Disney and the Subconscious

[va32h]

I am planning our next trip to WDW, having just got back from a trip to Disneyland (my personal favorite).

So we are thinking about camping this time, and I'm reading about Ft. Wilderness online, and I say to my mom "oh look, you can roast marshmallows with Chip and Dale, and ride horses, and go around the lake on a boat, and fish, and look at this scenery, and ooh - a barbecue with Mickey and Minnie - how fun would that be?"

And my mom says "You get more excited about these things than the kids. Don't tell me you are doing this for them. All those times we took you to Disneyland when you were little, and you don't even remember. "

Well I had a lightning bolt moment there. No, I don't remember the details of any one childhood trip to Disneyland. But subconsciously, I obviously know that Disney = happiness and fun. Why else would I automatically gravitate to Disney as a vacation destination year after year?

So the next time someone rolls their eyes at me for taking my 2 year old, I am going to tell them that I am planting subconscious memories, thank you very much.

 

[CathrynRose]

You know what though? My oldest (15) doesnt remember 5 minutes ago, and as a matter of fact - my youngest (11) isnt too good at it either...

HOWEVER - he does remember weird bits and pieces of Disney Trips as if it were yesterday. Things I forgot - he recalls. Small, weird example - we went to the mall a few weeks ago, and saw K-Swiss shoes. He recalled that when he was 2-ish, he had those shoes and they got seriously wet when he walked through one of those splash fountains. And by golly - they did!

SO - in additon to the subconcious memories you are planting, you are taking a chance your child may also indeed remember little cool bits and pieces!

Youre training her brain to use more than 5% at a very young age.

 

[barkley]

i remember smatterings from childhood vacations to disneyland and the like-but my kids can detail out events of trips they took with us 5 years ago like they were yesterday.

i think the difference is that dh and i are much more involved in vacationing with the kids-we enjoy every minute of it as much as they do, and often the selection of some major activities are based on our desires (and the kids will say "remember we did'nt want to do x, but dad wanted to and it was a blast!" ). it's not that my parents were neglectful, it's just that they walked us to the rides and sat outside and waited-it was clear that the point of the activity was for us to have fun and they were simply "along for the ride".

i think disney vacations when the parent is activly involved in and enjoying are much more memory making. in fact-when dd looks through the old photos she is often apt to find one taken during the down time around the pool or in the room and reminise about whatever we talked about or "shared"-for her these family times together are far more special than the actual destinations.

 

[cardaway]

Except when it works against you.

I agree with you that it happens, but IMO it has had somewhat the opposite reaction. When I think of the Disney of my childhood sadly I think of all the things that were better back then. Personally I'm hoping the kids I'm taking will find Disney get better of the years unlike the experience I've had.

But I agree. Not a lot of specific details, but I do remember Disney being special in so many ways.

 

[paigevz]

Well, I didn't go to Disney as a child, so what's my deal?

My DS turned 10 months on his first trip. SO many people don't believe this, so if you don't too, I'm used to it, but I am telling you the child DID remember. He could talk already, and he talked about the trip for MONTHS after coming home. In fact, he'd sometimes say something that WE hadn't remembered until he mentioned it.

I have no idea if he'd still remember anything if we hadn't taken him back. What has happened is that each trip seems to supercede the memories of the previous trip. He absolutely remembered much of his 2 year old trip until we took him again when he turned 4.

My older son remembers some specifics of the trip HE took at 4, that have not happened on any later trips (like the Villains dinner) and that the Queen of Hearts chased him...........not something we talk about, just something he remembers.