why young children?

[swincha]

If I were only going to do one maybe two trips to WDW ever,(oh I shudder at the thought), than I would probably wait until my kids were over 6. However, DH and I made the decision a long time ago that we wanted to vacaiton every year at WDW, so when the kids came along, they came with us! We go every August, and yes I took DD when she was 3mo old. We took it easy, and spent a lot of time at the resort playing and relaxing. This past May was a VERY sad time in our household.......DD turned 3 and is no longer free! But she got 4 trips in before then!!

yep that us a couple of trips to disney. i wouldn't shudder though. we have been to gulf shores, virginia beach, branson once a summer, wisconsin dells, michigan traverse city, different cities in michigan, chicago several times, sandusky ohio. french lick indiana. we have been to many other parks. now i will say holiday world in santa clause indiana has the cleanest park i have even been to. my kids like to swim and water ski also. my teen also goes to camps ie hockey camps and sports camps in the summer. so they get lots of different experiences just not disney. we like to see different places. our children have memories of our vacations as us as a family. when they are younger and in diapers we drive closer to home. its easier on the parents and we also need our time to destress and not have the hustle and bustle of business such as disney. we still want to go to gaitlinburg tn as one of our family trips.

 

[swincha]

I think a lot of it also requires removing yourself from the picture. If you want to ride big rides, stay all day, and eat where you want to eat, you need to wait until kids are older. I am not putting this way down, as it costs a ton to go to Disney and I have family members exactly like this.


Budly

it does cost way more than our usual vacation. so its a big deal to go and we dont' go every year so yes i will save it when they can do more and i can enjoy myself also not taking care of babies in a hot crowded park

 

[swincha]

There are different kind of families that go to WDW.

I must say, we have plenty of rules in our house(don't run, don't jump on furniture, keep your rooms tidy) but, to not take your children anywhere until they are 5 yrs old may work for your family, however I'm certainly glad we don't have that rule in our home.

NOPE dont misquote me. dont go to disney until my youngest is 5. plus we have 2 sets of children so we did this twice. there was gap in our children. we take a family vacation every year. also go to branson every summer since we have family that lives close to branson. we go to different places. our children also learn things and experience things in other cities other than amusement parks. my teen boys still remember jamestown virginia and a mock trial.

 

[swincha]

Yes, we (especially I) really like to travel, and our children have extended family who live out of town/province/country (grandparents, great grandparents, cousins, etc). So, not travelling 'til they were 5 would have meant missing out on all sorts of things including a family wedding, family celebrations, meeting up with friends from out of country and so on.

Before having kids, I also thought Disney should be saved for kids who will "appreciate it". I think that statement should be modified to "saved for families who appreciate it". It's the definition of appreciation that's variable.

you misquoted me. i said no disney until my youngest was 5. not no travel or no vacations. i also have 2 kids 16 and 18 and 2 5 and 8 so we are not a typical family. my original post was about going in the summer with 4 mo twins and a 3 year old. mom was spending all of her time in the hot sun feeding babies. plus the babies were in crowds which i never do when my children are young.

also disney should have more shade over benches especially in the more child areas.

 

[swincha]

THANK YOU!! My thought exactly.....i don't understand why it matters to to OP if someone brought their 4mo old twins...would it be different if it was a singleton? would it matter then? it's their family.

i was making an observation on how much work the mom was doing feeding her babies in the hot sun with her 3 yr old. for me thats not a vacation. i was making an observation why take young children esp. babies to disney when it does cost so much. we do take vacations. we the parents also like to enjoy our vacation and relax. i guess that would call us selfish as we consider our vacation needs before our childrens. we are the ones that are doing the work the children are also enjoying whatever vacation we choose to go on and yes they enjoy their vacations. personally i think its more special not to go to disney multiple times unless you live close by. some people think the only vacation with children is disney. i dont' get that at all with so there are so many places to visit in our country. being an older parent and already raising 2 children we are not going to knock ourselves out bringing babies to parks.

