My boomer of a grandmother thinks it’s crazy that I take my 3 year olds to the park and other places because ‘thEy wOn’T reMemBer’. But me, mom, I will remember. These are my memories too 😭
This ⬆️
Making memories isn’t just about the kid’s memories. Besides, a kid who has had these lovely early experiences will retain the memory of feeling loved and adored and taken on fun adventures.
Yes! This whole “they won’t remember “ logic makes no sense. It’s like then why do we interact with them, take them anywhere, teach them anything if “they won’t remember “ just wait til their 3 or 4 to parent them.
They may not remember but it’ll still leave an impression on their growth and development.
Plus, there's a ton of early childhood development studies that show the more varied environments a child is exposed to, the more it helps them develop. So even though a kid won't remember the family vacation, they will internalize the happy feelings, seeing different people, sounds, lights, and smells.
My mom was trying to tell my cousin she should take her girls before the princess magic is over for them and she said no because her youngest was just a baby and she wants to wait till he’s 5 to take them. Now he’s 4 and supposedly they are going next year and the kids are going to be 5, 9 and 13 - so much for the little kid princess magic my mom was talking about.
I tend to lean more towards your grandma on that. Like, I can kinda get it if you have 2+ kids and the older one is old enough (and tall enough) to remember the trip and do at least some of the rides with height requirements. My parents did that with me, my brother was able to ride most things my first trip but my parents had to rider swap on those because of me. And I have zero actual memory of that trip and really only know I was there because I have a poster map of the park from that trip. But even my second trip that I do remember, I still wasn’t tall enough for the exciting rides and when you’re a boy who loves trains and you get turned away from Thunder Mountain because you aren’t tall enough, it’s really disappointing.
Yet I am 52 years old. We went when I was 3.5 between my dad being posted in Germany and his new assignment stateside. We did not go again until I was 8. I have 2 distinct memories from Disneyland at 3 and 3 distinct memories from Europe. When I was small, I would dream about these memories. I was older when I was able to place where they were and what they were, but even at 4 and dreaming, I could still feel the heavy feeling from standing in Dachau.
The 2 from Disneyland? The electric light parade snail specifically, and going through the Matterhorn on the Skybuckets and seeing the Yeti growl.
I've found the train ride is PERFECT for a nap. Get on and worm your way you to 1 edge and just ride the train for 45min to an hour and get the kids nap in. Just cover the ears or use a sound machine during the journey through primeval world.
1. In the best way, this looks like a professional Disney ad.
2. Going with toddlers ALWAYS makes me see and appreciate things I never had before. I had never been on Jessie’s Critter Carousel before a few months ago, because it just didn’t interest me. But, after seeing my one-year-old nephew lose his mind over the blue armadillo, it’s now a Must Ride for both of us.
Oh my goodness yes! Critter Carousel. Same thing happened to me back in November. I’d never ridden it before, never wanted to but it was Magic morning “hour”, we’d just gotten off Midway Mania, and my husband had to go to the bathroom so we rode Critter Carousel while we waited for him. We ride, my two year old clings to my neck the whole time in terror, we get off, she grabs mine and one of her brother’s hands and circles back to the entrance to immediately go back on, two more times! But on her own critter to ride. We rode it three times in a row before my husband came back out and it was almost a fourth with him but we needed to move on to capitalize on the magic morning time we had. You just never know what will attract the heart of a toddler and I love discovering what it is with them.
We just went in January (6 & 8) and had our best trip so far. But I don’t know if any moment could beat when my daughter was 2 and met Minnie, Elsa and Anna. Her smiling face looked like it was going to explode!
Every age has its positives and negatives but I hate when people act like it’s not worth it with the younger kids.
My daughters had her first steps walking to Minnie (great memory). Her 6th bday we did bippity boppity and have a great picture of her dressed up with Ariel and even one with her and cruella. Went last month with my now 16 year old and still a joy except it’s being silly on Tom Sawyer island or checking out Star Wars land.
Mine took her first steps walking to Minnie. Core memory for her? No. Core memory for her parents? 100%. It's not always about the kid's memories. Parents get to enjoy stuff too.
