I'm Sure This Will Get Me Lynched!

[SherylR]

My family and I just returned from 9 days in the World. My kids are 9 and 11.
That being said, for the majority of our vacation we were inundated with crying babies and over-stimulated toddlers throwing tantrums and crying. Parents were sniping at each other, just terribly nasty!
My husband and I both agreed that waiting til the kids were older was the right choice.
What is the attraction to taking your kids there when they are so small? I'm not trying to sound nasty, but it seemed to me that the majority just were not enjoying it at ALL. The parents looked exhausted and as I said before, taking it out on each other.
Case in point. We were on the boat at DTD waiting to come back to our resort. The captain told us that a lightening storm was in the area and we'd all have to disembark and use alternate transportation. No problem for us. But the family ahead of us turned it into a disaster. It was a mom, dad, a three year old and an infant with a double stroller.
The mother started arguing with the father because we had to get off the boat. The poor guy didn't stand a chance. She sniped at him the whole way back to World of Disney where we took another turn. I mean, it's not his fault a storm was coming. She *could* have stayed on the boat in the lightening while sitting on her metal seat. lol
This was common place. People just nasty to each other. It was very hot and that makes tempers run short, but geez. This is supposed to be a vacation. And no one is enjoying it.
Is it worth the money for a few photo ops? The kids won't remember it. And the most expensive souvenier is going to be the marriage counselling you'll need afterwards.
I felt so badly for so many parents. Can someone tell me what I'm missing here?

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

for the majority of our vacation we were inundated with crying babies and over-stimulated toddlers throwing tantrums and crying. Parents were sniping at each other, just terribly nasty!

We see this all the time ..... DH and I look at each other, shake our heads and say "it's the happiest place on earth .... it's the happiest place on earth ...."

 

[mjantz]

We did DL when the kids were 2 & 5 & I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Some one explained it to me this way: These are their rock stars, their celebrities. For them, meeting Cinderella or Mickey Mouse is like you or I meeting Jon Bon Jovi or Angelina Jolie. I wanted my kids to experience Disney when it was real to them.
We purposefully chose DL over WDW because its smaller. We also bought 5 day Park Hopper tickets. Since we were a few hours off, we got up early & hit the park when it opened & then would leave around 4:30-ish & go back to the hotel & put them to bed. We didn't try & burn the candle at both ends & we took our time & enjoyed ourselves. It still ranks as one of my favorite vacations ever.
I think too many people try & burn the candle at both ends & end up with cranky, unhappy kids. They also underestimate Disney. The place is huge & it takes a lot of walking & time to see.

 

[disney_family_1247]

I totally get what you're saying, but I can turn it around and say that I've seen it just as often with families with kids around the ages of yours'. I've seen kids of all ages flipping out and couples (even one's without kids) acting rude to each other.

I think that people who drag their kids (at whatever age) around the parks and don't follow the kids' needs (rest, food, over-stimulation, etc) are the ones we all see having a bad time.

We have been going to WDW since before we had any children. We go every year with our kids at whatever age they happen to be. We aren't doing it so that they will remember; we're doing it so that we will . If we were only planning one trip to the World during our kids entire childhood, then I would definitely wait until they were old enough to build memories.

We are the types to all take a million breaks a day if the baby/toddler needs it .

 

[Honeymooner04]

It's not just parents of toddlers and babies that snipe at each other. My husband and I hardly ever argue and we've never argued in public, least of all Disney World. We take our daughter to Disney because WE enjoy it.

 

[lclark0621]

Well here come my standard answers...

1. Should parents of young kids never take vacations because the "kids wont remember it"?

2. Should the parents of young children not throw birthday parties until "the child can remember it"?

3. Should the parents of young kids stay at home under cover for fear of their child getting upset & "ruining" someone else's time?

4. Should the parents of young children never be able to share something THEY enjoy with their children/family because they have young children?

5. Who gets to say what the "magic" age is for Disney?

6. Should the parents of young kids shake their head & think "What were THEY thinking" when they see a family aruging with the temper tantrum throwing preteen or teenager in Disney (yes it does happen)?

Peopls should take their kids to Disney at whatever age they want to & works for their family. Period. I dont pass judgement on those who take babies, I dont pass judgement on those who wait until their "kids can remember it", I dont pass judgement on people who wait until their kids are teenagers. It is THEIR vacation, let them do it THEIR way.

