How Young is TOO Young?

[TheOtherVillainess]

Cross-posted to the CB.

I got bored this evening and made the mistake of getting out my old ('01) vacation planning video. I went through my old trip reports and photos of my last trip. I started missing WDW all over again and wishing I was there.

That got me thinking. Now that we have an child...how young is TOO young to take to WDW? And would it be totally selfish to take a vacation (WDW or otherwise)without the baby?

TOV

 

[TDS373X]

I took DD for her first birthday for 4 days. Very special memories. I waited until the 1 yr mark so I would not have to mess with nursing or bottles or formula as a single parent I did not want to have to deal with that..I do not think it is selfish for a parent only vacation. Everyone needs alittle time away besides you could come back a better parent for having spent time away....I really couldn't see at least myself taking a very young baby but people do. I think it's all up to you what you feel you can handle and knowing your child. I read everywhere it seemed that young children are frightened when meeting the characters because they are sooo big however DD has never been frightened of them and I knew she would not be even at 1. My family and x husband thought I was nuts for taking her so young..now we're going back for her 4th trip

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Well, DH and I were considering it for DS SweetBabyJames's 6th birthday but I want to go back sooner than that, perhaps when he is 2 or 3. I already ordered the newest vacation planning video, so that I have SOMETHING to watch and something to show SBJ (even if he is too young right now to understand it LOL).


TOV

 

[Liltx]

I think it totally depends on the baby and the time of year or climate you are used too. We are taking our then 15 month old in June (we are from TX). I agree about the after weaning part. I took dd to Virginia when I was still nursing at 3 months and going to Colonial Williamsburg for three hours was a nightmare and she is an easygoing baby. I weaned her last month and now we feel so free. I will be able to buy cow's milk as we go and not have to worry about what I am going to feed her. She even knows how to drink out of a regular straw. I am worried about the sleeping as she has NEVER slept anywhere other than her crib except for that week in Virginia. I am trying to get her down to one nap a day which I think will help. ALso I think you have to have a totally different philosophy when you travel with kids. I couldn't go without her but think if you feel ok about it that it's a great idea. I would miss her so much I would be miserable at least this way if we are we will be together.

Monica

 

[Scoootch]

How young is too young? Is really a matter of how you look at it and who the vacation is geared tword.

If you are asking will the child get much out of WDW at a very early age (meaning under 2 1/2 or 3yrs old) not really -- they will be so young that they really won't remember much and if you're talking about an infant - they definetly won't remember yet.

If you are asking will you as an adult be able to have a good time in WDW with a baby along -- MOST DEFINETLY!!

You will have to go at a slower pace with a baby or child under 3 but you can have a great time between doing baby swaps on the bigger rides and using the baby centers in the parks. They are wonderful. If you plan to go to WDW and have a more laid back and relaxed vacation you will have no problem Take things at the babies pace, going back for breaks for naps and whatnot and not commando park visiting. There are also plenty of rides that an infant can ride on with you. Before moving to FL 3yrs ago we flew down to WDW with our ds who was only 7mos at the time and had a great vacation. We took him on practically anything that was a slow moving ride -- he really seemed mesmerized by all the lights in the spaceship earth ride in Epcot.

So anyway, as I said, it all depends on how you are looking at things. As for is it selfish to take a trip without your kids - that's a personal decison. I wouldn't be comfortable leaving my kids overnight at the ages they are now (almost 4 and 6mos) but that's me. Once they are older - that's another story. I'm just the type who needs to be able to be there if something goes bump in the night or if one of my kids comes down sick and they need mommy. At that age only mommy or daddy will do and I couldn't imagine not being able to be there - let alone if they got sick and I was more than a short car drive away.

 

[wdwdvcdad]

I'd wait at least a day or two...just kidding. As long as the child is healthy, do whatever is comfortable. We've been taking ous smallest since she was an infant & she has always been great. She has grown up with it & has always been great.

 

[scanne]

Well, we took our son when he turned one and again when he was 18 months old. He was great on both trips, loved the characters, parades and shows. He even liked some of the rides like Pirates, Dumbo, Aladdin's Magic Carpet, Great Movie Ride, the Safari - he was very stimulated visually.

I'm expecting baby #2 and we are going in October for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. I do plan to nurse, but if that doesn't work well, they now have these convenient formula packs good for 4oz. formula. My DH and I are very laid back, although we sometimes like to do the parks commando style, but our son kept moving right along with us, and I'm hoping our DD (soon to arrive) will be the same.