 

[Jaxs27]

I just don't understand why people care what others do on their vacations. What is good for you is good for you. We are going for the first time with our 3 and 19 month old. All they do is talk about it. I understand the cost, but it is So worth it.

 

[swincha]

Swincha, did you enjoy *anything* about your trip? Just wondering.

Our bonus baby will be 4 months old on our December trip. We aren't taking her expecting her to have a memorable time. There are four other people in the family who enjoy WDW and the trip is for them!!

Michele

why yes we did. we spent 9 nights in a wonderful villa with pool and came home every afternoon for lunch and to swim. had one down day was going to take another one but with the rain and a tummy ache of my dd we slept in one day and went back to epcot.

we had a wonderful time. i have to say since our last visit 10 years ago, kids 6 and 8 that the parks are not as clean as before and some of that magic is gone due to that disney is getting too big. i am not the only one that feels this way also.

i would like to go back in about 3 years and also include universal in our trip.

next year is our 25th anniversary so the big trip is for us(mexico or where ever my mom's rci can get us a good deal) and a shorter trip with the kids will most likely be chicago/michigan as we have not gone with our younger children yet.

we also want to go to either wisconsin dells(teen choice to go back) or gaitlinburg tn or a beach relaxing vacation in south carolina.

we especially enjoyed the character meals crystal palace and chef mickey's. had a blast at the sci fi restaurant.

we paced ourselves so we would enjoy the parks.

 

[swincha]

Perhaps they were saving and planning for a long time for this trip. Maybe the twins were an OOPS and they decided to go anyway. For some people it isn't a 'chore' to deal with their kids.

.

nope they do not live close and come at least 4 times a year. thats why i was shaking my head at that poor mom taking care of 4 month old twins in the heat in the sun. they need to have more shade over the benches esp. in the areas where the small kids hang out. also thinking about those 4 month olds in the hot sun all day. i know its not good for them. i'm not saying keep babies in the home all day but no its not good for them to be out in that hot weather. you also have to be careful about the sun with shade as babies cannot use sunscreen until they are 6 months old.

 

[swincha]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SC Minnie
Personally I would not want to take a baby or even a young toddler WDW. We waited until DD was 5 before we went. We thought it would be a once in a lifetime if not many years trip. I didn't want to wrangle with a stroller or carry a cranky toddler in 95 degree heat. Flame away.

hmm.....

anything negative about disney seems to get you flamed here anyway. do you people have stock in disney or what? why take it so personally. i felt bad for that mom in that heat and also for those babies in the hot sun.

i read posts telling people to get rid of your cable tv for a year to upgrade your to a more expensive hotel and such.

we have more to our life than the disney trips for us they are a big deal not a yearly or several times a month trip.

 

[swincha]

Exactly! We live down here - are we supposed to do nothing but sit inside during the summer? Using the OP's logic, everyone who has a young child and lives in Florida wouldn't do anything until November!

Like Lilygator posted, I use a stroller with my toddler, and she is fine. Personally, I think a toddler in a stroller is easier to handle than an older child, but that's JMHO.

We are going in December and my daughter will be 2. Maybe my daughter is different, but she already has favorite characters, and I CANNOT WAIT for her to see them.

To the OP, just because you have that rule for YOUR family, doesn't mean everyone else has to have that rule. Get over yourself.

here is my original post: not everyone has to have this rule its my rule and it was about having 4 month old babies in the hot park and the mom spending all of her time feeding babies in the hot park. so get over yourself.


"' i don't get it. i saw a mom with 4 mo old twins and a 3 yr old. my rule is we dont' go until my youngest is at least 5. i have 2 sets of children(just spread apart) 16 and 17 and 5 and 8. we just took our 2nd trip with the 5 and 8 year old and the 16 year old and a friend. 10 years ago my boys were 6 and 8.

babies are in knapsacks. its hot. its crowded. i wouldn't want the work of caring for a baby in a park especially if my other children were not at least 5 or 6. they can wait until they are older to gowhy do people bring their very young children to disney. they won't remember a thing. even my 16 year old remembers some of his disney trip but not much.

