What age did you first take your child to Disney World??

[Summer143]

Hi everyone! I would like to know what age your child/children were when you first took them to Disney World! More specifically, I was very curious about those who first took their children when they were age 1 or younger. How was your experience?? Good, bad, ugly?? LOL!! Thank you in advance

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

We took our son for his 2nd birthday to WDW. However, I must say that we traveled to FL to visit family when he was only 6 months and again at 9 months and had no problems what so ever. I thought he was super easy to travel with at those ages- with the exeption of all the gear you need!

 

[mickeyboat]

Our DDs were 9 & 10 when we took them. We also took them on DCL when they were 3 & 4. There were a lot of factors that went into our decision to wait until they were a little older to go to WDW, including that it would probably be a one time thing.

 

[tvguy]

Both mine went to Disneyland for the first time at age 4. Too young. Still had to nap, and Disney is to expensive to spent time every afternoon napping in the hotel room. It really wasn't until they were 8 or 9 that they could got full bore from 630 am until 1 am and enjoy the park.

 

[royalgrandparents]

Hi everyone! I would like to know what age your child/children were when you first took them to Disney World! More specifically, I was very curious about those who first took their children when they were age 1 or younger. How was your experience?? Good, bad, ugly?? LOL!! Thank you in advance

A Disney Vacation with an infant is challenging. I took my oldest when she was 9 months old. She was the easiest since we were only there for 4 days. The hardest part was going to frequently change her diaper every 20 minutes. My middle one first went to Disney World when she was 19 months old. Since she was almost a toddler, this was fairly easy despite the fact that she'd freak when a character came our way. And last but not least my youngest! I took her when she was only 2 months old!! This was the hardest since we were there for 10 days and she was a newborn. As much as I love her, she was a nightmare. I ended up staying in the hotel room most of the day with her while my hubby and other daughters were having a grand old time. She was very whiny. Apparently, we got 5 noise complaints because she'd cry. I knew it was loud but not loud enough to be heard through the walls! The days she was at the parks, I spent most of my time in the Baby Care Centers. I was so dead tired after the trip, I had my mother watch her for one day just so I could get a nice spa day with my oldest daughter. Sorry if I scared you, but beware of taking children under 6 months. They are newborns, not babies, not toddlers, NEWBORNS!

 

[Andtototoo]

Dd was 6.5. We waited that long because I refuse to do WDW with a stroller.

 

[adtillma1]

Youngest was 11 months old and oldest was just turned 4. I thought that it was fantastically easy with my youngest when he was 11 months old....as I wore him in a front baby back pack thing almost all of the time when he wasn't in the stroller.

 

[antmaril]

Our son was four the first time we took him to Disney World. We went on the Big Red Boat for four nights, followed by three nights at Disney. It was the best vacation of my life. We had so much fun!

 

[marmalade]

Both mine went to Disneyland for the first time at age 4. Too young. Still had to nap, and Disney is to expensive to spent time every afternoon napping in the hotel room. It really wasn't until they were 8 or 9 that they could got full bore from 630 am until 1 am and enjoy the park.

I wouldn't even be able to do that and I am way older than 9.

My kids were 3 (just turned) and 18 months our first visit and it was great. Each age has a different set of excitement for them. I am looking forward to what they will like or dislike as they get older.

 

[wendy46001]

She was just over a month, but we are local. I needed to get out of the house and walk around. Also it’s not like we tried to spend the whole day there just a few hours of fresh air.

 

[JVL1018]

Took my daughter when she was 3 and a half months. She slept through th night at that point, napped fine in her stroller. The only issue was she wasn't big enough to sit in a high chair, so we had to make sure we had her carseat/stroller combo.

We took her back at 9 mos, 13 mos and 18 mos. Very easy.
My son went for the first time at 13 months, when our daughter turned 3, that was my favorite vacation, everything just went perfectly that week.

We go every year and I never thought taking babies and toddlers was any harder than taking bigger kids. Just go with the flow.