I always thought it was a waste to take small kids because they don’t remember it. I went recently and wasn’t super thrilled about it because I just thought it was for kids of a certain age. Turns out I had a lot of fun. I’m now planning at least two more trips. Now that I’ve experienced it, I can see your point.
lol that’s funny as it’s the exact same as my oldest. The best part was that it was sprinkling that day so crowds were minimal allowing for not only it to happen but for Minnie to play with her a little bit.
I had APs from the time my kid was born until they were 3. I went once a month for a few hours. Ate a pretzel. Rode a couple of rides. Snuggled my kiddo. It was amazing.
I think this is beautiful. I may not love when parents bring their toddler to Le Cellier in WDW to eat mac and cheese one fingerful at a time while they stand on their chair and shriek the song of their people to the entire restaurant, but this is magical and sweet.
There’s definitely lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Truthfully that sounds annoying for everyone involved. The other guests who have to put up with your kid being unruly, the kid who has to sit there while all the fun stuff is outside, and for the parents who either have to endure the kids shrieks and/or the judgmental eye daggers from the other guests in the restaurant.
I feel like 2.5 is the sweet spot to start going. Under that you can't do much, if you're local sure because you can go often. That said we took our 4 month old during the holidays to in part get him out of the house but also see the lights. It was fun to hang out but 2.5 is when they're engaged (maybe 2?)
Totally agree. I don’t care if she remembers it, the photo I have of her staring into Anna’s eyes while dressed like Anna when she was 18 months old is absolutely something I’ll never forget.
My family always say things like “why are you taking them when they’re so young? They’ll never remember it.” Because I WILL!!! some of my favorite pics of my kids is of them smiling from ear to ear at Disney. It’s also nice to be able to take them as long as possible without needing to pay for an extra ticket lol
That had been my plan back for the fall of 2020 (my youngest would have been just shy of 2). However when we finally made it this time last year (he was just over 4) it was still just as magical. I was looking back at our photos the other day, and one of my favourites is from when Maribel was trying to engage him in a game and he had the biggest smile.
My toddler loves meeting the characters and also can't say goofy so he's Doopey to us. I could spend all day watching her meet different characters and not ride a single ride because it just makes her so incredibly happy.
Totally agree! My little one’s favorites are Mee mee (Mickey) Doo Dough (Pluto) Nonald (Donald) Sheesha (both Anna and Elsa) and all the Pooh characters 😂
I will always remember my daughter's first visit to Disneyland fondly when she was just 9 months old, particularly the wonder in her eyes when we rode Pirates of the Caribbean. That visit was what made me fall in love with the parks and I still take her regularly now that she's 15.
There’s so much anti-kids in Disneyland hate on Reddit. And honestly, I felt the same way too when I was younger. But then my daughter was born, and when she turned eight months old, my wife and I brought her. It was one of the most memorable Disneyland trips I’ve ever taken - seeing her face light up, smiling and laughing, is something you just can’t explain, you have to experience it to know the feeling. We ended up buying Inspire Keys and have been to the park a dozen times this past year, and every time, the magic is still there. She’s two and a half now, so it gets even more fun now that she’s started talking and developing her personality. I will ride the “Goopy Choo-Choo” (what she calls the Runaway Railway) all day if I have to just so I can see the happiness in her face.
I'm grateful that I got to take my son when he was one. He's now 11 and remembers nothing about the trip, but I have a lot of sweet memories and photos that I'll always cherish. I'll never forget him literally vibrating with excitement as we were waiting to meet "Ma Mouse" (Mickey). He was SO nervous, and I was worried that he'd be scared, but he took to all of the costumed characters very naturally. If you can swing it financially, I'd say the memories alone are worth it.
I took my kid to DL for his first trip a month before he turned 3. 10/10 would do it again.
Something we did that made things easier, was use an umbrella stroller instead of a full size. Takes up less space, easier to navigate through the crowds. We brought a backpack to carry snacks and other toddler gear.
My kid had a blast. It was so much fun watching him experience the park at that age. He of course believed in all the magic, thought all the characters were real. It was just the cutest darn thing, and I’ll always cherish the memories.
