Trip Planning. How long is too long?

[Wills Mom]

I am such a selfish parent but I can admit it. We brought DS1 when he was 14 months, he was much too young to know what was happening but we brought him knowing that we were bringing him for our enjoyment more than his. We came back from the trip expecting DS2 so decided on going back when the boys would be around 3 and 5 so planning about 4 years in advance before DS2 was even born so I can well understand your excitement However DS1 is at such a fun age now where he knows characters and interacts well etc we have decided to go back this October. The boys will be 31 mths and 8 mths old. We will also go back when they are 3 and 5 and probably be back every 2 yrs after that all going to plan so going while they are too small to get on all the rides isn't a problem to us, we just want to see them experience it as they grow up.

 

[pickers1982]

I am such a selfish parent but I can admit it. We brought DS1 when he was 14 months, he was much too young to know what was happening but we brought him knowing that we were bringing him for our enjoyment more than his. We came back from the trip expecting DS2 so decided on going back when the boys would be around 3 and 5 so planning about 4 years in advance before DS2 was even born so I can well understand your excitement However DS1 is at such a fun age now where he knows characters and interacts well etc we have decided to go back this October. The boys will be 31 mths and 8 mths old. We will also go back when they are 3 and 5 and probably be back every 2 yrs after that all going to plan so going while they are too small to get on all the rides isn't a problem to us, we just want to see them experience it as they grow up.

Would love to know how you get on with an under one just for our future reference.

Good on you i reckon

 

[Wills Mom]

Would love to know how you get on with an under one just for our future reference.

Good on you i reckon

Well if he continues as he has been so far we'll be ok. Hes a lot more placid than our eldest was at this age. I think a lot of it depends on the child - and also how prepared the parents are. When we brought DS1 last year at 14 months he was excellent. We had lots of distractions for him and were 100% prepared to spend the whole flight walking the aisles with him if it came to it. Might prove harder to entertain a smaller baby but time will tell I'll more than likely do a TR anyway, if I make it back in one piece lol!

 

[Grimm Grinning Ghost]

I am such a selfish parent but I can admit it. We brought DS1 when he was 14 months, he was much too young to know what was happening but we brought him knowing that we were bringing him for our enjoyment more than his. We came back from the trip expecting DS2 so decided on going back when the boys would be around 3 and 5 so planning about 4 years in advance before DS2 was even born so I can well understand your excitement However DS1 is at such a fun age now where he knows characters and interacts well etc we have decided to go back this October. The boys will be 31 mths and 8 mths old. We will also go back when they are 3 and 5 and probably be back every 2 yrs after that all going to plan so going while they are too small to get on all the rides isn't a problem to us, we just want to see them experience it as they grow up.

I would so love to be able to do that. Your kids will have an awesome childhood
If it wasn't a financial thing I would definitely be going every other year.

Do you want another child? Im putting myself up for adoption HAHAHA

 

[Elise79]

Would love to know how you get on with an under one just for our future reference. Good on you i reckon

We took DD at 9mths old the first time - and like Wills mum said it's all down to the parents. If you don't stress they won't stress most times - be relaxed and prepared and you will have no problems

We had no issue with her either on the flights or in the parks.

 

[Wills Mom]

I would so love to be able to do that. Your kids will have an awesome childhood
If it wasn't a financial thing I would definitely be going every other year.

Do you want another child? Im putting myself up for adoption HAHAHA

Lol! Well it wouldn't be possible for us either except DH has worked his behind off for a company for the past 12 years and never gotten a pay rise or anything like that but he was given a really big promotion in January so that is the only reason a trip this year is possible and going well we hopefully should be able to give the boys (and ourselves!) trips every two years or so. Hopefully they'll be brain washed enough to love it as much as us

 

[Minniesgal]

To be honest I completely agree with you 100%. While everyone had s great time there just seemed to be something lacking . There was definitely a lack of magic at DLP.

I completely agree I think DLP has had its day. It isn't clean enough. They employ too few CMs and those that are there are badly trained and don't seem to do much. There is no quiet time in the morning or quiet time of year and the hotels are really badly maintained much more like value or moderate than deluxe. I would seriously save the DLP money for WDW

 

[pickers1982]

We took DD at 9mths old the first time - and like Wills mum said it's all down to the parents. If you don't stress they won't stress most times - be relaxed and prepared and you will have no problems We had no issue with her either on the flights or in the parks.

People looked at us like we were crazy taking our 2 year old but he absolutely loved it and was a dream behaviour wise. People kept saying he won't remember it which really annoyed me. We re relaxed parents which as you say helps.

