Stop Waiting And Just Go!

[mrsltg]

Don't put anything off you can do now. I know the feeling of worry over whether or not they will enjoy it - they will, in their own way. We took our first dd for her third birthday (it was her first trip other than a quick day and half when she was 2.5). She was awestruck. She's now a bonafide WDW addict like her parents.

When our second dd was 7 mos she took her first trip. People would say, "She's not going to understand." Well, duh. She also didn't understand the grocery store or driving 5 hours to visit her grandparents but we did it anyway! She had a great time. She didn't understand that a 5 foot mouse was not normal. Nor did she understand that there's not a blue alien wandering restaurants in the "real world". We're going back next week and the baby is now 14 mos. She's twice as old as she was on her last trip. I can't wait to see how she reacts this time. Will she still bite Stitch's ear? Will the princesses be as smitten? Will she love the fireworks? Will she sleep in a pack-n-play?

I know for sure we'll take hundreds of pictures of the girls over the course of week. I know they'll laugh and have fun and so will we. I also know that while the baby won't remember the trip per se, she'll see pictures of herself years from now and know she was in WDW. She'll hear stories about the things she did and she'll laugh, and we'll all relive the memories.

Life's too short to wait if you don't have to!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Aw, that's awesome!

 

[kkevcamsmom]

Good news for you. You're DD15 will be as excited as when she was little. My DD14 is still excited on every trip. SHe was little the 1st time we went, but the magic and awe are always there!

She is very excited, it's fun to see her face light up when we talk about going

She instists she needs to take the boys on Dumbo, the tea cups, and a few other 'kiddie' rides. She even said she'd "pose in front of the castle if she had to" but funny thing we had never brought that up...lol

Lori

 

[SmileMom]

Our first trip to Disney with our children was in 1999. DD's were 1 1/2 and almost 3. Do they remember that trip? Not too much...but we do. One of our fondest memories is our first day in the Magic Kingdom. DD3 was in her stroller, and as we rounded the corner on Main Street, she saw the castle. Her eyes got big, her mouth went into a big "O", and she put her hands up to mouth and said, "There it is! Cinderella's Castle!". It was truly a magical moment we will never forget.

DDs have been to Disney many times since that first magical trip, and each time has added a new memory.

Don't wait! Disney is a magical experience at every age -- for those who remember and for those who were too young to remember, but were old enough to enjoy the experience.

 

[Jules123]

Today's kids are in such a rush to grow up. I'm happy I got the chance to enjoy them being little before they wanted to be big.

How true!

 

[CindyAnn]

This is a great thread! I have to admit that our first WDW trip with kids was a bit of a surprise. My FIL wanted all of us to go for his 70th birthday, so we went when DS was 2 1/2 and I was 7 months pregnant with DD. Even though that sounded like a recipe for disaster to most people, we ended up having an amazing time. We have some great photos and videos of DS's experience ("This is my FAVourite ride" on the parking tram) and still remember his excitement when meeting the characters ("I'm so impressed that Mickey is hugging and kissing all of those people", lol).

Sadly, my wonderful FIL passed away 15 months later, so the memories of that trip are very precious to us.

It's kind of like having children in the first place - if you waited until the "perfect" time, you'd never have them!

 

[KristiKelly]

I swear, I could have written this. DS first trip, he was 2-1/2 and we have the video of he & DH on the tea cups (I know the look you were describing), and eating in the Crystal Palace.

It always makes me so sad when I hear people say that they are going to wait for their kids to be older so they can remember. Those parents don't realize the memories THEY (the parents) are missing out on.

 

[mamaprincess]

Their trip is free! They believe in the magic! It was a no brainer to DH and I. On our 1st trip to disney, our youngest was 9mos old. I'm a little sad that she is turning 3 on August 16th and wont be free anymore. Our pictures of her are so adorable and I am sure her trips made an impression because she is a huge Disney fan and knows practically all the characters.

My 8 year old twins love WDW also but they are not so big on the characters and stuff. They are big on thrill rides, eating at their fav restaraunts and swimming in our resort pool.

When my youngest hits that stage, I will just pull out our old pictures and reminisce on how magical everything was for her.

