Your earliest Disney park memory: how old were you,especially if you went as a child?

[gk90]

The thread about bringing a young child to Disney had me wondering how old people were on their early childhood Disney visits that they can remember.

I know that there are people say "it's not worth bringing kids to Disney until they're around 6 or 7 because they won't remember it anyway." This is NOT to debate that question--I understand that every family has the right to make their own decision. I'm just curious as to where that 6-7 benchmark age for memories is coming from, and how far back people's early memories go?

One reason that age 6-7 benchmark has me curious is that I have very clear memories of trips/events/experiences that happened around age 4 or 5 and I can't be the only adult who does. But to hear other people talk you'd think that they don't remember anything from when they were younger than 6?

My first Disney trip (to DL) happened when I was 5 and I have detailed memories of it including Snow White, Jungle Cruise (looking at the hippos' teeth) and the audio-animatronic Mr. Lincoln in the theater. I remember beach and camping trips from when I was 4. DH very clearly remembers going to the NY World's Fair when he was 4 and 5--one reason he loves Epcot World showcase is that it reminds him of the World's Fair.

Anyone else remember trips, vacations, especially Disney trips, from when they were younger than 6-7?

 

[JoshuaShaw]

I've never been sure if it was a legit memory or just a very vivid dream I had around three or four, but I think I may actually retain a memory from when I visited Disneyland when I was 2. It's a very brief, vague memory, but I've had it my entire life and it always seemed like something straight out of a dark ride. Other than that trip, I didn't visit another park until I was 6.

 

[BerrysGirl]

I remember much of my trip when I was 5. I remember riding Body Wars, being afraid of the characters but then falling in love with Tigger and Mickey when my Dad made friends with them, and thinking my god-sister was being a bit spoiled when she threw a temper tantrum after Dumbo. Many of these things are not caught by photographs or discussed by the family so I'm fairly confident they're my own memories.

 

[avic77]

21
Yea we didnt go to Disney when I was a kid. My MIL took my husband and our oldest daughter when i was 21.
I remember burying my hubby in Dinoland play area. The rest was a blur. We went Thanksgiving weekend arrived Wed night. Had 4 short days and my husband's family hauled us all over the place. It was crazy.

 

[morethananyonex]

I have a vivid but short memory of a moment in the Orlando airport on the way to WDW when I was 3, does that count?

Actually, I remember having a life jacket put on me at River Country when I was 2, so another small memory, and I guess that one would be the first one .

 

[wahoostampingirl]

I have a couple of vivid memories from a trip we took when I was about 5. I remember riding 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and thinking it was so cool. I remember my older brother taking me on the teacups. And I remember that I never got to ride Dumbo because the line was too long or it was raining. It was the first year that Disney World was open and we only went for that one day.

I never went to Disney World again until my kids were 5 and I had just turned 40! I was on a mission to ride Dumbo and it was so great to finally get on a ride that had been in the back of my mind for 35 years.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

The earliest memory I know was mine (and not something potentially planted there by my parents repeatedly telling the story) is of a statue at the Polynesian that had a stereo hidden in its base playing music. It frightened me and I ran to my parents and grandparents to tell them about the talking tiki statue. They didn't believe me, and it was years before I passed by the same statue again and realized it really had been "talking". From the same trip I have memories of riding in a rented car from the airport, meeting "Mickey" and being disappointed he wasn't actually a cartoon, a talking trashcan (which I thought was a made up memory, until I found out about PUSH) and my dad making sure we rode the boat over to MK the first time and took a horse drawn carriage up main street the first time.

It was Easter time in 1983. I was 3.

 

[kikik]

I was 5-6 (turned 6 there) - I remember bits and pieces, some characters, some rides (definitely meeting Mickey and Minnie, going on Dumbo and the Haunted Mansion), but it was enough to make me fall in love with Disney and spend the four years it took to come back talking about nothing else. My mom will tell to anyone that will listen that one of the happiest moments of her life was watching me watch the Electrical Parade! Sadly I don't remember it.

My parents had been to Disney two years before, though (so when I was four) and thought I was too young to appreciate everything - wasn't tall enough for most rides (one thing I do remember from my first trip is going to Busch Gardens and having to sit outside of Kumba with my grandma while everyone else rode it and being sooo upset!) and "wouldn't remember anything". I disagree, I definitely remember them abandoning me to go to Disneyworld.

 

[disnut8]

My earliest Disney park memory was when I was 15 and my family made its first trip there. I can remember just about every single detail from that trip. And even though we made many, many other trips when I was younger and older than that, the Disney trip is the only one where all the details remain.

