Does going to WDW often lessen the "magic" for your kids?

[Kristi391]

Good morning,

I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday and this topic came up. She has a 7 year old son and an almost 1 year old daughter. Her in laws offered to take the 7 year old to WDW with them this year but my friend said no because she doesn't want him to go again until his sister goes, which won't be until she is at least 2. He has been twice before (at 2.5 years and 5 years) and she feels that if he goes this year then when he goes when his sister is bigger, it won't be magical and he will just say, "I have already done this". I think he'd have fun on both trips. He has gone on other vacations with his grandparents and enjoys being with them.

Have others had experience with kids losing the magic the more they go?

 

[Taylor F.]

To me - the magic increases the more often you immerse yourself in the Disney bubble.

More is more when it comes to Disney.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Not for us. Our older girls have gone annually since they were 3 and 5. (They are now 12 and 10) and our DS is 2 and he will be going for his 3rd time this summer. It just doesn't get old for us.

I actually booked a week in Jamaica for next year and our girls revolted. They want Disney. It's our "thing", and they have no interest in changing it up for right now.

 

[tcufrog]

I don't know if it lessens the magic for my kids but it lessens the magic in MTV wallet.

 

[holden]

This was my fear when we decided to buy DVC resale five years ago. However, my 14 and 9 yo still love Disney.

We go 2-3 times a year. Each time I book I ask them if they are getting tired of it. They look at me like I'm crazy and say, "No mom!" In fact, DD9 asked if we could go to Disney today because they will have off tomorrow (snow storm coming)!

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I could go annually and still find something new each trip and it'd still be magic. The magic changes overtime, but it's always there. Granted, I do not go annually, and I have been fortunate to go on other vacations to other places, too. And don't get me wrong, I love those vacations in their own way, but they aren't Disney.

I don't think I could be one of those people that goes multiple times in a year, though.

 

[elaine amj]

MORE.

And I could never turn down the opportunity for my child to have a wonderful trip with their grandparents. Sad for him and sad for his grandparents. Is this more for him or for her?

 

[meghanb133]

We are new annual pass holders, my mother gifted it to my family of 3 for Christmas. I talked her into getting one for herself as well. We live about 2 hrs from Orlando and have been almost every other weekend since Christmas. My DD age 9 has probably been 10 times before, mostly to parties or when they did the 3 day FL resident deal. I can honestly say I don't think she is sick of it. We have maps of the parks and we circle everything we have done.. so now it's like a game to try and do every single thing including restaurants if possible. I don't know how it could lose magic by going to much.. for me, it makes it that much more special we get to create memories there!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I don't have kids of my own but when I was growing up we went once a year almost every year.
I was always excited to go.
Never felt like the magic was lost.
Now that I'm an adult I go once a year if not twice some years wso clearly it still has not made it any less magical or I would opt for a different vacation destination.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Good morning,

I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday and this topic came up. She has a 7 year old son and an almost 1 year old daughter. Her in laws offered to take the 7 year old to WDW with them this year but my friend said no because she doesn't want him to go again until his sister goes, which won't be until she is at least 2. He has been twice before (at 2.5 years and 5 years) and she feels that if he goes this year then when he goes when his sister is bigger, it won't be magical and he will just say, "I have already done this". I think he'd have fun on both trips. He has gone on other vacations with his grandparents and enjoys being with them.

Have others had experience with kids losing the magic the more they go?

Personally just from reading your post I'm not convinced that the only reason the friend doesn't want the 7 year old to go again is because of concerns of less magic on the next trip.

I think that the concern is valid for sure just not convinced that's the only reason.

 

[blackpearl77]

My son has been 3 times and he's 6 years old. We are going again this June for his 4th trip (he doesn't know yet). He asks to go to Disney pretty much every day. Sometimes when he goes to sleep at night he does a fake cry and cries I miss Disney.... So I don't think it lessens the magic - makes them want to go more!

