What is best age for first trip?

[Jrpbabe2003]

I was just wondering what people thought. I was thinking around 5 (right before starting school). They are potty trained at this age and will remember most of the trip. What does everyone think?

 

[sritter78]

We took our daughter at 11 months and are going again in July. She will be almost 3 then. She loves Disney and is so excited to go. She is potty trained. I don't think there really is the perfect age-it depends on the individual child and the parents willingness to make it a great trip.

 

[Magic Mom]

I think it depends on the individual child. My son's first trip was to Disneyland Paris...EuroDisney (whatever it was called back then). He was 3 at the time. It was his third birthday in fact. Anyway, he was great. He had loads of fun. DD wouldn't have been ready then...her first trip was at 4 1/2.

 

[juliana_sd]

We just got back... DS will be 5 in July. It was perfect. We didn't do any thrillers, and we rode Buzz Lightyear a zillion times, but we had a fantastic, magical time

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I was just wondering what people thought. I was thinking around 5 (right before starting school). They are potty trained at this age and will remember most of the trip. What does everyone think?

My kids were all around 3 1/2 to 4 when they first went. My kids were all potty trained by about 2 1/2 or 3 so that really wasn't an issue. We liked this age because they could pretty much ride everything in the parks by 4. The only things they weren't big enough to ride at 4 were Space Mountain, Everest, Rockin' Roller Coaster and Mission Space. They rode everything else, including Tower of Terror, or personal family favorite.

 

[debilovesmickey]

To me, much older than you all have mentioned.
We went for the kids' first trip for my oldest's 12th birthday and my youngest was 9.
Old enough to ride everything, loved the characters still-- I have seen 2-3 year olds screaming with fright as a character approaches them--and old enough to withstand the long waits in the heat-- no strollers, no meltdowns!.

They definitely will remember at the older childhood age. It is hard for me as an adult to remember anything now that happened when I was three!
Also no naps needed or pull-ups!
To each his own...
When I am a grandparent, I would take a child younger and be the babysitter as needed for my own kids ( the parents).

 

[jcc0621]

We took DS for the 1st time when he was 11 months old. Was it a different trip than all of our previous trips? Absolutely. He loved the parades and the shows (B & B, VOLTM, the castle forecourt show).

My all time memory of this trip was of us being on IASW and he was not looking very happy to be there. I was very concerned until we got the end he looked at me and said again mommy

Each year, as he gets older (he will just be turning 5 when we go in August) and is able to more things the trips just become more magical for us.

And to those who think they don't remember, DS still talks about last years trip and how he was tall enought to ride all the cool rides

It really depends on each individual kid and family!

 

[hoosiergirl7]

We took DS the first time before he was 3 (he was free) and he doesn't remember it. We took him again in April at nearly 4 1/2 yrs of age and it was such an awesome experience. We plan on going back the 1st week of December.

Our son was tall enough to ride some of the thrill rides. He didn't care of Haunted Mansion but absolutely couldn't get enough of Big Thunder Mountain. Go figure.

After our experience I think it was OK to take DS at almost 3 yrs but so much better this past April. He enjoyed it and appreciated so much more at 4 1/2. He'll be almost 5 when we go the next time and already won't stop talking about it.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

To me, much older than you all have mentioned.
We went for the kids' first trip for my oldest's 12th birthday and my youngest was 9.
Old enough to ride everything, loved the characters still-- I have seen 2-3 year olds screaming with fright as a character approaches them--and old enough to withstand the long waits in the heat-- no strollers, no meltdowns!.

They definitely will remember at the older childhood age. It is hard for me as an adult to remember anything now that happened when I was three!
Also no naps needed or pull-ups!

I'm sorry, but I have to respectively disagree. All of the above statements could be said about my 6 year old (or pretty much anybody eles's 5 or 6 year old, for that matter)), on our last trip - rode everything, loved the characters (no screaming), waited in line in the heat (on the Saturday MK visit on our last trip the heat index was 108 degrees), no stroller, no meltdown, no nap and certainly no pull-ups! My 8 year old son still talks about things from our trip when he was 4! I can't even imagine the magical memories we would have missed out on if we would have waited until our kids were 12 or 9 years old. My oldest is going to turn 12 this summer and she still loves, loves, loves Disney, but it is a whole different experience when your child is 6, as her sister was on our last trip. Everything is much more "real" and "magical" when they are smaller. My 12 year old still loves the princesses, but she doesn't for one second think that the Cinderella she has her picture made with actually lives in the castle there at the Magic Kingdom with her prince charming, but my 6 year old still does! 12 and 9 are still GREAT ages to go, that's exactly the ages my oldest two children will be on our next trip and this will be there 4th trip to WDW. But to wait until children reach those ages? No way, not for our family.