It also helps that my parents have been along on the last two trips with my son and will be coming along in October. We're also planning a LONG trip for July 05 with a large family group. I can't wait for any of the trips! The memories we've created for us (me and DH) are simply priceless!!!!!

 

[WendyWorld]

with wdwdvcdad, a day or two is all you need to wait !!!! He he he he.

Let's see I took my DD when she had just turned 3, then again when she was 4.5 and my DS#1 was 4 months, now we are going again DD is 8 1/2, DS#1 will be 4 in a few weeks and DS #2 is 9 1/2 months. HEre's MY challenge 1st time with kids I had 3 adults and one child, second time, 3 adults and 2 children, now we have 2 adults and 3 children AND my "baby" is 24 pounds and not walking yet. He's a back braker that prefers to be carried as opposed to being in the stroller!

 

[moinab]

DD is 15 months old tomorrow, and she has already been to WDW 5 times, as well as on a DCL cruise when she was 5 months old. She is still nursing, and I have never found it to be a problem. DS is 3, and he loves WDW. He talks about it all the time, looks at the maps, plans out what he wants to do on our next trip, etc.

Like the other posters have mentioned, it depends on the child and on what you are looking to get out of the trip.

 

[HollyJoy]

I think it's really a matter of what you're comfortable with! Disney is certainly a place for kids of all ages!! Personally, I wouldn't want to bring a baby along (under 2) because it seems as though it would greatly limit you in what you can do; but that's just me. Obviously though, many people do!!

 

[brandip22]

I am planning a trip right now with my DS who will be 2 1/2 at the time we go. We thought briefly about going w/out him, but changed our minds. We don't mind leaving him with his Grandmothers for a week, so that wasn't an issue. We just decided that, even if he doesn't remember everything, he'll know he was there and we'll have pictures of everthing. DH and I are turning into Disney crazies, so we want to go ahead and get DS crazy for disney, too. We plan on buying into DVC in the next couple of years, so we might as well go ahead and start vacationing now. I think he'll have much more fun at WDW than he does at the beach, which is where we go now. Anyway, I think that you should go for it and just be prepared to do everythinga t a much slower pace. It's easier when you know you'll be back soon.

 

[liznboys]

It's never too young.

That said, we took our 17 month old last year, and next year we'll be celebrating our youngests 1st birthday there!!!! So we'll never have gone there with a baby younger than 11 months. Originally, we planned on waiting until our youngest child would be 4 to take our kids to WDW. Boy are we glad we didn't wait!!! They had such a great time last year, and so did we! I would have felt like I wasted a lot of precious time if we had waited. They are only little for such a short time! And seeing a toddlers eyes light up when they see Mickey and the Castle, etc....priceless.

 

[tink2]

Both of my children went at 6 months old and then at 2 1/2. That being said, my parents traveled with us to help. However, they were both easier at 6 months old than at 2 1/2! LOL They both were small enough they slept in the stroller whenever they needed naps- still do, but not as easily! They slept whenever they needed to. I bottlefed, and both babies took a day or two to eat the way they should- ate a lot less the first day especially. DS was born early and has problems with his lungs- pediatrician said go for it, no problems while we were there. As long as your baby is healty- I say go for it! Nothing beats seeing baby with the characters and the amazement on their faces at the rides! They rode pretty much everything with us- everything without height restriction. And, at 6 months, they were not scared of things like they were at 2 1/2!

 

[LisaRay]

You have lots of good advice already but i will add my 2 cents.

We took our DS at 18 months and he really enjoyed it. I didn't think he would but was also have an older daughter so we were going for her and just dragging DS along. He ended up surprising us. Liked the characters, got his 1st haircut at MK, loved the ducks at the hotel and the pool, and was also young enough not to be affraid on the rides he could ride. Ex. haunted mansion or pirates. We did go in the off season so low crowds and good weather.

He has gone back at age 2, 3 and again at 4 and he loves it. He has become my little Disney freak! On these trips he loved the characters and rides. Favorites were the speedway and Buzz! Didn't care for haunted mansion or pirates though! But there are so many things he loved. Lots of shows too.
He asked me the other day when we were going back and said he missed it. ( we just went in Jan.)

I would say plan it off season for weather and crowds. And I would vote for going before he is 3 because it will be soooooooo much cheaper for meals and passes. By the time ours way 3 he had been to WDW twice and disneyland once. great memories and great photos!
also we always took an afternoon break in the room for him to have a good nap!
Also want to add that in all the years we went before having DS I always said I would never go with a baby still in diapers. I wouldn't want to mess with all that stuff! Diaper bag, wipes stops to change etc. But then that all changed once we had him and you just adjust! Between DH and myself we just make a good tag team. And take turns with the little one while the other has a chance to ride things with the older child. As a matter of fact on 2 days we even split up for about 2 hours with one of us taking DS to room for nap while the other got to spend some alone time with DD. Then on another day we switched.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Thank you SO much for all the stories and advice and tips and what not. It's helped me make up my mind...now all I have to do is convince DH.