Me, I am to busy enjoying myself with my husband & son to worry about other people & their vacation. I am just enjoying MY vacation.

 

[SalandJeff]

DH have been going to WDW every year for 18 years. Last year we took dd for her first trip. She was 2 1/2. We went at her pace, spent a lot of time in the room (which she loves and was happy doing) when she needed downtime, spent a lot of time at the pool, and did the parks when it worked best with her schedule. We didn't do everything, see everything with her. She did have one total meltdown on our last day as we were getting ready to leave MK. I think she finally was just exhausted (even though she had been getting as much sleep or more than at home). We are leaving in 24 days to do it again.

We take our young child because we love disney and want to let her love it too. Seeing it through her eyes was the best part of 18 trips. I think a lot of people don't go very often, feel pressure to see/do everything, and might not have the benefit of all the great advice we get here on the DIS.

 

[Aliceacc]

This will be the first trip for my 3 kids, who will be 10, 8 and 5 by next summer when we go.

I'm not so sure that the age is the issue (although we did wait until our kids were "old enough" since it's too expensive for us to do on a frequent basis.)

I think the issue is the "tired and overstimulated" part-- that and trying to cram every single particle of "magic" into a vacation.

I'm guessing that some of those toddlers would be a whole lot happier if they saw their normal 8 pm bedtime without staying up late for the fireworks. Or if they spent the hottest part of the day in the hotel pool instead of line at Pirates of the Carribean.

I think it's a combination of common sense and remembering that this trip is about the kids, not about getting your money's worth. It's the reason we're breaking the budget and staying at the Contemporary... so that when my youngest has had enough, we can hop the monorail or even walk her back to the room or the pool.

 

[Jen32113]

Well our son is 25 months and we have been taking him to Disney since he was 18 months (we have an AP). Anyway, I learned on our first trip that my son can't be pushed. We had a GIANT tantrum in the middle of DTD. He was without a nap, hungry and it was close to his bedtime - we were basically asking for it. We have learned from that mistake and always make time for naps, snacks, rest from over stimulation, etc. One of my friends said it's just not worth it for her to do all that with her 18 month old, and that's fine for her. My DH and I enjoy taking our son to Disney, seeing his face when he sees Mickey or riding the kiddie rides. We just came back from Disney and we all had a very good time! That was with a 2 hour nap everyday and getting back to the hotel by 8:30pm for bed time
But we will never forget the giant smile on our son's face when he saw Choo Choo soul come out on stage (they were at MGM this pass weekend).

 

[Stephres]

My husband always jokes that the kids' favorite part of the trip is hanging out in the pool. And my daughter is a natural early riser so she has seen fireworks twice in all our trips. I think if you go by the kids' pace, doing the parks with small chilren is fun. We have gone since my son was 18 months old and always had a terrific time. The kids love to look at the albums and how they have grown up with WDW.

 

[ArmyMom23]

My husband and I went to WDW last summer with three kids, ages 3,5,1. All I have to say is that it was the best vacation I have ever had. Honestly I myself do not remember everything about the trip, but I have photos. But it is not all about photo ops, it's about being with your children and really spending time with them at their level. I will always remeber walking to the tea party at the GF with my DD(5) and telling her things about my mom who passed away 3 yrs before, I will always remeber swimming in the waterfalls at the poly with my DS(3) who prior to the trip hated water, and I will always remember playing in the sand and rocking my son to sleep in a hammoc on the beach at the poly with DS (1) while everyone else went swimming. You might think that these memories could have happened anywhere but then you truly would not understand the magic of WDW. These are the special mommy moments I will replay in my head the next time I am deployed, moments I could not capture on film but are forever in my heart. Is it worth it ,even if the DS (3) will only remember is favorite ride, the tower of terror, I can only say, YES YES YES.

 

[WantToGoNow]

I have 3 "children" -- my oldest is 23 and my little ones are 6 and 3.

It doesn't have to be like that. My ds6 has been 3 times and dd3 has been twice. I've gone when one or the other of my children were 6 mos, 1 year, 2, 3.5, and 5 and we've never had a single tantrum (children or adults). That happens when the parents try to do too much in too short a period of time, or when they are more concerned about "getting their money's worth" than enjoying what they are doing.

