Personally, I wouldn't. But it all depends of how big of a "disnut" you are. If getting on a lot of rides isn't a big deal for you and you're ok with doing a lot of spectating - also VERY patient , and ok with returning to your hotel at least twice during the day and possibly missing out on fireworks, it could work. Also, your wife would have to be so laid back as well--either that or be OK with being a single rider.
The earliest age I would bring a child would be four. At that age they're able to walk on their own for a reasonable long period of time without having to be in the stroller or carried all the time. They're also a bit more tolerant of the heat and crowds and can follow most of the action going on around them whereas a smaller child can quickly become tired over stimulated, hot, and grouchy. I mean, just think about how HOT and exhausting a day at Disney is for an ADULT- imagine for a baby or toddler. My baby is almost 2 and she was worn out and irritable after 3 hours at the ZOO- how do you think shed be 12 hours in
Disneyland?
I used to smh and get a little upset at parents I would see dragging their babies and toddlers under four through WDW or DL. I mean, on one hand they had my respect because I knew what a handful they were dealing with; naps, crying, grumpiness, frequent trips to the restroom, fighting to keep them out of the sun, carrying them, missing out on the "Adult rides" and being sequestered to fantasyland all day.
On the other hand, I didn't think it was fair to the kids. Most of them looked hot and miserable, were sleeping or getting bumped and jostled around in their strollers by fat tourists, and the babies didn't even know what was going on beyond their sippy cup. When you think about it, babies and little kids that young wont even remember the trip. The whole point of taking a child to Disney is for it to be a lifelong memory they can look back on fondly as part of their childhood and pass on to their own kids....also its a great card to throw when they turn into teenagers and start the emo "you dont care about me" phase.
Whats the point of spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars and going through all that drama and putting all that energy into a trip that most kids will NEVER experience and would KILL for, that isn't even going to be REMEMBERED a week or even an hour later?
Pssh. Not me. If Im gonna spend all that money, they damn well are gonna remember and appreciate it! Also, I like to ride on rides. I cant imagine spending the ENTIRE day in fantasy land and the pre-k areas. Thats why I say if you're gonna bring a baby, bring at least 2 other adults so 2 can go ride Space Mountain while one watches the baby, then switch off. Of course, doing it that way also makes your day LONGER because you're doing double the work. You could maybe bring the grandparents- they usually like a slower pace and aren't too interested in the big rides, and grandpa might be grumpy and ready to go back to the hotel and take a nap the same time Jr is.
First time I brought my kids, my son was 4 and my daughter was 7. We had a blast. I wasn't able to get on a lot of bigger rides I wanted but there were still enough (like Space Mountain, Matterhorn, BTMRR) that we could hit that we couldn't have if my son was a baby. Even then, I took them back many times after that but it was almost FOUR years before my son was tall enough where we could FINALLY ride Indiana Jones at Disneyland and Rockin Rollercoaster at WDW .
I think when parents bring babies that small its more for the PARENT than the actual child. Like some parents either feel "guilty" about leaving them, are super attached to their babies, or cant find a sitter.
But a 1 year old isn't gonna care one way or the other and would actually be more comfortable in the hotel room watching pepa pig and playing baby mega bloks in their diaper, which is a LOT cheaper.