Too Young for Disneyland?

[cfrith]

I had to laugh at this one......what if the baby is from the east coast.....is it ok for the baby to be out at 9:00? :D

Babies and children have the strange tendency of waking up at odd hours for food and companionship - should I be putting a clock in my baby's room so he knows that it is NOT appropriate at midnight? :rolleyes:

I'm being VERY sarcastic here - but from my point of view, if I'm going to be up at midnight hanging out with my baby, watching fireworks is a lovely way to pass the time. ;)

(I'll be sneaking around DLR with my 1 year old and 5 year old at the end of the month, I hope child protective services doesn't catch me!!:) )


I agree!!! We are coming from Michigan (EST) and the first night that we are there (the only time during our stay that the fireworks are showing) the fireworks will be at 9:25pm (that's 12:25am our time) and we will have been up since 4:30am that day, so by the time we get back to our hotel we'll have been up almost 24 hours!!! So unless we can get our kids to take a nap when we arrive that day around 2pm, I don't know if we'll get to see the fireworks- they would be exhausted. Any ideas on how to get an extremely excited 4 and 7 year old to take a nap as soon as they arrive at the Disneyland Hotel?! LOL...I have no idea!

[findin mickeys]

I originally was not going to reply to this, but after reading all of the pros/cons, it seems to me that the bottom line is that this is a personal choice.

All of my children have been there since they were only a couple months old. This was our choice. We keep to the rides and attractions that they were comfortable with. There is so much to do at DLR, all ages can have a good time whether they remember or not.

For those concerned about their child not liking characters, my middle has/had a love/hate relationship with the charactors. He loves them from afar, but was terrified if they came to him. I would keep him back where he was comfortable, while my oldest would get his picture. Both were happy.

I also highly recommend the parent pass program. We utilized this all the time when we had a child that did not meet requirements or was uncomfortable with a ride. One of us would take that child on the ride while the other took the child that could not go onto something else then we would switch. Our oldest loved this because he got to "double dip" on some of his favorites, and both my wife and I got to enjoy the ride with him.

Bottom line is, you know your child best (at least you should). If you truly do not think it would be an enjoyable experience for them then, wait before you go.

My experience though has been that even at only 3 months old, my children loved every moment, even if they do not remember.

[WITron]

We took our daughter her first time when she was 6 weeks old. That trip was more for us than her. My parents were living in the LA area at that time and I was out of work, so my parents offered to fly us out there to visit. She was a bit overstimulated, especially by the loud music at DCA, but it was a fun trip.

Then we took her when she was 2. When we got back she still remembered a few things from that trip, like riding Dumbo and being told the story of Cinderella by Cinderella at the story time. We also took alot of pictures, which she loves to look at.

This last trip she was 3 1/2 and it was a great trip. We had to change our focus about what we would see, but she still talks about meeting the princesses. And today I got out my poster map of DCA to measure it for a frame and she was pointing out all the things that we saw there. I have no question that she was not too young to go and have a great trip.

Unfortunately because of the cost for us to go out there we will not be going back for a few years.

[going2disneyAZ]

[quote=cfrith]Yes, most kids don't remember much from before the age of 4 or 5, but even at 2,3,4,and 5 they still had alot of fun when we went. I hate when people would say to us "why are you even taking them- they won't remember it"....who cares- we are all having fun as a family at the moment so what's wrong with that? quote]

EXACTLY! who ever said you have to remember it to have had the fun?????

[MouseFaninQueue]

Well guess I better chime in here and add my two-cents worth.

For me to get to Disneyland it is an 8 hour drive to the nearest International airport (Vancouver, BC) and then a 3 hour flight to LAX.

It isn't something we tend to do too regularly. Especially considering we now have 2 kids - one DD that is 4 years old and another DD that just turned 1 year old on Feb 19, 2006.

Both kids have now been to DL twice as we went twice in 2005 - once in May of 2005 - in which we made it a major vacation and drove the 30+ hours to Anaheim - (the youngest was barely 3 months old and eldest was 3.5) and once in October 2005 (youngest was 8 months and eldest was 3 years and 11 months).

