For anyone asking the best years to take kids

[TeamH5]

here's our experience, and I realize every kids/family is different.

We've done 3 trips, and this one by far as been the most taxing. Our kids are now 9,9,8 & 2.5.

1st trip:
Was a cruise(I know, way different) but kids were in kids club from sun up to well close to midnite most nights.
Kids were ages 5,5 & 3.5.
They all went full force, 3.5 yr old with no nap (or, the one day he just crashed on woody's bed in the club, staff just left him there said he was to cute so they didn't call us. Lol) no tantrums, nothing. 4 day cruise.

2nd trip:
Disney World. Kids were 6.5,6.5 & 5. Went from park open to park close 4 days straight plus a day at SeaWorld, and they did pool time at the resort until closing most nights. No strollers and took advantage of all EMH's and some PPO ADR's. Beginning of August trip at that. No tantrums, meltdowns or anything.

3rd trip:
Kids are 9,9,8 & 2.5. First trip for the LO.
My older 3 have been fighting, complaining about rides, waking up early (tho we didn't wake up any earlier than at home.) The LO didn't go to bed until late, wouldn't take naps no matter what I tried until he just couldn't fight anymore (usually around 5 pm), and he insisted on being carried as opposed to being in the stroller.

I haven't gone with an infant under 1, it seemed like those babies were napping happily in their strollers. I also haven't gone with kids aged 6.5-7 so can't vouch for that group either.

But it seems to me that between the ages of about 3-7 would be the best age to take kids. At least for our family. lol I think we might stay away a couple more year and try when the LO is 5-6 and the older ones teens and can be cut loose on their own for a few hours.

 

[kimj88]

We have had almost the opposite experience. Only 2 kids, 1st trip they were 5 and 9 (turning 10 on trip). The LO was a nightmare. Wouldn't eat most meals, grumpy, tired, needed stroller, just made us miserable. The older one was great. 2nd trip 1 year later, the LO was better, but still more of a pain in the patoot than the older one. We go again in January so then I will find out how it goes with a 7 and 12 (turning 13 on trip) year old

 

[Mainemama]

I agree that up to age 2.5 is actually really easy. We have found ages 4-7 to be the toughest personally. Older sibs bickering is an issue. When we finally let go of everyone needing to be together all the time, we have had much better experiences. That, and listening when a kid says, "no, I don't want to go on a ride. I want to go to sleep." That one was a big learning curve for me, as I had planned more fun, more fun! But the kid who says this is really done when he is done. If 1 parent returns with him (he is not my youngest!), to rest, the whole family is happier, including the adult relaxing in the room. We take turns and have a better trip all around. Sorry you had a bit of a rough trip. I bet your next one will be a lot better!

 

[TeamH5]

I agree that up to age 2.5 is actually really easy. We have found ages 4-7 to be the toughest personally. Older sibs bickering is an issue. When we finally let go of everyone needing to be together all the time, we have had much better experiences. That, and listening when a kid says, "no, I don't want to go on a ride. I want to go to sleep." That one was a big learning curve for me, as I had planned more fun, more fun! But the kid who says this is really done when he is done. If 1 parent returns with him (he is not my youngest!), to rest, the whole family is happier, including the adult relaxing in the room. We take turns and have a better trip all around. Sorry you had a bit of a rough trip. I bet your next one will be a lot better!

We thought about cutting them loose this trip, but at 9(10 in jan) one of our twins still freaks out if we aren't within eyesight, even with her siblings around..
next trip we def will cut at least the one older one and middlemchild loose together, and prob keep the LO and other oldest with us.

