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

[TheIncredibles!]

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.

I prefer a stroller. I find it easier on my back too.

The youngest child we have taken has been 18 months. We don't go for them - we go for us and they get to come along.

 

[worm761]

DS16 was 5 when I could afford my first trip. I got hooked and he has been multiple times since.

DD2 went at 22 months. I skipped a year because I didn't want to deal with bottles and formula in the parks. She was very easy. Diaper changes weren't a problem for me. I had one of those baby leashes for her since she prefers to walk. She walked most of the parks. Took a couple naps in the stroller. We did keep to our normal schedule though. We ate breakfast when she normally does, lunch at her normal time, and dinner at 5 like every other day. We were back in the rooms around 7-8 for her to go to bed. The latest we stayed in a park was 9. She is normally in bed at 7 at home but she doesn't nap. Hasn't since she was 15 months. But walking around Disney wore her out.

I am trying to plan a trip for next October. She will be an old 3. I have no plans for a stroller. Hoping she is fully potty trained by then.

 

[DVC-Don]

It was 1995. Son was 3 years 10 months and daughter was 2 years 11 months. We've got some great photos from that trip.

 

[Kitty 34]

Our sons were 17, 11 and 9 our first trip. Good ages for the rides which was what we did the most!!

 

[jetskigrl]

DD was 2 on her first trip to Disneyland (we were in the middle of moving into our house and decided to take a day off from moving to celebrate her birthday). When she turned 3 we bought our first AP's (11 years ago).

DS was 2 months. He had colic and I was going crazy at home so we booked 4 nights at the Grand Californian, even though we are local, just to get me out of the house for a while. That was the best vacation ever. It was so easy with him either in the stroller or in the front carrier. He slept more at night than he had ever before (waking only once to eat). I'm sure it was just a coincidence (and he was outgrowing it anyway) but there was no more colic at all after that trip. Now that was some good Pixie Dust

The kids were 7 and 12 when they went to WDW. And that is only because we live so close to DLR and knew visits to WDW would be few and far between. It was perfect ages since both kids could ride everything they wanted (height-wise) and we had no strollers or anything to worry about. That made it much easier to handle the transportation and touring through the parks.

 

[Sorsha]

Our sons were 17, 11 and 9 our first trip. Good ages for the rides which was what we did the most!!

Your 3 sons are the exact same age-difference-apart as my 3 girls! How rare is that?!?

My oldest is currently 17, my middle just turned 12 today (happy birthday Alyssa!) and my youngest will be 9 in 2 weeks!!

 

[NikitaZee]

I have three kids ages 11 and under, we've been going almost every year since our oldest was 7 weeks. Newborn at Disney - incredibly easy. He was a good baby, slept most of the time, and my parents were there to watch him so DH and I could do thrill rides. Went again when he was 2, had one or two meltdowns when the characters got too close but we quickly learned how to distract him while we went around them. We went when my daughter was 9 months - she was in awe of everything and loved every minute of it. A big plus is staying at one of the monorail resorts - ease of stroller travel and close proximity to a quiet atmosphere was priceless. Also, we brought our own stroller - a good one that reclines and has sun shade, not a park rental or umbrella stroller. That way, baby can nap comfortably on the go if it happens that way. I recommend it at any age, just be prepared and be accomodating of your baby's moods and needs. Good luck!

 

[Buckeye Princess]

We took DD for her first birthday. We had a wonderful time. She may not remember it, but now at 3 she loves to look back through the photos and knows much of what happened from us telling stories as we look at the album. DS went for the first time when he was 6 weeks for a weekend trip. It was also great. He mostly napped in the sling. He went back again at 6 months when we moved within an hour of Disney and has been going regularly since. We've never had a bad experience as a result of age.

 

[Saphire]

We first visited with a 4 and a 1 yr old. Then a few years later we returned with an 8, 4 and 1 yr old. (And then a half dozen times after that until the youngest was 21).

It is doable, it is hard work, but NOBODY does it better than Disney when traveling with little ones. Enjoy!

 

[spacemountainmom]

DD was 3 1/2 for her first trip. She had it made with 6 adults catering to her every whim. We went pretty hard and she just rolled with it. I do have a priceless picture of her conked out in the really old blue vinyl Disney strollers. She is wearing her princess hat and is pretty much face down on the stoller tray.

DS didn't get to go until he was 8 and it went well. He was big enough to go on pretty much everything and no strollers were required.