In May the youngest didn't do too much more than interact with Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandad and big sister - but we have great memories of her looking at the sites and she really enjoyed the lights on the Main Street Electrical Parade - yes she was up for it - at 3 months old they are up and down all night anyhow ... My eldest wasn't exactly the most "outward going" kid. Most of the time she would barely smile - but she went to those characters she wanted to. Any she said no to we simply waved and kept on walking by. But she really got into the princesses. Again VERY shy but I found most of the Princesses helped her get over it - at least with them. Cinderella was the absolute best! And I will never forget the complete look of AWE in her face when we went and met Mickey. Those autograph books I used to think were garbage - but they work wonderfully to help the kids that are shy to go up and see the characters. When we got home from the trip in May we put all the pictures she got with the characters right in the empty pages in the book and she has a little scrapbook she keeps looking at now.

Granted in May we couldn't ride many of the "bigger person" rides in the park - but it didn't really matter. Riding the teacups and Buzz Lightyear (you should have seen my youngest DD on that ride with all of the flashing lights she was giggling away) and the other rides over and over again more than made up for it.

Then when we went back in October (we flew this time) - amazingly enough my eldest DD was able to ride many of the e-ticket rides - she had grown several inches in the course of 5 months. So we got to ride quite a few more rides and my eldest was almost a different person with her new found freedom and a little bit of "old hat" attitude. She was still very shy with the characters and some she would only go up to if Dad or mom came along (which wasn't really a problem) and the character meal at Ariel's Grotto was worth the the price of the second trip alone. And my eldest DD wasn't the only one that had done a lot of growing up since the first trip. My youngest was now more awake and more alert and more aware of her surroundings. She really liked the characters and would give most of them a big smile and a giggle when we came near them.

Now we are currently planning a trip to take the girls to WDW and a Disney Cruise this November. (didn't I say we don't do this often???) Part of the reason why we are doing it now is because the kids are cheaper to take and there is still the magic in both of them. The "Age of Not Believing" seems to come too soon for my liking so I'm going to take advantage while it is still there.

BTW my first trip to DL was when I was 6 and my sister was 3. My sister actually remembers details from that trip that me and my parents have completely forgotten about until she brings them.

Am I being a bit selfish in doing it? You bet. Is it expensive? You bet. Is it worthwhile? Best money I've spent in a long while!

[momuvseven]

If you need the kids to take a nap so they can stay up later try what works for us. First let them go swimming for about an hour, then give them showers or baths, and tuck them into bed. Close the drapes and make the room as dark as possible. Mom & Dad get to lay down too. No hanky panky until the kids are asleep LOL! Then once the kids are asleep you can quietly get the room in order and unpack. Order in takeout just before you are ready to get the kids up. Then everyone eats and heads to DL refreshed for an evening of fun. You will be AMAZED at all the exhausted parents leaving carrying sleeping children while yours are hopping up and down with excitement ready to start their "day" at DL. When the park stays open until midnight you can show up at six or seven pm and still have lots of fun. After the last parade and fireworks FantasyLand becomes a ghost town and you can ride anything you want over and over without waiting. Trust me they will fall asleep at the end of the night and you will have to beg them to get out of bed in the morning.

momuvseven

[geoffa]

I had to laugh at this one......what if the baby is from the east coast.....is it ok for the baby to be out at 9:00? :D

I'm being VERY sarcastic here -

Be as sarcastic as you like. I'm a pro at it. It must be the difference in our countries cultures but I had never witnessed young children out so late as I have at Disney. Yes, I fully understand a family going to DL / WDW but I would have thought younger kids would be in bed (in a room) after a certain time of night. Obviously not. As you guys say: My Bad! But I still find it strange.

However, that said I still stick by my original observation that shaking a 12 month baby awake to look at fireworks at midnight should be dealt with by Child Services! It just smacks of misguided selfishness. And as Diane M said it's the parents doing it for themselves not for the kids as much as they want to pretend otherwise.:rolleyes:

[3894]

It must be the difference in our countries cultures but I had never witnessed young children out so late as I have at Disney.

