A four month old might be a bit extreme, I know. The only reason why you would take them there, aside from wanting to go yourself, is to get some pictures with the characters. Perhaps it makes a cute Christmas card.
But as they get older, that's where the real fun starts.
Once my kids were able to walk and actually interact with the characters Disney became a whole new place. I can vividly remember going there when Tyler was around 18 months old, he was a huge fan of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so he knew all of the characters like they were his best friends. We went to a character greeting in Epcot and the boy was sprinting between Mickey and Minnie and the gang, he was in heaven. Is this something that he will remember? Absolutely not, but it is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
I know a lot of people that won't take their kids to Disney until they can fully understand and remember everything. I can certainly understand that, but at EVERY age there is something new. Whether its new rides, or new attractions that appeal to them, every time that we have gone it seems like Disney has changed. The boys aren't so much into the characters anymore like they used to be, but there are new rides that they can go on. Space Mountain is now something that Tyler can ride on and is very much looking forward to in the fall.
There might be certain windows that you have to take into account. Are your kids going to be too old to want to see all the characters, or are they going to be too young to go on all the rides and remember everything. For us the characters were such a huge part of our lives, I would be devastated if we went later in our kids lives that they didn't enjoy that at ll.
There might be certain windows that you have to take into account. Are your kids going to be too old to want to see all the characters, or are they going to be too young to go on all the rides and remember everything. For us the characters were such a huge part of our lives, I would be devastated if we went later in our kids lives that they didn't enjoy that at ll.
So as far as age is concerned, it is completely up to you. We were never worried that the kids wouldn't remember anything because when it came down to it, we did. So much of the joy of going to Disney as a parent is seeing your kids reactions to things. Over the years I have seen my kids go from those excited little babies meeting characters for the first time, to excited little boys going on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for the first time.
Was four months old a little early? Maybe for some people, but I'm glad that we did it.
See we've been debating the same thing. Our kids are 6 months and barely 2. I know they won't remember but I don't care I think our 2 yr old would love it and so we are thinking of going soon or next year when she's 3.
ReplyDeleteThree is a great age! My oldest was into Little Einsteins at the time and his favorite was getting to see them. Ask him now and he would have no idea... I have all the pictures to prove it.
ReplyDeleteMy son is 18 so I think if we went in the next year or two he would enjoy the "adult" portions & the big scary rides... & my little girl is 7 so she's gonna love it regardless of when we go. The nice thing is that her enjoyment will make even the most goofy parts fun for all of us, even my son. There's an 11 year difference between my kids, so she is almost as much HIS baby as ours... which only adds to the fun. He's an awesome adult-big brother, too, cuz he just lights up when she's pleased with something. So I guess even tho our first trip to the big D will be late in his life, it'll still be enjoyable for all, regardless. What a stupid debate I'm even presenting... can it ever REALLY be too late to enjoy a friggin' theme park??? DUH... no. :)
ReplyDeleteI only went to Disney once when I was little bc my father hated the lines and the crowds. When is the best time to visit Disney? Obviously not during school vacation! I just want to avoid the busy season of the park. My dd is almost 3 and is just now getting into the Disney Princess and other characters. I am thinking we might have to go soon.
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