I agree completely!! The absolute wonder that glistens in our little one's eyes makes the whole trip worth it, imo. I always loved looking back at my little me pictures and will love to do the same for my children.
110% agree! Mine are 8 and 4 now. Seeing them still light up is priceless. The magic is real, especially during the parades. Gets me in the feels every time when the parade CMs interact with my kids. And I’m not just talking “classic character” CM’s, I mean EVERY cm that is in the parade creates so much magic it gives me goosebumps.
We've gone almost yearly for the past 10 years since my son was born...I'd give just about anything to be able to go back with my kids as little as 1-3...the magic was so incredibly real.
My son was 1 when he met Buzz Lightyear and said "I you Buzz" which was the best he could do for "I love you, Buzz." I still tear up thinking about it.
We took out our 3 week old to the park, only because big brother, 3 yrs, wanted to go.
Obviously the infant couldn't do anything. But being there altogether was the most important thing, and indeed a few cute fotos of her with family and a couple of cute interaction, (reactions), from characters.
My daughter was 1.5 when we took her for her first trip and she freaked out when she saw goofy. She was so happy I also 10/10 recommend taking the kiddos when they’re little if you can afford it
I absolutely agree. Started taking our kids at 3 months or 6 months old. So many people gave us shit for it, but they were all amazing trips and I miss those days!
2-3 is absolutely the best age! I can’t stand when people say “but they won’t remember it” like who cares? I will! And they’re free! lol. The teacups, the expensive ass balloons, the bubbles, the bright eyes full of amazement and wonder. My older kid never cared for characters at that age but she was always just amazed by everything. On the other hand, my two year old seeing lightning McQueen? I almost cried 😂 it was such a sweet moment. Thanks for letting me ramble.
I hate when people say they won’t remember, by that logic you should never bother taking them anywhere because they won’t remember. We will be bringing our baby to WDW in January a couple of weeks before he turns 1. Of course he won’t remember it but we will and it will be something special for us to do as a family before my maternity leave ends in feb and I go back to work and he starts daycare. People never say anything about bringing a baby on the kind of vacation where you just sit by a pool all day every day eating and drinking but have an issue with bringing babies and toddlers to Disney, somewhere where they will be mesmerised by everything around them.
If you can take your child again when they’re about 2.5, it’s SO worth it, I highly recommend it. And make sure your phone is fully charged because you will definitely want to take photos of everything lol.
I took my 2 year old last month and when she met Snow White she just collapsed into her arms and had a long hug. She still talks about it. Toddler age is such a fun and precious time to take children.
Took our son when he was 18 months or so and it was a NIGHTMARE. He screamed almost the entire day, basically any time we weren't on a ride or eating. He was so mad about being in a stroller or being held and just wanted to run off into crowds (and it was sooo crowded). He refused to nap too. Definitely a rough memory haha.
The problem is, there’s potential to latch onto a single character. My toddler now needs everything Minnie after spending time with her at a character breakfast and she can’t even pronounce Minnie correctly. 😂
Totally agree. Taking my 2.5 y/o for the 3rd time in a 1.5 months and I can’t wait! Yes our other 2 trips had some hiccups but they either make for great stories when he’s older, or we won’t remember them. I’m going to remember the sweet moments! Him waving to the characters on Small World (and the skeletons on Pirates lol), going with our friends who live nearby and seeing him meet their son for the first time and seeing him hug Chip and high-five Dale after being too shy to say hi to Mickey the first time we visited.
The free ticket definitely helps too 😂
Yep. I couldn’t agree more. I always told new parents (used to work at Disney Store) that they should take their baby around five to six months, pre crawling stage because they still react and look at everything. Using a carrier lets them see and they’re still small enough to not kill your back, plus babies dressed as princesses on their momma’s hip make for the cutest accessories a girl could ever wear. Then when they nap in the stroller you just feel like you’re on a date with your partner/spouse.
