Package booked and DH says......

[JJ&JSMOM]

We've booked our WDW vacation in May 2007. We have 3 kids, DS7 (8 in June), DD4, & DD2 (ages at time of travel). Everythings all planned, resort booked (after 3 ressie changes finally picked VWL), airfare booked, tickets and dining plan picked. I have all the dining choices selected (obviously not booked yet - too early). And then my DH says "Do you think we should wait until next year? Will DD4 remember going?". Needless to say I'm not happy - we already had this discussion back in the beginning.

He read this article in our local paper re: Disney and what age was best to take kids. Basically it interviewed parents and their children of various ages 4-16 and asked them what they remembered about WDW. Some 4 year olds don't remember WDW now that they're older and one 16 yr old said she first went to WDW at 11 and she does not remember a thing. Well my husband was mortified - how could an 11 yr old not remember disney?! The article ended by saying each child is an individual and each child is different so parents need to answer this question about readiness themselves.

He looked into cancelling our airfare. It would be $100 fee/ticket - for a $500 total! Which I might add our TA didn't tell us there would be a fee if we needed to cancel - our trip is contingent on how well DS is doing in school (kids don't know we're going yet!). We wouldn't get the balance back we would get a credit voucher (US Airways) - whooppee!

Well anyway - I'm curious as to other peoples thoughts on what ages generally -kids are ready? DD will actually be 4 1/2 when we go. I went when I was 4 and I remember bits and pieces - sitting on my Dad's shoulders watching the Electric Parade, standing in front of the railroad station looking at the large Mickey made of flowers, fireworks, my Grandfather buying me a ring at one of the stores.

And of course, there is also the parents enjoyment of seeing their kids at disney and creating memories with their children (even if they don't remember the parents will) that is also important - which I keep reminding my DH. He replies w/ "Its just alot of money to spend and it would be nice if at least 2 of the 3 to remember."

TIA

 

[rigs32]

I'm sorry if you weren't aware there were fees for canceling airline tickets, but such fees are so common that I'm not surprised that your travel agent didn't explicitly tell you about them.

 

[tacomaranch]

I don't think my 2/3 yr old will remember that he was in Disney but I will always remember his smile being on the train. How he unglued when he saw the train for the first time! It makes memories for us and we have pictures for him.

It is always worth the time to go to Disney and it makes us smile to see our son so happy!

 

[rt2dz]

Is this your only trip, a first trip, or a trip you just take every once in awhile? I think that makes a HUGE difference.

Once in a lifetime I think kids should be 7-12 years old. First trip, the younger the better. Whether or not they remember is irrelevant; they still get so much from it and you get some really extra special, priceless memories. If it is a trip you take every 2-5 years, I think you can do it either way--leaning more to the younger side.

I don't have time to go into details as to why right now. I'll try and get back and post that later.

 

[DisneyWacker]

I agree, they may not remember it, but seeing the joy on their faces is worth it for me and my wife. My daughter (3) loves all things Disney and she had a great time when we went in February. She is already looking forward to our trip scheduled for next Feb. My daughter (1) seemed to have a great time in Feb and I'm sure it will be priceless seeing her face when she meets Mickey and friends this year.

I don't really care if they remember it their entire lives. I went for the first time when I was 8 and I remember a ton of stuff about my first Disney experience. However, if I had fun at the time, does it really matter if I remember it 30 years later?

 

[Makdyn]

My kids were 5 (turned 6) and 2 (would be 3 in about a month after) My dd 3 knows that she went remembers what rides she went on and liked. I say bring them of course you will take pictures and they will remember.

 

[ilovejack02]

Tell Dh what is going to happen is that if you wait to long then the oldest will be past that magical time. The way to help the youngest remember is pictures pictures pictures... scrapbook together and if you record some of it then you all can watch it together and talk about it all alot. Its not all about the kids remembering its the parents seeing their kids face light up when the see it all for the first time. My DH tried to pull the same thing we are going in Jan with 4 yr old, and I just told him he got to make alot of the choices in this family but no way he was taking away me seeing my 4 yr old in WDW for the first time. I cant wait to see his little face light up. I told him he could stay home if he wanted to but DS and I were going. I think I scared him i was so serious about it

 

[Manda]

I just don't get the "don't do it unless they'll remember it" thinking process. If you did that for everything in their lives, we'd all just sit around like lumps for the first 10 years or so. So, they won't remember - YOU will. My DS went last December at 2 and still remembers a lot of it and talks about it all the time. He probably won't remember that trip when he's 20, but I will. I wouldn't trade the memories of seeing a two year old enjoy Disney for anything. And he'll always know how much fun he had growing up and all the time we spent together and how his parents put him first for family vacations even though he might not remember the specifics of each trip.