. "

most people act like crazy disney people when you say anything at all negative about disney. wow!

 

[disneyjunkie]

most people act like crazy disney people when you say anything at all negative about disney. wow!

Are you really surprised by the reacations of the DISers here? This is a disney planning board. Of course most of the parents here are going to object to your post.

My son will be 14 in October. We're going to celebrate his birthday in WDW. That will be our 2nd visit this year. I'm also working on our July 2006 trip right now. That will be our 5th trip to the world.

I wanted to take my son to WDW when he was younger, but I just couldn't afford it until he was 9. So now we're making up for lost time. If I ever have another child, I plan to take him/ her to WDW every year.

We go often because we love it there. We're taking our first cruise next spring.

I have a few other vacations planned before my son leaves home. However, those trips are in addition to our disney trips, not in place of.

Most of the places you listed that you and you're family visit, aren't places I'd be willing to waste vacation time to vist. Just as you're not willing to do WDW year after year, there's no way I'd wasted vacation time to visit Branson.

I'd rather spend my time at WDW, on a beach, or a on a cruise.

There's isn't a right or wrong way to vacation. Each family does what works for them.

Different strokes....

 

[TinkerbellMama]

In reply to the OP (again ) I have to say that we are a family of doing all the "extras" like swim classes, Gymboree, mom & baby yoga, and a whole lot more (and he is only 7 months), smaller day trips to places like Plimoth Plantation or Mystic Seaport, and long car trips to the Smoky Mountains (BEAUTIFUL!), AND Disney a few times a year. Some of us just pack it all in there, because that is our lifestyle. IMO there is NOTHING wrong with the OP's vacation style. If they are only going to go a couple of times as a family to WDW, it does make sense to wait until the kids are a bit older and will "remember" the trip (and things will be a bit easier on Mom and Dad). Personally, it is no trouble at all for me to vacation with my infant son, but that is just me. The OP may never agree with me on that, but then again, who cares? He/she isn't living my life, LOL, so it's fine to disagree about what is relaxing and how often one should go to WDW!
And P.S. We do not have cable TV. Our personal feeling is that television should not be an everyday thing. Do I expect others to also give up their television sets or cable access? No. To each his or her own!

 

[WINTER]

we have gone just about every year since my daughter was 1 and son was 9 mo; wouldn't have traded it for anything. Sure, they don't remember much early on but where we go, they go! I wouldn't leave them with grandparents and we enjoy going . . . so they go with us! It's a choice! You have to be smart with the young ones! I wouldn't have ever taken a newborn (and there are those that do!). But, to each their own!

 

[Suzanne74]

Haven't read any of the response but we are planning trip #3 with dd and she will just be turning 4. She LOVES, I mean LOVES Disney. She is more of a nut them me. Fantasyland is totally geared towards her age as is Toontown, Rakifi's Train area in AK, Imagination Center in Epcot, Playhouse Disney at MGM - Boneyard, etc... there is SO much more for my 3 yr old to do at Disney then at say a Six Flags Amusement Park with no theming. We did this last year and left in 3 hrs. It was so boring to her.

I have to be honest, I was a little leary when she first went. She was 2 turning 3 when we went so she was free and celebrating a birthday that trip. From the moment we stepped in Chef Mickey's, all our concerns went out the door - it was magical, she had a ball, she was running around twirling napkins and playing tag with Minnie (it was not crowded.) I had tears in my eyes and this continued until the last day. We took an afternoon break everyday, we never pushed her to do anything she didn't want to do (which was VERY little) and when we got home she NEVER STOPPED TALKING ABOUT IT. When we went again, it was all the better. She always asks when we are going again, she has forgotten about Dora and anyone else non-disney related. The girl is hooked

What kind of vacation is better then Disney for a preschooler - if someone thinks of something else, by all means let me know. We just did a week in Ocean City, NJ and while it is nice there, we spent almost the same amount of money and it just wasn't nearly as fun. We were more tired coming home from that vacation then Disney. Even DH said, next trip we are back at Disney - this wasn't as nice as I thought. Yippee - so we are heading back again.