More interested in the practical side of things such as sterilisers etc

 

[Wills Mom]

People looked at us like we were crazy taking our 2 year old but he absolutely loved it and was a dream behaviour wise. People kept saying he won't remember it which really annoyed me. We re relaxed parents which as you say helps.

More interested in the practical side of things such as sterilisers etc

That bugs me too! I might not have tips on bottle feeding as I'm breast feeding at present, though who knows how long I'll stick with it cause I am TIRED. Be nice to just let DH do even one night feed lol. It'll be a pain buggy wise though. Not sure what we'll do as I have a really heavy Phil and Teds Navigator. DS1 will want to walk a lot but we'll need to have an option for him to sit down if he needs to or wants to sleep.

Sorry for hijacking your thread GGG!!

 

[Elise79]

People looked at us like we were crazy taking our 2 year old but he absolutely loved it and was a dream behaviour wise. People kept saying he won't remember it which really annoyed me. We re relaxed parents which as you say helps.

More interested in the practical side of things such as sterilisers etc

Can't help there as I was a bf mum up until 13 months when she switched to cows milk so never sterilized anything!!

She was weaned and we just feed her off of our plates supplemented by kids meals, couple of jars and snacks all bought out there. The only thing I took was her breakfast cereal to have in the room before we headed out. It was made with water so I just made it up with bottled water. She did great like that.

And they might not remember it but you will Plus DD loves looking at the photos of when she first met Mickey etc

 

[Grimm Grinning Ghost]

That bugs me too! I might not have tips on bottle feeding as I'm breast feeding at present, though who knows how long I'll stick with it cause I am TIRED. Be nice to just let DH do even one night feed lol. It'll be a pain buggy wise though. Not sure what we'll do as I have a really heavy Phil and Teds Navigator. DS1 will want to walk a lot but we'll need to have an option for him to sit down if he needs to or wants to sleep.

Sorry for hijacking your thread GGG!!

Lol Don't be sorry. Believe it or not everything being talked about is a help.
And actually seeing as a few have successfully taken young ones I'm thinking of going sooner if it can be done financially.
Pay day tomorrow so off to buy a Disney savings tin to start my fund lol

 

[Wills Mom]

Oops we're such bad influences Must start a Disney tin for spending money, keep all my change like last time we went!

 

[Grimm Grinning Ghost]

Oops we're such bad influences Must start a Disney tin for spending money, keep all my change like last time we went!

Haha you lot certainly are.
That's my plan and I'll probably slip a few notes in now and then. Suprising how much it adds up.

 

[Wills Mom]

Haha you lot certainly are.
That's my plan and I'll probably slip a few notes in now and then. Suprising how much it adds up.

Thats very true! When we went last May I kept a jar and put all change in as well as any "unexpected" income like if I sold something or birthday money etc. It definitely adds up!! Must start tomorrow when I get a new jar!

 

[bex7583]

I would so love to be able to do that. Your kids will have an awesome childhood
If it wasn't a financial thing I would definitely be going every other year.

Do you want another child? Im putting myself up for adoption HAHAHA

but if you go when they are under 2 you only have a small flight fee to pay and no park tickets needed so its good for a budget trip

 

[Grimm Grinning Ghost]

but if you go when they are under 2 you only have a small flight fee to pay and no park tickets needed so its good for a budget trip

Hmmmm that's something I didn't know actually about the park tickets.
Could be an idea

 

[DLPDreams]

Yep, taking them under 2 definitely has a financial advantage!

My DD1 has always been an easy traveller - we took her to Cyprus (4.5 hr flight) at 6 months old and she was a dream. She has been abroad lots of times since then and again, no problem. DD2 is a different matter - she is a different child and treats things differently to her sister. We took her to DLP at 6 months and to be fair it was very easy at that age (I also exclusively bf'd so no sterilising and she wasn't quite weaned so it wasn't an issue at all), but after that holidays abroad were a nightmare for a good few years. She has always been difficult to travel with, until last year I would say - when we tried the acid test and flew 5.5 hours to the Red Sea. That is one of the main reasons we put off such a long trip to the US, having done last year and seen how much she has improved, I'm much more comfortable doing our long haul next year!

I think some of it does come down to parenting but I also think a lot depends on the child tbh. I'd like to think I parent my two the same, but they are very, very different and have different needs/wants/likes etc.

Go when you feel comfortable, both financially and when you feel your little one will cope with it all - you will know when she arrives what her little character is like. I've seen so many young children in tears at DLP over characters and loud noises etc, but on the flipside, I've seen so many little children with pure joy in their eyes and faces - there is nothing as priceless as seeing your children like that - they truly believe and it is magical .