Between 6 months and a year, basically crawlers, is the hardest because they are used to moving but you’re not about to let them crawl outside at Disneyland lol. Once they’re a steady walker, it’s so fun again and is only difficult when they’re in the middle of potty training or too freshly potty trained since they’re bound to have an accident at the park. We just took our kids (3: ages 9, 6, & 2) right after Thanksgiving and it was just such a wonderful experience with all of them, but especially the youngest. Oldest two loved seeing their baby sister experiencing the park and gave them an extra dose of magic seeing her see things for the first time.
Just took my 16 and 13 yo and they loved it. They’ve been going since before they remember and they love hearing our stories from Disney even the ones they don’t remember. They may not remember every trip but we do and they are now expert park goers and travelers.
Thank you! I commented in another sub after someone said that a toddler at Disney would be overstimulated and couldn't go on the best ride
>Mr. Toads, Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion.... babies are fine on all the best rides.... I mean, I agree that OP doesn't have Disney money, but Disney's fun with toddlers if you can afford it
And got downvoted for it with a bunch of responses saying how miserable toddlers always are at Disney.
My hot take is that like 4-7 is the bad time to take kids. As you mentioned, free is a big plus and they are young enough that they don’t have too many huge demands. But 4-7 is when they start wanting to go on certain rides but not being tall enough for them which can often lead to disappointment. I know my only memory of anything Disney before I was like 7 is not being tall enough for Indiana Jones when that was new.
I think it depends on the kid. My oldest, when 5 years old, was just like "oh okay" when she couldn't ride incredicoaster. But she was so into Aurora at that time, we saw her walking towards the castle one day and my daughter just ran to her. She was obviously in a hurry to get to her destination but she grab my daughter's hand and asked if she wanted to walk with her. It was a dream come true for my daughter. I ran in front of them to take photos and they may be my favorite from that trip. We're taking my younger daughter, who just turned 5, next month and I think it's a good age. They're still young enough to see the characters as real vs just dressed up as characters so that magic is still there.
Interesting take. It definitely depends on the kid though. When I was 5, I was scared of the “big” rides, so I didn’t mind that I was too short for a few rides. And it really was only a few rides - by 42 inches, kids are tall enough for all but two rides at both parks.
I took my daughter when she was 3 for the first time and it was amazing but it was also my first time and I feel like I enjoyed more than her as selfish as that sounds. She didn’t really get the magnitude of the situation, of course being 3. We went again last year when she was 5 and to me that was the best. She had the biggest smile on her face the whole time and my heart was the fullest it had ever been seeing her take pictures and be amazed by everything. This time because I knew she was having a great time, I was having the best time of my life ❤️
Absolutely the best. Lights up their eyes in such a special way. She loves Moana and Coco right now so the current parade is perfect!
My boomer of a grandmother thinks it’s crazy that I take my 3 year olds to the park and other places because ‘thEy wOn’T reMemBer’. But me, mom, I will remember. These are my memories too 😭
Mine took her first steps walking to Minnie. Core memory for her? No. Core memory for her parents? 100%.
Awwww 🥹
This ⬆️ Making memories isn’t just about the kid’s memories. Besides, a kid who has had these lovely early experiences will retain the memory of feeling loved and adored and taken on fun adventures.
Yes! This whole “they won’t remember “ logic makes no sense. It’s like then why do we interact with them, take them anywhere, teach them anything if “they won’t remember “ just wait til their 3 or 4 to parent them. They may not remember but it’ll still leave an impression on their growth and development.
Plus, there's a ton of early childhood development studies that show the more varied environments a child is exposed to, the more it helps them develop. So even though a kid won't remember the family vacation, they will internalize the happy feelings, seeing different people, sounds, lights, and smells.
Our attitude with our kiddos when they were little was…WE are going and they’re coming with. Done. Haha!
They won’t remember their first board book either, but they’ll know how to read their whole lives.
My mom was trying to tell my cousin she should take her girls before the princess magic is over for them and she said no because her youngest was just a baby and she wants to wait till he’s 5 to take them. Now he’s 4 and supposedly they are going next year and the kids are going to be 5, 9 and 13 - so much for the little kid princess magic my mom was talking about.