FWIW, I went to Disney when I was 7 and 12. From the 7 year old trip, I remember riding Small World, a very bad storm and a lot of people screaming, crying during the fireworks, refusing to go on the submarines, my Grandma and Great-Grandma buying silly matching hats at Epcot, and the parades. I also have some sort of Happy Birthday Donald Duck song from the parade that will be forever burned into my brain. From the 12 year old trip, I remember finally being brave enough to ride a roller coaster, riding TTA 1000 times with my Mom because she was afraid of the big rides, being caught completely off guard by the drop on Pirates, and talking to a person on a TV screen at Epcot. Strangely, I remember less about the 12 year old trip. I blame puberty. DH went 3 times before he was 5 and all he remembers was that Haunted Mansion was "really scary" and Country Bears were "really funny."

 

[ilovejack02]

I have to say I think its a male thing to some degree. Several of my friends are going in the next yr and all of the husbands are kinda *****in about taking the young kids. My uncle went as far as saying kids under the age of 10 have no buisiness going. He said it in front of my DH and my friends DH. My friend and her DH are going in Oct adn her hubby is complaining about the drive, the money and the kids being too young, but she had finally got him calmed down and ready to go and then my rude uncle brings this up. I FLIPPED on him and let him know he really needed to keep his mouth shut about things he had no knowledge of. My DH laughed and told my uncle you really better be quiet about it, she threatened me too. LOL

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Is this your only trip, a first trip, or a trip you just take every once in awhile? I think that makes a HUGE difference.

Once in a lifetime I think kids should be 7-12 years old. First trip, the younger the better. Whether or not they remember is irrelevant; they still get so much from it and you get some really extra special, priceless memories. If it is a trip you take every 2-5 years, I think you can do it either way--leaning more to the younger side.

I don't have time to go into details as to why right now. I'll try and get back and post that later.

It is our first trip w/kids and hopefully we'll go every 2-3 years. We'll see! I'll be sure to have my DH read these posts. Sometimes I feel he thinks we're going for me (I'm a disney freak) and because I want to go. Believe me I do want to go but its also going to be a lot of work getting us there and while we're there. I am not misleading myself thinking its going to always be fun fun - I know it'll be much different going w/3 young kids then when DH and I would go!


rigs32- we don't travel that much its been 8 years since last WDW trip. So we're not up on all the fees, etc. I just wish she had said something - she also knew we were interested in JetBlue out of Boston and was going to check the first of the year on fares. Again no say of "Do you realize if we book US Air today and you switch to JetBlue in January there will be a penalty?". Very frustrating! I guess we should have known.

Thanks for all the opinions - I'll be sure to have DH read this!

 

[bnhasak]

Go!!!

Our almost 3 year old and 1 year old have been there twice and LOVE IT! DD who is almost 3 vividly remembers every little detail of the trip and wants to talk about it all the time.

She may not remember all these details when she is 30, but it is her happiness now that we are concerned with and making memories as a family.

My DH is a lot like yours until he sees their faces. Then he has no regrets...until I mention the next trip. LOL!

 

[tiff211]

I agree with the poster who said if this your once in a lifetime trip then waiting a year a two wouldn't be so bad but if you are like many of us who thought we were planning that once in a lifetime trip, went on the trip and came home planning the next one, I say go for it. DD's 3 and 5 remember the trip we took this year, DD3 not so much the one last year. Actually while there this year, she looked she actually looked for Pochantas where she had been signing autographs the year before. So I guess she did remember something.

You will remember the look in their eyes, the smile on their face when the magic comes alive, that what changes when they get older, they lose that abiltity to believe in the magic. I love to look at the pics and video of our trips. I have one pic of the DD who was 7 months looking at Mary Poppins with total awe. My favorite!!!

I am pretty sure this is a bias board and you will find 99.9% of us will say go on the trip, enjoy it and the lasting memories it will create not just for your 4 year old but your whole family!

 

[logan&tylersmama]

DH wasnt too thrilled when i wanted to take our son who was 3 at the time, saying he wouldnt remember. But then my father (who's aunt just passed away from althzimers, his mother has it and several other members of the family suffer from it) wanted to take us to disney. I said to my DH "I am going to disney with my father and we are taking DS3 NOW because who knows if my father will remember it, and i want the pictures and the videos to show my DS when he gets older that we went as a family with his PAPA."
we went, we had a great time and one year later DS remembers more about the trip then i do, down to little details.
Since we got such a good deal with the free dining we are going again in a couple of weeks. With our new DS who will be turning one on this trip. My older son is already telling the younger one in detail about what we are going to do. You would be surprised at what little ones remember. Plus you will always remember thier reactions. Go - have fun and take tons of pictures.

