How old before child appreciates WDW?

[LadyBeBop]

My DGD is 8 months old, and my husband and I are already wondering when she would start appreciating WDW?

We haven't been back to Disney in years. The first time we went as a family, my daughters were 6 and 4 1/2. Both had a great time.

However the situations are not similar. That trip, we flew down and stayed on site. If/when we take our DGD, we'd stay in a timeshare (not on Disney grounds) and drive down.

Would it be worth it to spend a week in a Orlando (or maybe Daytona) timeshare, and just spend a day a the MK?

As always, TIA.

 

[JUJU814]

My DGD is 8 months old, and my husband and I are already wondering when she would start appreciating WDW?

We haven't been back to Disney in years. The first time we went as a family, my daughters were 6 and 4 1/2. Both had a great time.

However the situations are not similar. That trip, we flew down and stayed on site. If/when we take our DGD, we'd stay in a timeshare (not on Disney grounds) and drive down.

Would it be worth it to spend a week in a Orlando (or maybe Daytona) timeshare, and just spend a day a the MK?

As always, TIA.

I really think it's different with every child. My oldest is now 17 and went for the first time at 3 and LOVED it..loved all the characters etc.

We took our 2 youngest, (now 5 and 7) when they were three and five, and would never do that again! Neither wanted to go on the rides and they were both petrified of the characters..all they wanted to do was go in the pool and play in the playgrounds in the parks. Dh and I believed we could have taken them to our local park for a week and saved all that $$

Then, we took them last year, almost 5 and almost 7, and they loved it...and we're going back this year again and they can't wait!

I really think everyone's different.

 

[frtchr]

DD is 2 1/2 and has been 3 times. She keeps asking when we can go back to "Disney Weeld." She went at 11 months, 16 months, and 26 months. She appreciated different things at each visit. We're going again in December when she'll be a month shy of 3 and DS will be 15 months. I'm looking forward to seeing what different things they're into or not into.

 

[rt2dz]

We go every year, so my kids have all had their first trip around 7 months old. I think they started to enjoy the trips, truly enjoy, at about 15 months. While there is always something for them to get out of it, they picked up words there--"Mickey", "Duck", "Disney". These were some of the very first words DS#3 ever spoke. My kids talk about it constantly--currently ages 8, 5, and 3. I knew they had definite memories of things when they went at age 2--they'd scream out for something or direct us to something. Each trip at each age is so very different. My favorite age with all of them is age 3 (last trip was days before DS#3 turned 3). It's so totally real to them at that age.

Only you can decide if it is worth it. It depends on what your expectations are. Obviously, if it were me, I'd do it. If you’re staying offsite, there is also so much more you can do. Children learn a tremendous amount just from observation and having new experiences. My youngest has autism and his teachers and therapists are always amazed at the leaps and bounds he makes when we’re at Disney. He grows more there than he does with 5 days of school and 3 days of therapy.

 

[eaj1228]

I went to Disneyland with my best friend and her 2 daughters last April. The girls were 4 years old and 18 months old. They both loved it.

The 4 year old was a scaredy cat before the trip and was afraid to go down the slide at the local playground. In Disneyland she was fearless and even went to Space Mountain. I really think going to Disney was a life changing experience for her. Now she has no problems on the playground.

The 18 month old loves Disneyland too. She was able to go on many rides like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, POTC, IASW, the Train, and she love meeting some of the characters. Her mom and I am convinced she remembers the trip because now even months later she points to the pictures of just her and her sister in DL and says Minnie Mouse. It is so cute.

 

[dezimber]

I depends on the child. We live close enough to go to Disneyland when we feel like going. I like to take them more when they are young and less when they are older. Since they were approx. a year old for thier 1st trips then about 2 for the next visit. My sister worked at Chuck E. Cheese when her son was 16m until he was over 3. For a while he was afraid of characters. At Disney he would go near any of them when he was 2 years old. When he was 3 he had to hug all of the charaters and was really caught up in the wonder of it all.
My youngest nephew was 18m the first trip then didn't go back until last July when he was 4. He is totally a addict already. On a train ride at the local miniture golf he asked me, "How come they don't a song for us on this train?" implying like on Casey Jr. Then at Sea World he asked to ride on the Elmo Dumbo ride.
So for me it is these early years that are the most exciting because of how they process and respond to such a trip.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think that if the family wants to go, then go at any time. If you're waiting for that one child to be old enough to appreciate it..well, that's going to mean different things at different ages, and it all depends on your definition of appreciating it.