But going back to earliest memories - this might make those nay-sayers take a pause. When I was a teenager, I told my mother and my father that I remembered the doctor giving me a lollipop because my sister told him she had one and I didn't. They had no idea what I was talking about until I said "you know, when Sandy got hit on the head with the swing". That happened when my sister was four and I was two. I also remember when my sister went to school and I had to stay home. She began to teach me everything she learned in first grade. She was five and I was three.

My husband remembers going to Disneyland when he was three. My son still remembers things from his first Disney World visit and he was three.

 

[Rora]

I remember being 3 and being TERRIFIED of Chip and Dale at some character breakfast we were at. It was awful. I was traumatized,

I also can remember being 4 at WDW. We were at MK, it was Christmas time and I had a plush Duchess from the Aristocats. My dad was pushing me in one of the strollers WDW used to have available for rent. I remember being thrilled with the decorations!

My kids will be going early.

 

[PHXscuba]

I went to DLR a lot as a small child because we lived nearby and that was back when rides had individual tickets so a family didn't break the bank if they just wanted to take a child for the afternoon. Most of my memories are a little mixed-up as to what age I was, but I have a lot of pictures to help (In my avatar, that's me at Disneyland on my third birthday, and my Dad labeled the picture "Grumpy and friend" in his blocky printing. Priceless.)

"What age will they remember it?" is a tricky one. I have clear memories of a plane trip to visit grandparents in Illinois and sledding on a hill behind their house -- no pictures of either. And it was the Christmas before my sister was born, so I was 2 years, 3 months! I think especially if you take lots of pictures and video, a child can have pleasant memories reinforced and "recall" a trip at age 3 or 4.

PHXscuba

 

[Jedana]

I was 34 for the first time at DL; 36 @WDW! I remember everything!

DS was 22 months the first trip to DL, and I don't think he really remembers it, or the trip the following year, when he was 3-1/2. He does remember the first trip to WDW, though; it was a few months after his 4th birthday.

 

[YodaGirl]

My earliest memories are from '86 when I was 5.

 

[Michelle67]

My first Disneyland memory was when I was 26. We had taken my daughter for her 5th birthday, and she remembers some of it but not that much. My family went when I was around 2, and I don't remember a thing about it first hand. On the other hand, I've seen the pictures and my family has told stories about things I did there, so it's still a "family memory" for me....just not a first hand one.

Rora, your post made me smile because one of the pictures and stories from our trip is me smacking Chip in the face because I didn't like him getting close to me.

 

[queenofhartz]

I was 7. My parents were definitely in the "we can only afford to go one time, so the children have to be old enough to remember it" camp. I was the youngest. My sister was 10 when we went.

My favorite memory was: My mom and dad bought my sister and I hats at Disneyworld. We both had on our hats, and as we were walking around the park, someone took my hat right off my head (my sister's hat "disappeared" as well)! I turned around and King John from Robin Hood was standing behind us. He had one hand behind his back, and of course - I knew he had taken our hats. I asked him for my hat back, and he acted as if he had no idea what I was talking about. Then, Robin Hood came up behind King John and rescued our hats. He bent on one knee and returned it to my sister and me. Then he shook my dad's hand and "pretended" to kiss my mom's hand before he and King John engaged in a sword fight right in the middle of main street. We still talk about this - it was so cute and "in character." They were also the only characters we met in Disneyworld, so they really stood out.

Now, I am a mom, and we took DS when he was 2 - mainly because we had a timeshare and free tickets. DS does not remember his trip when he was 2 years old, but DH and I have the memories. We also took him at 3. He does remember his trip from when he was 3 years old, and often talks about eating breakfast with Eeyore.

 

[pigletto]

2 memories.. I was maybe 4 or 5? Very young at any rate.

First memory was seeing the Poly and thinking it looked wonderful.

The second was running up behind one of the Three Little Pigs in Fantasyland and trying to jump on his back because I was so excited... and then realizing what I had done and running away because I thought he would yell at me

I try not to jump up on the characters for piggy backs these days..

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

My first trip wasn't till 17. But we have taken DS12 @ 18 months. DS10 at 2 yrs and DD8 at 2 yr 3 months and DS3 at 1 yr 1 mon for their first trip. We always showed the kids the photos/videos. For the last 7 yrs we have been going every August. At DD8's first trip we where there when they were gearing to towards the younger kids. The Imagination Movers had a show at the ABC building (Idol bldg now). We had never heard of them but they were awesome! DD was in the row and jumping up and down to the music. She jumped too close to the row infront of us and hit her mouth on the seat back to the row infront of us. She was okay.