Why do I wish to take them -- to see the magic in their faces and to experience Disney as they do. It's special.

My dd was not quite 3 when we went last. I had lost my job a couple of months before and we considered cancelling the trip but since it was paid for, we went anyway. From the minute we got home, she started telling me that I needed to get a job so she could go back to Disney World. I'm working again now and she's looking forward to the next trip -- we are thinking her 5th birthday next December. My ds6 however would rather have mommy home with him instead of going to Disney.

I have an older daughter as well and she was 10 her first trip. Let me tell you it's just different with older kids. I would have liked to take her when she was smaller but as a single mother, I just could do it. I have experienced it with an older child and now with smaller children and personally, I'll take the chance of someone having a meltdown (whether it be a child or a parent) over not letting them have that experience.

You see children (and adults) having those same tantrums here at home -- at grocery stores, shopping malls, local amusement parks. Do you suggest we all just stay home until our children grow up?

 

[kellyg403]

On our first trip the youngest in group was 10. We didn't try to do everything but we didn't spend alot of downtime at the pool and things either. We got up early everyday but we got back to the resort relatively early also since the parks were closed earlier. By day 3, the teens were exhausted and fighting, dh and dd13 got into at the pool (there was a real treat trust me), and dh and I snipped at each other all DAY. So its just not the little kids. We did have a good time and we do go back. We just know our limits. We thought we had it made in the shade because we did not have any babies. Wrong..the parks are overwhelming, the crowds, the waits, just figuring out what we wanted to do was tough.

Kelly

 

[disneywith4boys]

You have to realize for every family with children having a "breakdown" there is 2 more having a wonderful vacation. They are just not as visable. There all types and temperments of families in this world. You'll see this in a supermarket, shopping mall, etc. Each family should know what theirs is and act accordingly. If my child was prone to tantrums and multiple breakdowns on regular day, I know I couldn't take him on vacation until he was older. We've been when our boys were 2, then 2 1/2, then, 4 and 13mo, then, 7,4,2&2. The last trip with 4 sure was busier, and yes, some days we were exhausted, but that is the same as a day at home with 4 boys under 7. We would never have missed out on these "magical" vacations. The innocense as they still really believe those characters are real (they are,though, aren't they?). You can't get it back if you wait until they are older. At that point, the kids just look at Disney as an amusement park. No too many pre teens and teens in the autograph lines, are there?

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

Maybe I should cancel my trip! I never realized how much pressure Disney could put on your marriage!!!

Anyway, I see what you are saying....but it is a huge generalization to think that all parents will have a terrible time taking there 2 year old and it will ruin everyone and their dog's vacation if you do.

This will be my first time taking a toddler, though I was taken to Disney World as an infant many times with no problems (because I was an angel, of course). I think that parent's need to go into it with a realization that it will not be a fast paced, high powered, adrenaline run trip. Slow down and enjoy it WITH your child, at your child's pace. As for them not remembering it..that's true....but the parent's will and so will the older siblings if there are some along as well. As in my case, I always knew I wanted to take my daughter when she was around 5 or 6. I wasn't going to miss that chance with her just because her little sister was too small to remember the trip. And I do not believe in taking separate family vacations. I would suggest blocking out the other families around you and just enjoy your own at the age they are!

 

[twinspluscade]

My family and I just returned from 9 days in the World. My kids are 9 and 11.
That being said, for the majority of our vacation we were inundated with crying babies and over-stimulated toddlers throwing tantrums and crying. Parents were sniping at each other, just terribly nasty!
My husband and I both agreed that waiting til the kids were older was the right choice.
What is the attraction to taking your kids there when they are so small? I'm not trying to sound nasty, but it seemed to me that the majority just were not enjoying it at ALL. The parents looked exhausted and as I said before, taking it out on each other.
Case in point. We were on the boat at DTD waiting to come back to our resort. The captain told us that a lightening storm was in the area and we'd all have to disembark and use alternate transportation. No problem for us. But the family ahead of us turned it into a disaster. It was a mom, dad, a three year old and an infant with a double stroller.
The mother started arguing with the father because we had to get off the boat. The poor guy didn't stand a chance. She sniped at him the whole way back to World of Disney where we took another turn. I mean, it's not his fault a storm was coming. She *could* have stayed on the boat in the lightening while sitting on her metal seat. lol
This was common place. People just nasty to each other. It was very hot and that makes tempers run short, but geez. This is supposed to be a vacation. And no one is enjoying it.
Is it worth the money for a few photo ops? The kids won't remember it. And the most expensive souvenier is going to be the marriage counselling you'll need afterwards.
I felt so badly for so many parents. Can someone tell me what I'm missing here?