I couldn't plan FP+ for the reason you stated about listening to your kid when they say No. my oldest
Most responsible twin absolutely HATES most rides. lol she's happy with dumbo and Mad Tea party..
next trip hopefully will be better

 

[ml sumner]

For us our trips when my son was 16 months old, 2 1/2 years old, and 3 1/2 years old were great! The past two where he was 4 1/2 & 5 1/2 have been the most trying. He too doesn't want to eat any meals once we hit Disney World, so being a mother that is very stressful on me because I know what the outcome will be and sure enough this past October we found ourselves visiting the nearest urgent care, which meant cutting our BOG dinner short and leaving MNSSHP by 7:00! Also, he is on this kick about certain rides and refuses to go on them. The selfish part in me finds this very aggravating because he did these very same rides when he was three! I'm not talking about TOT (I've never put him on that) or even Space Mountain. I'm talking about Soarin, Test Track and Mickey's Phillarmagic! Also, every store we walk past or dumped into, he thinks he must have a toy, yes part of this is our fault (only kid syndrome) but he tries to take it to a whole new level, which results in us carrying him out kicking and screaming. We too still use a stroller, which means we rent them now since I don't own one that is big enough for him, but those parks wear him out and we would never last even 3 hours without one. Gone are the days where he slept peacefully in his stroller and sat on my lap to do the rides and didn't put up a fuss about toys and I didn't have to fight him to eat!

 

[kboo]

These are so interesting to read, as it seems like it really depends on the kids themselves.

ODD, now 5 has been to WDW a few times:
21 months, offsite: This was sort of a pain because we were offsite and she never napped in her stroller. So we'd get up at 6/7, have breakfast, drive to the parks, come back at or after lunch for a nap, and go back for dinner and a few rides in the evening. It was hard, but we only had 1 kid and my sister, her partner and my parents (mom was still capable back then), meant that she always got a lot of attention and we could always switch off for rides she couldn't go on, etc. (We also had intense nuclear family time just the 3 of us in the mornings)

almost 3: We filled up on character meals and buffets and spent a lot of time at the parks since ODD was free for 1 more week. She was always a good eater, so we had no problems at restaurants, and we were religious about going back to the hotel for naps. Even so, by about day 5 ODD and DH had a meltdown when it got dark (He had her while I went to ride Space Mountain, and she thought it would be fun to run away from him. In the dark.). We didn't get to see any fireworks (I love fireworks), and we were sort of parked-out by the end of the week.

Almost 4: (May 2015) This was almost the perfect trip. I was 9 wks pregnant, ODD had zero meltdowns, discovered she loved Soarin, and was actually reasonable ("We have an appointment to ride Soarin, so if you want to get a chance to ride it, please get in the stroller now!") I think we still did midday breaks and we also discovered that it was well worth the $ to have a couple adult nights out and hired a sitter a couple of times.

4.5 - (March and April 2016): ODD couldn't actually fall asleep all the time, even though we took midday breaks. But she was more resilient and reasonable - would at least lie down for quiet time. We could tell her that if she didn't take a nap she couldn't stay up for fireworks, and that actually worked. We got to see fireworks at MK, EP and HS! The baby was 3-5 months at this time and unlike her older sister could sleep anywhere. So we have lots of pictures at dinner and fireworks where the baby was sleeping in the carrier or stroller with her ear protection on.

Our next trip, ODD will be almost 6 and I can tell she will be fine and have a great time. YDD will be 21 months, so hopefully she will enjoy the trip and continue sleeping in the stroller when we need her to.

 

[Imagineer5]

Well this is an interesting thread. I have a very short window of time (oldest DD is turning 5 in January) but we have been many times (I lost count, I think we just returned from her 18th trip?). I have a 1 yo and #3 on the way, so we have a while to get to that window.

Anyway, Oldest DD was easy at 8 months, but at 10,13, 15 months was terrified of the characters which made things hard. After that though each trip progressively got easier and more fun, and we're in the PERFECT stage right now - she is tall enough for 98% of rides and loves to do them, she loves the characters and knows them all. What I have really loved is seeing her grow up Disney - excited for the next trip when she is tall enough for the next big thing! (First was Speedway at 18? months, then Barnstormer at 2, 7DMT & Kali before she turned 3, then the 40"'ers.)

Now we're in a new pattern with having DD2 - she is in the terrified of characters stage but was so easy at DL at 9months old just a few months ago - loved them all then.

I think from my experience - 2.5 - 5+ is perfect, but I don't have bickering siblings yet lol to compare. 1-2 was probably toughest in terms of amount of work.

