First Time

[*Christina*]

My DH (his 2nd time at WDW) and I (my 1st) are thinking about taking DS to WDW in late Sept/early Oct for his belated 1st birthday present. Is this a good age or should we wait until he is older? Thanks!

-Christina

 

[Luv Bunnies]

You'll probably get a whole range of answers to this questions. Some people enjoy taking very young kids, others would rather wait until their kids are older. I think it also depends on how often you are able to visit WDW. Are you in a position to make frequent trips or can you only manage one trip in the foreseeble future (due to distance, cost, time off work, etc.)?

Here's my opinion - DH and I made our first (and, so far, only) trip to WDW in 1991. We live in California so flying to the east coast is a big expense. When the kids came along, we thought many times about planning a WDW trip with them. But, we decided we really didn't want to carry diapers, bottles, or even have to use a stroller. We wanted the boys to be old enough to really enjoy themselves because we may only be able to do one family trip to WDW before they're off doing their own things. We also didn't want to wait too long because we wanted to take them while they're still kids.

This year, we finally felt like we were ready to go. The boys are now 11 and 8 and we feel like they're at the perfect ages. They helped me do the planning and we discussed what everyone wanted to do most. Since we're in California, they've been to Disneyland many times already and they love Disney. We know they'll have a great time! We leave in 2 weeks.

So that's my 2 cents. I couldn't see myself taking a baby to WDW. But, as I said, many people love taking babies! I hope you choose what is right for you.

 

[lalijack]

I'm with Luv Bunnies. My kids were 5 and 6 for their first (and so far, only) trip to WDW. Old enough to manage lots of walking and not necessitate tons of "gear", but young enough to revel in the magic of Disney.

If you can only afford a limited # of trips, I say wait a while. If you can afford to go again and again, then why not start a tradition ASAP?

Whatever you do, take lots of photos and ENJOY!!!!!!!

 

[blessedby3]

Any age is a great age for Disney
Its probably only because this is your first that you are even questioning whether or not to go. If you had another child a few years older (and your one year old) then you would most likely not even wonder if you should go or not. Everyone vacations somewhere so why not go to Disney? Its the same as taking a child to the beach or the mountains when they are one. You go on vacation and do what you can with a one year old. There are plenty of things for him to experience at Disney and thank goodness for video cameras and camcorders. He most likely wont remember it himself, but you can relive this vacation with him by pictures and video later. I have taken my kids at all ages with the youngest being 10 months. Every trip is a great one full of memories.

 

[LuvOrlando]

As you can see by by signature, we've been bringing the kids to WDW since they were born. Every age has its benefits and downsides but I wouldn't trade one single trip. Yes, babies have strollers & bottles but they also don't cost anything, complain or walk away since they are in the stroller. An added plus is that I was able to get both of my kids 1st haircuts at WDW. For many people the biggest reason they stay away is because the child won't remember it. I know they don't remember any of it...but I do

As my kids became more self sufficient they also became more opinionated and lost some of the belief in the magic. When my kids were really little they actually believed the characters really lived a WDW . Now that DS is 8 & DD is 7 they 'know' that its people in costumes. This doesn't keep them from having fun but I do miss those days when the kids believed in everything.

Now, both kids are concerned with not being treated like a baby. DS runs away from the princesses and getting him to a breakfast requires a compromise and bribery DD no longer wants to take time out of her day at MK to visit Ariel and doesn't want to dress up any more On the flip side everyone is tall enough for everything. The rides don't scare them anymore so Mommy isn't left out with DD as much. No-one is carrying anyone any more. They have their favorite restaurants & rides. We can actually have fun with our kids and get to enjoy their personalities. But the biggest plus of all is our shared experiences.

Like the other posters said, I guess the best time to go has everyting to do with affordability. I have always taken the kids because I knew I'd find a way to get there every year. But, if I had to choose an age for a once in a lifetime visit it would probably be more selective about when. In my opinion it was my favorite when my kids were 4 & 5. They were old enough to walk yet young enough to want to sit in the double stroller. We didn't need bottles and they ate whatever I told them to eat. They still believed in the characters but preferred the safety of Mommy's hand to wandering off.


Whatever you choose will be fine. In my opinion there is no such thing as a bad age for WDW, its all about preference.

 

[pigget74]

I say go for it. We took our little guy this past May and just last week. We got his first haircut at MK. Just go into it knowing that if you do not baby swap then there are things that you will not be able to do. My son fell in love with The Pooh play area and then there is Donalds boat in Toontown (we didn't realize until our last day). He liked the characters from afar. We had a blast and my older loved showing him different things. To each their own, I wish I would have taken my older two when they where this age.

 

[*Christina*]

Thanks everyone! We've decided to take him and I'm so excited. We are planning on taking him again when he is 4 or 5 so I think that helped with making our decision. Now to start planning.

-Christina

 

[Tanya90210]

go for it... each of my 2 youngest went for the 1st time at 6 months and seemed to be having fun... charachters just love little ones and Disney is for the most part made for them to have fun... aside from MGM which doesn't have quite as many "rides" for them to do but it does have some really cool shows for them...

Be sure to take her to the Little Mermaid show and Playhouse disney at mgm.. my DD just loved both and made us go twice to each