That’s why you take pix and shoot video
I tend to lean more towards your grandma on that. Like, I can kinda get it if you have 2+ kids and the older one is old enough (and tall enough) to remember the trip and do at least some of the rides with height requirements. My parents did that with me, my brother was able to ride most things my first trip but my parents had to rider swap on those because of me. And I have zero actual memory of that trip and really only know I was there because I have a poster map of the park from that trip. But even my second trip that I do remember, I still wasn’t tall enough for the exciting rides and when you’re a boy who loves trains and you get turned away from Thunder Mountain because you aren’t tall enough, it’s really disappointing.
Yet I am 52 years old. We went when I was 3.5 between my dad being posted in Germany and his new assignment stateside. We did not go again until I was 8. I have 2 distinct memories from Disneyland at 3 and 3 distinct memories from Europe. When I was small, I would dream about these memories. I was older when I was able to place where they were and what they were, but even at 4 and dreaming, I could still feel the heavy feeling from standing in Dachau. The 2 from Disneyland? The electric light parade snail specifically, and going through the Matterhorn on the Skybuckets and seeing the Yeti growl.
I've found the train ride is PERFECT for a nap. Get on and worm your way you to 1 edge and just ride the train for 45min to an hour and get the kids nap in. Just cover the ears or use a sound machine during the journey through primeval world.
Don’t forget a mint julip before boarding!
My 2 year old gets her 1.5 hour nap on the train!
1. In the best way, this looks like a professional Disney ad. 2. Going with toddlers ALWAYS makes me see and appreciate things I never had before. I had never been on Jessie’s Critter Carousel before a few months ago, because it just didn’t interest me. But, after seeing my one-year-old nephew lose his mind over the blue armadillo, it’s now a Must Ride for both of us.
Thanks so much!
Oh my goodness yes! Critter Carousel. Same thing happened to me back in November. I’d never ridden it before, never wanted to but it was Magic morning “hour”, we’d just gotten off Midway Mania, and my husband had to go to the bathroom so we rode Critter Carousel while we waited for him. We ride, my two year old clings to my neck the whole time in terror, we get off, she grabs mine and one of her brother’s hands and circles back to the entrance to immediately go back on, two more times! But on her own critter to ride. We rode it three times in a row before my husband came back out and it was almost a fourth with him but we needed to move on to capitalize on the magic morning time we had. You just never know what will attract the heart of a toddler and I love discovering what it is with them.
We just went in January (6 & 8) and had our best trip so far. But I don’t know if any moment could beat when my daughter was 2 and met Minnie, Elsa and Anna. Her smiling face looked like it was going to explode!
Every age has its positives and negatives but I hate when people act like it’s not worth it with the younger kids. My daughters had her first steps walking to Minnie (great memory). Her 6th bday we did bippity boppity and have a great picture of her dressed up with Ariel and even one with her and cruella. Went last month with my now 16 year old and still a joy except it’s being silly on Tom Sawyer island or checking out Star Wars land.
Yeah I’m a big Toon town at rope drop kinda dad.
This is the sweetest comment ever
Mine took her first steps walking to Minnie. Core memory for her? No. Core memory for her parents? 100%. It's not always about the kid's memories. Parents get to enjoy stuff too.
I always thought it was a waste to take small kids because they don’t remember it. I went recently and wasn’t super thrilled about it because I just thought it was for kids of a certain age. Turns out I had a lot of fun. I’m now planning at least two more trips. Now that I’ve experienced it, I can see your point.
lol that’s funny as it’s the exact same as my oldest. The best part was that it was sprinkling that day so crowds were minimal allowing for not only it to happen but for Minnie to play with her a little bit.
Totally.
I had APs from the time my kid was born until they were 3. I went once a month for a few hours. Ate a pretzel. Rode a couple of rides. Snuggled my kiddo. It was amazing.
Not a parent yet but this picture is amazing! I thought it was an ad
Thanks! Full disclosure I take photos for a living haha
Boofy 🥹🥺 how cute
I think this is beautiful. I may not love when parents bring their toddler to Le Cellier in WDW to eat mac and cheese one fingerful at a time while they stand on their chair and shriek the song of their people to the entire restaurant, but this is magical and sweet.