Fast forward to when she was maybe 6. She told me that she remembered hurting her mouth on the chair while the Imagination Movers was playing. I had totally forgotten about that!! I never told her that story she remembered it. It totally strengthens my belief in bringing them young!

As for DS3- We adopted him at 6 wks old. We found out about him at 4 wks old. We were leaving for WDW 3 days after we decided to adopt him. We could have taken him with us but it was August and we were not even prepared for a baby at home nevermind one on vacation. We did leave him with his foster family. We didn't visit him either bc there was no way we could leave him behind once we met him in person. We did have a great trip and even a better homecoming. We picked him up the day after we got back. He has been asking for the last 3 months if we can go to disney. I mean every day- mulitply times a day!! He is in love with disney. I believe he remembers the last trip in some form. Taking the trip with out him was a special family time to enjoy each other before another baby joined our family. I just thought he was too little - 6wks and it was beginning of Aug which is terribly hot and 6 wk old babies don't sleep at night so I couldn't see me at my best for everyone else if I had been up all night.

I have met many parents that wait til the kids are older. I don't understand their reasoning. I have several friends that waited and said it was horrible. Their kids didn't like it == too much walking-- just wanted to play with their video games, ETC. If they start early then they get use to it. I have soo many memories of each child at WDW. They may not remember all of it but we do.

I say take them when they are young. We never went back to the resort for naps. We used the stroller. In the beginning when oldest two went we would just walk thru the shops while they napped- relaxed and enjoyed each other. As they got older and the siblings were napping - they went on rides while I pushed the stroller around enjoying my quiet time and checking out the shops or even a parade. To us going back the resort was useless bc they would fall asleep on the bus and wake up as it arrived at the resort. I would baby wear DS3 his first 3 trips. This is the first year we are debating on a stroller or not.

Good luck in your decision. Only you know what is right for your children.

 

[ChrisHartman]

I only remember brief bits and pieces of my trip to DLR in 1971, I was 3.

I remember riding the Matterhorn with my brother and going under something where I got little wet from a waterfall??. We were in a cave or tunnel of sorts...I've never been to DLR since, so I'm not sure what it was.

I remember riding the haunted mansion with my dad and sister and being scared when I looked in a mirror and saw a scary ghoul in the mirror looking back at me. I had nightmares about that ghoul for years. Last October, at WDW, we rode the HM...it was the first time I'd been in the Haunted mansion in almost years. But, it wasn't so scary this time, LOL

I remember riding the TeaCups with my mom and sister and just wanting to spin it faster and faster...my poor mom.

That's all I remember.

 

[danceintherain]

I have memories from when I was 4-5 and we lived just outside Orlando. I remember riding a ride similar to Spaceship Earth (or maybe that's what it was) where you got to push buttons. I distinctly remember the smell of oranges. I also remember a lunch/dinner show that was likely at Epcot over near where the Baby Center is now. I remember the characters dancing and putting mayonnaise on my hot dog.

I also remember one of my aunts giving us a candy with an edible wrapper (I have since found out it was called Botan Rice Candy). This memory I argued with my Mom about for years. She didn't remember, so she thought it much have been something that a different aunt brought back from Japan when I was closer to 8. However, I remember sitting on a bench in the World Showcase and my aunt handing it to me to try. I ended up finding some on a trip a couple years ago. I know this couldn't have been something somebody told me about later, since it was so random and my Mom, who was there, doesn't remember at all.

The other memory I have from that time was getting lost. That was particularly traumatic, so it doesn't have as much to do with Disney.

Basically, all my memories are sensory. That said they are a culmination of around 6 months of going to the parks at least once a week, because we had Florida resident passes.
I know my parents took us to the dinner show multiple times, because it was our favorite. The orange smelling ride I'm sure I went on a lot, because it seemed to be my favorite.

I also have other memories that may or may not be my own, because we have videos, or for example, I couldn't ride Space Mountain so I remember being sad when they tried to take my sister on it. This could be a memory that I was told to have, but who knows.

 

[hroyale]

I visited WDW in 1975 about one week after my 5th bday.
I didn't return until we brought by kids (almost 5) in 2008.
From my first visit I remembered vividly the tram from the parking lot, the castle, the monorail, 20,000 leagues under the sea, space mountain, small world, the country bears and the tea cups and more. I remember being "stalked" by donald duck and buying my pink mickey ears.

I was barely 5 and am now over 40 but remember quite a lot from that 2 day trip. My grandmother who took me remembers different things but we both have great memories from that trip.