 

[dzneprincess]

i don't get it. i saw a mom with 4 mo old twins and a 3 yr old. my rule is we dont' go until my youngest is at least 5. i have 2 sets of children(just spread apart) 16 and 17 and 5 and 8. we just took our 2nd trip with the 5 and 8 year old and the 16 year old and a friend. 10 years ago my boys were 6 and 8.

babies are in knapsacks. its hot. its crowded. i wouldn't want the work of caring for a baby in a park especially if my other children were not at least 5 or 6. they can wait until they are older to go.

why do people bring their very young children to disney. they won't remember a thing. even my 16 year old remembers some of his disney trip but not much.

Why do you bring set 5 yrs old as your limit? Because it is your family's vacation, and you are comfortable with that age cutoff. Simply put, different strokes for different folks. I personally bring my kids to WDW when they are young because *I* remember the reactions and magical moments. Oh yeah and lots of great photos! Maybe my kids won't remember, but I will always have the memories

 

[lacy1101]

I haven't read this entire thread, but just wanted to give a quick reply to the OP. My son was 2-1/2 (3 months away from turing 3) on our first trip to Disney. It was one of the most magical trips we made! He may not remember everything, but he does remember some things. It created some very special memories for us as parents to see him as he took in all the magic.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot - free airfare and free park tickets!!

 

[Bugsmom73]

I think each person and family is different. DH and I take our kids almost everywhere. DD has flown to Florida and California and DS to Florida. They have ridden a lot in the car too. They mainly come with us b/c it is a family vacation. Also, my mom works and my in-laws could reasonably only keep the kids a couple of days at most, and overnight probably the longest. DD was 15mos on her first trip. She was 3 1/2 on her second trip. She still talks about it and wants to known when we are going back.

 

[FSUGrad97]

Why do you bring set 5 yrs old as your limit? Because it is your family's vacation, and you are comfortable with that age cutoff. Simply put, different strokes for different folks. I personally bring my kids to WDW when they are young because *I* remember the reactions and magical moments. Oh yeah and lots of great photos! Maybe my kids won't remember, but I will always have the memories

EXACTLY!!!

 

[grlpwrd]

...most people act like crazy disney people when you say anything at all negative about disney. wow!

bwahahahaha

You do realize that you're on the DIS boards, right?

 

[Disneyrsh]

Oh, man, so wrong on so many levels!

First, let's assume that babies don't remember anything until they're 4. Using that argument we can just stick them in a box until then, pop them out, and let them begin experiencing life because up until then it's all a wash.

Yeah, are we beginning to see the faulty logic there?

We've been going with the kids before they were a sparkle in my eye, when they were a bulge in my belly, when they were 4 months old, and now they're 5 and 6 and we continue to go regularly to Disney.

What the original poster is missing that I find so fundamental to the joy of Disney is that your relationship to the parks change as your child changes!

Seeing my daughter at 4 months lifting up her head to just *stare* at Piglet was magical, as was doing the tower of terror with her when she was 4 years and listing to her belly laugh and whoop at the drops!

And here's another thing, doing Disney isn't easy with kids and everyone learned some pretty resourceful coping strategies that work really well when you get back to the real world. Our kids don't have a lot of meltdowns, because they learned *very* early that that was the fastest way back to the hotel and a nap. They learned to work it out and keep their cool.

There are so many valuable experiences at Disney that are relevant to so many different ages that I almost want to say that the OP is a fool who can't think outside of the box, but that would be very undisneyish of me.

Besides, the parks are too crowded as it is.