Best/Worst Ages for taking nephews to Disney?

[Leelo]

My DH and I LOVE Disney World! We have been numerous times and would love to take our family with us. We are child free and do not know too much about how things might go with kids on the trip. I'm hoping some of you with experience can help me.
Our nephews will be 5.5 and 18 months next year (the earliest we could go). The grandparents would also join us on the trip. So 6 adults, 2 children. My sister loves being a mother and plans to have more. I wanted to wait until the youngest was old enough to remember but with her growing family plans, she will pretty much be pregnant or with a baby for the next 10 years probably. What are the best ages to try to take them? I hate to wait 10 years and the oldest be nearly 16, especially when he loves Mickey Mouse and Disney characters at this age. Any suggestions? What are the best and worst ages for taking kids?

 

[Petit_Rose]

I don't think there's a 'good' age to really take them, every stage has its own difficulty. We took our eldest when he was 10 months, it was a good trip but he teethed so we spent the last two days in our hotel room. Then you've got the terrible two's and threenagers and potty training and tantrums and the list goes on and on

Honestly just go whenever - but be prepared to be flexible and remember at about 2/3 they have stranger anxiety so they might not great with characters (but this isn't true for every child, some kids are great with characters from a young age). They'll have a blast regardless of their age

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My DS has been to WDW every year since he turned 1 and every trip has been unique and wonderful for different reasons! If you have a chance to go next year, go for it!

 

[Princess Minnie321]

I think go when you can because there is something for every stage. We are going in November when my kids will be 5 and 3. They are both very excited for the character meals we have booked. My 5 year old is 42 inches so he will be able to go on rides my daughter cannot, but she is still tall enough to ride enough. At this age, there is still so much to do and as they get older and out grow the characters, then they have the bigger rides.

 

[Thing 1]

Our "rule" is we won't take a child under 6monthes old. With 4 adults you should be fine with any age assuming that the children are both comfortable being away from mom and dad and with you for an extended period of time. My favorite age is 5. Young enough to be excited over everything , yet big enough to ride just about everything if they will. Maybe establish an age of about 5 or so and each child can start going on WDW trips with you when they hit that age. With plans for a large family, you will have to think through future children as well and two or three kids under 5 or 6 might be too much.

 

[Pesky]

Trust me, for any trip, there will be moments where you say "I totally made the right call bringing them -- this is magical!" and moments where you wonder "what on God's green earth made me think THIS was a good idea?" Just try to manage expectations based on those ages and hold a bit tighter to those magical moments.

 

[100AcreWood]

I would go for it. With that many adults you can divide and conquer. If the little guys needs a break someone could stay behind and keep him busy while everyone else goes to the parks.
The 18 month old will definitely be the challenge.

 

[Dis703]

My personal preference for our family is not before the age of 2 (or as close to that as we can manage.) Since my twins turned 2 the end of July, and I will not travel to Florida in the summer, we took them at 22 months. But, as you can see from other posts, everyone has a different opinion. There are up and down sides to just about every age. Some people love having a stroller and miss it when it's gone, others want nothing to do with pushing a stroller. Some people prefer to wait until naps are over because they don't want to interrupt their day. Some people don't want to deal with diapers in the parks and others, like myself, find it much easier than dealing with taking them to the potty all the time.

In the end, it will be fun no matter what.

 

[HeatherL1985]

I'm not the biggest fan of waiting until a child will remember the trip since I have very few memories of my first trip and I went at 16!! My husband went with his family when he was 12 and he, too, remembers very little. So, to me, the wait isn't worth the payoff if they're not going to remember much anyway.

We did find it was a much easier trip after my son learned how to walk and talk. He seemed to really open up and have fun but all of our trips have been magical!!

 

[westie55]

I think a lot depends on whether you are doing it for you or the kids, and how often you plan to return. For adults that aren't Disney fans and/or are planning a trip as a once in a lifetime event, I'd wait until the kids are 4+ so they remember it. However, there is no bad age for Disney!!!! It is one of the most family friendly places in the world. Babies, toddlers, small children, and teenagers are challenging in their own ways wherever they are. IMO, if you love Disney, you might as well be there! My DS is still very young and is not at an age where he'll remember anything, but I've already had him to Disney twice and plan to go again in a few months. I get enjoyment out of sharing something I love with him! He's been remarkably easy so I'm lucky. Expect some bumps in the road, but enjoy now! Kids grow up so fast, circumstances change. No time like the present!