DS had fun at DLR at 1. More fun at 2, and 6 months after we got home, he started talking about it. I haven't yet (he's 5, sigh) devloped pix from that trip, but he talks about very specific memories that he still has from it. Amazing. He loved the big trip at 3.5, then we started going to DLR more often, and he continues to CHANGE how he appreciates it, each time we go.

So that's a really hard question to answer.

If you want to go as a family, go. But if you are focusing on your grandbaby's enjoyment of it, I might wait until much much later. (but honestly, I'd just go...babies go where parents go, so do toddlers and bigger kids, in my family...)

 

[MissRoseDarrensAngel]

My parents decided to wait till my sister's kids were 7 & 10 to take them to the parks (we are going in August). That way they appreciate it, understand more, and will remember more down the road. My sister and i 1st went when I was 13 and my sister was 10, and we still remember some of the visit from that long ago.

 

[rotlex]

We have been going every year for the past few years, since our DD turned 4. At 4, she absolutely loved it, and remembers the trip vividly, at the age of 7.

With that said, we also took our DS, 8 months, this past June. While I'm sure he will never remember it, he had a great time, and we had an even better time watching him!

In a nutshell, I dont think you are ever too young, or too old, to enjoy WDW. Now, if we couldn't travel every year, I would probably hold off until our son turned at least 4, knowing what a blast our daughter had at that age.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

In a nutshell, I dont think you are ever too young, or too old, to enjoy WDW. Now, if we couldn't travel every year, I would probably hold off until our son turned at least 4, knowing what a blast our daughter had at that age.

I agree.

OP, I think it depends on what you mean by "appreciate." When my oldest was just shy of 1yo, we went for a family reunion. While he and I sat out a lot of the rides, while we were waiting for others, he enjoyed himself. I have some wonderful photos of my little guy mesmerized by ducks, licking at a Mickey ice cream, and playing in the puddles from the fountains and at Typhoon Lagoon.

And when my second child was about that age, I've got photos of his older brother holding the Mickey ice cream for *him* to lick, and of the little guy grabbing at Mickey's nose when we met the Mouse himself.

With young kids, I think you down-shift and have a totally different experience yourself. I loved it. (And fondly remember it now that the guys are older and we're screaming around Test Track.)

 

[NotUrsula]

DD is 25 months old. She is a 4-time veteran of the parks. Her first visit was at 10 weeks.

If by "appreciate" you mean remember, I can assure you that she does. She didn't consciously remember in a way that we could verify until she was 22 months and could speak a bit, but I believe that certain things embedded in her mind even before that.

As a small baby she loved the bright lights, colors and music in the parks. As she gets older she has learned to love certain rides and shows -- she loves the BATB show at MGM, Finding Nemo, and also Playhouse Disney, of course. She's also very fond of anything that brings her into close proximity with her hero Mickey Mouse. (She has a stuffed Mickey from 2 trips ago that she takes with her anytime that she is nervous, such as to doctor's offices. For some reason, Mickey helps when she is afraid -- no other toy does this, only her Mick.)

When they are very young the joy is for you -- in the way that they smile and giggle, and when their eyes actually light from the inside with wonder.
They don't have to remember, because you will.

As for a "best age", normally I'd say 3, but there is one catch to that -- that tends to be when fear of the dark is at its peak, and when that hits they get terrified on the dark rides for a year or so, even if they were fine on them before.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

At this age, your DGD will have fun and enjoy stuff, but the real "appreciation" of the trip will be yours. DGD won't really understand that this is any different from the local children's museum or whatever, but you will and you'll likely have some really wonderful memories of the trip. I love looking back through our pics from our trip with a 4-month old and remembering his reaction to things (really liked Haunted Mansion). Plus, it gave DH and I a chance to get away with the baby to a place we love where we weren't bothered by work, household chores, etc. All we could do is enjoy spending time together!

