Scary Mommy Post

[paisleys]

We took our twins the first time when they were 8 months old. They didn’t get much out of it but we had a great time. The idea that from the time kids are born until the are 7 or 8 you have to just sit at home and do nothing is silly. We took our kids all over the place from a young age on up including WDW.

Ha, mine were 3 weeks old--unplanned trip, we had to evacuate our home due to a hurricane and they had space (and power!) and we had annual passes. Before that, we had assumed we would not be back for a couple of years. We ended up having a blast just wheeling them around Magic Kingdom or Epcot (it was much less crowded 15 years ago) or carrying them on a few rides like Peter Pan. We just kept going every few months with them like the pre-twin days after that. The metamorphosis was interesting. At first we missed the old days when we went as a couple and could be out all day but these new trips were always different with what we could or couldn't do at the time. We learned to enjoy just riding the monorail and visiting the resorts, pony rides and stable visits at Fort Wilderness or just hanging on the balcony and people watching at our hotel. Just being on WDW grounds is magical to us..

 

[KrazeeK120]

We took our son the first time at 18 months and the second time the week before his 3rd birthday. Both trips were amazing, but the 2nd one moreso because he was so vocal and could tell us what he thought about everything. He is constantly asking to go back and we have a trip planned for May 2020 when he will be 4.5. He’s a pretty easy, go with the flow kind of kid though. I take him with me just about everywhere and he’s never a problem. I’m glad he likes Disney as much as I do, and I have no regrets about taking him before he could remember.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I couldn't take my daughter when she was 3 or 4. I wish I could have. We would have had a blast I think. But we rarely got away back then due to my husband's health. He refused to get a wheelchair or scooter but would definitely need one. Over time he softened to the idea and then when our daughter was 6, we got an unexpected blessing and had another child. While I was pregnant, he said we'd go when the baby was older (age 1). I Unfortunately a couple of months after the baby was born, my husband died in his sleep.

Some months later at school orientation, I found out my daughter had the entire week of Thanksgiving off from school. I went home that night and booked our first trip. On that first trip, she was 7 and my son was 10 months old. We went again when he was 2, 3 and 4. All of the trips were amazing. And I am so glad we did them.

My children though are both good travelers. I know some children in that age range have issues with sleeping away from home that would make any trip difficult. Add in the stimulation of Disney World and for some families it would be a recipe for disaster. My daughter was actually a better traveler back then that she is now. Now, at 16, she tends to miss the comfort of home after about 5 days. Disney is actually the only trip we take that is longer than that.

I hope the rant in the link wasn't real or that it was meant to be funny. If real that mom must have been at her wit's end to blame a stranger walking by with a pretzel for her son's crying just because he saw it and wanted it. Before I started reading I thought maybe the childless lady had gotten the last one before she could buy one; but it wasn't even that. I have been raising my two alone for over 9 years and I don't think I have ever been that frustrated.

 

[wendlle]

I am so sick and tired of people telling me that I shouldn't be traveling with my children because they 'won't remember it"
Well guess what? I WILL REMEMBER and that is all that matters.
I'm the one that works hard for my money, and if I want to go on vacation with my family I will, with or without children.

For us it is worth it to take our kids to WDW and other parts of the world because we want them to see how other people live and experience the world around them.

I've had people like this speak to us in the parks before we had kids.
I've had a man tell my husband to F*** off because we were standing where he wanted to stand with his kid to watch the parade, we didn't have kids so why were we there?

I ignore these people, if they want to live a sad little life that's their business. I'll live mine the way I want and teach my kids respect and let them experience the wonders of the world.

 

[Rory607]

[QUOTE="one_cat, post: 60888078, member: 8817"The idea that from the time kids are born until the are 7 or 8 you have to just sit at home and do nothing is silly. We took our kids all over the place from a young age on up including WDW.
[/QUOTE]
Totally agree. Why are people with young kids just expected to stay home for 10 years, lol? We took our daughter to Disneyland at almost 2 because we were in the area. My husband thought she would be too little to “get it,” but she had a blast! It was a great experience and she talked about it for months, especially meeting characters. She doesn’t remember it now at age 9, but it’s a wonderful memory for my H and I. And she’s hears the stories and has pictures in her room from that trip.

My son went to WDW as a baby because his sister was 5 and at a perfect age, IMO. Should we just have left him at home? That’s not a family vacation to me. We had a birthday cake for him there because we went the week after he turned one. He doesn’t remember, but it was so much fun and the rest of us do remember.

 

[lorenae]

It depends on the child, and the parents (or grandparents). I took my kids at 12 and 10, because I loved WDW as a child but couldn't afford it until then. It was a perfect age!

I took my grandson at age 5, because I could. And it was a perfect age!