 

[Mainemama]

We thought about cutting them loose this trip, but at 9(10 in jan) one of our twins still freaks out if we aren't within eyesight, even with her siblings around..
next trip we def will cut at least the one older one and middlemchild loose together, and prob keep the LO and other oldest with us.

I couldn't plan FP+ for the reason you stated about listening to your kid when they say No. my oldest
Most responsible twin absolutely HATES most rides. lol she's happy with dumbo and Mad Tea party..
next trip hopefully will be better

Yes, FP planning is a crap shoot with multiple kids. I debate and debate, and then just figure I will book all 5 of us on the top 3 that I choose (knowing the likely favorites of each kid.) If they don't want to ride, so be it, maybe it's a wasted FP. Much better than I split up the FP, but last minute they do want to ride. I find the kid that doesn't want to ride is usually perfectly happy to have a snack, sit and chill, shop, etc. I think my 4 year old likes those waiting times the best. Nothing like a random step to keep her entertained! We have not yet sent kids off without us-- even my oldest won't be ready for that for a couple of years, as she is very cautious, and would not feel confident on her own. But, we do split up as parents-- 1:1 and 1:2. It will be a neat stage when the oldest are ready for a little independent time.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our trip when the kids were almost 5, almost 5, almost 7, almost 10, and 11 was perfect. No bickering at all, 10 day trip. Granted, all are teens, and still rarely bicker.

First trip was with a 2 and 4 year old, they liked the resort pool the most.

 

[crazylady]

I'll play!

1st trip: January. 6 days. Kids were 6 and almost 3. Double stroller. Days were shorter because of the park hours and we went to the parks every other day. Kids were great. Little one either didn't nap or napped in the stroller. No meltdowns.

2nd trip: April around spring break. Kids were 4/7. Single stroller. 3 days. Long park days every day. Kids were great. When little one was tired and grumpy, he slept in the stroller. Kids fought over stroller alot.

3rd trip:. May. Kids were 5/8. Single stroller. 6 day trip. 3 long park days, every other day. I don't remember major issues but there was still fighting over the stroller. Five year old was the most grumpy and tired.

4th trip. March/April spring break time. Kids were 6/9. No Stoller. Epic long MK day. 6 year old was slow as molasses without the stroller and overall just a grump.

5th trip. Kids 7/10. Two epic long park days with a rest day in between. 7 year old was still slow as molasses but not grumpy at all. We even closed the MK one night at 3. 10 year old was the tired and grumpy one this trip.

 

[Elizakapeka]

We took our kids for the first time at 6,6, and 8. My kids were amazing! My twins have sensory processing disorder and speech delay which is almost non existent now at 8. When we got home and talked to others, we said we couldnt imagine taking kids younger than 6. We dont travel much so maybe that is part of it. I have so much respect for you parents that take young kids on trips. So much can go wrong. We are going in 6 months so kids will be 9,9, and 12. Cant wait!

 

[brymolmom]

We've taken our kids every year and a few years here and there ran into some grouchiness. I always tell people to take a kid when he/she is just under 3 (because they're free) and then again when they're 5-ish...Great ages for the 'magic'. But I will say that 2 years ago our kids were 12 and 10 on our trip and that was the first year that they were LEADING DH AND I AROUND. I swear, we got out of F! and wanted to get to the bus quickly and they were weaving through crowds and then looking BEHIND them to see if DH and I were keeping up (we barely were and we are FAST walkers). I looked at DH and said 'wow - I guess they're growing up'. It was a cool moment. And I think the times we have there now, at these ages are AWESOME! They can go to some things by themselves and even stay in the room alone so DH and I can have a dinner alone or something. They can go down to the arcade alone if they want to do that. I LOVE this age.

At home too I love this age (currently 14 and 13) - I call it the 'sweet spot' - DH and I have a LOT more independence since they can stay alone...But yet they CANNOT drive yet (so don't have all the stress involved with that)...DEFINITELY a sweet place to be!

