How young is too young?

[MischaOz]

Between 2 1/2 - 3 is a great age for a first trip. By 3 1/2 my daughter was already *too old* for some rides.

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

We did our first trip when the kids were 6 and 8 - for us 6 was definitely the right age to start. Old enough to avoid a stroller and could handle long days.

 

[SnackCredit]

My first trip was when I was 4. I vaguely remember some things.

A friend of mine actually recently asked on Facebook if it would be good to bring her infant daughter to WDW for her 1st birthday. Most people (me included) suggested that she wait several years so the daughter could appreciate it more, and she followed that advice.

 

[fireman1]

I took my daughter for her first trip when she was 5. I took her 4 more times after, age 10, 13, 14, 15. She loved them all, but Guess which trip was the one where she had the most fun and was the most magical.

 

[Mainemama]

I have taken kids from 8 months to age 10. Every age has been fun. However, the most challenging parenting times for us have been with our 3.5 year old, and just turned 4 year old. Developmentally, this age is beginning to have a good grasp on time, typically has routines at home that are harder to break from, and has the desire to keep up and go, go, go, but not the necessary stamina. They also are at an age where they can remember things and ask for them and not understand why they can't have them right now. (Read doing a ride again when you are in another park). You can have a great trip, but be prepared for needing to do less than you would with an older child. Even with a child just turned 3, we had less difficulty. This could just be my children's pattern, but it was interesting that they both entered the phase of what I would term "challenging travelers" at the same age. (The trips in question were 4 years apart.). I found babies and younger toddlers much more go with the flow. On the other end, by 6 my older kids have been more patient, flexible, and fun travelers.

 

[mdoc]

My husband took each of our two older kids for a long weekend WDW trip when she was 4. MK only, and the trip was totally for that child. They loved it, and it was a perfect age - old enough to do a lot, no potty training issues, no fear of characters, no need to nap. Our youngest went at 18 months, but she was more a tag-along. She went because it was a family trip, more for the older kids (then 5 and 7). She enjoyed some things, and it wasn't all that difficult to have her along (she was a happy baby and napped in her stroller). But she was afraid of the characters and remembers none of the trip. I would never have taken her at that age if we weren't going for the older kids. I think 4 was perfect for a first trip for my kids. My oldest is my biggest WDW fan, and she has gone every year since age 4 (she's now 22) and I couldn't pick a "best" age, as she's had a blast on every trip.