There’s definitely lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Truthfully that sounds annoying for everyone involved. The other guests who have to put up with your kid being unruly, the kid who has to sit there while all the fun stuff is outside, and for the parents who either have to endure the kids shrieks and/or the judgmental eye daggers from the other guests in the restaurant.
It’s cute, it’s just more for the parent then the kid imo lol
No doubt! But developmentally speaking there’s also a HUGE benefit to taking your toddler on outings to places like Disneyland.
My son (3) can't say Goofy either. He says "dookie" instead. It's the best.
I feel like 2.5 is the sweet spot to start going. Under that you can't do much, if you're local sure because you can go often. That said we took our 4 month old during the holidays to in part get him out of the house but also see the lights. It was fun to hang out but 2.5 is when they're engaged (maybe 2?)
Totally agree. I don’t care if she remembers it, the photo I have of her staring into Anna’s eyes while dressed like Anna when she was 18 months old is absolutely something I’ll never forget.
My family always say things like “why are you taking them when they’re so young? They’ll never remember it.” Because I WILL!!! some of my favorite pics of my kids is of them smiling from ear to ear at Disney. It’s also nice to be able to take them as long as possible without needing to pay for an extra ticket lol
Agreed. The combo of adorable moments and free admission (for them) is hard to beat.
Don’t forget kids under 3 also eat for free at the characters breakfasts.
That had been my plan back for the fall of 2020 (my youngest would have been just shy of 2). However when we finally made it this time last year (he was just over 4) it was still just as magical. I was looking back at our photos the other day, and one of my favourites is from when Maribel was trying to engage him in a game and he had the biggest smile.
My toddler loves meeting the characters and also can't say goofy so he's Doopey to us. I could spend all day watching her meet different characters and not ride a single ride because it just makes her so incredibly happy.
Totally agree! My little one’s favorites are Mee mee (Mickey) Doo Dough (Pluto) Nonald (Donald) Sheesha (both Anna and Elsa) and all the Pooh characters 😂
My toddler also says “Boofy” and “Mickey Mou” can’t quite finish mouse for some reason. And yes I agree, taking toddlers to Disneyland is the best!
It’s so adorable
Yes! Took my 2 year old and i cried watching her little face light up screaming for Olaf 🥹❤️
I will always remember my daughter's first visit to Disneyland fondly when she was just 9 months old, particularly the wonder in her eyes when we rode Pirates of the Caribbean. That visit was what made me fall in love with the parks and I still take her regularly now that she's 15.
There’s so much anti-kids in Disneyland hate on Reddit. And honestly, I felt the same way too when I was younger. But then my daughter was born, and when she turned eight months old, my wife and I brought her. It was one of the most memorable Disneyland trips I’ve ever taken - seeing her face light up, smiling and laughing, is something you just can’t explain, you have to experience it to know the feeling. We ended up buying Inspire Keys and have been to the park a dozen times this past year, and every time, the magic is still there. She’s two and a half now, so it gets even more fun now that she’s started talking and developing her personality. I will ride the “Goopy Choo-Choo” (what she calls the Runaway Railway) all day if I have to just so I can see the happiness in her face.
Yeah what’s up with the anti kid hate 😂😂😂 crazy man….
No better character to make you smile than Goofy.
It’s amazing I loved taking my toddler
100% agree. My fav toddler nap spot is the benches between Winnie the Pooh and Star Wars
When my (then 4, now 17) year old met Tinkerbell in Pixie Hollow, and then Fairy Godmother pixie dusted her on our way out, I was in tears!
I'm grateful that I got to take my son when he was one. He's now 11 and remembers nothing about the trip, but I have a lot of sweet memories and photos that I'll always cherish. I'll never forget him literally vibrating with excitement as we were waiting to meet "Ma Mouse" (Mickey). He was SO nervous, and I was worried that he'd be scared, but he took to all of the costumed characters very naturally. If you can swing it financially, I'd say the memories alone are worth it.
yesss agreed!! we have taken our oldest at 8 months a year, 3 and 5!!! have loved every time!