 

[Hikergirl]

My favorite trip was when my kids were 4, 6 and 9. It was the last one where they were all truly excited by everything at WDW (characters, shows, rides, food). I still enjoy our trips now that my kids are much older but when I look back, that one was my favorite.

 

[Lei]

I once read somewhere that if going to WDW is a super rare opportunity for the kid, like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the ideal age for him/her to go is 8. I think it's because it is considered a "safe age" for a child to go on most attractions.
Living so far away, going on a family trip to WDW IS a rare opportunity for us, but I simply couldn't wait until DS is 8

So on our upcoming trip (the very first time for DS), he will be 4.5. DS loves amusement parks, but he is reall any anxious kid. To minimize the "risks", I am trying to "prep" him as much as I can i.e. taking him to local amusement parks as often as possible, to see what kind of rides he likes, he dislikes, he dislikes but can still tolerate, etc. I also show him a bunch of ride videos on Youtube and explains each one of them to him.

And I'm probably a bad parent for this, but I'm slowly training his "stomach" for thrill rides. A couple of months ago, he'd ride kiddie coasters, but then cried a bit after we got off. Last week, I convinced him to ride again. He still cried a bit afterwards, but wasn't traumatized. If he's willing, I'm planning to take him again one more time before Disney. Fingers cross his FP+ for Mine Train won't be wasted!

 

[Lupeix]

I agree that taking babies is easier than toddlers, after 6 months or so (mine were all colicky). Our trip when DS was 2.5 was a breeze. Then he was 4 and 5 and it was a PITA. DD was 9 months last trip and was easy. Every kid has the bad time of toddlerhood at slightly different ages, but the period between 3-5 can be very unpredictable. ON the other hand going to Disney when they still think the characters are real has its own kind of magic, and I won't change it for the world

 

[tmh43]

I always tell people to go when you have the time and money, don't stress about age.

That being said, we took DS for his 3rd bday and it was the perfect age IMO. Because he wasn't 3, he was free, but he was just tall enough for 7DMT and loved all of the rides. It was also still magical for him. We only had one meltdown when mom and dad weren't paying attention to the time and forgot about lunch until 2 hours later... oops. And he went from 8am-7pm straight at the parks and would fall asleep in the wrap while we enjoyed the evenings. He even made it for fireworks a few times. I know people worry about kids not remembering, but I know that for me as a parent, it was my favourite trip- even better than going as a kid myself.

 

[kamerino]

My daughter, who is now 8, has become a bit of a travel pro, for the simple reason that we travel as often as possible and she's gotten quite used to it. It wasn't always the case. The trip to Disney that we took when she was 3 was by far the most difficult. She didn't want to ride anything, was afraid of just about everything and everyone (including all the characters), and although we did have fun at MK for about half of the day, the rest of the trip, especially at Epcot, was taxing beyond belief. It was just the two of us, so I felt completely overwhelmed.

Now when we go she's trooper. We go to the parks open to close, and less she's "hangry," then it's all good! Interestingly enough, Epcot is now her favorite park!

 

[gatormom2tots]

We have gone at all ages up until 11ish....I found it didn't seem to depend on their ages so much- as it did to making sure that everybody was full rested and took breaks. We are a rope drop family, but always leave at around noon for naps and pool. Naps are not negotiable- all kids and adults,regardless of age, take naps. The we return in the evening. Getting up for rope drop can be difficult, but we also never do PM EMH so usually not passed 10-11 at night.

We completed a nearly 14 day trip last summer with ages from 2-11 and had a fabulous time! We also knew to take a day off every 2-3 days to just re-energize.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

Last summer was our first trip with the kids (8,5) and they did great! I loved not having a stroller. They are at a really wonderful age to appreciate the magic and the characters, while having the stamina to make it through without meltdowns.

Can't wait to go again this coming year!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Our first (and so far only) full family trip, our daughters were 11 & not quite 7. I do wish our oldest could have experienced the park at a younger age. But, I'm also glad we didn't try it when youngest DD was very small. At 48" she could ride everything she wanted to try, and she was several years beyond needing a stroller. Plenty of energy to do rope drop to close every other day (water parks in between).