Best Age for DL??

[Tinkerbell21]

Hello all!

I am just wondering what in your opinion are the best ages to take 2 kiddos to Disneyland for the first time?? We plan to take the kids to Disneyland once and then likely to Disney World when they are a little bit older. We have been to both Disneyland and Disney World as a couple but not with kids yet. The kids are exactly two years apart (born in September) and we will likely make it a birthday celebration so I was thinking maybe when the kids are 4 and 6 would be a suitable age but I am wondering if 4 is too young?

Any advice/experiences would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

No age is a bad age... They are just different trips. My dd's first trip was at 3 after she was potty trained... It was magical

 

[starjazz]

4 is a great age for Disney. So much to enjoy and see and do. Holy moley - its magic at its finest for a 4 yo.

 

[Tinkerbell21]

Awesome!! That is why I thought 4 and 6 would be so magical!! Did you find/do you think there will be a lot of things the 4 yr old won't be able to do due to height restrictions? Not having been with kids before maybe it doesn't even matter if they can't do the "big" rides anyways.

I agree every age is a great age I wish we could go every single year but we are just not able to do that, if we could we absolutely would!

 

[ParkHopper1]

I went with a friend and his 3 year old nephew. He had a blast and was able to take it all in. I have seen younger where some love it and others could just as well be in front of the TV.

3 years old is my recommendation for most people that want to go for the kids where they will truly enjoy it.

 

[AngiTN]

I think 4 and 6 is probably the best option. Old enough for the 4 yo to do most things and have more "staying power" and the 6yo is still young enough to feel all the magic. You know where your kids fit on the avg. growth chart but most 4 yo are not quite at that 40" line so there could be rides they can't ride but it won't be many and it won't impact the trip at all. The 6 yo is probably tall enough for them all. DGD was nearly 5 before she was tall enough for all but 2 of the rides and when we went at 6 she rode everything.

 

[ktlm]

We have been taking DD to WDW or DL every year since she was 2. I think 4 is a great age. DD was actually tall enough to ride almost everything before she hit age 4, but just because they are tall enough, doesn't mean they are going to like or want to ride the thrill rides. DD is 8 now and tall enough for everything, and there are still things she will not ride or has ridden once and refuses to ride again. I actually might think about age 3 and 5 though. For us, the preschool trips were the most magical. Everything was real and amazing to DD. By age 6 nowadays, they don't believe everything anymore. DD started getting enlightened by her classmates in school that Disney was fake and she was too old to like the Princesses in 1st grade. Most of the girls in her class totally gave up the Princesses by, or in, 1st grade. DD, being my strong willed kid who likes what she likes, told them that she still liked the Princesses and did not care what they thought- she still does at 8, but the only Princesses any of her friends still like are Anna and Elsa. Since it isn't going to be your only Disney trip, I would try to get that first one in while the older one is still young enough to be completely in the magic. Believe me, it isn't just the kid it affects, I had wet eyes more than once on those 2 and 3 year old trips!

 

[bcla]

My kid's first visit was at age 2. Not necessarily tall enough for many of the rides, but man we had a blast. If your kid walks and has some familiarity with Disney characters, that should be fine.

 

[starjazz]

I've got a smallish 4 yo, and she'll be able to ride everything she wants to, which pretty much caps at Big Thunder Mountain. She won't get on Indy or Screamin', but wouldn't want to anyway. So yeah, I think most 4 yo's would be good to go.

 

[JandD75]

DD was 3 yrs 4 months on our first trip. It was great!!!!! Highlight of the trip was when Pinocchio hugged her--she grabbed his nose to see if it was growing! It is wonderful to see DL through a youngster's eyes--believe me, you will have a fabulous time!

 

[Disneyluvr2]

My son and daughter in-law wanted to take the kids a couple of years ago. They were 3 and 4 1/2. I kept telling them "Let's wait another year or so until they're a little older." They really wanted to go though, so away we went. You know what? It was the best trip ever! The grand kids loved everything about Disneyland. Elijah wasn't quite tall enough for some rides, so we skipped those, but since they had never been before, they didn't know what they were missing. It really was a magical trip and watching the looks on their faces was priceless!

 

[JenKate]

We're going in October with FIVE one year olds! (And a few other assorted toddlers, eight in the 3-9 range, a few teenagers and 14 adults.)

I'm sure it will be magical for everyone. Mostly me.

