Okay, be honest.......

[rajay320]

Everyone at Disney with small children walking around looked MISERABLE! I don't want us to all come back and feel terrible after what is supposed to be a vacation.

If that is the case, you definitely didn't see me there w/ my dd. We were anything but miserable! I wouldn't dream of going without her. Her first trip was when she was 6 months old and we've been back many times since then. Most recent trip was for her 3rd birthday. We have had a great time every time we have gone. There is TONS of stuff for litlte ones to do. Dh and I even hit Typhoon Lagoon when dd was 18 months old and still had an amazing time.
For me, the most magical part of Disney is enjoying it with my daughter. The smiles, and laughs and the expressions on her face are priceless and make up some of my favorite memories.
I say go for it!!

 

[texasthree]

I took my son when he was 8 months and 20 months. We had a great time and he loved every minute of it. We didnt go back to the room to nap either, he just feel asleep in the stroller and we got to have a quiet lunch or take turns riding the other rides. We stayed at the contemporary and spend a couple of days just lying at the beach with some sand toys. My husband was deployed both times and I was with my parents and sister so I did have extra hands. I say go, relax and enjoy free dining!

 

[TinkerbellMama]

I forgot to mention we only have one child and he takes a 2 hour afternoon nap as of now so I'm assuming he will still do that 4-7 months from now as well.

Take the kid for his birthday!

We took our son for his first birthday celebration and he loved it. We loved it, too, and had a great time. He's going back at 23 mos. and again at 34 mos. We'll have fun each time because we plan according to what our son's needs are, as well as our own. You definitely can't go commando with a toddler in tow. Don't even try it!

I can't imagine not taking him with us each and every time we go. Then again, we don't leave him with anyone at home, either. MIL watched him for 4 hrs. once. That was it. So it might come down to personal preference. For us, we would never consider not taking our son to WDW.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

honestly it really depends on you, for me, i will not take a child until they are at least 4, but now i am thinking 6 for the next one or 5 at the minimum, i feel, again I feel that they cannot appreciate while they are younger, plus when they are smaller they require much more attention and it's not really a vacation to me, but i know others that feel the opposite and they will take the younger ones, now here is my kicker because we all suffer, i will not take a young child, but i will not go without my child either, so when i have the next one, we will be away from disney for a few years until that one is about 4, that is the only thing that makes me hate my philosophy.

You could always rethink your philosophy!

Trust me, they SO TOTALLY APPRECIATE IT. No, they can't write you a letter telling you how much they love you for taking them and how deeply they were touched by your efforts, LOL, but they absolutely enjoy themselves! As for the attention, IMO you are gonna have to pay attention to a 4 year old very, very closely, so there's no real break there, and you will be changing diapers and feeding your baby at home, anyway...so why not be in WDW???

 

[jenbuki]

I have taken our son every year since he was 14 months old and we have wonderful memories from bringing him. I wouldn't have it any other way. He enjoyed the characters and rides very much. I made sure to take lots of pictures and videos, so we could look back at all the good times we had. My son is almost five and he likes to look at the pics and videos too. I say take your son you will not regret it.

 

[cornflkgrl]

After reading some replies I am rethinking my plan. I may not take him in September when they are having free dining. However, I think we may take him in February which will put him a little closer to 3 which was my original idea of the very youngest child I would enjoy taking to Disney World.
He doesn't talk right now and he isn't potty trained so it is hard to imagine what level he will be on at that point. I really want to take him though because I am graduating from court reporting school in the next year and I'll be very busy with work and we are planning on having another child in the next 2 years and I really wanted to do something very special with just Oliver & mommy and daddy that he will remember as being just for him.
Thanks for the opinions.

 

[cruiserkaren]

We took our dd for the first time when she was 11 days shy of her 2nd birthday. We were apprehensive, we had never been to WDW and had no idea what to expect. Well, as you can see below we are taking her back for the 3rd time in 12 months!!

She (all of us, actually!) fell in love with the place. I promise you, we weren't miserable in the least. Of course, there were a few times when it all wasn't perfect, like trying to take a nap a couple of days. But the good far, far outweighed the "rough" spots. We let her lead. When she'd had enough, we left. When she was rested and ready to go back, we went. I did make a few ADR's but adjusted them as we went. We missed Crystal Palace b/c she wasn't up early enough to make it on time, so I called and canceled. No biggie. I wasn't about to wake her up. We let her sleep as long as she needed too. We squeezed in another dinner at Chef Mickey's b/c she loved it and got in fine. We just had slow pace and went with the flow.

We took her to Chuck E. Cheese today and on the way there she asked "mommy, will Dumbo be there?" She says something about/related to WDW on a daily basis. Go have a blast, follow his lead and enjoy!

 

[allboyz]

I took my middle son when he was 2 years old and I do regret it. He was at that "terrible two" stage. He had those temper tantrums when were in the line. It was hard. After a point my husband and I were all cranky. I loved Disney but I said at that point that I would never return until my middle son was older. Well, flash forward and I have had another baby. LOL We have been waiting til he is older. He is now 5 years old. So my boys are 12, 7 and 5. Hopefully we will be able to have a relaxed family trip this time around. Oh and one other thing when we did take my son he LOVED the parades!!!!!!!!!! It was so cute because he sat down with this HUGE smile on his face and he waved and waved at everyone til the parades ended. It was the cutest thing. I regret not having my camcorder that night. I will never, ever forget that look on his face. He was able to ride a few rides with us. Let's see we did ride the teacups,safari and the buzz lightyear I believe. I can't really remember. It has been a long time. Then I let my husband ride with my older son. This time hopefully we will be able to ride most things together. THe main ones we won't be able to ride are coasters and stuff and I really do not like them AT ALL!!!!!! So no loss there!

