Which age for 1st trip: 17 mos or 23 mos?

[Fall1]

We are currently planning on taking our twins for their 1st trip to the World in October and they'll be 17 months. I'm getting more and more nervous as each day passes that they'll be so young and a ton of work.

The other option is to wait til May of '09 and they'll be 23 mos. If we go in October we won't go again til 2010, then ideally we'll plan on going every year after, so this won't be their only trip.

Just trying to decide which age is best to start. So either skip '08 or skip '09??

HELP!

 

[kxmeeh]

we went to disneyland when my dd was 23 months and it was the perfect age. she was still under the age of 2...big bonus money wise....bu she was old enough to understand what i was saying and i could tell she really had an opinion of what rides she really lliked. it was perfect! now my baby is 7, much more opinionated.

 

[Disneychix]

We are bringing DS for the first time in September he will be 20 months. I can tell you now at 17 months I am happy we aren't going for awhile. DS is just now getting to the really good walking stage and if I had to carry him for any length of time in the hot and sticky FL weather I'd die. Also he's just begining to use a fork and spoon and real cups which will be helpful in WDW. THe only downfall is he is getting on a pretty good schedule with sleeping and I"m afraid we'll be stuck in the room by 8:30 every night. Hopefully he'll sleep in the stroller for our late nights (if we have any).

 

[everylastbreath]

My vote would be 23months, I'm sure they would be great at either age, but once you take them you are going to want to take them back a.s.a.p, so if you have to skip a year, I would do it now, because once you see how much fun toddlers are at WDW, you will be wanting to take them every year!!!

 

[Luhts]

I think you'll get more of a reaction from them at 23 months...that would be my choice.

 

[DevilDuckie]

We are currently planning on taking our twins for their 1st trip to the World in October and they'll be 17 months. I'm getting more and more nervous as each day passes that they'll be so young and a ton of work.

The other option is to wait til May of '09 and they'll be 23 mos. If we go in October we won't go again til 2010, then ideally we'll plan on going every year after, so this won't be their only trip.

Just trying to decide which age is best to start. So either skip '08 or skip '09??

HELP!

I'd wait. The extra 6 months will really increase their awareness and your coping skills. I think you'll have more fun and less drama at 23 months. Of course, I admit my bias- I like children best when they talk. At 17 months my son said some words. At 23 months he held conversations. Much more fun at Disney.

 

[Pstecker]

I just took my son at 15mos, and he was really into the whole thing. I think like the other posters suggested maybe waiting until 23mos would be better. They could better enjoy more and ride more height wise as well. Either way I had fun with my 15mo old so I think you'll have fun with whatever you choose.

 

[Pollito916]

We are taking DS for the first time in December, and he will be 22 months. He is 16 months now, and I can't imagine taking him yet, b/c there is just no reasoning with the kid (he's just like his father )! I'm hoping it gets better before December!

 

[frtchr]

I would go when they're younger, but that's just me.

 

[latexscooter]

We took DD for the first time when she was 5 months and then at 24 months - for her 2nd birthday. We now take her every year.

In my experience it wasn't so much what she could handle, but what we as parents, could handle. I'm a big proponent of keeping to the same schedule as home. What that has meant was taking afternoon breaks for a nap, going to bed at the same time as home, and eating at the same general times at home. This translated to her never seeing an afternoon parade or fireworks display until she was older. But when we got home we didn't have to transition her back into our home schedule. And to be honest, those vacations in the younger years were some of the best our family has ever experienced. You have to really make a decision before you go on that sort of thing, though. If you can't do that then be prepared for the unexpected and don't set the expectation bar too high.

Hope that helps.

 

[Happy Elf]

We took DD when she was 15 months old. She loved it! She was into all the characters and loved the rides. She still looks at the pictures and asks when she can go see Micky at his house again.

 

[nytimez]

Every kid is different... but in my case, I've taken my daughter several times, including at 18 months. I had only planned a short trip because I wasn't sure how much she'd enjoy it, and I ended up extended our stay by two days because she loved it so much. She was really engaged with everything going on, and my normally very shy daughter had no problem meeting the characters.

Again, what works for one family may not work for you. But I think there is a very good chance a 17-month-old can enjoy the parks and characters.

 

[abouley]

It's hard to know how they will be at 17 months. My son was in major temper tantrum mode at that age and wouldn't hold our hand to be down to walk. He'd just run away when his feet hit the ground but didn't want to be held. We went to WDW when he was 19 months and had a great time, but it was a bit challenging for lines and waiting for parades etc. We took him to DL when he was 26 months and that was by far one of my favorite trips. He was old enough to stand in line with us, sit on the curb and wait for parades, not old enough to be afraid of rides yet and he wasn't potty trained so we weren't running out of line for last minute potty emergencies (as we were on our next trip at 3)! Now, my daughter at 17 months would be a lot easier. She prefers to hold our hand when she walks, doesn't run away when put down, sticks close to us and has a lot higher tolerance to sit and wait for things. We planned our trip to WDW to go when she is 25 months based on our experience with our son, but we probably would have been fine with her at a younger age.

So, I'm rambling but my vote would probably be to wait unless it's just too much work to switch! Then, I'd go and I'm sure you'll have a great time!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Just came back with DD2 and I can say she's in the middle of her terrible 2's and didn't take a break for Disney World.
I think she would have been easier to handle at 17mo.

 

[dsneygirl]

We took DS this past Dec at 18 months and it was so much fun! He was just in awe of everything and such a joy.

 

[*Wish*Upon*A*Star*]

We took DS in May '07 when he was 17 months and we had a blast! He had so much fun, he really enjoyed the characters, the playgrounds, the spray fountains, and the rides. I will say we had a rough couple of days while we were there (he spiked a pretty bad fever and was just miserable) but that was due to teething... Other than that, it was great. Now, he's just shy of 30 months (he'll officially be 2 1/2 tomorrow!), he is so much fun, too. He's talking a lot more, he has his own opinions, he is just so happy and so much fun. I will say that he is VERY independent at this age, though. Whereas when he was 17 months, he would hold our hands when walking or he'd stay in the stroller. Now that he's a bit older, he is NOT afraid to tell us he's going somewhere without us or fuss in the stroller. So, IMHO, either age is a perfect age for WDW for different reasons.

I guess I'm gonna stick with a PPs opinion and say - skip '08 and go in '09 because you're not going to want to skip a year once you experience WDW with your kids! (And your kids probably won't want you to skip a year, either! Our DS asks us EVERY DAY when he can go back to Mickey Mouse's house!

 

[Fall1]

Anyone else want to chime in on this.....we are now under 2 months away to our trip and I am freaking out!! DD and DS would be 17 months on our trip if we go in October, 23 months if we wait til May.....WWYD??

 

[everylastbreath]

GO! Stop worrying, Toddlers of any age are wonderful, the magic in their faces is priceless. Either age is perfect!

 

[perkinsrose]

Thoughts...

A younger toddler may be more apt to crash out in the stroller when they really NEED the nap where a 2 yr old might fight it more. No need to be concerned with toilet learning for a young toddler. Sometimes 23 month olds are ready to start. 23 month olds are more apt to want to walk and explore.

 

[Disneychix]

To the OP, how do you feel? What developments have happened over the last 2 months? Are the kids eating on their own now? do they struggle when in the stroller or when trying to walk with you? How well do they sleep?

My DS is now in a fit-throwing stage. Only 30 more days till we go! Great! I hope we can nip this in the bud within the next 2 weeks