Recent Trip W/14 mo old & 3 yr old (long)

[CLEO Z]

Hello! Lets get the disclaimer overwith first: This is my opinion of my trip with DS 14 mos and DD 3.5 yrs. I offer it just to bolster all of the mommies and daddies instincts when they first think of traveling with small kids.

My parents (God love'em) took the entire family of 15 to WDW to celebrate their 40th anniversary. This includes my two brothers, their wives and families. The youngest child was my DS and the oldest was 15 yrs. At first I was really psyched because I LOVE WDW! And, hey, Mom & Dad were paying! How great is that?

Then the thought that I would be traveling with small kids finally clicked in my head. Oh, wow! Its not all about my fun??? I started thinking about my DD. She knew very little about Disney before January. Had never heard of a princess from the movies or even seen a mickey cartoon. She is also a worrier. She has the occassional nightmares and fears. Last Christmas, my SIL was letting my DD and her 3 & 5 year olds watch the Jim Carrey Grinch movie. DH & I were (quietly) horrified bc we thought the movie wasn't appropriate. Sure enough, my DD became freaked out and had to leave the room. She had grinch dreams for MONTHS! DH & I have tried not to encourage her fears. Sometimes I wonder how I got such a fraidy cat, but my mom says its because she has such good imagination. (G'ma spin ) As I contemplated Disney I realized that MY dd was going to have a hard time with most of the rides and shows. Then it hit me that it isn't even about HER fun! Obviously I needed the self reflection to realize that this trip was about my MOM & DAD. DH and I resigned ourselves to being observers rather than participants for most of the trip. We decided to participate when DD was up to it and not force anything on her. We got her familiar with princesses and mickey and a Kids Song video of Disneyland.

We got back on Saturday night from our 6 night stay. DD was frightened of a lot! Mostly because they have the &^$%#@!! volume WAAAAY too loud. She freaked in Philharmagic & Country Bear Jamboree and we took her out. We had to talk her through Pooh (dark, blustery day stuff) and Peter Pan (dark), but she wasn't traumatized. She LOVED Toontown, CRT, Dumbo, and especially Its a Small World. She also liked AK's safari. The shows in AK freaked her at first because of the noise. I am positive that she would have enjoyed a lot more if they could just turn the volume down to a dull roar.

My DS was too small to participate in a lot, but he had fun. He went NUTS over any furry headed character. I'm talking squealed and laughed and hugged kind of nuts -pure delight.

Meals were hard. DH & I were exhasted. We conclude that we were glad to have gone and while we did enjoy it, we wouldn't be doing it again any time soon. We wouldn't have put down our money for this trip with the kids so young and with DDs personality.

Moral of the story: You know your kids better than anyone else! When planning a trip to WDW think of them realistically. If you have little kids that are go getters and fearless, WDW may be for you. If your little ones are like my DD -anxious with BIG imaginations and fears, then you may want to wait. Go with your gut!

I can't wait for us to go in about 4 or 5 years! Its gonna be so much fun!

 

[bartleby1]

Oh my gosh, is your DD related to mine? They sound like they could be sisters!
DD has been a worrier from the minute she was born and due to her imagination (your mom is right!) and worrying, she was afraid of everything on her 3.5 year trip also. Dark rides, anything with fake smoke or fire, anything loud, anything with a villian, etc. She was fine on roller coasters or carnival type rides that don't tap into your imagination like the disney rides do, but themed rides freaked her out. And you are right about the level of noise at most of the attractions in disney. They are ridiculously loud, much louder than they need to be. Do they assume we all have hearing issues? I know that was a large part of the issue also.

Anyway, the good news is, on her 4.5 yr trip she was MUCH better. She even decided that she wanted to tackle Snow White's Scary Adventures. We weren't even going to attempt that one, but she wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. She likes to challenge herself to face her fears now, probably because we never pushed her to do too much.

We are going back again this summer. She is now 5.5 years old and is talking about conquering the haunted mansion. We NEVER thought she would suggest that! Of course, she may chicken out when we get there, and that is fine, but at least she is willing to think about it. She is also not bothered by the noise level nearly as much anymore.

You may see some drastic changes in your daughter in the next couple of years and may want to go back sooner. If not, there is nothing wrong with waiting either.

Oh, and my DS was 13.5 mths on his first trip and was absolutely giddy over the characters also! Maybe it is something with the age!

 

[CLEO Z]

Thanks for the encouragement Bartleby1! So many posters have kids that can withstand and endure anything, that you think that you are doing something wrong. When I think back on it, until I was about 10 I had to leave the room and listen at the door when the Wicked Witch of the West came on during The Wizard of Oz!

I'd love it if we could afford to do WDW often. It will be hard to talk DH into because due to heart problems and motion sickness, he can't go on much of anything. Maybe he'll be okay with me taking the kids and my mom without him in a couple of years. Or maybe he'll decide its worth it to see the kids have so much fun!

Thanks again.