Neighbor said my kids are too young to enjoy disney, rant

[Stitch Inside]

I was 3 the only time I got to go to WDW as a child. I can still remember riding Dumbo with our family friends' daughter who was also my babysitter. She was the best because she let me "drive". A few years later she gave me her Pat Paulsen for President sweatshirt. It was love. Anyway, I also have vague memories of the beach at the Campgrounds and the totems/drums in Adventureland and being scared of the HM and hiding my face in my cowboy hat after seeing the witch in the crystal ball. So don't tell me they're too young.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

I can understand that statement for people who are only planning one trip - they want their children to completely remember their trip to Disney, But if you're planning to go back then I see no problem taking children of all ages and letting them enjoy it!!

Good point! If you are planning to go often, your children will start thinking of WDW as their "home away from home"! (And isn't that what we all want? To indoctrinate the whole family on the Disney way of thinking! )

 

[Amirah95]

Some people think that it's a waste of money to take a small child to WDW because 9 times out of 10 they won't remember it. I made the decision to take my DD for the first time when she was eight years old and tall enough to ride with us. For us, that was the best choice I made. I say if you want to take your children then go for it because it's YOUR CHOICE AND YOUR MONEY. I could care less what my neighbors would say of all people.

My DH's brother and wife are taking their 4 year old son this May and they are making this trip all about him.

Enjoy!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Some people ARE too young and some ARE too old, is all according to the people. Any child who is lucky enough to have a DISer as a parent is going to do just fine. It the the unlucky young child of someone who is bound and determined to 'get their money's worth and has unrealistic expectatations' that is apt to be traumatized by the whole experience. I have seen many a small child crying because their parents were upset cause they did not like something as much as the parents thought they should OR were so tired that they could not possibly enjoy ANYTHING. Have seen far more finding magic in their own way, at their own pace while the parents let them do their own thing. My youngest grandson passed up a chance to go to the new Animal Kingdom when he was 3 because he wanted to stay and play at the Movies playground and go to Andy's Room. This wise grandma let him pick what he wanted to do as he was the best one to do so. We even drove around and around the Values so he could see all the icons. He still remembers that day and fondly, as do I. Next trip we wil make Animal Kingdom (unless he changes my mind). LOL

As far as the adults who do not like DW goes, it is alright with me, keeps the lines down. LOL

Slightly Goofy

 

[diznygirl]

Yikes! Don't tell her we took my son to Disneyland when he was only 18 days old! We go to Disney on every Christmas Eve - and DS was born on Dec. 6th. So we went, got our pic with Santa, and left. We didn't even see Mickey! But the memory I have of Santa and my baby - he took one look and said "Oh, can I hold him?" And we have a beautiful picture....

YOUR MEMORIES count here too. The next time somebody tells you the kids are too young to remember, tell them "They may not remember, but I will!!"

 

[tink2]

My kids both went at 6 months old- wonder what your neighbor would say about that! Both my children went to WDW at 2 1/2 too and both LOVED IT!!! Both of those trips hold some of my favorite memories! I have a DS and DD and both were terrific at WDW at 2 1/2. They are sooo excited at that age and loved all the shows, parades, rides, everything! Be aware that your son may be timid with the characters at first. We love character meals and do one a day usually. DD at 2 1/2 was terrified of the characters our first meal. By the second one she would at least stand by them to get her picture made. By the third she was attacking them to hug them. DS was better- timid a little during the beginning of the first meal, but all over them by the time that one meal was over. Go and enjoy it! Your children are only this young once. You will not regret it! Your neighbor may be the one regretting it when her children are older and they didn't go when they were young!

 

[digskat]

Ignore the nieghbour. Your children are the prefect age. Ours were 5 and 7 when we took them in Nov. I always say they are only this age once, and you never get it back. I say take them and have a great time.

 

[cbrfan]

I plan on taking my grandson for his first haircut and he's only 13 mos. I have a chronic illness (lupus) that doesn't always allow me to do things I want to do. I don't ever assume that I'll be able to do something "when he's old enough". I say go and have a great time regardless of what ANYONE says!!

 

[Brina]

I originally believed the same thing - wait till 5 - they can do more of the rides and they will remember it. I changed my mind when I learned that kids under 3 were free, and I took my boys just before they turned 3. They had a ball - 2 years later they still remember some of it, and they adore looking at the pictures of the trip and their autograph books.

We had heard the save MK for last, and this is what we did - AK on our first day, MGM on our second day and then MK, with some park hopping excursions back to MGM (they loved Honey I Shrunk the kids) and over to Epcot. It worked out nicely.

 

[allisonwonderland]

whatever.....to young to remeber>who cares????????????they are old enough to have a BLAST while they are there..is that not reeason enough?who cares if they REMEBER?ughhhhhh..I HATE THAT,,and anyway,,YOU WILL REMEBER THE LOOK ON YOUR KIDS FACE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE,,,your neighbor is prolly just jealous!!!!!!lol.......