 

[dougsmom98]

The trips when my kids were 2 and 3 were the most magical trips ever. Perhaps they won't remember everything, but I do! I have memories of each my kids at those ages and they are crystal clear. Like, seeing my son Mark dancing in his stroller and giving high fives to every person in the parade at Animal Kingdom, my son Matthew hugging his all time favorite pal - Pooh, and not wanting to let go, my son Douglas, who is shy and has anxiety, get ushered into the parade at MK and dancing with Tigger, and my DD Melissa meeting her "best friends" the princesses. Those memories are priceless. My older kids still love Disney and we have always had great memories, but as they got to be five, six, seven..., the trips became less about magic and more about seeing how many thrill rides they could get on in one day. It has become more running around and less enchantment.
No matter what age, Disney is magical. I still wouldn't wait too long though.

 

[rt2dz]

The youngest I’ve take a child is 7 months, the oldest 6 years—my oldest didn’t turn 7 until shortly after our last trip. We’ve covered every age in between, some twice, as we have three and go every year. The easiest it has been on me is when they are infants. No age is more portable, content, and adaptable. I think the age when they have enjoyed it the most has been at three years. Each trip is different. Disney truly is for every age.

Changing diapers at Disney is no big deal. There is always someplace close by. At 7 months the characters sought us out and gave extra attention to my kids. Pocahontas actually got down on the floor and played with DS#2 for 20 minutes (no one else was there). And really, there is more they can experience than not. Of course, just people watching could even entertain my high maintenance, difficult child.

At 15 months my kids didn’t really know what anything Disney was. But boy, did they come home in love with Mickey, Donald & Pooh. The love for all things Disney has never left. New words included “Mickey”, “Duck”, & “Disney”.

At two everything was so real and they’re free. Everything is still real at three. They are meeting THE Mickey and eating in THE castle and riding in a REAL space ship shooting at THE Zurg. KWIM? And at three my kids could ride just about everything they were interested in and they *could* have ridden things they weren’t interested in—they were 40”.

By the time they were four, they were catching on to most things being magic—not that it was any less enjoyable or special, but… They also start getting whinier and more into what they like and dislike. It’s still wonderful, and not fitful, just not as worth standing in line to wait for 40 minutes to ride Dumbo or Goofy’s Barnstormer type of thing. But it does open up a time to introduce new experiences.

There is no way to do all of Disney in any one trip, so every age is great and different. Besides tomorrow is not guaranteed.

 

[pinkiesue]

we took our dd when she was 6
when she was comfortable with the characters
she remembered everything and loved the rides

 

[Mallow]

We took our kids for their first trip @ 6 & 3. My now 8 yr old remembers almost everything. My now almost 5 yr old does not remeber much at all. But I knew that would probably happen when we chose to go at those ages. If we were only ever going to go to WDW just one time, then we probably would have waited until they were older. But since we knew we would be going again, we wanted our 3 & 6 to enjoy the magic of seeing their "Super Stars" @ that age. So if your planning multiple trips then every age is the best time to go. IMO.

 

[gaelic grace]

We took our daughter at 3. It was wonderful and magical. She was in absolute awe over everything. Yes there were things she couldn't do but there was so much that she could do that we didn't feel like we missed anything. We were worried about the characters because she is shy by nature and she was in love with them. The expressions on her face were priceless. We went again 18 months later and it was great for a whole other set of reasons. Now she is 6 and I know we will have a great time when we go again but she already knows that the characters aren't "real" Now that we have another one we will probably go again when he is a year old. I would have never considered that with her but I'm not going to hold her back because we have a baby. I'm sure it will be fun and we will have to go more slowly but that will be fine. I do know that we will be making a trip when he is three because I want to see that look of complete belief one more time!

 

[catgirl]

We took my niece and another almost 5 year in Feb. It was the perfect age! They thought just about everything was real, It was so magical for them. They were tall enough & brave enough to do almost all the rides. We had a great time. I made a scrapbook and they have their autograph books to keep the memories alive. Hoping to get back one day to make more.