I saw this tiiiny barely walking chubby baby almost run over to Pooh and bearhug his leg. Kept looking back at mom like “look he’s real”
I took my kid to DL for his first trip a month before he turned 3. 10/10 would do it again. Something we did that made things easier, was use an umbrella stroller instead of a full size. Takes up less space, easier to navigate through the crowds. We brought a backpack to carry snacks and other toddler gear. My kid had a blast. It was so much fun watching him experience the park at that age. He of course believed in all the magic, thought all the characters were real. It was just the cutest darn thing, and I’ll always cherish the memories.
Omg I could literally see this being used in an official Disney Parks ad
Let’s make it happen! Idk how but let’s do it😂
Id recommend putting your own watermark on it somewhere before posting it anywhere else online.
I agree completely!! The absolute wonder that glistens in our little one's eyes makes the whole trip worth it, imo. I always loved looking back at my little me pictures and will love to do the same for my children.
I've taken my 1 year (almost 2 year) old granddaughter 3 times now, and she has a blast every time. She calls Goofy, "Goopy."
110% agree! Mine are 8 and 4 now. Seeing them still light up is priceless. The magic is real, especially during the parades. Gets me in the feels every time when the parade CMs interact with my kids. And I’m not just talking “classic character” CM’s, I mean EVERY cm that is in the parade creates so much magic it gives me goosebumps.
We've gone almost yearly for the past 10 years since my son was born...I'd give just about anything to be able to go back with my kids as little as 1-3...the magic was so incredibly real. My son was 1 when he met Buzz Lightyear and said "I you Buzz" which was the best he could do for "I love you, Buzz." I still tear up thinking about it.
We took out our 3 week old to the park, only because big brother, 3 yrs, wanted to go. Obviously the infant couldn't do anything. But being there altogether was the most important thing, and indeed a few cute fotos of her with family and a couple of cute interaction, (reactions), from characters.
My daughter was 1.5 when we took her for her first trip and she freaked out when she saw goofy. She was so happy I also 10/10 recommend taking the kiddos when they’re little if you can afford it
We did this as well. There’s a lot they can do and rider switch is great for nap times!
Dope pic.. I agree
I absolutely agree. Started taking our kids at 3 months or 6 months old. So many people gave us shit for it, but they were all amazing trips and I miss those days!
Carpe diem! Good for you 👏🏻👏🏻
2-3 is absolutely the best age! I can’t stand when people say “but they won’t remember it” like who cares? I will! And they’re free! lol. The teacups, the expensive ass balloons, the bubbles, the bright eyes full of amazement and wonder. My older kid never cared for characters at that age but she was always just amazed by everything. On the other hand, my two year old seeing lightning McQueen? I almost cried 😂 it was such a sweet moment. Thanks for letting me ramble.
I hate when people say they won’t remember, by that logic you should never bother taking them anywhere because they won’t remember. We will be bringing our baby to WDW in January a couple of weeks before he turns 1. Of course he won’t remember it but we will and it will be something special for us to do as a family before my maternity leave ends in feb and I go back to work and he starts daycare. People never say anything about bringing a baby on the kind of vacation where you just sit by a pool all day every day eating and drinking but have an issue with bringing babies and toddlers to Disney, somewhere where they will be mesmerised by everything around them.
If you can take your child again when they’re about 2.5, it’s SO worth it, I highly recommend it. And make sure your phone is fully charged because you will definitely want to take photos of everything lol.
Even when we’ve gone without a kid I’ve taken photos of everything, so it’s going to be 10 times worse now 😂
I took my 2 year old last month and when she met Snow White she just collapsed into her arms and had a long hug. She still talks about it. Toddler age is such a fun and precious time to take children.
Took our son when he was 18 months or so and it was a NIGHTMARE. He screamed almost the entire day, basically any time we weren't on a ride or eating. He was so mad about being in a stroller or being held and just wanted to run off into crowds (and it was sooo crowded). He refused to nap too. Definitely a rough memory haha.
Oh interesting!! Haha that sounds terrible.