Okay, this will probably get me lynched too: I feel bad for kids that don't get to experience Disney at a young (under the age of 6 or so) age. I'm not being snarky--I seriously do.

There's something so magical when they think the characters are real. The look on my 4 year old's face when she met her hero, Ariel, was priceless. And although I'm sure they'll love WDW just as much when they get older (I hope!) those years when they really believe it's Tinkerbell flying out of the castle can never be repeated.

I went to WDW for the first time when I was 10, and I wish my parents had taken me when I was younger. At 10, I could've cared less about the characters, knew Cinderella's castle wasn't really where she lived, and was "too old" (or so I thought) for rides like Dumbo. I didn't even ride it that trip!

None of my kids's cousins have been to WDW or DL yet....and I feel sorry for them. My 6 year old niece looked through our Disney photo album last week, and was exclaiming over everything...all excited, and saying she wants to go to Disney world. Dh and I both said we wished we could've taken her with us, because it'll be years (if ever) before her parents take her. I almost felt bad we had let her look at the photo album.

Kelly

 

[judie]

Well as the mom to both a "perfect' and "tantrum filled" child I have to agree with some of the previous posters - always staying home is not really an option or fair to the rest of the family. Of course the best way to stop the temper tantrums is to just ignore them, even in public. So a few years back we would have been the family out in public waiting for the 3 year old to stop screaming, puking and generally trying to control us with his temper. Let me assure all who were "bothered" by the tantrum - we weren't really enjoying it either! Also, I won't say I was perfect about trying to prevent tantrums relating to hunger or tiredness, but I worked really hard at it. Not sure if the 3 year old was aware of it, but a constant supply of food, breaks, and frequent water activities were all part of our day.

And now I can look back at my "photo ops" and smile at the looks of wonder and excitement of both the "perfect" and "tantrum filled" childs faces when they got to meet Cinderella, Eeyore, etc. Can't believe I am going to say this but I miss those days - they grow up WAY to fast.

 

[DisneyLover75]

I have an autistic son, he's going to be 4 in January, and I didn't bring him to WDW yet because he'd not have been able to actually appreciate it yet. I would have brought him in a heartbeat if I thought he would, but now he's very into Disney and the castle and characters, so I'm going to give it a try in 2008.

I'm sure that since there is a communication barrier (my son doesn't talk yet) there will be tantrums, and I'm hoping that people will be understanding. But it'll be hard to go through the 'World' with a child who looks like a "normal" 4 year old, but is having a screaming and crying fit over what may look like nothing.
It will probably look like I don't know how to teach my preschooler to act.

I'm hoping that people will not pass judgement on me for bringing him there, or for the possible, or probable tantrums we experience when we're there.

I have a "normal" daughter who is a year older than my son, and she has gone to WDW twice with me, and we've had our share of meltdowns with her too. It's alot for a little bub to handle, but as many people have said, it's very worth it to look back on their faces when they see their favorite characters, and to go through the photo albums with them, reliving the moments.
It's true, you can never get that time back. I'm glad I took her. I'm glad I'm bringing both kids next year. (I'm single too.. my best friend is kind enough to join us.)

That having been said, I know that I'll enjoy this coming vacation, in December, when my best friend and I get to spend a week at WDW without the kids. That'll be great too.

 

[Stasieki]

And, don't forget that Disney is promoting it to younger children with the creation of Playhouse Disney! My 18 month old LOVES Little Einsteins, so of course, I am going to take her to meet them at Disney when I live and hour and a half away. Why would I wait until she is 10 when she could care less???

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We went when our kids were 11months, 3, 5, and 8. We had a wonderful vacation.
Some people are cranky and miserable no matter where they are.
I would definatley recommend taking small children, but yes you do have to have patience, and you can't drag the kids around for 12 hours at a time.