Perfect age???

[Mickey'snewestfan]

If you were only going to visit Disney once (heresy I know, but play along for my sake) and wanted your kids to be the "perfect" age what age would you pick?

We like to vacation at all sorts of places -- so for us most trips, no matter how wonderful, are one time deals. With this is mind we've postponed our first (and likely only) trip to Disney until we thought the kids were the "perfect age". We chose 6 (boy) and 10 (girl). We figured at this age the 6 year old is old enough to ride most of the rides, stay up for fireworks, eat in fancy restaurants without embarrassing us, and handle the lines and the walking, plus he'll remember it a lot more than a few years ago, while the 10 year old is still young enough to want to hang out with mom, godmother (that's me), and little godbrother, and enjoy meeting the princesses.

Do other people think we picked right?

 

[StephMK]

I think you did great! We took my DD10 last year -she still loved the princesses & wasn't too old to hang out & enjoy the magic. My only regret was that I wasn't able to take her when she was 5 & REALLY into the princesses & would have believed all the more. I think you'll find any age at Disney will be perfect!

 

[minkydog]

We took DS when he was 3 & 4. It was fun, but a LOT of work.

Then we waited several years and went again, with DS, then-15, and DD 8. Big difference! No naps, no strollers, we had a blast! Everyone could keep up, stay up, ride the rides, and not have tantrums. It didn't alter the magic one bit--both my kids are big Disney fanatics.

 

[CanadianPaco]

We took DD last year when she was 6 1/2. I thought maybe she'd be too young but I was wrong! She was the right age - she could handle the walking and when she did get tired she could fit in the rental stroller. She was big enough for all the rides we thought were appropriate and loved them all! Even Space Mountain! She did great on the flight (3hrs) and handles the heat!
So with all that said...we're going back in 20days for our second WDW trip! And she's 7 1/2 now

 

[kristen17]

I think my kids will be the perfect age when we take them this fall. Son 7, daughter 8. They can handle long delays, sit-down dining and all but the most intense thriller rides. Yet they're young enough to still be dazzled. Would have been nice, though, to take them when they were 4 and 5, because the characters would have been more "magical" at that age. But, like you, we are typically "let's do this once" type vacationers. I don't know, though, maybe we'll get hooked on Disney like so many folks on these boards.

 

[TeresaMc]

I am taking my stepson 15 and my niece 5 for both of their first ever WDW trips....

 

[mom2cinderella]

Do other people think we picked right?

Whatever is best for your family is the right choice!!

For our first family trip to WDW, ds was 4 1/2 and dd was 3. It was wonderful and oh so magical! The character meet and greets were priceless!

Enjoy your trip!

Michele

 

[have2getaway]

We had always planned to wait because we wanted our son to have a memory of the trip, but then I realized that it's my memory too. I want to remember the look on his face when he sees Mickey Mouse for the first time. If I wait too long to take him, it won't be as special. I personally went to the parks for the first time when I was 7, and although I had a blast, I can recall that I had well outgrown the characters at this point. I know it will be more work at 4, but I know it will be well worth it.

Good luck with your decision. They'll love it no matter when you go.

 

[msmayor]

We had always planned to wait because we wanted our son to have a memory of the trip, but then I realized that it's my memory too. I want to remember the look on his face when he sees Mickey Mouse for the first time. If I wait too long to take him, it won't be as special. I personally went to the parks for the first time when I was 7, and although I had a blast, I can recall that I had well outgrown the characters at this point. I know it will be more work at 4, but I know it will be well worth it.

Good luck with your decision. They'll love it no matter when you go.

"It's my memory too..."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Just today, I was talking to my sister-in-law who would love to take her 3-yr old twins, but my brother thinks they're too young to 'remember' anything yet.

I told her how I can still remember the look on my daughter's face at 3 when she danced with Goofy one morning. We were able to go to WDW in February, thanks to her not yet being in school, when the crowds were thin. Our son was less than a year old on that trip, and seeing Disney through their eyes was amazing.

We did very little of Epcot and MGM, spent most of our time at MK. That was okay, because we knew that each time we went back we would see and do different things based on what they wanted to do. We all re-discover the parks together.

My kids are 11 and 14, and this year will be our fourth trip all together. We're as excited about it as the first.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

"It's my memory too..."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Just today, I was talking to my sister-in-law who would love to take her 3-yr old twins, but my brother thinks they're too young to 'remember' anything yet.

