Good age for childs first visit to WDW

[Heidict]

Hi everyone I'm new to the boards and thought I would jump in with my first question.

I have an 8 month old daughter, and every since she was born have been planning a trip to WDW. I can't figure out when to bring her though.

I want her to be old enough to enjoy herself and ride some rides, but I don't want her to be to young that she won't get anything out of it.

I figure that we will probably go in Nov, Dec or Jan to avoid the crowds and the heat, plus it is less expensive at that time. So, I won't want to remove her from school so it will be before she is school age.

My questions is, what age is best for a first time visit to WDW? Is 3 good, or should we do it when she is 4 or 5?

Thanks, Heidi

 

[bartleby1]

I think it depends on if it is going to be a once in a lifetime type of trip, or do you plan on going back every year or every few years.

With my first DD, we waited until she was 19 months old. She had a blast and so did we. She talked about that trip for quite a while, but I'm sure at this point she has no memory of it. She is now 6-1/2 yrs old and has been there 5 times (ages 19 mths, 3-1/2 yr, 4-1/2 yr, 5-1/2 yr, and 6-1/2 yr). The only trip we had some problems was when she was 3-1/2. She was afraid of everything (the dark, fake smoke, loud noises, villians, etc).

My DS has been at 14 mths, 2yrs, 3yrs, and 4yrs. We've never had any huge problems with him. He's more "go with the flow" than first DD.

My second DD went at 9 months and 20 mths. She had a blast each time. She talks about our past trip constantly. DH says I have her disney brainwashed already, lol!

Now, obviously, we have been to disney quite a bit and plan on going back many more times. Each age is so different but the great thing about disney is that there is something for EVERY age. I can honestly say that even at 9 mths old, my DD enjoyed our trip last year and she definitely learned quite a bit. Of course, she won't remember it, and if that was going to be our ONLY trip to disney, we would have waited until she were older.

I'm not sure what I would pick as the "perfect" age if it were going to be a one time trip though. Each age offers something special and unique. I can tell you that I don't feel that 8 months is too young. She can go on every ride that doesn't have a height restriction. There is plenty to do, even for real little ones.

 

[Heidict]

It won't be a once in a lifetime visit, but we won't be able to go every year either. More like every 4-5 years or so.

I was thinking that age 3 would be good for her first visit, but my DH seems to think that it would be better to wait until she is 5 or so. He is afraid that she won't remember anything from age 3. I'm trying to convince him that even if she doesn't remember stuff when she is older it won't take away from the enjoyment she will have now.

Thanks for your reply, it ought to help in convincing him.

 

[pocohontas2004]

I like your idea that she would still enjoy it at 3, even if she doesn't remember it. It is the littlest ones, the preschoolers, who soak up all the magic of Disney. We took our sons as preschoolers and it was fun for all of us as they watched for the characters, got some autographs, did character dining...

 

[bartleby1]

Ahh, well, if you are going to go every 4-5 yrs, you could sneak a trip in around age 1-1/2 and then still go when she is 5 like your hubby wants, lol!

I'm probably not the one to ask, lol! I'd love to live there. Yup, right in the castle so I could visit every day.

I do understand people who want to wait until they are old enough to remember, but that age is different for everyone. My sister has some memories from age 2, where I don't seem to remember much from before age 10, lol! Not sure why that is! BTW, we drove do disneyland in California from NJ twice when I was a kid. I was 3 and 5. I have no memories of it. So 5 may not be old enough for that either.

Anyway, while the little ones don't remember forever, every experience molds who they are and helps them learn. Plus, even if my kids don't remember our trips, I will NEVER forget the looks on their innocent little faces when they saw the castle for the first time, or met their favorite character. Those memories are priceless for me.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Heidict]

BTW, we drove do disneyland in California from NJ twice when I was a kid. I was 3 and 5. I have no memories of it. So 5 may not be old enough for that either.

Your parents drove from NJ to CA with a 3 and 5 year old!? Not once, but twice? Wow! I'm guessing you don't remember the ride because your parents either drugged you to keep you quiet or you just blocked it out. You two must have been some really good kids and your parents, wow, amazing.

I remember when I was 6 my parents picked my sister and I up from school and we drove down from Salinas to Disneyland. I still have some memories of that.

I think that I will badger my Dh so much over the next couple years that he will give in and let us go when she is 3.

 

[alloyd1170]

We took our son when he was just 2. At that age, he was afraid of Santa and the characters at WDW. I tried to prep him by showing him the planning dvd, and the live Sing Along dvds. They seemed to help, but if a character wasnt on the video, he was more afraid. I had to pretty much walk him up to every one except Mickey (he took off running to him). However, by the last day of our trip he was more comfortable around them.

As for remembering stuff, I dont think he remembered much on his own. I did take tons of pics and some video which he still watches today (hes now 4.5 yrs). He did fine on most rides except for Haunted Mansion, and the 3d movies. Now when we went back the following year when he was 3, he saw the monorail and CR and went nuts. I will say he remembers a lot from that trip. He asked the other day if he could ram my Indy race car like last time. I had forgotten about that but he didnt!

