"But they won't remember it..."

[Iamthequeen]

I took my 2 oldest kids to Disneyland when they were 3 and 1. Neither one remembers it, but they had fun while they were there. I remember it though and we did have a wonderful trip. Who cares if they don't remember?

 

[wendow]

I took my 2 oldest kids to Disneyland when they were 3 and 1. Neither one remembers it, but they had fun while they were there. I remember it though and we did have a wonderful trip. Who cares if they don't remember?

I agree! Back when we just had two kiddos, we took our dd's to DLR. They were 5 & 3. One has very vague memories and the other remembers nothing pretty much. But *dh & I* remember it all and have tons of videos and pics they can watch

We have gone back to Disney three more times and they are older so they remember it all. Now it is my boys who may not remember as much one day from these recent trips.

I think if it were a one time trip, I'd wait until kids were old enough to remember. But if you are planning on going regularly, taking toddlers/preschool age is so much fun!!

 

[lauradis]

6/7 years old is the perfect age to me.

No diapers, baby luggage, stroller, naps.

Yes tall enough for rides, less melt downs, stay up later, still love make believe.

I know all children are different.

Plus I'll be totally honest in a PITA to take small children anywhere. Everything has to be at their pace.

 

[hakepb]

6/7 years old is the perfect age to me.

No diapers, baby luggage, stroller, naps.

Yes tall enough for rides, less melt downs, stay up later, still love make believe.

I know all children are different.

Plus I'll be totally honest in a PITA to take small children anywhere. Everything has to be at their pace.

It is work taking young children anywhere...so why not just do that "work" at Disney?

 

[Wills Mom]

We took ODS in 2013 when he was 14 months and had a blast. It was our sixth visit but first with kids and I can honestly say it was the best trip to date. We go back in August with our two boys who will be 3.5 and 1.5. After this trip we have a lot of financial obligations and plan on adding another child to our family so I do think it will be around 3-4 years before we go back. I couldn't wait that long to bring them!!

 

[lauradis]

It is work taking young children anywhere...so why not just do that "work" at Disney?

Because taking them to Disney at early age isn't for them really, its for me. I would rather take them more places and more often then Disney.

For the avg price of Disney vacation I can become a member at every local educational enrichment venue in our area. Take them weekly instead of just one week out of the year.

 

[Misha72683]

We've been keeping quiet about our trip with DH's family because we know we'll get that line (some have expressed it in the past). Almost everyone else has been understanding though. We know that at 4 and 3.5 they won't remember it. But I will. I'll remember the way their faces light up when they see their favorite characters, I'll get to expeirence their joy of seeing the castle for the first time, etc. We'll go back later and they'll remember it and I'm sure it'll be wonderful, but this first trip (and it's the first trip for all 5 of us) will be magical.

 

[eliza61]

Because taking them to Disney at early age isn't for them really, its for me. I would rather take them more places and more often then Disney.

For the avg price of Disney vacation I can become a member at every local educational enrichment venue in our area. Take them weekly instead of just one week out of the year.

That was us. Vacations are for the entire family and dragging 2 screaming infants was not my idea of a good time. my sons were definitely prone to tantrums.

I think when most people say this they are coming from the standpoint of price and dh and I totally agreed, for the thousands of dollars we spend at Disney, we wanted them to have some idea. we didn't take our kids until they were 5 and 7. we definitely had it easier in that I have sons so they weren't big Disney fans. they were more into Batman, Spiderman etch

Now I don't know how "magical " that first glaze was. we had the same look at 6. lol. I do know that whenever dh and I saw burnt out parents fighting or an exhausted mom trying to wrestle a double wide stroller onto a park bus at the end of the night, we look at each other and smile knowing we made the right decision FOR us.

 

[Misha72683]

Also, I lost a parent at a relatively young age (I was 20) and while I got all the childhood memories with him, there were lots of things we had planned to do in the future that we never go to do. Places to go together, things we were going to see, etc. Life is short and I believe in filling it with as many memories as I possibly can because you don't know know that there's going to be a "someday".

 

[lauradis]

Also, I lost a parent at a relatively young age (I was 20) and while I got all the childhood memories with him, there were lots of things we had planned to do in the future that we never go to do. Places to go together, things we were going to see, etc. Life is short and I believe in filling it with as many memories as I possibly can because you don't know know that there's going to be a "someday".

Life is too short and "someday plans" will pass us by, But why do those plans have to be Disney?

I don't need one trip at Disney with my infant/ toddler child to make memories of how much I love them or spent time with them.

Disboard I'm not saying don't or your shouldn't, but you should at least look at the other side of this discussion.

 

[Misha72683]

Life is too short and "someday plans" will pass us by, But why do those plans have to be Disney?

I don't need one trip at Disney with my infant/ toddler child to make memories of how much I love them or spent time with them.

Disboard I'm not saying don't or your shouldn't, but you should at least look at the other side of this discussion.

I'm not saying it has to include Disney, but for me it's one of the things I REALLY want to do with my children. It's top of the bucket list, a memory I want for both of us. If for some horrible reason I were to die before they grew up, I'd want them to have those pictures and the knowledge that we had this special trip.