My second grandson is now 6, and I am not taking him yet. He's just not able to stand in lines or to sleep well when not at home yet.

When he's mature enough to stand in lines and to sleep in strange surroundings, it will be his turn.

Part of the issue is that I go alone with the kids- no spouse who is willing to go to WDW with me. That means a world of difference. No one to stand in line for the pretzel while you go to the restroom. No one to "hold" your place in line when Toy Story Mania! breaks down and other kids have dad hold their place.

So part of it is me, and part of it is the maturity of the kids.

I could see myself losing it at the 57th person passing us at Toy Story Mania after waiting in line patiently with a 5 year old for 1.5 hours.

 

[Mmouse1588]

My kid is 3 and he waited in line to see every character he saw. He would just walk right over and in line some 45 minutes long and he stood and waited he wanted to see them that bad. Sometimes it was so hot we tried to talk him out of it but he was dead set. When it was his turn he was positively giddy giving hugs and kisses. He loved some of the shows and rides. We got back just a few days shy of a month now and he talks almost every day about how awesome this ride was or that show. He definitely had fun and it was worth every penny bc even though he wont remember we will !! Already planning a trip for next year as we go every year possible even before kids

 

[marchingstar]

I am so sick and tired of people telling me that I shouldn't be traveling with my children because they 'won't remember it"
Well guess what? I WILL REMEMBER and that is all that matters.
I'm the one that works hard for my money, and if I want to go on vacation with my family I will, with or without children.

For us it is worth it to take our kids to WDW and other parts of the world because we want them to see how other people live and experience the world around them.

I've had people like this speak to us in the parks before we had kids.
I've had a man tell my husband to F*** off because we were standing where he wanted to stand with his kid to watch the parade, we didn't have kids so why were we there?

I ignore these people, if they want to live a sad little life that's their business. I'll live mine the way I want and teach my kids respect and let them experience the wonders of the world.

You took the words out of my mouth!

 

[NYCgrrl]

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/t...y-disney-pretzel-will-make-you-cringe-so-hard
So I’m sure a lot of people have read the above, my question is this. My wife and I waited until our kids were 10 and 7 before our first trip. Is it really worth bringing a three year old to Disney?

I don't think so but I'm sure others have different opinions and experiences.
When my children were that age I was focused on mapping out the family's future including finances so we indulged in less expensive vacations and saved the money. Instead of a few days at Disney we opted for up to a month of camping or staying at a summer cottage. Before the oldest child was 8 we stopped renting and bought a cottage with the funds saved and divided our vacation time between camping, staying at the cottage; rented it out when not in use by us.

The children and adults had enjoyable times together minus a WDW stay then and can still enjoy Mouse time now.

 

[katyjeka]

We have traveled with our 4 since they were very little. We've been fortunate to be able to travel out of the country several times and WDW more times than I care to admit. I know that our kids have little or no memory of some of the trips and it doesn't matter. My dh and I are "greedy" parents and decided years ago to experience as much with them as possible before they are on their own. Years go so fast! I'd like to add that although they don't remember every trip they do travel well. Planes, trains, ships, and long car trips are second nature to them. Exposing a young child to a new experience is a good thing and will benefit them later. We live in a small town so exposure to the rest of the world can be pretty hard at times. As much as I love our home I want our girls to see as much of the world as possible and learn to appreciate all cultures. I guess I'm off topic a little..... One quick note, I've seen as many "whiny, bratty, ignorant adults at WDW as kids...actually more and at least a little one is cute!

 

[TaraWasHere]

My girls were 4 and 2 respectively when they had their first trip to Disney. They are so cute when they are that young, because they believe that they really are meeting Belle, or Tigger. My oldest (who is now 19) talked about meeting Ariel for months after, and yes she still remembers it. Having little ones in the park can be hard because they do need special attention that may hinder the "see and do everything" mindset a lot of people have when they hit the parks for the first time. If you go in with the right mindset though, I think the ages between 3-6 are the perfect age to truly see the "magic" at the parks.

On a bit of a odd side note dealing with adults in the parks. We were waiting in line last year with our youngest, who was two at the time, to meet Doc Mcstuffins. In line in front of us were two women who had to be in their late twenties to early thirties waiting in line with no children. I thought that maybe they were holding a place in line for hubbies with the kids in tow or something like that, but nope. They were waiting to meet the Doc. Now I don't have an issue with adults wanting to meet their favorite characters. Heck I HAD to meet Baymax last year, but Doc Mcstuffins? I just found it odd that two adults would want to meet a Disney Jr character. Maybe they had a meet every character agenda, IDK, but I could think of about a million things I'd rather do in the parks without the kids than meet the Doc. LOL

 

[mi*vida*loca]

But why is the cost okay after they can “remember it”? If cost is an issue its an issue no matter how old they are.