This will be DDs first trip and she will be almost 15 mos. Ive been showing her pics, the dvds, and home movies to prep her. Right now I dont think shes afraid of characters, but we shall see. She loves to dance so I think she will have so much fun, especially in Small World. She also loves Ariel and mermaid was one of her first words (her room is done in mermaids and underwater critters).

Bottom line, I think if you want your child to remember, then 3 would be a good age (plus they still get in for free and eat for free!). They can do most rides that dont have a height restriction. Only you know how your child reacts to loud and scary situations so you have to judge which attractions to do. We always got a seat near an aisle for shows in case we had to bail.

alison

 

[disney's daughter]

My husband and I took our oldest granddaughter (now 13) on her first trip to Disney World when she was 4. We didn't go on rides such as Space Mountain...but we did go on Thunder Mountain Rail Road...There was just the three of us and it was wonderful....

Later on we had three more grandchildren...so we took our adult children and all four grandchildren...the youngest was 4. It was great...Whatever the 4 year old couldn't ride, I sat out with her...and didn't mind one bit...

Another thing that I did before taking any of my grandchildren...I explained as much as I could ( about the rides and attractions) before the trip...and went over it several times...For instance...When we go inside the room in the Haunted Mansion...the woman screams and the light goes off and it is completely dark...but, that was OK..because the door would quickly open and that meant the ride was ready...I went through the whole thing with them...I explained to them what a CM was...I told them that should we ever get separated to go directly to a CM...and tell them who his/her parents are....It came in handy...because after we all got off the dinosaur ride...(of course...they all exit into a gift shop)..one of my granddaughters had run on ahead...It was about 20 seconds...but, it seemed like forever...I could hear her crying and she was over right by a CM..When she saw me...she smiled through her tears, saying, "There's my Nana...her name is Brenda....."...The kids were also informed as to what resort we were staying......just in case. I sang "Yo Ho", the pirate's song for that ride...and told them everything that was going to happen....Even the little "surprises" in "It's a Bug's Life".....I tried to think of anything I could to keep them aware of what they could expect...so they wouldn't be afraid....and it worked! Now the kids go on the roller coasters with their hands up in the air..while their Nana holds on for dear life!

 

[mandysbus]

We took our DS the other month for the first time, he's 5.5 yrs old which I thought was a good age...big enough to get on the rides that he liked but little enough that it was still magical to him (he loved seeing the characters), He had never had a haircut so we did the first haircut thing which was neat and he loves pirates and for now they have the little Jack Sparrow shows going on and the pirates were a big thing there this year so he was really into that. And we took lots of picture and I hope that he will remember some of this later in life. This is not an every year trip for us, maybe a couple times in a lifetime (i'm 26 and this was my 3rd time there)

 

[bartleby1]

Your parents drove from NJ to CA with a 3 and 5 year old!? Not once, but twice? Wow! I'm guessing you don't remember the ride because your parents either drugged you to keep you quiet or you just blocked it out. You two must have been some really good kids and your parents, wow, amazing.

I remember when I was 6 my parents picked my sister and I up from school and we drove down from Salinas to Disneyland. I still have some memories of that.

I think that I will badger my Dh so much over the next couple years that he will give in and let us go when she is 3.

LOL, nope no drugs, even though it was the early 70's! Just a whole suitcase full of barbie dolls! My parents were both teachers so they had the summer off. We kind of grew up in the back seat of the car. First trip we were 3 and 5. Second trip we were 5 and 7. Of course, there were no carseats back then - not even seatbelts in the backseat, so we had a little more freedom. We stopped to see a lot along the way. Each trip was a 6 week trip I can't imagine what that would cost today!

 

[tripplanner]

I always had in my mind that I would take the kids to Disney when they were about 6 so they could have some memories. Instead, I won a trip when they were both in diapers. Since it was free, we went. The first day was a day at Sea World. We basically spent six hours in the playground area. The kids just couldn't sit through any of the shows like Shamu, etc. They were only happy in the sandbox or playing in the ball pit or going down the slide with daddy. I was soo happy that our tickets had been free. The rest of our trip was spent at Disney. We were magically amazed by the transformation in our kids. The loved MK and Epcot. It was the first time that my husband and I were able to ride some rides with the kids and they loved it and we did too. We did learn that my son didn't like the dark and loud noises and our daughter was a thrill seeker, so we adapted. I also had in my mind that we would go maybe every four years or so. We enjoyed that trip so much, that we started going every year (sometimes twice a year). Every year the conversation starts out the same with "We should go somewhere different" and within a week of discussion, we are back to choosing Disney as our location. I have found that the kids remember very little snipets from their early years at Disney. My husband and I were the real winners here. We have such wonderful memories of the those early years. So for me, I would take her sooner rather than later.

 

[DisneyVC]

We have taken dd twice already. We took her when she was 21 months. She had a blast and enjoyed herself. But when we took her again when she was 2 1/2, she had even a better time. To this day, over 6 months ago, she still remembers the trip and talks about it like it was yesterday.

DD was not afaid of the characters, which made the trip that much better. We have another trip that we have planned next month and we are bringing her 7 mth old brother with us.

