How old were your children the first time you took them to Disney?

[Luckymommyx2]

My son was 3 1/2 and my daughter 4 1/2. We're going again in a few days and they'll be 5 and 6. We're looking at doing more of the adult rides with them this time in addition to the ones we did last time.

 

[piglet33]

My daughter was 11 months when she went to Disney and on a Disney Cruise for the first time. We all had so much fun, that we're going back again this October. I loved the look on her face when she saw the characters. She loved them so much that she cried when they walked away! We've been to WDW several times before we had her, and I think we enjoyed ourselves much more watching her reaction to everything.

 

[Disney73]

Thank you all for posting your stories, they are all wonderful and now I am even that much more excited to bring our future children. I think I am convinced that whatever age they will be, someone will have wonderful memories, maybe just the parents, or maybe both parents and child. I can't wait. Thanks for all the well-wishes as well. I know my children will be huge Disney fans like I am.

 

[GlennandAnn]

Our older DS was 6 months for his first trip, and the younger one was 7 months. It was fine taking them, they were very portable at those ages.


Ann

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Trip #1 with kid - My DD was 18 months (awesome age!)

Trip #2 with kids - Oldest DD was 2 1/2 and new baby was 8 months (2 1/2 was a great age to expereince Disney - 8 months was easy for us and she enjoyed it, but it made much more of an impression on my older DD at 18 months and 2 1/2)

Trip #3 with kids - Oldest DD turned 4 during the trip, younger DD was 2 1/2 and DS was 10 months. (From my experience, anything under 18 months is easy for the parents but probably doesn't mean *too* much to the kids. Mine had fun at 8 months and 10 months, but 18 months, 2 1/2 and 4 were great ages for Disney Magic!!!)

I remember the first time I went to Disney with my DD I told my Dh, Wow! You think Disney is cool as a kid, but it's so much cooler as a parent watching your child enjoy it!

Hope that helps. Have fun and enjoy your babe.

 

[georgina]

Mine were 8, 6, and 3.5. We wanted to take the oldest before she got much older, but I didn't want to take a child in diapers, so we waited until the youngest was well potty trained. That was my first trip to Disney World too! And I started planning our second trip as soon as we got home from the first.

 

[Ecdubfan]

My kids were 4 and 1. We've been back every year since. Its a family addiction.

 

[HookedOnDiz]

We took our son this past November when he was 6 WEEKS old... we enjoyed it and had no problems... but if not for the fact that it was a free trip through my job we would not have been so adventurous.

We'll be bring him back next month for his 6 month visit

 

[beattyfamily]

YOu've gotten many great replies but I still thought I'd chime in!

Although I think any age is great especially if it's NOT a once in a lifetime trip, my personal limit is age 1. I wouldn't take our kids under age 1 UNLESS I've already booked the trip and paid for most of it and then found out I was pregnant! Then I may bring an infant!!

Otherwise, I think over age one is good. I'd say the most magical was 2 to 4 though! Still love the characters and seeing the Castle etc...doesn't take much to excite them!

 

[sgtpet]

My son was 12 months old on his first trip. My daughter was 5 months old on her first trip.

 

[kozmo]

My guy was 4 and he loved pirates of the caribbean!!!

 

[drewc]

Let's see, ours were 4, 3 and 4 months I believe.

Our second visit, they were 5, 4 and 18 months.

This time (Dec '04) they'll be 7, 6, and 3. The little guy will finally be fully on board and he's looking forward to it.

BTW, even though he was only a few months old for his first visit, he LOVES watching our home videos of himself as a baby in WDW. Our kids could watch those videos all day long.

 

[Snoopymom]

If you really love Disney and it's affordable, go as early and as often as you want!

From someone who spent 4 years on the black infertility rollercoaster, and then adopted... I say, GO and ENJOY every second, lol.

A great picutre of you and your newborn baby standing next to Pooh or Cinderella to hang in his or her new nursery maybe worth the trip alone, and when someone asks you why you would take a baby, tell them you deserve to have some wonderful memories too.

Plus, when your children are older and they drag out the photo albums, they'll get a kick out of seeing how little they were at Disney, and what an incredible feeling it will be for them when they see happy and excited you were to be new parents....that you couldn't wait to take them to Disney!

Ok, I'm a sap, lol, but if you go when it's cool and not crowded, it will be magical.

 

[candykisses]

On our first trip the boys were 9 and 2. It was a great trip.

 

[Spartan]

Our son was about 16 months his first trip. I was really great and we have unforgettable memories. He was walking pretty good, but not so good that he could wander off. He loved the "fuzzy" characters, and had no fears.

His second trip was at 22 months, and the trip was fun, but not nearly as much as the first one. It was too hot for one thing, which seemed to make him (and us) cranky. He also became scared of the loud noices (fireworks, fantasmic), but was still fine for the rides.

Third trip was this past December and he was 3.5. This was very good again. He loved the the fireworks and fantasmic once again, as well as any ride he could get on. He wasn't quite as much in awe of the characters though, other than his hero - Buzz.

 

[jgmklmhem]

Our first we took when she was 2weeks away from being 2. Our youngest we took at 4 monthes. We had a great time on all of our trips and enjoyed taking them both. Even though our youngest is definately not going to remember anything she always lit up when she saw characters.

 

[BrerMama]

Our oldest and our youngest both had their first trips when they were 10 months. Our oldest took his first steps in a cheap hotel room in Orlando! My middle dd was 2 1/2 when she had her first trip to Disneyland, 4 (almost 5) for her first trip to WDW.

 

[sm4987]

3 was my youngest child's age. Yes it was hard not being able to do some things, but the things she could do the whole family just loved.

 

[MyBoysMommy]

I probably win for youngest child to go to Disney World....DS#1 was 2weeks old on our first trip! LoL!

When ds was born, I had pretty bad post partum depression. To the point where I needed medication. My entire family was my support, but they were all going to Disney World for my little sister's 10th birthday 2 weeks after I gave birth.

Of course I didn't plan on going, but couldn't see myself sitting at home by myself for 4 days so I went! I only went to the MK one day for a couple of hours with him. He was in his big covered stroller with a lightweight long sleeve shirt and pants and a big floppy hat. So he didn't get any sun and it would have been hard for any germs to get in. LoL! Of course we heard comments everywhere we went about having a baby that young at Disney World, but oh well...I felt so much better by the end of the trip. My family was there and my Grandmother even helped me with the baby during the night. Like I said, I only went to the park 1 day for a few hours. The rest of the time I stayed at the hotel or went to downtown disney. It was nice....

DS#2 was 10 months old during his first trip. I pretty much carried him in a carrier the whole time and he LOVED it!!

As far as the best age to go...I would say 3yrs old. DS#1 REALLY started to take it all in around then. He still comes up to me and says, "Mama remember so and so ride at Disney World?" all the time. He has vivid memories of the place.

My first memories of Disney World are from when I was 3yrs old as well. So I think 3 is the best age to start going!!

 

[Gadget Girl]

My eldest DD was only 6 months old for her first trip. We had a blast with her! She grabbed Mickey's nose and tried to suck on it! The pictures are too cute. It is so much fun to look back at the pictures of her next to the characters and see how much she has grown. Also, the baby care facilities are the best. When she was hungry, I could step out of the noise and chaos of the parks and into the quiet nursing room and it was like "a whole new world" (to quote from a favorite song).