 

[marcyinPA]

Oldest DS was 2 on his first trip. Still in diapers, drank from a sippy cup, napped in the stroller- easy peasy.

Youngest DS just turned 3 on his first trip. Newly potty trained, never napped. Not as easy of a trip with him, but enjoyable nonetheless! I discovered many new bathrooms that I had never discovered on other trips!

 

[marcyinPA]

Dd was 6.5. We waited that long because I refuse to do WDW with a stroller.

Had to giggle at this, because the first time we went WITHOUT a stroller, it took me some time to adjust! You get used to throwing stuff into the stroller- and then I had to scale back on what I brought in to the parks.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Dd was 6.5. We waited that long because I refuse to do WDW with a stroller.

Our youngest was 5, and we waited for the same reason because we wanted to go stroller-free. For our family, it was a perfect age for a 1st trip to WDW.

 

[diznygirl]

We were first local to Disneyland and now WDW, so we've taken the kids from infant on up. We got there early, ate lunch early, let them fall asleep in their stroller while we enjoyed a parade or baby-swapped on rides. It's totally doable. Then we graduated to no stroller, all-day go-go-go. Who says there has to be a rule? It can be done all ways - if you are willing to do it.

 

[Tiger926]

Both kids were 10 months old for 1st trip.

Child 1 - Stayed at Caribbean Beach, all 4 parks and then 4 day Disney Cruise for a total of 11 days. Also did Sea World for 2 days as well. Super easy! Purchased DVC on this trip!

Child 2 - Stayed at multiple resorts (see Signature) for a total of 17 days, all 4 parks. Great trip!

Travelling with younger ones is very easy - Baby Care Centres are awesome, and they loved to nap in their stroller. But if not, we worked on their schedules and it made for happy babies.

Both kids have since been on many trips to Disney, but these first ones were pretty great. What made them so great is how well Disney caters to children, hubby and I know Disney well, toured on their schedules with daily naps, breaks, regular bed times, no late nights, etc. , ate well (we don't eat fast food) and we had high quality baby gear such as strollers and carriers to help us along the way.

Tiger

 

[Sorsha]

Ok, I have to think about this...

DD17 was 6 months old the first time she went to Disneyland, 3 the first time she went to Disney World.

DD12 was 5 (only just) the first time she went to Disneyland, 7 the first time she went to Disney World.

DD8 was not-quite-2 the first time she went to Disneyland, and 4 the first time she went to Disney World.

Honestly, having experienced it with every possible range of ages, unless your child has an extremely easygoing personality I don't recommend it to anyone until a child is about 6. And they absolutely MUST be potty-trained, IMHO. I think our last trip, in 2010, when my kids were 16, 10, and 7 was by far the most enjoyable.

If you don't mind someone ALWAYS having to stay outside of rides with the baby, infants are pretty easy. They sleep a lot, and their food is pretty easy to maintain. You have to have a reclining stroller, a diaper bag, etc though and I always hated lugging all that crap along.

 

[Robinrs]

He took ME when he was 6!

Actually we went down with friends, they were going to Disney for one day and the rest we were all going to Universal.

My son BEGGED me to come with him the next day because of Tower of Terror! That was all I needed to hear. We went to the The MGM Studios and had a ball. I didn't try the other parks till much later.

 

[twinboysmom]

We took our twins for the first time when they were 18 months. They are now 2.5 and have been 5 times with there 6th trip coming in September. We went on a trip a few years ago with our niece who was 8 months old. She was definately easier than my toddlers.

 

[NYEmomma]

DD was about 2 months shy of 3 when we took her. She did GREAT -- not a single meltdown or honestly even a "trying" moment with her; she'd been potty-trained since May and didn't have any accidents (though we brought an outfit change just in case) and DH & I discovered a new love of the "afternoon nap". We're forcing our kids to go back to the room and nap in the afternoon every vacation from now on. It was bliss!

DD loved it... a totally magical vacation for us, to see her experience everything.