 

[Leelo]

I think a lot depends on whether you are doing it for you or the kids, and how often you plan to return.

My husband and I go every 2-3 years on our own and will continue to do so. This particular trip would be solely to focus on the kids. Whether on not we go on any additional trips with them after this one would depend on how this trip goes.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

We have only gone when we had a child between 24-36 months old, so that they can do a lot, everything is magical to them, and they are FREE. No tickets or purchases needed at any buffets. They have a great time.

 

[roseaster]

Are the children's parents going, too? If they are, then those ages should be fine. 5-6 is such a great age for WDW. Big enough that you don't need naps, diapers, and strollers, but young enough that it is all still real and magical to them.

If the kids' parents aren't going I would suggest just taking the 5 year old. Toddlers can be very iffy at WDW. Some do great, and have a great time, some are, well, 2, and a handful. Especially if you aren't used to dealing with toddlers. My most difficult toddler was a joy in WDW at 2. My one that I thought would be great was a non-stop temper tantrum disaster.

If the parents are with you, then if the 2 year old is fussy or cranky or overwhelmed they can take him back to nap or whatever.

5-6 is great fun, though. The height restrictions at WDW are lower, so that they can ride a lot of rides. That is my favorite age to take them. They understand a lot of the stories and themes behind the rides and shows, but they are still little so they think a lot of it is real.

 

[Leelo]

Are the children's parents going, too?

Yes. The parents and the grandparents would be there with us. So 6 adults and 2 children.

 

[roseaster]

Yes. The parents and the grandparents would be there with us. So 6 adults and 2 children.

I think you should be fine, then, because the parents, hopefully, are used to dealing with the toddler, when he is behaving like a toddler, LOL.

The 5 year old will be fun, though. That is really such a great age. The toddler may, also, be great, but having had quite a few toddlers, I will tell you that they can be iffy.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Next year would be fun! The 18 month old will just be "along for the ride" but enjoy quite a few things and will likely nap in the stroller. 5-6 is a great age. We've taken our oldest at 3 months, 14 months, 22 months, 2 and 3. It does get easier as she gets older but each trip was fun and worthwhile.

 

[Thing 1]

If parents are going.....no issues at all. Go when it suits the adults the best and all the kids will be great!

 

[babygrl]

It is fun at all ages. BUT I think around the age of 6/7, you will enjoy seeing their reactions to things.

 

[Amanda Hall]

We took our boys at 5.5 , 2.5 and 6.5, 3.5 and will go again this winter with them being 1 year older. They did great both trip and we usually just did 1/2 days. The most magical time for my oldest was 5. He really enjoyed everything with any inhibitions and did not question any of it. At 6 he was a little more unsure of himself with the characters but still had amazing time. The youngest was just fine at 2 but it did seem at times more overwhelming than anything . He did great at 3. Before potty training is great IMO . It's always a rush to find a bathroom afterwards for about a year. Not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things though.

 

[kohlby]

We've only ever had two adults with our kids, so that comes into play. I'd say if you're up for it, then do it whenever, also make sure their parents are up for it too, of course. Some people don't want to go to Disney when kids are young. Our kids have been at many ages - ranging from 2 months old to 11 years old depending on the trip. we've had 2-3 kids each trip too. All of them had trips at around 3 years old. That was the hardest one by far. But - when I had a 3 year old, I had a baby on three of our trips too, so that made a difference. (Young babies were easy but it meant one less parent to give full attention to the 3 year old). If these trips to Disney aren't going to be a regular thing, then I'd say when the eldest child doesn't need a stroller. That can be at 5 for about half of kids. If you did 6.5 for the eldest and 2.5 for the youngest, then you likely wouldn't need a stroller for the eldest. My youngest had a trip at 2.5 and that was easier than 3.5. Plus, they're still free when under 3! (If she has another child by then, then she could do a single stroller and a sling. That's what we did for several of our trips and it worked out well. The baby of the moment preferred the sling. The 3 year old of the moment got the stroller).

We are going back to Disney very soon with kids 7, 10, and 13 and my kids aren't all that excited this time around. There are some rides they're excited about but there is a lot they want to skip. The 13 year old is actually the most easy-going - it's my 7 and 10 year old saying they don't want to do "baby" rides like Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and Dumbo. This might be our last Disney trip as a result. So - don't wait too long!