Taking child to Disney??

[Brimama]

At what age should you take your child to Disney for the first time?? I have a 2 month old and I was thinking for her first birthday but is that to young still??

 

[Hannathy]

don't understand your question. To young for what? to remember? yes she won't remember the trip. to enjoy it? no, to physically be safe to take her? no.

So what do you mean to take her?

 

[Acklander]

I brought DS26 for the first time when he was 5. I brought DS10 for the first time when he was 5 weeks old.

 

[Dee77]

There is no clear cut answer to your question. Many people feel that a child should be old enough to remember the trip but others feel that it is all about the experience and kids can enjoy Disney at any age.

 

[HM]

It depends on what kind of trip you want to have.

We waited until our kids were 4 and 6. At those ages, they didn't need naps, didn't need strollers and diaper bags, and were old enough to do most of the attractions.

Lots of people bring 1 yr olds to WDW and have a good time. To me, it wouldn't have been much fun, so we waited.

 

[Tinkermommy]

My son was 6 weeks on his first trip.

I never understood the mindset of not taking a baby/toddler since they won't remember. So why give them a birthday party or take them anywhere until they are 4?

I will remember and we have great videos/photos of all of our trips. My son looks at the pictures of our past trips all the time.

Going with a baby/toddler is different. I didn't ride every ride (Hubby and I would take turns riding with our daughter), but I sat and fed him or just people watched while he slept in his stroller. I love just being at Disney but we also go often so we don't feel that we have to "do" everything on the trip. If I miss something on one trip, then we know we will be there in six months and we can do it then.

If I could only afford one trip every 5 to 10 years, then I would probably wait.

 

[ols386]

My kids were 7 and 10 before I took them, and they loved it. But that was only the 2nd time I'd been, so we got off to a bit of a late start.

Now that I've been going to Disney more frequently over the past several years, and know a bit more about the whole Disney experience, I'd have to say, for me personally, I wouldn't take a child under the age of about 4 or so. I would want them to be complete potty-trained. I know most kids are probably trained by 2 or so, but still, even after that, mine still had accidents now and then.

For me personally (again) I would think that taking an infant would be more trouble than it's worth, with feedings, bottles, diapers, etc. But that's just me. I know there are many many people who do go with infants and toddlers, and have a blast.

 

[Desnik]

This is such an individual decision. It really is up to the parent and everyone will have a different opinion. There is no clear cut answer like a PP said.

DD was 9 months old on her first trip. DS was 8 months old on his first trip. They were both great trips. we have so many awesome pictures and memories from those trips. For us, we knew we would be going to WDW many more times, so my kids remembering a trip wasn't important to me. I think if it's a once in a life time trip for a child then I would take them between the ages of 5-8.

 

[KimR]

Ask 10 different people and you'll probably get 10 different answers; however, I think at around age 2 is when the fun begins to outweigh the hassle. Much younger than 2 and they are way too much trouble, IMO.

I think it also depends on the temperament of the child, although I had a very difficult toddler who turned out to be a dream at WDW. She was very active and loved stimulation, noise, and people so Disney was the perfect environment for her.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Whenever you want. Obviously your trip experience will be changed as the child grows up.

I did things with my kids at age 4 and they don't remember. You can show them pictures of course and that is fun as well. My dd's love the fact that we took them places when they were small even though they do not remember it.

Heck even elementary memories start to get "fuzzy". My college dd can't seem to remember anything now.

I think you have to look at it as you are making memories for yourself and not so much "the kids". Yes, the kids are part of it however it is really about you since your memory of the trips will be looking at it as an adult.

 

[luvflorida]

It depends on what kind of trip you want to have.

Exactly! Kids of all ages can be taken to Disney. You just have to adjust your expectations accordingly. Our son was eight the first time we went to Disney World. Daughter #1 had just turned five and daughter #2 celebrated her sixth birthday on her first trip to Disney. They were all old enough to remember their first trip, and have been back several times over the years.

On the other hand, our grandson was 17 months old the first time he went to WDW. Of course, he won't remember it, but he had a wonderful time and the memories that WE'LL have of that trip are priceless. He is now a little over two years old and we're taking him to Disneyland in November.

We've always adjusted our schedule to meet the needs of the ages of the kids. The younger they are, the slower we go and the less hectic the trip is, which probably seems the opposite of what many people believe. Sometimes I think it's harder to take older kids to Disney than younger ones!

 

[scrapquitler]

There is no right or wrong answer to this question.

We took our son when he was 9 months old, and again when he was 2 and when he was 3. It was a lot easier to take him when he was 9 months old than when he was 2 or 3. A bonus: we didn't have to pay for him when he was 9 months old and 2.

Our dd was 5 on her first trip (before DS was born).

 

[golfgal]

For us we wanted to wait until we didn't have to worry about strollers .

We saw a newborn at AK when we were there-still had the umbilical cord stump-which I know because the baby was only in a diaper because it was 95 degrees out--THAT is too young.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Our oldest went for the first time when he was 10 . I really wish we would have taken him before that. Our youngest went when he was 10 months. He had a lot of fun. I don't think one year is too young at all.

Now, if you think you will only be able to take a Disney trip once every decade or so, then I'd wait until he was about 4 or 5.

 

[SandrA9810]

At the wrong time of year, I think bringing a newborn (under 2 months old) is a bit crazy.

I think any time the child is old enough to start noticing the world around them, then they're old enough to be there. It's an entirely different kind of vacation to the world, but not any less enjoyable. At the younger age, seeing the characters and the shows are a lot more fascinating, but at like 5-6yrs old, it's more about the rides and the characters. 8-10 and it's ALL about the rides. Your day will be planned differently and go at a different pace, depending on the age.

 

[JoiseyMom]

My DD was 2 1/2 on her first trip. Now, does she remember it, no. Did she have a great time and did we enjoy it with her, YES! (Well until she got sick, but that was at Universal ). She loved the characters and had so much fun, it was wonderful.

Now, DS was 8 months at this first trip. We had fun, but he had no idea..even though he did like Pluto's tongue!! LOL.

At 1 your child will probably have fun, and you will have some great pics and wonderful memories. Just don't expect them to remember it! It is going to be more for you then your child. But that works too!

 

[Pigeon]

Personally, I wouldn't do it until they were at least five, but it's a very big expense for us as the airfare is awful.