 

[beattyfamily]

My neighbor said today, "I don't know why anyone would take a 2 and 4 year old to Disney, we are waiting until our youngest is at least 5". I think my boys are going to LOVE it. I am so excited, I haven't been there since I was probably about 11 and all there was was the MK and Epcot.
I am afraid I won't be able to get them out of the digging yard at AK.

Should I save the MK for last? Something I read said to go to MK last , because the other parks might be let downs after MK.

Oh, I'd just laugh at them! I can't believe people think that but many do. They want their kids past the diapers, naps, meltdowns and that they won't remember anyway, but you know what? When I went when my youngest was 2 and my older DD was 5, we had more whining and brattiness from the 5 year old big time!

To each their own. Different strokes for different folks but for my family it's over 1 year's old that we start to take them. Every year is magical and different it its own way. I totally loved ages 2 and 3 even though they can't go on the rollercoasters. They are really into all the magic!

For my family, unless we arrive on a Saturday, we ALWAYS have to hit MK first to 'feel' like we are at WDW. My DD wouldn't have it any other way!

Enjoy and don't let anyone bother you!

 

[tink2]

I agree with beattyfamily about MK first- my kids can't wait to go to the castle when we go to WDW- it 'is' WDW and going to the castle means we are there. I understand the concept of saving it for last, but it has never been a problem for our kids. We usually go another day later in the trip too. My kids ask for the castle from the moment we get in the car. They would stroke out if we didn't go there first! But, do what you think will work best for your family!

 

[HM]

My neighbor said today, "I don't know why anyone would take a 2 and 4 year old to Disney, we are waiting until our youngest is at least 5". QUOTE]

We did something similar to your neighbor. Part of it was we couldn't afford to go until after at least one was out of daycare, and partly because we wanted them to be able to do most everything. We waited until the youngest was 4 (older had just turned 6) before we went for the first time. I don't regret that decision at all, but I sometimes get misty when I see little ones reactions at the parks and wonder what my kids would have done.

Don't get mad at your neighbor though. They obviously have different ideas/expectations than you do for a trip to Disney. And maybe they aren't able to afford it right now (like we weren't) and are a bit jealous you can go with your young children.

-HM

 

[MrsPete]

So? It sounds like she shared her opinion on "what's right" for a family vacation, and you took it too personally. There are no rules for family vacations, and her opinion is pefectly valid -- for her family.

We took our oldest child when she was barely two. She enjoyed the characters and the swimming pool at the hotel (but not the water parks -- too overwhelming). She likes to see the pictures in her baby book, but her memories are what psychologists call "reconstructed memories"; that is, memories that are put together in her mind from the pictures and the things we've told her she did on that trip. She has no genuine memories of that vacation.

Her lack of memories isn't a bad thing -- realistically, we expected it. We wanted to do a short "trial trip" to Disney before we had a second child, and we enjoyed it and learned quite a bit about buying tickets, etc. That's why we went.

 

[Bellefan66]

Yeah,she's right,who wants to go to DISNEY WORLD,with innocent children,and see "Magic" through THEIR eyes?? She clearly does NOT understand the term "MAGIC KINGDOM"*******

 

[jimmysmommy]

My DS 5 was 18 mo on his first trip, and when we were planning our next trip (at 3.5) he asked about going on different rides and wanted to "eat with Pooh again". He remember'd lots of it. We are going again in October and DS will be 6.5 and his brother will be 18mo (God is April a busy month!!!) And he can't wait to show his little brother the ropes!!! Tell the neighbor to fly a kite!!!

 

[devotedchristian]

I can understand your neighbor's thinking. I don't agree with her wording but I understand where she is coming from. I think she is really saying:

"*I* couldn't handle taking kids that young to Disney World"

It is about individual comfort levels. Personally, *I* couldn't imagine taking my DS(19months old) to DW right now.

My comfort level is age 3...maybe 4. And that's OKAY. If you are comfortable with ages 2 and 4 that's OKAY too. That's your comfort level.

 

[Stitch Inside]

Here's part of the reason we like to take them so young (DS 8 mo.s). We like to torture them like this.

<img src="http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/204/204543/folders/147177/1046957CopyofIMG0549.jpg" width="470" height="791">

 

[misandrog]

Your message really helped me. We are going in May with our 2 kids. My son will be 4 months shy of being 5 and my daughter will be 2 1/2. My husband was skeptical about going because of my 2 1/2 yo, but he feels better now knowing there is so much to do. We went on our honeymoon in 1997 and we can't wait to go with the kids. Any suggestions for me would be wonderful.


Thanks

 

[GillieRose]

My inlaws say the same thing. I could care less. I took my nieces to Disney when they where 3 and 5 they still remember things and they had a blast. We are taking are 2 year old and 5 year old in May. I can not wait.