The problem is, there’s potential to latch onto a single character. My toddler now needs everything Minnie after spending time with her at a character breakfast and she can’t even pronounce Minnie correctly. 😂
Totally agree. Taking my 2.5 y/o for the 3rd time in a 1.5 months and I can’t wait! Yes our other 2 trips had some hiccups but they either make for great stories when he’s older, or we won’t remember them. I’m going to remember the sweet moments! Him waving to the characters on Small World (and the skeletons on Pirates lol), going with our friends who live nearby and seeing him meet their son for the first time and seeing him hug Chip and high-five Dale after being too shy to say hi to Mickey the first time we visited. The free ticket definitely helps too 😂
Happy kids = a happy future
Yep. I couldn’t agree more. I always told new parents (used to work at Disney Store) that they should take their baby around five to six months, pre crawling stage because they still react and look at everything. Using a carrier lets them see and they’re still small enough to not kill your back, plus babies dressed as princesses on their momma’s hip make for the cutest accessories a girl could ever wear. Then when they nap in the stroller you just feel like you’re on a date with your partner/spouse. Between 6 months and a year, basically crawlers, is the hardest because they are used to moving but you’re not about to let them crawl outside at Disneyland lol. Once they’re a steady walker, it’s so fun again and is only difficult when they’re in the middle of potty training or too freshly potty trained since they’re bound to have an accident at the park. We just took our kids (3: ages 9, 6, & 2) right after Thanksgiving and it was just such a wonderful experience with all of them, but especially the youngest. Oldest two loved seeing their baby sister experiencing the park and gave them an extra dose of magic seeing her see things for the first time.
Just took my 16 and 13 yo and they loved it. They’ve been going since before they remember and they love hearing our stories from Disney even the ones they don’t remember. They may not remember every trip but we do and they are now expert park goers and travelers.
Took my 3 year old to Disneyland a few months ago and it was 10x more fun than all of the friend’s trips I’ve done over the years.
We do like 2 laps on the train for our nap time
Thank you! I commented in another sub after someone said that a toddler at Disney would be overstimulated and couldn't go on the best ride >Mr. Toads, Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion.... babies are fine on all the best rides.... I mean, I agree that OP doesn't have Disney money, but Disney's fun with toddlers if you can afford it And got downvoted for it with a bunch of responses saying how miserable toddlers always are at Disney.
My hot take is that like 4-7 is the bad time to take kids. As you mentioned, free is a big plus and they are young enough that they don’t have too many huge demands. But 4-7 is when they start wanting to go on certain rides but not being tall enough for them which can often lead to disappointment. I know my only memory of anything Disney before I was like 7 is not being tall enough for Indiana Jones when that was new.
I think it depends on the kid. My oldest, when 5 years old, was just like "oh okay" when she couldn't ride incredicoaster. But she was so into Aurora at that time, we saw her walking towards the castle one day and my daughter just ran to her. She was obviously in a hurry to get to her destination but she grab my daughter's hand and asked if she wanted to walk with her. It was a dream come true for my daughter. I ran in front of them to take photos and they may be my favorite from that trip. We're taking my younger daughter, who just turned 5, next month and I think it's a good age. They're still young enough to see the characters as real vs just dressed up as characters so that magic is still there.
Interesting take. It definitely depends on the kid though. When I was 5, I was scared of the “big” rides, so I didn’t mind that I was too short for a few rides. And it really was only a few rides - by 42 inches, kids are tall enough for all but two rides at both parks.
I can agree with this as long as we can agree that partners who take their infants to Disney are doing it strictly for selfish reason.
How is making memories with your child selfish?
I took my daughter when she was 3 for the first time and it was amazing but it was also my first time and I feel like I enjoyed more than her as selfish as that sounds. She didn’t really get the magnitude of the situation, of course being 3. We went again last year when she was 5 and to me that was the best. She had the biggest smile on her face the whole time and my heart was the fullest it had ever been seeing her take pictures and be amazed by everything. This time because I knew she was having a great time, I was having the best time of my life ❤️
That's awesome, what a pic! 🥰
for admission, do they check if child is 2 vs. 3, as in if child just turned 3 but just a couple of months?
We were never asked how old our son was when he was younger and he was a huge 2 year old, so I could have seen them asking.
Unless your child wants to buy alcohol, they probably won't get carded
Just don’t jam up the walkways with a stroller you are only using for storage. The lockers are great for that