 

[BluOrchid2]

Our daughter's first time to WDW was when she was 22 months old. It was by far the best trip for character interaction...no fear whatsoever, and just loving up the characters so good for pictures.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Well, you must have not seen me there with my kids, LOL. First time we went, DD was 2, last time she was 7 and DS was 8 months old. Of course it takes more planning, a slower pace and there are some attractions you will baby swap or miss out on. But you will spend more time together looking for characters (if your child is not afraid) and the looks on their faces are priceless. DH and I plan on going to WDW alone when the kids are "too old" or too cool to go, but for now they only make our trips more magical.

We could not imagine leaving our children home and leaving. Our son was 6 for our first ever trip, next trip daughter was 18 mos and son was 7 1/2 years. Children tour differently but thats why we go in the first place, for them. Now that they are in their 20s and 30s, we go and usually the girl and her husband come also. We tour differently now but look back on all those trips when they were young and listen to what they remember,,, priceless. We go now and fun is of a different nature but leaving kids home while parents go on vacation just doesn't seem right. Guess, its to each his own but we always included our children, what ever their ages, thats why we had them.

 

[ReneeA]

We took my kids for the first time last August when they were 2 and 3 1/2. They did great. They are both early risers, so we got up and did EMH in the mornings, stuck to their normal schedules - went back and napped in the afternoon. Then had an early dinner and had them back in bed by 10 at the latest (usually closer to 9).

I personally am not worried about waiting until they can remember or enjoy it - they are still both talking about our trip and the things they liked. My DS was 3 and he's super tall - he rode everything including ToT with no problems, loved it all. My DD was 2 and loved the princesses, still sings "It's a Small World" and loved the characters.

I tell people when they remind me that my kids won't remember this that I will remember it, and for that alone it's worth it. Also, it's not like this is going to be our last family vacation to WDW. We'll be back, probably sooner than later.

 

[Luv2CtheMouse]

My suggestion for you is to consider your limitations and what you will actually be able to enjoy.

 

[cranbiz]

Just got back from a trip with BIL's girls 2 and 4. DW and I had just a fantastic time with them ("rentals" can be more fun than your own)

They were talking about it for months before and are still talking about it now. In fact, last year, we took them for a couple of days to MK and they remembered it enough to say "No witch" (LY we took them on Snow White)

Don't push and do what they would like. This year we did far more shows than rides and planned quiet time each day. We brought their stroller so they would be comfortable and let them ride frequently. With snacka and juice boxes, we coped very nicely.

Take the young ones, they remember far more than you think and will have a great time.

 

[slo]

I don't think it's crazy at all
We had my 2year old (at the time)there last year for a week. You just need to scale down your vacation to fit the needs of the 2year old. If you are willing to do that, then you'll have no problem.

 

[PrincessTigerLily]

We took our daughter when she was two, and again at three. It was so worth it for us! I understand everyone and their child is different, but we had a blast. It is so amazing to see WDW through the eyes of your little one, it's like magic. It took her a while to warm up to the characters, but once she did-WATCH OUT! You sound like you will do fine, especially since you seem to be very laid back. That's the most important part of traveling with small ones, structured plans do not always work out well. The best advice I can give, and that you've read a hundred times over: go back to the resort for a rest/nap. It's well worth it for EVERYONE involved. You might feel like you are losing valuable park time, but when you get back there you are rested and can do and enjoy more. Have fun and let us know how it goes!

 

[LuvTony0508]

The first time I went, my daughter was 15 months old, she did awesome!!! My sister-in-law brought her 6/7 month old with her last year, she was wonderful as well. I don't think 2 is too young. At 15 mos. my daughter spent her time walking around, picking up leaves, enjoying the sights and sounds. And the characters, she loved the furry ones most. Hope that helps.

 

[KarenCPA]

you asked for honesty, so honestly, I think it's a terrible idea to take a baby to DW. my kids all went for the first time when they were 3 1/2 - 4. Younger sibs stayed home with grandparents. These were the greatest vacations. You enjoy all the magic and wonder with them, but don't have the hassle and crankiness of terrible twos.

My sister-in-law invited herself along on one of our vacations once with her daughter, then 18 months, and she was completely miserable. (by the end, we were all pretty miserable) She was changing diapers, making bottles, packing diaper bags, planning snacks, searching for losts pacifiers - you get the idea. It was hardly a vacation.

just my thoughts. karen

 

[scrapmoose]

We took my DD when she was 2 1/2 and she had the greatest time. We debated not taking her and just taking the 4 1/2 year old, but she had the best time. She interacted with all the characters, rode the rides, she even was mad she couldn't ride some rides, she napped in her stroller and was fine. She has actually sang the POTC and Small World song about every other day since we came home in January. She had the best time and seeing WDW through her eyes was amazing. In fact we are going back with them in May because they had such a great time.

 

[Twinprincesses]

I took my twin girls 1 months shy of being 2 and we just got back again when they were a little over 3. They had great trips both times (minus a few toddler fits). They were fine with all the characters this time but the first time they liked everyone except the Incredibles.