 

[tigerdragon]

I took my DS to Disney last year for his 5th birthday. It was fantastic. We took a trip to Busch Gardens and Sea World just before he was 2 and it was awful. He hated sitting in his stroller and when we let him out he would take off. Granted, those 2 parks are not Disney, but I really don't think it would have mattered. He has always been energetic and didn't want to sit still for very long. I'm glad we waited until he was a little older to do Disney.

 

[eeyoregon]

5 or 6 is the perfect age but nothing younger.

 

[Colinsmom]

My DS1 enjoyed it a lot when he was 2.25yo, but enjoyed it a whole lot more for his third birthday. Even though it was only 9 months later, it was really clear to us that his appreciation and comprehension had skyrocketed. Plus he had a lot more patience for standing in short ride lines and sitting at character meals waiting for the characters to come to his table. He still talks about details of our trip a year later.

Bonus - if you go right before her third birthday, she will get into the parks and eat at buffets for free. If you wait until after her third birthday, she gets much more expensive, lol!

 

[Deesknee]

Hi everyone I'm new to the boards and thought I would jump in with my first question.

I have an 8 month old daughter, and every since she was born have been planning a trip to WDW. I can't figure out when to bring her though.

I want her to be old enough to enjoy herself and ride some rides, but I don't want her to be to young that she won't get anything out of it.

I figure that we will probably go in Nov, Dec or Jan to avoid the crowds and the heat, plus it is less expensive at that time. So, I won't want to remove her from school so it will be before she is school age.

My questions is, what age is best for a first time visit to WDW? Is 3 good, or should we do it when she is 4 or 5?

Thanks, Heidi

I think the question is when is not a good age for Disney?
Seriously we took our first kids at 3.5,4.5,6.5 8.5,9.5,11.5,13,14,15, Our baby has been at the ages of 11months, 22mnths,27mnths, and just under 3.

I agree with the other poster, When they are really young it is you who gains the memories. Although, my teens claim to remember those first trips. We video one day on each trip & they seem to remember stuff that wasn't on video. Who knows. I'm not even sure I remember what day it is. Who am I anyway.
BTW, it the 7th trip was for checking out the dvc property we had just bought, so you may not want to listen to me!

 

[dismom301930]

My girls were 2 and 3.5 the first time we brought them. It was fabulous - better than we expected! Of course we had to adjust to their schedule, and take nap breaks and go to sleep on the early side. But I have memories that I will treasure forever. I cried when they saw the castle for the first time because their reaction was one of pure excitement and awe. They do remember some things from the trip (especially our oldest DD). Even more important, though, they had a wonderful time when they were there and DH and I have lots of great memories. They can't wait to go back again in a few months and have been telling their little sister (2.5) all about it!

 

[SGB13]

I think you have to decide how you want to see the parks and what you want them to get out of it. We didn't want to do a stroller, so we waited until the kids were older. We even did a practice at Carrowinds, then posponed our trip for a year because our youngest gave out so quickly. Then did a practice run a Kings Dominion this year before booking and DS5 did much better. If you don't mind the stroller and you are going so you can see Disney, go now. They may not remember much, but they'll love the pictures of themselves at Disney as babies. Disney is magical now matter what age.

 

[monorailsilver]

My dd was 15 months old & my ds was 22 months on their first trips & my dd#2 will be 2 1/2 on her first trip.

My oldest dd doesn't remember it but when I show her pictures she talks about it (brain washed at an early age). She is now 5.

We went last year when she was 4 1/2 (almost) & she doe remember the fireworks & some of the rides from that trip, oh & the monorail (the priority).

My ds I don't think remembers anything but when we got home & we saw the commercials for WDW with the castle & fireworks he talked about it but I just asked him if he remembers watching fireworks with grandma & grandpa & he said yes but he won't tell me where.

I went when I was 3 (about 4 months shy of being 4). I don't remember much other then then sitting in the room at the Poly with my mother looking out the slider at the lagoon. I don't remember if we were watching the fireworks or the water parade (hey this was in 1975). And I remember my sisters went on Space Mountain but I was too little.

I personally don't care if my kids remember it because it is my vacation too. Heck I have taken them to Sesame Place & they don't fully remember it. My oldest just talks about it but that is about it. They don't remember all the day trips we take either.

But I do remember all the day trips & the Disney trips & that is what matters to me.

BTW, I think my dd's age at 15 months old was perfect since she was a social girl & loved the characters. She was not afraid of them other then the face characters.

She played with the characters when they came near her too. My ds on the other hand was afraid of them but that is him.

 

[MOMMYMOUSEOF2]

I have taken ds at 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and taken dd at 8 mos and 17 mos. We didn't think we would be going back every year, but since seeing my ds the first time, we knew vacations couldn't get much better than that. It is all about the kids for us and he came back from that first trip and did not stop talking about it daily for the next 3 months...then he only talked about it every other day. I would definitely take your daughter just before she turns 3. It is a huge cost savings and a wonderful trip. The memories for you will last a lifetime. The memories for her will at least last until her next Disney trip (I'm sure of that).