 

[srgibbs]

GO and don't even think twice about it. We went last Sept. with our DS who was 4 and our DD who was14 months. We had such a wonderful time as a family. DS4 rode everything he was tall enough for (including the tower of terror) DD 14 months rode all the rides with no height requirements with us and loved everything. She was a little scared of the characters, but did warm up to them. My son still talks about our trip all the time and always says he wishes we could stay there forever. My husband was not at all thrilled about going but gave into my pressure. He had an amazing time and we are going back in 2and1/2 weeks at his request! My now 5yo son is on cloud nine counting down the days and looking at the rides in books. My DD2 wakes up talking about seeing Goofy and Minnie Mouse. Although she probably won't remember this trip either I sure will remember how excited she is. Hope this encourages you to Go have a great time.

 

[pixiewytch]

The 4 year old will definitely remember. My child is 4 and he remembers going a year ago. Two might be a little too young and cumbersome in my opinion but that is up to you.

Personally I would be livid if I had made plans and discussed all the details with DH in advance just to have him change him mind once it was all booked. Don't feel bad though, my DH pulls the same sort of thing from time to time. I just stick to my guns and tell him he's going, like it or not. It just isn't fair to agree to the arrangement ahead of time and then back out after plans are set into motion and things paid for in advance.

To those who say they don't understand why it is important if a child remembers the trip or not, I say this...Disney costs a lot of money. Even the infant under two is going to cost something....a souvenir, food, etc. For those who have the luxury of not worrying about cost, then I say go ahead, bring the whole family, newborn and up. For myself if leaving a little one who will never remember the trip with a relative saves some valuable money that means more to me. Either that, or waiting until the children are old enough to truly enjoy the magic seems more valuable than spending hard earned money to go when they may not enjoy or remember it as much.

 

[mom2boys]

Our boys were 23 monthes & 3.5 for their first trip. They "think" they remember it because they have watched the videos so many times. I say go! By the time they are "old enough" to remember it, there won't be nearly as much awe in their little faces.

 

[kribit]

Sorry I just have to add my 2cents.

I agree with one of the other posters thoughts on "wait until they remember" process...I think it's silly. If that is the case, should we wait to bring our children to see Santa or the Easter Bunny until they remember? Plus, we're in 2006 and have cameras and video that we can use to remind our children of all the fun they had on their first trip to Disney. Personally, DH and I can't wait to see their faces when they see the Castle for the first time. Who cares if they don't "remember" 20 years down the road. We'll just pull out the video. My twins are 4 btw.

Go and have a good time!

 

[solgent]

From the 7 year old trip.... I also have some sort of Happy Birthday Donald Duck song from the parade that will be forever burned into my brain.

Uh oh. I had forgotten that song until I read your post.

 

[rosiebean]

My family went on a "big" vacation when I was four through Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. I remember bits and pieces of that vacation still (and I'm in my later 30s). I remember the Grand Canyon vividly, I remember when we all bought matching moccasins, I remember standing in the "4 corners", I remember Six Flags and several of the rides that no longer exist (slides that we went down on potato sacks), I remember how cool it was in Carlsbad Caverns, I remember the pool at one of the Holiday Inns we stayed in, I remember all of the petrified wood in the Petrified Forest. I don't remember the a/c in the car breaking on the way home which lead my father to forego visiting the Alamo (and my brother's resulting sulking fit that lasted years ). I remember much more about that trip than the WDW trip we took when I was nine.

WDW at nine, I vaugely remember walking down Main Street USA for the first time and walking through the castle. I remember the Swiss Family tree house, and Tom Sawyer's Island, and the 10,000 Leagues ride. I remember how amazed we all were at everything, but very little detail about the park itself or what we did. I remember more about the trip there, actually, like the camp ground we stayed at, and seeing the orange groves on the side of the road as we drove, and the place where we stopped to get honey and other souviners, and going on the submarine in Mobile, AL. That was also the trip where we discovered I needed glasses, so maybe why that's why I remember so little of it! I remember going into the bear jamboree in WDW and not being able to see much (I remember my mom's reaction), and I especially remember my mother asking me to read the eye chart in the sub in Mobile and not being able to do so!

In any case, my point is your child may very well remember more than you think they will despite their young age. And they may remember much less from future trips taken at later ages than you think they will. Photographs and video will help!

 

[mickeyfan2]

Say you wait 1 year for DD4 to become DD5, what about DD2 who becomes DD3? She will not remember. So do you then wait until DD2 is DD5 and the kids are all 3 years older? I vote for going and then going again in a few years.