Nah, not a cultural difference. I am an American mom of two teens and agree with you. As long as they're little, take life at the child's pace. Soon enough, they'll be a teen and old enough to stay up until midnight on special occasions.

[geoffa]

Nah, not a cultural difference. I am an American mom of two teens and agree with you. As long as they're little, take life at the child's pace. Soon enough, they'll be a teen and old enough to stay up until midnight on special occasions.

Well said, Mom!:)

[capst]

Also, it is so cool that my almost 4 year old believes we are going to see all the princesses at Disneyland- and she believes they are real. In a couple years she'll be like my 7 year old who knows the truth. That is magical!

What, you mean they're not real!:crying:

[DianeM]

We took my 6 1/2 yo nephew last fall, and I thought he was pretty much past the age where he confused "real" and "Disney" (he's a pretty bright kid). But during the parade, at the end, Mickey appeared, and He cried out "MIckey" and his eyes lit up in a way that told me that Mickey was as real to him as his parents.


Also, it is so cool that my almost 4 year old believes we are going to see all the princesses at Disneyland- and she believes they are real. In a couple years she'll be like my 7 year old who knows the truth. That is magical!

[LilysMom2003]

I just clicked on this post so I've only read the original post and just had to say that I TOTALLY disagree. My daughter's first trip to Disneyland was when she was 1. I don't think she really "got" it but she LOVED IASW. Since that trip, we've taken her 4 other times. She's 2 now and ABSOLUTELY remembers our trips to Disneyland. She talks constantly about the teacups, Peter Pan, Dumbo, IASW, the characters, etc. She is obsessed with Disneyland and IMO, 2 is not too young at all.

[Pat-n-Eil]

I just clicked on this post so I've only read the original post and just had to say that I TOTALLY disagree. My daughter's first trip to Disneyland was when she was 1. I don't think she really "got" it but she LOVED IASW. Since that trip, we've taken her 4 other times. She's 2 now and ABSOLUTELY remembers our trips to Disneyland. She talks constantly about the teacups, Peter Pan, Dumbo, IASW, the characters, etc. She is obsessed with Disneyland and IMO, 2 is not too young at all.


As the original poster - I think it would be interesting to see how many of the respondents opposed to my proposition are locals versus folks who are not able to pop by the park on a regular basis.

[markarkaymat]

As the original poster - I think it would be interesting to see how many of the respondents opposed to my proposition are locals versus folks who are not able to pop by the park on a regular basis.
I agreed (I take her for my own pleasure because I know she doesn't remember her first trip) and disagreed (she's not to young) with you and we come from Hawaii. So while yearly trips are a little costly to me, it is well worth the money to see my little girl's face light up.

[geoffa]

As the original poster - I think it would be interesting to see how many of the respondents opposed to my proposition are locals versus folks who are not able to pop by the park on a regular basis.

What they said.:)

[Malcon10t]

As the original poster - I think it would be interesting to see how many of the respondents opposed to my proposition are locals versus folks who are not able to pop by the park on a regular basis.I'm northern CA, 6 hours north. If its a family vacation, or a yearly + trip, I say take them. If it is a once every 3-4 years, wait til they are 3-4.

edited: Oh, mine started going at 2 months, and went every 6 months or so, til they hit the 4, 5, 7, and 8 ages (I have 4 kids.) Once they hit that, we went more often. Now they are 16, 17, 19, adn 20, and regard the park as home away from home.

[ghoofie]

We took our grandson when he was 18 mos. Here's what makes a trip for infants succesful:

We went in the fall. No NO crowds, weekdays. Weather was mild. Comfy for a little tike.
We had a few adults with us. (His parents, my other daughter).
That made it nice because literally all rides were walk-on. So while someone(s)
waited with grandson, others rode, then it was no biggy for the other(s) to go on the ride just after .

We took lots of video. So now that my grandson is 12, we have lots of video of all of us through the years. It is so much fun when we watch video when
he was 18 mos. He can't believe that's him.

He was a little 'shy' around the characters, but didn't freak at all. It was great.

