones. Go for it 4 in my opinion is a great age for cruising.

Good luck!

 

[CSX2]

Our DD was 4 for our first cruise (4 day Wonder), 5 for our second cruise (4 day Wonder) and will be 7 for our upcoming cruise (7 day Magic).

I think 4 is a great age for this trip. She spent a good deal of time in the kids' club, loved Disney Dreams (talked about it for months), and must have used the Mickey slide a thousand times. She fell in love with one of our servers (still mentions him more than 2 years later) and even learned how to order room service.

Remember, at this age Mickey, Tinkerbell, Peter Pan, etc. are still very real and I have priceless memories of her reactions and expressions throughout the entire cruise!

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

Again I also agree with CXS2. I forget to mention Disney Dreams our 4 year old fell asleep with the biggest smile on his face. My son did not stay in the club long but from what I saw they were organized in the 3-4 year old club and creative. I also agree with the comment that 4 year olds believe in the characters. They were everywhere. One time we rode the elevator alone with Donald Duck and he (or she) was playing with my boys so much he forgot to get off at his floor so we rode 10 floors with Donald Everytime my DS saw a character he would start yelling and clapping. Snow White came to his kids club and when I picked him up he must have said 100 times " She is so beautiful, I did not know she was real". He also LOVED Captain Hook and Mr. Sneed who made appearences frequently at the Mickey pool.

 

[sandygirl]

My DD was 3 on our 1st cruise and it was the best thing we ever did. She was 4 on our 2nd cruise and will be 5 on our cruise next week!

So, you can see we definately thought it was worth taking her. And you'd be surprised the things she remembers. It's really the ultimate family vacation. I enjoyed it much more than the parks. Less hustle and bustle and more interaction with the characters. My DD's favorite part was the characters.

 

[sandygirl]

I forgot to mention - it is all the little things that make the little ones excited. Riding in the glass elevator...finding the right room number and opening the door with the KTTW...getting ice cream from SCOOPS...finding the towel animals everynight in the room...swimming in the MICKEY POOL...waking up somewhere different every morning and watching the ship dock...tricks performed by the servers in the dining room...dancing on top of the pool...falling asleep at late seating dinner between two chairs and being covered by a table cloth...a parrot perched on your head in St Thomas...sleeping in the "magic bed" pull-down...swimming at Castaway Cay and napping in a hammock...and dancing with Minnie.

GO, GO, GO, and take a million photos.

 

[Phoenixmickey]

We will be taking my 4 year old on his 3rd in March. We took him when he was 6 mos, 2nd BD and now in March. He has a blast

 

[suezpqt]

Have any of you used the Oceaneers Club? What type of activities do they do with 4 year olds? We are cruising in September and our daughter will be 4 in November. We are planning on having her in there all the time but we would like a little time for ourselves.

 

[Phoenixmickey]

We have, They have a ton of things for the kids you will need to fight to get them to leave. Our kids did all kinds of stuff. If you go to dave dcl tribute site they have they programs for each day. his site is link to this one. if need the link let me know and I will find it and post it.

 

[floridaminnie]

They do a wonderful job in the club. My 3 yr old dd I had to literally chase her out. She did not want to leave. THe first night she was dressed in a cinderella costume and locked herself in a bathroom stall. She told me that I couldn't be in there (CM aren't allowed in there with the kids). I laughed and told her that I was because I was her mommy.

 

[Ginny]

ljs051

What a great surprise and how thoughtful!! I understand your wife's hesitation that DS might not be old enough to appreciate it. But our experience with DD at 4, 5 and almost 7 has shown me that she really had a wonderful time on each cruise and has experienced something truly special.

While DD may not remember every activity from the first or second cruise (they were only 5 months apart - long story, different thread), she remembers really special times and when she sees pictures from our first cruise, she can tell you what was going on.

I loved the "magical" activities for the 3-5 age group. One of my fondest memories was taking DD (then 4.5) to the club the first night and coming back to find her dancing with Snow White. I cannot tell you the look of sheer joy on her face. I just stood and watched her for another 30 minutes. Also, when the kids walk in and see the re-creation of the Hook's Pirate ship, their reaction is awesome.

Good luck!!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Quote:
CM's are not allowed in there with the kids ( three years old )....

Hhhmmm... I guess that confuses me a little. Why would they tell little kids that CM's are not allowed? Seems small children may still need some assistance or even possibly adult supervision while in there? Never know what could be going on with the little kids in there.

Can anyone explain a little further?

 

[floridaminnie]

I know that they went in there when my daughter overflowed the toilet, but other than that they aren't allowed in there.