If you will only go once I can see wanting to go when they’ll remember it. I took my kids at 3 but I knew we would be back.

There are people who really don’t care for Disney (most people I know in real life don’t like Disney) and take their kids on an once in a lifetime obligatory Disney trip. So if they’re going to spend 5k+++ on a trip they really don’t want to take they’re going to make sure they take them when they remember it. These same people have no issues taking their kids to Europe or a Mediterranean cruise when they’re 3 because they enjoy those trips and wanted to go themselves.

Like I said previously, I’ve taken my kids as young as 2 but I can see why people choose to take their kids once they can remember. Different strokes but I can see the other side.

 

[thingwithwings]

We didn't plan on taking our kids until they were older so that they could remember it... and then 2016 was objectively the worst for us as a family, save for a mostly-unexpected windfall of cash, so we said "eh, whatevs" and took our two-year-old to Disney World. I didn't expect my son's presence to impact the trip in a positive way, but then the way he reacted to his favorite characters coming to life when he was still young enough that the lines between fact and fantasy didn't exist... yeah, it was worth it. We're following up by taking our twins when they're about two and a half next year.

It's honestly going to depend on the family and the circumstances. I wouldn't say to necessarily go out of your WAY to take kids that young--some people really make it a priority, but unless it's a Thing in your family, eh. That said, if you have the opportunity and funds to go, don't let the fact of your kid being really young prevent you.

 

[MooseBucks]

2-5 is the most magical from a parents perspective (for me). We recently went with our 2mo, 3yo, and 6yo and while we all had fun and enjoyed the magic that is Disney the 3yo was by far the most captivated by the magic and able to believe with every ounce of her little being where the 6yo has asked some not so magical questions

 

[MooseBucks]

On a bit of a odd side note dealing with adults in the parks. We were waiting in line last year with our youngest, who was two at the time, to meet Doc Mcstuffins. In line in front of us were two women who had to be in their late twenties to early thirties waiting in line with no children. I thought that maybe they were holding a place in line for hubbies with the kids in tow or something like that, but nope. They were waiting to meet the Doc. Now I don't have an issue with adults wanting to meet their favorite characters. Heck I HAD to meet Baymax last year, but Doc Mcstuffins? I just found it odd that two adults would want to meet a Disney Jr character.

too funny I LOVE doc... she is such a powerful Disney Jr character with important work for loads or reasons. I would wait to see her even if I didn’t have kids

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

We took our youngest 2 girls when they were 2 and 5 and they had a blast and they remember everything. My 2 year old who is now 5 talks about things from her first visit as recent as last week when we were at WDW. Plus there is so much to do at that age. Here is a pic from when they were 2 and 5



This is when they were 3 and 6. They remember. We're on the right. Mommy wont ride lol

 

[YesterDark]

Took my kids ages:
2015: 2 yo, 8 mos
2017: 4 yo, 2 yo
2019: 6 yo, 4 yo, 1.5 yo

The "should I take my kids to Disney at age X" is only a valid discussion if it's a once in a lifetime trip. Then the magic age is somewhere between 5-9 if I had to guess (everyone is different). Personally, as you can see, we've gone twice and a trip in less than 2 weeks. The kids don't remember the trip exactly at 2 and 3, and even 4 really well. But it builds fantasy and wonder in the moment and builds a love for the universes that Disney builds. So when they go when they can remember it, it's even more special. It also becomes a family tradition too.

Anyway, everyone can do whatever they want. It's your money.

 

[sponica]

Anyway, everyone can do whatever they want. It's your money.

Bingo!! We have a winner!

I took my kid at 20 months and it wasn't for HER, it was because I didn't want to stay away....plus she was free so it didn't matter that she didn't want to ride rides.

 

[SillySallySews]

I feel like a lot of people are reading that NYP article and don’t get beyond the first paragraph about the mom who was beside herself that her child couldn’t get a Mickey pretzel lol. That sounds made up to me, and is certainly not the majority of most parents at Disney. If anyone actually reads the whole article, it becomes very obvious the person who wrote it just thinks Disney in general is a waste of money, and that we’d all be better off visiting Europe. Babies and toddlers at Disney are not weird. Childless people at Disney are not weird. Being openly hateful about where someone decides to vacation or who they vacation with is totally weird.

 

[Redfraggle19]

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/t...y-disney-pretzel-will-make-you-cringe-so-hard
So I’m sure a lot of people have read the above, my question is this. My wife and I waited until our kids were 10 and 7 before our first trip. Is it really worth bringing a three year old to Disney?

we took my son at 3.5 and yes. . it was young for him BUT my daughter is 7 years older. . so she was about to turn 11 .

he still vaguely talks about it but I know our trip in September will be much more well remembered

and FWIW - the only meltdown in 2017 was by me lol