The park closed early during the fall weekdays (8pm) so it wasn't that long of a day for a little one.. I think they didn't open til 9 or 10.

I say take little ones, if it's offfffffff season and take lots of video and pictures.

[DianeM]

I'm Northern California, North-East of Sacramento. It's about a 7-8 hour trip. So far, when my nephew has visited, though, he has flown in, so he hasn't had to deal with the drive. I think it's even more important for far away people to start the kids off young. It's harder to build a special attachment to a place when you only go once a year.


As the original poster - I think it would be interesting to see how many of the respondents opposed to my proposition are locals versus folks who are not able to pop by the park on a regular basis.

[keschy]

As the original poster - I think it would be interesting to see how many of the respondents opposed to my proposition are locals versus folks who are not able to pop by the park on a regular basis.


I was opposed to the idea. I lived in LA for 10 years and we would go all the time, including the trip with our young neice. We live in Oregon now.

[3894]

As the original poster - I think it would be interesting to see how many of the respondents opposed to my proposition are locals versus folks who are not able to pop by the park on a regular basis.

Definitely, the answer will change if you can bop by almost anytime versus those who will be spending significant money, not to mention possibly their one vacation that year.

[MsYumiBr]

I agreed (I take her for my own pleasure because I know she doesn't remember her first trip) and disagreed (she's not to young) with you and we come from Hawaii. So while yearly trips are a little costly to me, it is well worth the money to see my little girl's face light up.

Who could possibly resist wanting to make that cute little girl's face light up! She must be quite the character attention getter.

[MsYumiBr]

I'm Northern California, North-East of Sacramento. It's about a 7-8 hour trip. So far, when my nephew has visited, though, he has flown in, so he hasn't had to deal with the drive. I think it's even more important for far away people to start the kids off young. It's harder to build a special attachment to a place when you only go once a year.

I am originally from Northern California too and it was a 8-10 hour drive from where I was. If it wasn't for the yearly trips to Disneyland with my parents, I would not have that special attachment I have for it now. My husband is a local and grew up in Santa Ana. He did not have an attachment to Disneyland and went all the time. The kids are what made the attachment now. He loved the 50th commemorative movie in Lincoln Story by the way.

[MrsPooh]

I'm just going to share my experience.

When we were first married, we swore we weren't going to take Piglet to DL until he was old enough to appreciate it. Then when he was about 8 months old, we got the opportunity to go on a "once in a lifetime" trip. I say that because we had a cousin here from Ohio that wanted to go (that we will never see again) and a brother that decided on a whim to go, one that never has time for family (Ruthie knows what I mean.) It was a perfect alignment of stars, so to speak :geek: and we weren't NOT going to go.

It was a great trip, one that we will never forget. We were lucky that my mom went, she was more than happy sitting on a bench watching the world go by, while her kids rode the rides and her grandson ate ice cream with her. We took him on the rides he could go on, and he either slept through them or enjoyed them. Grandma was in heaven that all 3 of her kids were together (plus the cousin and a friend) and she adores any time she can be with Piglet.

We didn't take him again until he was 4, and he remembers that trip to this day. He remembers the rides, the characters, and the time he was at the ocean and the wave knocked him over. He loves to look back at the scrap book and remember the good time we had. He is now almost 11, and he talks all year about when we will be back at DL again. He loves to see the pics of the trip when he was 8 months old.

I think it depends on the circumstances, the kid, the parent, etc. For us, it worked. But then again, Piglet has always been a great kid, even as a baby. When we went at his pace he did fine. When we didn't, yes, he got cranky, and it was our fault. So it all worked.

Oh, and he has been a night owl since he was a little guy, even as a baby. Late nights at the park are what he lives for.

[JDBlair]

As the original poster - I think it would be interesting to see how many of the respondents opposed to my proposition are locals versus folks who are not able to pop by the park on a regular basis.

We're in Phoenix.

[screamin4ever]

Take kids when you want. There are no rules. My kids have all been riding Pirates since age 6 months and loving it. Some of our best home videos are from this time.