I want to take them to Europe eventually, but to me it's not one of the memories I really want to have with my children, so it's less important than Disney. I'm not saying my priorities should be everyone's, I'm just explaining where I'm coming from.

 

[EmilyS90]

My mom said something similar when I told her we were taking our DD to Disney in May, and she'll be turning 5 on the trip.

But my mom seems to be under the impression that this is our one and only trip. Because her personal belief is that "everyone should visit wdw twice, once as a child, once when they bring their own kids." Personally, I think that's bologna and I'm glad my fiance agrees. It'll be the first of many trips, and many vacations in general, so I don't care if she doesn't remember much from this trip.

 

[eliza61]

I'm not saying it has to include Disney, but for me it's one of the things I REALLY want to do with my children. It's top of the bucket list, a memory I want for both of us. If for some horrible reason I were to die before they grew up, I'd want them to have those pictures and the knowledge that we had this special trip.

I want to take them to Europe eventually, but to me it's not one of the memories I really want to have with my children, so it's less important than Disney. I'm not saying my priorities should be everyone's, I'm just explaining where I'm coming from.

You know what's so funny about that mishap,I lost my dh at a young age

When I ask my children about their best memories of their dad Not ONE, involves Disney. NOT ONE.

Disney is make believe, when you lose a love one, you don't miss the make believe, you miss the real life, every day stuff.

My oldest son most special memory of his dad? the time they spent together nightly building model airplanes.
My youngest treasures the Saturday night pizza

 

[Misha72683]

You know what's so funny about that mishap,I lost my dh at a young age

When I ask my children about their best memories of their dad Not ONE, involves Disney. NOT ONE.

Disney is make believe, when you lose a love one, you don't miss the make believe, you miss the real life, every day stuff.

My oldest son most special memory of his dad? the time they spent together nightly building model airplanes.
My youngest treasures the Saturday night pizza

I'm sorry for the loss of your husband. I guess I'm just going off my own experience. My most treasured memory of my father is the Rolling Stones concert we went to a few months before his death. He'd always promised we'd see them and that we'd dance and we did. So it's a fantasy moment, but I treasure it. I treasure all the every day moments too, but I'm so glad we had that special moment.

 

[AC7179]

Some of my best memories of my grandmother are from when she would take us to Disneyland when I was little. We lived in Texas and she would take us once a year. We lived frugally and for that one week she would whisk my mom and sister and I and fly us with her to LA and then to the Disneyland Hotel, and later the Pan Pacific. It was a magical week and I loved every minute of it and am so glad she took us.

 

[Maleficent Dragon]

I was just told that yesterday - of course by someone who has never been. I responded that *We* will remember it, and that they will really enjoy themselves, and we will enjoy watching them enjoy themselves.

And that right there is key!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It is work taking young children anywhere...so why not just do that "work" at Disney?

While I agree...

It's like comparing camping to staying in a hotel. One situation requires a lot more work than the other even though the end goal is that you will sleep in the accomodations.

Taking my baby or toddler to a playground for an hour or two where my car is parked very close by versus hauling them to a theme park all or most of the day and making sure we have all our bases covered..comparitively speaking, it is a lot more work.

We still take our littles to Disney though.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Life is too short and "someday plans" will pass us by, But why do those plans have to be Disney?

I don't need one trip at Disney with my infant/ toddler child to make memories of how much I love them or spent time with them.

Disboard I'm not saying don't or your shouldn't, but you should at least look at the other side of this discussion.

(Using your post as a springboard..)
I think all viewpoints are valid.

The problem comes when someone expresses their opinion as a way to snub your choices. As though their concept of travel with children is better. It makes me twitch when someone does that and I always feel that if we waited to do anything until the "kids can remember"--we might as well stuff them in a closet. But we don't do that.

We took our oldest two to England, Wales and France when they were very very little (3 and 17 months). We didn't strike out to do a family trip to Europe. But a sale on flights occurred and it was just too good of a deal to pass up. (MCO to Gatwick, non stop, just around $300pp, a little over $1000 for 3 tix).

We had a blast. No my children don't remember a thing. But we retell some of the cute stories frequently.

11 years later, no opportunity has presented for us to return. So I am glad we went because my husband and I wanted to go and see those places. Yes, we had to tour differently with 2 children on strollers (especially across the pond!), but we are so glad we went.

And to those who say memories can be formed in other ways with just the little things--yes they can, but I like my Mona Lisa memory and the exposed posteriors of the statues memories with my 3yo. *I* treasure that memory. And that is all what matters.

Respect is a two way street. If one person wants to wait until the kids are older, have at it. Just don't turn that opinion into a snub of the choices our family makes.

Unless you keep your kids in a closet, I would hope that you are regularly making choices based on how your family will enjoy it regardless of any cognitive ability to remember it.

 

[jsebsirois]

This really is a great thread, reading it with attention!

We visited WDW and DL many times so far, as adults only. But now that we are new parents (and so happy to be), we're thinking about our first trip as parents, with our son, who would be 10 months by the time we get there.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experience!

 

[The Rovang 5]

YOUR memories are just as valid and valuable as the kids'. Take lots of pictures and when they're older, have fun "re-doing" them when you go again. : )