As a side note...has anyone taken a toddler to US/IOA? I might have more of a chance of convincing DH to do this trip in two or three years if I tell him we can do 2-3 days at WDW and 2-3 days at US/IOA (since I've never been and he hasn't been since he was in HS).

TOV

 

[justhat]

We're going in less than 3 weeks with our daughter who will be 12 weeks old at the time. Then almost 3 weeks later she's going back to WDW for 1.5 weeks and on a 4 night Disney cruise. So in my opinion no age is too young. Yes, we'll have to adjust our vacation style, but I know we'll have a great time and as long as Madison is with mommy, she's having a great time too! On the first trip, my niece is coming (2.5yo) and my 2 cousins (6 mos and 6yo) and I think that they'll all have a great time too. So really I think any age is great, it's just what you make of it. For the 6yo, the thrill rides are what she's looking forward to, the 2.5 year old will love Fantasyland, and the 6 and 3 month olds will just enjoy being with their families and looking aorund at the bright colors, different sights , etc.

About vacationing without kids, we planned to leave our daughter home with my mom if she wasn't the minimum 12 weeks for the cruise. Luckily she was born 2 weeks early so she'll be about 16 weeks when we cruise (the older the better to me so that I won't be as nervous leaving her in Flounder's Reef) because now that she's here, I could never leave her for 4 nights. She's stayed with both grandmothers once each, for about 4-5 hours each time and that was definitely long enough for me. She's breastfed so it would also be very hard for me to vacation without her since I'd have to pump every few hours anyway, and I'd be so worried that whoever was watching her would run out of breastmilk. But like another poster said, I feel the need to be there at this age cause when she's unhappy mommy is who she wants, no one else. When she's older (and all subsequent kids are older) I'm sure we'll go away without them, but right now I think I'd spend the whole trip worrying and not enjoying myself. But if you think you could leave your son and still have a good time without constantly thinking about him, then I don't think anything is wrong with going alone.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Everybody has a different thought depending on their own experience. I took my one son when he was 2 1/2 and he was scared of all the characters and rides. Another son at 2 1/2 was totally captivated by Disney Magic and not afraid of anything! You know your chlid best, but I think by three most kids love WDW.

 

[DisneyPhD]

We took our DD for her 1st time when she was almost 9 months old (just starting to crawl some.) It was a great trip. She has been 4 times before she turned 3. She now is a Disney Nut. Our next trip to WDW is planned for March 2005 when we will have a 6 month old (due Aug 9 2004!) If it turns out she isn't as easy going a traveler as her older sister we will wait a little bit longer. 3 year old DD is dying to go back, but she knows we are waiting until her baby sister is born. I am afraid I will come home from the hosptial and she will ask if we can go to WDW now! We head to Vero Beach very soon, and we both fear that when she figures out how close we are to WDW she will be begging to go. We told her we are going to Disney Beach, not Disney World.

I agree that is is easier when you are breast feeding, nothing to bring with you. I also agree with justhat, I would rather have a really young one with me then leave them with someone else. Also long as they are with mom they are happy.

It all depends on what you are comfortable. For me I don't think I would go yonger then 4 months, and only then if they are an "easy baby" But you never know. Before I had kids I saw a women in line for winnie the pooh with a newborn (a week old). Personally I think you should at least wait until mom is all recovered and comfortable. I would guess they lived close by.

Keep in mind the younger the child is, the more the trip is for the adults and older kids, but a young one doesn't have to keep you from going and enjoying yourself. It does seem the ones who go early turn into realy Disney Nuts.

 

[daisylove]

We took our dd when she was 5 months. She was little but we took it easy. Really just walked through. Took turns riding some things. Let her take naps when she wanted etc... It was great. Relaxing and we saw a lot of things that we missed when we were commando. Also she seemed to love it. She loved rides like small world. Slept through other dark rides. Loved the characters right away. In fact she watched the fireworks until the very end and I swear she waited until the last one dissapeared and then just zonked out. She confirmed that yes she was indeed my child. As long as you use common sense there is no right or wrong age to wait for.

 

[whedrick]

We took a three month old with us last fall. It was a lot of work but we still had a great time. Just understand that sombody that young makes all the rules for you and decides when to go home.