I told her how I can still remember the look on my daughter's face at 3 when she danced with Goofy one morning. We were able to go to WDW in February, thanks to her not yet being in school, when the crowds were thin. Our son was less than a year old on that trip, and seeing Disney through their eyes was amazing.

We did very little of Epcot and MGM, spent most of our time at MK. That was okay, because we knew that each time we went back we would see and do different things based on what they wanted to do. We all re-discover the parks together.

My kids are 11 and 14, and this year will be our fourth trip all together. We're as excited about it as the first.

I feel exactly the same way..Of course, I will be glad if my dd remebers any of it.*3.5* but we are also going for ourselves in alot of ways, just to see her face when she see's mickey and minnie, and see's bell, or cinderella and thinks they are REAL. I mean..priceless!!! She will have pictures, and I will tell her how much fun she had someday if she can't remember herself. LOL

 

[scrappinmom]

I have to agree with a lot of folks here...while 6 & 10 may very well be a "perfect" age for your kids to remember the trip. I took my oldest dd when she was 4, then again when she was 8 & youngest dd was 3 & now we're going again at 10 & 5. THEY don't remember much from the trips when they were 3 or 4 BUT I have at least 25 scrapbook pages of their trips! Even my youngest who's 5 has looked at those pages & said "oh I remember meeting Cinderella, & look how much Eeyone loves me he hugged me forever". While I do think there may be a time when my kids are too old for Disney (unless they're like their mom), but I'm not sure you can ever be too young.

 

[showar]

Everyone kept telling us to wait until our dd was older. We went to Disneyland last year at 3 1/2 and had a blast. We went went there she was very much into Bugs Life and really wanted to see them. Well we got there and she met the Princesses and that is all it took. She was completely hooked! She talks about our trip all the time and she thinks we are saving our money to go again. Little does she know we have our first WDW trip planned for late September. I am so excited and I can't wait to see her little face light up as she sees all her favorite princesses.

I too scrapbook and looking through her books has definately helped my dd remember our trip. We met most of the Princesses and she took her picture with them. I know that for us 4 1/2 (the age she will be in Sept) is perfect and seeing her light up with all the magic will be part of the highlight of the trip for me.

 

[Senske]

If you're really not planning on going back 6 and 10 sounds good because the youngest will remember it well forever. We took our first trip to Disneyland last April when our kids were 5, 3 and 1 (we left the one-year-old home with grandparents). So naturally, I think those are perfect ages for a first trip, but that's knowing we'll keep going back (even though we do have other vacation destinations in our plans). I couldn't really imagine waiting until our oldest was 10 - I wouldn't have been able to stand the wait.

But would you really never go back? No matter when you go the first time I'll bet you enjoy it so much that you'll plan a second Disney trip.

 

[Reyasmom]

DD is 6.5 and I'm anticipating mucho magic!

 

[beattyfamily]

If you want them to ride everything and remember then I'd pick between 6 - 8 as well. I believe my older DD was able to ride RnR in 2003 when she was 7. And of course, the older she is, the more she'll remember.

BUT having said that, the magic isn't quite the same as when she was between 2 - 4. She was so much more into the magic of Disney back then. Granted she couldn't do RnR and won't remember as much, but my DH and I do and those visits were so special and magical. The look on their faces walking down Main Street; when they saw the parades and fireworks; how they were with the characters...now my older DD is embarrassed to talk with and get pictures with the characters. She doesn't care as much for the parades. It's just not the same.

Good luck deciding.

 

[tn_disney_addict]

Disney was perfect when DD was 2, and when she was 4 and twice when she was 6 and this September will be the second trip at age 7. All of the trips are magical and special in their own way. I have tons of pictures that she looks at all the time and she remembers more than I ever thought she would!

Good luck on that "only going once" thing!!

That was never my plan, but I have seen others (mostly family members) that had that plan and, well....good luck!!

 

[tamu91]

I think five/six is about perfect. My older daughter was 2 1/2 on our first trip. She enjoyed the trip and she talked about it for months afterward but she was little scared of the characters and loud noises. We went back when she turned 5 and she had a blast. She hugged every character she met and had a blast. So I'd say at least 5.