 

[707MickeyGirl]

I started taking my DGD6 when she was 2 1/2 and I'll just say it... one of the best things was that she was young enough to get in FREE! We have APs now and have made it down from northern CA 4 times on those. My son and DIL are having another child this year, and as soon as my new grandchild is 2 1/2 I will take him/her. It was such a great age to start going - big enough for a lot of rides, uninhibited enough to not be scared of anything, and did I mention free? Which is huge when you're there for at least 5 days at a time.

 

[wildflower329]

Our first trip, my daughter had just turned 5 and my son was 2 1/2. It was a great age... both were able to do what they wanted to do (although the 2.5 year old would have loved RSR too, but he was too short), there was a ton of Disney magic for them, and it was just a great trip. We are now hoping to go the end of August this year, and will have a 4 year old and an almost 7 year old. This time, both will be able to do even more, and it will be another great trip. Really, I think any age works well at Disneyland... there is something for everyone!

 

[NannyBeBe]

We started taking our daughters to DLR when they were 18 months old and continued, on average, every two years with our latest trip being when they were in their 30s. Every trip was different and magical. No age is too young if you have plans to return on a somewhat regular basis. If not, then I would wait until the child was tall enough to ride most of the rides.

 

[Mouseketeers4]

I think 4 is the perfect age for a first trip, definitely not too young. We went to DL when our kids were 1.5 & 3 and again at 2.5 & 4.5. I thought both trips were great, but the second was better. DS loved the characters even more than the year before and he was tall enough to try the bigger rides. He's on the shorter side for his age, so I think most 4 year olds will be 40"+. I wouldn't wait any longer than 4 & 6 for your first trip. It's more "magical" when they're little.

 

[scrapshappen]

Your children are a great age to enjoy Disneyland. However, if you are only ever going to go once, I would wait another year or two until your youngest is old enough to actually remember going forever and can ride everything. My oldest remembers nothing about the trip we took when he was four and not much about the trip we took when he was 5. However, my younger one does remember the trip we took when he was 6.

We've gone with lots of kids over the years from babies to teenagers and everyone has been magical for different reasons. However, I have to say I enjoy going more now that my kids can ride everything they want and ride by themselves (over 7) so I don't have to. And they are completely mobile and a little better able to stand up to the rigors of several days of Disney.

On a side note, we just took our almost 10 and 12 year olds to WDW for the first time and it might just have been the perfect age to go there.

 

[AngiTN]

We're going in October with FIVE one year olds! (And a few other assorted toddlers, eight in the 3-9 range, a few teenagers and 14 adults.)

I'm sure it will be magical for everyone. Mostly me.

LOL... your idea of magical and mine are very different. I'm pretty sure that isn't the word I'd pick when travelling with 5 1 yo! Granted, I jokingly (halfway) say that DH is lucky I travel with him. He, DGD and myself is my idea of a big group. I'm in awe of any who can do extended family, or even large family, trips.

 

[Geemo]

My son and daughter in-law wanted to take the kids a couple of years ago. They were 3 and 4 1/2. I kept telling them "Let's wait another year or so until they're a little older." They really wanted to go though, so away we went. You know what? It was the best trip ever! The grand kids loved everything about Disneyland. Elijah wasn't quite tall enough for some rides, so we skipped those, but since they had never been before, they didn't know what they were missing. It really was a magical trip and watching the looks on their faces was priceless!

I had a similar situation when my son's two kids were young, 5 and 8. Only I was the one wanting to take everyone to DLR. I asked often once the youngest was three. He kept saying "wait until she's old enough", I can't tell you how many times I heard NO. I knew she was old enough at three.

When she was five, at Thanksgiving jokingly I brought up the idea of a DLR trip. I was expecting to be shot down once again. But to my surprise my son said YES! I asked him to give me dates and I'd plan and pay for everything. He felt once she turned 6 that she'd be old enough. I planned a trip for the 4 of them and the 2 of us for a full week at the GCH for her 6th birthday. Needless to say it is one of the best family vacations we have ever had. A few weeks before the trip my younger adult son decided to join us. 5 adults 2 children for six days in the parks......memories.....

My son said he didn't realize there was so much for little kids to do in the parks. I have some fantastic pictures of everyone on that trip. We had lots of fun trying to keep up with the grandkids.

I agree with others here, if they can walk and talk and know the Disney characters, it will be a good day in the parks.

Geemo

 

[Canuck16]

Those ages are perfect for DL as it has more things for smaller kids than WDW does.

Go have fun and let them enjoy the parks and the magic