 

[ktlm]

DD just turned 11. We have been to WDW every year since she was 2 and also been to DLR every year since she was 4. It is magical every time. At around age 6 or 7, it changes a little because things aren't absolutely "real" anymore (their friends start enlightening them on that when they hit school), but that is an age thing, not a number of visits thing. I wouldn't give up those 5 and under trips for anything! When they are older, it is still magic- just a different kind of magic!

 

[kboo]

We are about to buy DVC resale, DD 1 has been 5 times in her life and she's 5.5 (3x in the last year, 2 of which were associated with work conferences for me and DH). I can say that the magic has only increased. She enjoys other trips (we have been to Miami, DC and Hawaii since our last Disney trip), and she does say she wants to go to London and Paris, but she does also love WDW.

 

[bluemoon9]

My girls are 9 and 11 and still love going to Disney even after 15+ trips in the last 6 years. There are always old favorites to enjoy as well as new magic to discover.

 

[Carie Young]

You could stay for 2 weeks and still miss things. I agree with PP's, the magic keeps evolving. Our DD is 7, she will be going on her 3&4 trips this year. We started taking her for her 5th b-day.

As she gets bigger there a new rides, she can now read and is all about finding the hidden mickeys from the book we have. And now that she can comprehend more, she is helping with the planning.

If the magic wore off, Disney would not be the powerhouse that it is.

 

[westie55]

I think one of the best things about Disney is the variety it offers. No trip has to be the same. Stay at a different resort, try different restaurants, look for something you haven't experienced at the parks. Try a water park. It never has to become stale. They're always adding new attractions and entertainment. As children grow, they experience Disney in new ways which also shifts the focus. I'm 35 and I went 3 times last year with my son. It didn't get old. I have 2 trips planned this year and will plan to visit frequently as often as I can afford to while we love doing Disney together! One day that may change as he grows up and he won't have the time or interest, so I'll enjoy every minute now while I can!

 

[Hikergirl]

Not when they were that young, but now that they are older there is no more magic for them. Its just a trip to WDW and honestly they are at the point where they don't care to go again.
I think it just depends on the kid, some love it each and every time, and its magical for them. Some just get sick of going and seeing/doing the same things every couple of years.

If I was your friend, I would look at it more of a trip that my child gets to spend with their grandparents, not necessarily the destination.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Not when they were that young, but now that they are older there is no more magic for them. Its just a trip to WDW and honestly they are at the point where they don't care to go again.
I think it just depends on the kid, some love it each and every time, and its magical for them. Some just get sick of going and seeing/doing the same things every couple of years.

If I was your friend, I would look at it more of a trip that my child gets to spend with their grandparents, not necessarily the destination.

See I agree. That was one of the reasons I felt it wasn't just about fear of losing the magic. If the child has gone on other vacations with their grandparents before why is this one such a conflict (even if Disney is a repeat place). Personally speaking growing up we used to visit my grandparents in the summertime at the Lake of the Ozarks. Those were repeat trips that didn't include non-stop action/magic/excitement/newness but it was a means to spend quality time with my grandparents.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I thought the response seemed a little odd too. Could it maybe be that the grandparents only invited one of the kids and the parents don't think it's fair for him to go without his sister? Maybe they are worried about hurt feelings down the road if DD gets upset (years in the future) that he had a special trip with the grandparents and she didn't and if they offered to take just her later that it would be hard to explain to DS that he can't go because he already had his turn? Maybe the parents want to reserve the magic of Disney for a time when they can be there to witness it. Maybe they want both their kids to be together to experience the magic when they feel DD is old enough. Regardless, as a parent I would probably not want my in laws taking my kid(s) on that huge and magical of a trip without me because I'd want to be there to see my kids experiencing it. And I too would have a problem with them taking only one kid on such a big trip as I wouldn't think it was fair to the other.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

We took our first trip as a family in 2012 and have gone at least 2xs/yr since then. If you ask any of my 3 kids where they want to go the answer is always Disney. 3 years ago we went to Beaches in Negril, Jamaica, and while they loved it they said they liked Disney more! We live in NJ and got annual passes in 2015, that year we went 5 xs, and they loved & looked forward to every trip.

People (who don't love Disney) always say "aren't they tired of Disney???" and I tell them NOPE!