 

[Zoemakes5]

I'm so glad you posted this. Now, I know each child is different, but I grew up (up through my mid 20's) near DL and had grandparents who lived about an hour away from WDW. Through the years, whenever anyone came to see us, they always wanted to go to DL. I can tell you, with few exceptions, the families that had the best times were the ones that had smaller children. Under age 5. To them, it's all still magical. As they get older, they tend to get the "bigger better faster" mentality about rides, as they get even older they tend to have "coolness" issues, or get bored. I think the exception tends to be those who have "always" gone. It's a part of their family experience. Then, I think there's a leap to those who go with their own children, and they see the magic reflected in their little faces.
We've gone with the kids when they were 16mo, 6mo & 2.5, 4 & 6, 13mo & 7.5 & 9.5, and 3 & 9 & 11. Each age and stage is a different experience. At the 13-18 month stage, it can be about the little details, being able to "run" out of the stroller for a little while, small world and dumbo and the fireworks. Our experience was really big eyes all the time. As they get a bit older, they interact with their surroundings a bit more. They tend to be drawn to things like the parade and characters a bit more. (They also tend to discover a fear for the characters at this age.) They tend to look to share it with you a bit more. At 7.5 & 9.5, it became fun, but not really magical, and unfortunately for us, as was typical with all the other familes I went with over all the years, when we went with the boys at 9 & 11, we heard about wait times and they didn't want (frankly wouldn't have worn) Mickey ears. The cookies and shapes of Mickey didn't interest them. The pressed pennies did, though. They had cool rides interspersed with alot of stuff they weren't interested in and the parade was "boring". It's not as if they disliked it or anything, but the magic is gone. They do, especially DS1, seem to capture bits and pieces as they experience things with DD and see her excitement and enthusiasm.
So, I say, go early and go as often as you can while they are young.

Edited to add: when we went to DL this last Nov., DD was a bit over three. She and I went to a princess dinner there. We got the pictures developed and put in her autograph book while we were still on vacation. On the way home, she'd go up to complete strangers and show them her book. She's brought it for show and tell three times to preschool. AND SHE SLEEPS WITH IT UNDER HER PILLOW! She might not remember it when she's 20, but she sure as heck remembers it now, almost a year later. And, she's like a walking map of DL! I can't wait to mess with her mind when we go to WDW and she's goes around the corner and it's different. Knowing her, she won't want to go on Small World because it's so different!

 

[bedgraynexl]

Building memories is what it is all about. I do feel sorry for people who want to wait until they are older. Like so many others said, you'll be waiting forever. My kids have been twice, one on each coast. My nephews probably won't go anytime soon because they want the baby to be older.

For us, it is time to start planning the next trip, Next Spring sounds really good!

 

[pixiedust247]

I completely agree. People tend to forget that WDW is all about the magic and not simplicity of a trip. When my children were 5 DD and 1 DS we visited WDW and the magic was still there for both of them. This past June we visited again 12 DD and 8 DS and the trip was fun, but it is always different when the kids are older.
So if you have young children GO! Don't wait, because life is too short to put off your WDW Magical experience one more day!

 

[mamato2princesses]

I appreciate your story so much! We are planning our trip for July '07, when our DD's will be 5 and 25 mos. There is NO DOUBT that we're going, but I've had this nagging little voice in the back of my head saying 'she's too young'. But you know what? Older DD thinks she's Aurora, and DD baby LOVES Bear so much that when he comes on the TV, she drops everything and starts dancing. I want to see their faces, and enjoy every minute of this magical experience. They'll remember it...

Shannon

 

[TnTWalter]

It was this past January. My brother and SIL invited us to go with them when he was just 2 but we didn't feel ready. He was still a baby. Waiting the extra year made all the difference. We had a stroller [great for naps] and he was potty trained which was easier for us. The girls were still young enough 'to believe', 6 and 4 at the time. Everyone had a magical time. They loved the pool and the rides and the character meals and POP century. Everything really was magical. They ask all the time if we can go back to Disney. We're hoping next year.

Trish

 

[bahsdad]

I'm one who believes that if your young children don't remember than you just have to keep going until they remember.