My first WDW trip was when I was 15, but my first DL trip was to celebrate my first birthday. I haven't been back since I was 7 and am really wanting to get back there.

 

[Feralpeg]

I first took my daughter to WDW when she was four years old. I thought it was a perfect age.

 

[Colleen27]

My older kids were 4 & 7 for their first trip, mostly because we couldn't afford it when they were younger and thought it would be a one-time thing that we wanted them to be old enough to enjoy/remember. But I was hooked by the time the youngest came along... We took her at 16mo, 2.5, 3.5 and almost 4.

Each trip had its ups and downs and part of our overall success in traveling with her is attributable to the fact that she's the world's easiest, most adaptable kid. She'll sleep anywhere, eat just about any thing, and is generally low-maintenance by nature.

Her first trip was really incredible. Everything is amazing to a child that age, and the music, shows, and atmosphere held her enthralled. And it was during the Christmas season, which made it even better because she just loved the lights! She was shy with the characters on that trip, and we used earplugs for the fireworks and 3D shows to protect her little ears. But overall it was a very easy trip - she was new enough to walking and shy enough in crowds to want to stay in her stroller, she fell asleep when she got tired whether she was in the stroller or on Haunted Mansion (seriously, she slept through her first ride on HM) or watching Illuminations.

A good stroller is essential IMO. We have a Peg Perego P3 that folds down umbrella-style but has a full recline and wide sun/rain canopy, and it has made traveling with DD3 so much easier than traveling was with her older siblings and their unwieldy Graco. The rest really depends on the child's personality; with DD, we took take-and-toss silverware for when she wanted to feed herself, two of her favorite sippy sups with a tether to keep them from falling out of the stroller, and that was pretty much it. But a kid less used to being on the go (mine has siblings 10 & 7 years older who are very active in sports/clubs) might need some familiar foods or other supplies.

 

[Kathi OD]

The oldest was 10, middle child was 8, and the youngest 2; except the youngest one didn't go. I didn't want to keep the older two from doing things because the youngest had to nap, so we left him home with my parents. He was 5 the first time he went.

 

[packofjedis]

My first son was 1.5. Easy trip - he had a blast.

Second son was 9 months old. Easy again for the most part. I had traveling down pat, brought my own food, he napped in stroller while my older son and husband went on rides. Only issue was the hotel - he woke very very early every morning, and so as to not wake my other son, we would walk the hotel until daybreak.

If I had it all to do again, I wouldn't hesitate to take a child at either age I did. Both ages are fun for different reasons and their reactions will be different.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My boys were 8 and 11 on their first WDW trip. It was perfect for us. They could ride anything they wanted. No strollers or baby equipment. WDW is a cross-country flight for us so we don't get there often and wanted to wait until they were on the older side. We did take a few Disneyland trips before that, but it was easier because we can drive and take shorter trips. Our next WDW trip will be next year when they're 14 and 17. They can't wait!

 

[DaisyLynn]

I love reading the responses to this thread! We are planning on visiting in October 2013, with a 15 month old. Seems like there is no "bad age" based on most of these replies. That's good news!

 

[goofyernmost]

My girls were 6 and 8 years old on our first trip. The decision was easy on the surface because we couldn't have been able to afford to go before then even if we wanted.

That said, we wouldn't have wanted. I found the money to go after they had reached that age. They could handle the walking, we could talk easily with them and share memories, no diapers, no naps and no special diets. It was intentional.

I know that many, and they will show up here soon, and tell you what a great thrill it was to see the faces of their youngsters and I don't put them down for that, but I do feel it is grossly overrated. Why? OK, I'll confess here...I am selfish. If I am going to pay a lot of money to experience something, I want to experience it first hand. Not watch it through the eyes of an infant. Heck, they're fascinated with a flashlight. I wanted it to be a family experience that we ALL could remember.

25 years later I took them and their husbands and my 3 (at the time) grandkids to WDW. The rule still applied, as soon as the youngest was 6 years old we would go. Sadly, the newest member of the grandkid list will not have the same fortune. It was actually a once in a lifetime thing that I wanted to do. They youngest now is 6 months old, the second youngest is 10 years old. I'm getting way to old for this. And way to broke!

I do hope to still be around to go with her when she hits 6 but she will have missed the whole family gathering.

 

[Kallyg]

We celebrated my son's 7th birthday at WDW. It was his first trip and now he's as hooked as mommy!!!

 

[DawnM]

Under age 1.

 

[Desnik]

DD was 9 months old on her first WDW trip and DS was 8 months old on his first trip.