I always tell people that if they are going to be able to go to WDW multiple times during a child's life, don't wait for a special age. If you're planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip, probably better to wait for a few years.

 

[brandylouwho]

That question is going to yield different answers from different people. We first took our daughter when she was 4 months old and we had a great trip, but I doubt she got much out of it. OK, she did seem to enjoy IASW alot, much to her dad's dismay.

We took her again at 19 months and she LOVED it, the characters, rides, swimming pool, etc.

For us, if we didn't go every year, the ideal age for a first trip would be 3 or 4 I think. The kids are more managable then (don't need to haul diapers around & they usually listen well enough to not run off on you). Yet at this age it all still seems real--they experience the magic wholeheartedly.

If you are only going once ever--then I think maybe around age 9 would be a good age. By that age they are more likely to enjoy the thrill rides too and remember the trip and you don't need a darn stroller anymore.

I like to encourage friends to go once while the kids are preschoolers and plan another trip before they hit that tweener age. Actually, I encourage friends to go as often as they can afford to go.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Thanks everyone. As mentioned earlier, we don't go every year...in fact, the last time we've been was 1997.

With my kids, I pretty much did what brandylouwho suggested. The first trip was when they were in pre-school. The second trip (1997) was when they were about 8 and 9.

This isn't exactly a once in a lifetime trip, but maybe a once in every five year trip. I'm thinking about the year right before she enters kindergarten (age 4 or 5...definitely during the off-season) sounds about right.

So, I guess I'm thinking...Disney 2012?

 

[B&WMickey]

If YOU love WDW then any age is the perfect age to bring your children with you on a trip.

We’ve been travelling in general with our kids since about the time each one turned 1. We obviously know that at these early ages they aren’t going to remember or appreciate every place we’ve been or everything we’ve done but it will be part of their collective memories of us being a happy family together. Travelling places is what we love to do and we couldn’t dream of not going someplace and not brining them along with us.

 

[monorailsilver]

I'd say it depends on the kid. Like the pp said if you enjoy it then it will be perfect for them.

I have gone 3 times with my own kids.

The first time my oldest was 15 monhts. Does she remember it? No. Do I? Yes. I had planned to do the baby swap & ride the rides but once I got there I could of cared less about Space Mountain, etc... I rode it (and the others) so many times & I knew I'd be back again & again & again that it just wasn't important.

What was important was that she had a great time (and she did). She loved the characters. Some of the CM's were amazed at how well she did with them. We have pictures from the Winnie the Pooh room in Toon Town with her & 2 characters. We were the last people & I kept saying "should we leave" & the CM told me no. He took my camera so I could video & he took a ton of pictures of my dd with Pooh, Tigger & Eeyore. Sometimes 2 in a picture. We were sooooo lucky! One of those pictures I put in The Disney Magazine (miss that magazine).

She didn't like the face characters & she practically had a melt down when I had her sit in the stroller because she wanted to go on another ride but once she realized the stroller was taking her to another ride she was good to go. She even walked half way around Epcot (her choice not ours, we aren't that mean).

My next trip, my kids were 4 & 22 mo. My oldest was in heaven with Minnie Mouse then. My 22 mo ds, was a shy one. He liked the characters, smiled & laughed with/at them but he wouldn't go near them unless my dh or I were holding him. They were at first both scared of the fireworks but then we showed them the colors & that was it. We had to go to Illuminations nightly.

The last time I took them they were 7½, almost 5 & 2½. They all had a great time! I even took my oldest on Space Mountain to which she screamed & didn't want to go on it ever again. We will see about that in 1100 days (give or take) when our next trip is planned.

 

[darkeraven]

I am taking my 3 1/2 DG. People say to me.."but, she won't remember it."

I just tell them, I'll remember it.

(no worries, the kid has a steel trap of a mind, she'll remember things that I won't.)

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I am taking my 3 1/2 DG. People say to me.."but, she won't remember it."

I just tell them, I'll remember it.

(no worries, the kid has a steel trap of a mind, she'll remember things that I won't.)

I know at 3.5 my DS remembered it...Kids remember more than we think

To the OP, my DS went for the first time at 9months ... he LOVED it, I have great pictures of him with the characters. And, he has loved it every since!

 

[darkeraven]

Thanks