pineapplepalms
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2017
I agree with many others that it depends if it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip and if the parents aren't that into Disney themselves. If so, waiting until the kids are older could make a lot more sense.
For us, we were already going to WDW once or twice a year because we loved going as a couple. We waited until after DS turned one to take him and we were itching to go back. DS is now two and has been twice, and we have two more trips planned for this year. Taking him has been magical and we have amazing memories and photos from our trips. There is a lot of research out there about how much kids develop in their first few years, and I can definitely see new experiences and environments playing a role in that. He is so happy on our trips and is constantly learning new words and concepts the entire time. We also don't shy away from nicer restaurants like California Grill since it's Disney and there are bound to be other kids there anyway. He's gotten used to eating out at restaurants (which is every day on vacation but not the case at home) so it's not an issue to take him with us. We were actually amazed how easy it was to do a WDW vacation with a toddler (it really is so kid-friendly) and seeing how much fun he was having made it totally worth it. The hardest part is probably trying to keep him entertained on the plane ride from the west coast!
We also got comments from those who didn't understand why we were taking him when he's so little. These were mainly from people who haven't been to WDW and just assume that it means long lines, exhaustion, and cranky kids. There is also a bit of a learning curve with the planning process and those who are unfamiliar with it can feel overwhelmed. I'm used to planning our Disney trips, and we haven't done the parks all day for many years now since we enjoy relaxing and spending time at the resorts, plus we go back often enough that we don't feel like we're missing out on anything. We book ADRs and FPs in advance and avoid long lines altogether. We have enough downtime that everyone's rested and not cranky. I feel like a lot of our friends would actually love it if they gave it a chance, but a lot of them never will. I think they're missing out!
For us, we were already going to WDW once or twice a year because we loved going as a couple. We waited until after DS turned one to take him and we were itching to go back. DS is now two and has been twice, and we have two more trips planned for this year. Taking him has been magical and we have amazing memories and photos from our trips. There is a lot of research out there about how much kids develop in their first few years, and I can definitely see new experiences and environments playing a role in that. He is so happy on our trips and is constantly learning new words and concepts the entire time. We also don't shy away from nicer restaurants like California Grill since it's Disney and there are bound to be other kids there anyway. He's gotten used to eating out at restaurants (which is every day on vacation but not the case at home) so it's not an issue to take him with us. We were actually amazed how easy it was to do a WDW vacation with a toddler (it really is so kid-friendly) and seeing how much fun he was having made it totally worth it. The hardest part is probably trying to keep him entertained on the plane ride from the west coast!
We also got comments from those who didn't understand why we were taking him when he's so little. These were mainly from people who haven't been to WDW and just assume that it means long lines, exhaustion, and cranky kids. There is also a bit of a learning curve with the planning process and those who are unfamiliar with it can feel overwhelmed. I'm used to planning our Disney trips, and we haven't done the parks all day for many years now since we enjoy relaxing and spending time at the resorts, plus we go back often enough that we don't feel like we're missing out on anything. We book ADRs and FPs in advance and avoid long lines altogether. We have enough downtime that everyone's rested and not cranky. I feel like a lot of our friends would actually love it if they gave it a chance, but a lot of them never will. I think they're missing out!