 

[SnowWhite607]

My DD was 4 1/2 and we have gone every year since. I dont really think they have to be old enough to remember everything, just to have fun in the moment. I made sure she wasnt afraid of characters by taking her to Chuck E Cheese, etc and exposing her to big headed animals, LOL! It was magical cause she was still young enough for the magic to be totally real.

 

[yjjohnston]

We are taking our daughter to Disney next month (June 2008). She will just have turned 3-years old.

Normally we would NOT take her, but my DH has a conference in Orlando that he has to go to, and it is at a non-Disney hotel but on Disney property (Regal Sun Resort). This used to be the Grovsenor.

Anyway, I am sure we will modify the things we do, and the length of time we spend in the parks. She probably won't remember most of the trip.

Mommy & Daddy will remember, though! We LOVE Mickey!

Yvette in Snellville, GA

 

[mikymouse]

I loved the response that every age/year is a different experience and that tomorrow is not guaranteed!

1st Trip - My Son was 5 going on 6 and my daughter just turned 4. We had a great time but it was my daughter's total fasnication with everyone that made the trip so fun. She was meeting THE real princesses and our lunch at Epcot was the highlight of the trip. My son had caught on to the characters by the third day and so I think we missed the "magical" time for him where Disney is real. We had a great time and the kids both have great memories (my son more than my daughter).

2nd Trip -My son was 7 going on 8, my daughter just turned 6 on the trip and the baby was 13 months old. The kids now knew that the fun of Disney is using your imagination. I was thrilled to see my son run to get in line to get a picture and authograph with Buzz (even though he knew he was a guy in a costume) and my daughter loved collecting signatures in her storybook and was over the top excited to see Daisy Duck. The biggest surprize of the trip was how easy it was to take the baby and how much he really enjoyed all things disney.. including the parades, music, characters, even rides like IASW made him smile and laugh.

I agree that every trip is different and every age group has a different experience. If the parent's are happy.. .the kids will be happy regardless of age.

We have committed to take the children to Disney the year each of them is in Kindergaren. This is our family tradition and so I would have to say 5 is the idea age for a trip. A five year old is young enough to experience the fantasy and have enough endurance to manage the parks. Of course with more than one child, you end up taking a broad range of age groups and still having fun.

 

[jrandtysmom]

I decided to take my boys this year (the oldest will be 7 and the youngest will be 4.) I've been amazed by the responses I get when telling people (friends, family, etc) I'm taking them this year because so many have told me, oh they are too young, they won't remember. Where I live it seems the normal thinking is that Disney is a once in a lifetime trip, not something that is done yearly...imagine my amazement when I found the DIS and saw that some people actually go more then once a year.

My thinking was that I would take them while they are still young and the characters, magic are still fun to them and then go back when they get a little older and can do the other things that they can't do now due to height, fear, getting tired, etc. I think that trip will be different but just as magical for other reasons. I don't know why people around here seem to think that you can't do Disney except maybe once - of course cost factors in but I've found that going to Disney for a week isn't much more then what we've normally spent on a vacation to the beach for a week. After renting a condo, gas, buying food, doing activities, shopping, etc, we spend around what I'm spending for a week at Disney. Granted its only the 3 of us and 2 of them are children and we are staying value but we will still be at Disney so it doesn't much matter to us. I'm excited for the memories I will make with my boys and only hope that we could maybe return every other year since now I know that is acceptable, at least by the standards on the DIS.

 

[abcboys]

My kids just went for their first trip and they were 9,6,2. I thought I was crazy for taking a 2 year old. He can sometimes be a difficult child and I wondered what I was in for. Well, he was the best kid of all!! It was awesome. He would get so excited about seeing the characters and he would hug them. He wouldn't whine about buying stuff like my oldest did. Yes, we brought a stroller but it was so big deal. He was also FREE, which is why we went when we did.

Yes, he wasn't big enough to ride everything but I think there were only about 7 rides we did that he wasn't big enough for. There were lots of rides my 6 year old was big enough for but too chicken to go on so what's the difference?

No, he probably won't remember this vacation but I will. I wouldn't hesitate to bring a 2 year old again (he will be 3 in July) Everyone says "he won't remember it" So? If I waited to do any fun stuff with him just so he'd remember it I'd have to wait till he was 5 years old.

My 9 year old was a brat 1/2 the time we were there so I don't think *that's* the perfect age. We probably won't go back for another 4 years or so if ever so this was kind of a once in a lifetime trip.