Too Young for Disneyland?

[MsYumiBr]

I apologize for the tone of my post. It was just a joke. I spend a lot of time typing and then hitting the backspace button but I must have hit enter this time. Oops.

Anyway, I agree that there are a lot of strollers in the park but it is a necessary evil. Strollers are the only way to be able to keep the child comfortable without having to carry them. Nobody wants to listen to a screaming kid because they need a nap and have to walk instead which is something we had to endure during breakfast one time because the little girl's parents did not have a stroller and did not pick her up. She quieted down after sprawling out on one of the bench seats in the restaurant.

Also, I agree that every family is different and every kid is different. If they aren't going to enjoy it and make everyone else miserable, I would not bring them. We made mistakes in the past bringing friends that did not want to go on this ride or that for whatever reason when everyone else in the party wanted to go so someone inevitably had to wait out the ride for that individual friend. Or, we brought someone to make an even number in our party and they get homesick!

In addition, there are several "routes" to Disneyland. There is the too small to go on the rides route which means sticking to Toontown and Fantasyland. Next is the teen route which is all fast rides (my husband's favorite). The last is the senior route which is shows and classic rides staying pretty much away from the mountains (my favorite only because there is just so many times you can go on fast rides before I get a headache). If all party members do not match for one of these three routes, you end up with not an optimum time and whatever you can do to make it match is worth it. The problem is trying to keep in mind not to feel guilty about doing it because you are preventing the problems before they happen. However, if the problems are expected, and everyone has to cater to the route they would not be happy with, then that is the way it will be until the person who is causing the problem is big enough to go on the other rides or stays home. It's just logistics. However, no matter what problems we have had at Disneyland, I cannot remember one time where we went away from the park without something to remember as a happy experience.

[DianeM]

I wonder if this isn't part of the difference of opinion. I see DL as a FAMILY place more than a FUN place to go and have fun on rides. My family piled into the car from the time I was 2 until I was a teenager, and we all went and had a good time at DL. I don't remember much of it, even from when I was older. I just remember that it was warm and special and together. Now, my brother and I are sharing that same family experience with our families, and with each other. If I want to ride rides, I can go to Marine World. You really can't have as much fun at DL with little kids around. Dealing with a young child's needs mean that an adult has to be more of an Adult, and not let their inner child run free. Or maybe I should say that enjoying DL with a child is a different kind of fun. But for family togetherness, you can't beat DL.


I would much rather of have been able to spend time with my ENTIRE family rather than leave some out and be able to ride more rides.

[darph nader]

I took my dd 25years ago when she was 3.Then last year we took my dgd she was just shy of her 2nd b-day. I doubt she'll remember any of it later but we have lots of photos to prove it. Funny part is everytime we watch a Disney or Pixar movie, when they show the castle at the begening ,my grand daughter will yell "MY DIDNEYLAND". Gotta love em!:cool:

[cpeak]

I just wish that the stroller drivers would be a little more considerate of others.


I always try to be considerate when my kids are in strollers, but there are times in very crowded situations that people squeeze in front of strollers and are not curious to us. This whole thread just seems to be about who deserves to go to Disneyland the most.

Let your friends go and find out for themselves if Disneyland is right for their kids. My daughters were 18 months and 3 years the first time they went. The 18 month old loved the rides in FantasyLand. She was in awe of the fireworks everytime they lit the sky. I know she does not remember the trip, but she looks at the pictures in the scrapbook and enjoys seeing how she was part of the family trip. I really don't think it is anyone's business to comment on such things.

[amarvel]

yeah its funny, in all the times i have gone to disneyland (no children), even when i was a teenager, i never once even noticed the strollers or ever thought they were a problem.

[passthepixiedust]

Our last trip was the first for my two younger children. I had my almost 5 year old and my 7 year old with myself and my daughter (who is now 13).

It was being together there that made it special for us. Everyone got something different out of it.

For the 7 yo., it was about the rides.

My daughter and I just love everything Disney, the little touches, the "magic" all around... I loved being there with them.

But my youngest (4 turning 5) was entranced. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that Mickey and friends were real. He watched Fantasmic! in awe, believing that Mickey was really battling evil (but never doubting for one moment that he would be victorious). I will never forget his joy.

I was one of "those" parents at the park. Although I would never dream of putting a child as old as Spencer in a stroller in the "real world", he was much happier in one at DL and although I'm sure he looked a little goofy, it made things waaaaay easier. No, I didn't run over people's heels and toes. I did not block walkways or stop short and cut people off. I just made it so my little guy was not too tired to fully enjoy himself and was easier to hang on to.

Nobody minded adjusting our plans to make sure everyone got to do the things that interested them the most. We are "Ohana" after all.

[kisroo]

I wonder if this isn't part of the difference of opinion. I see DL as a FAMILY place more than a FUN place to go and have fun on rides. My family piled into the car from the time I was 2 until I was a teenager, and we all went and had a good time at DL. I don't remember much of it, even from when I was older. I just remember that it was warm and special and together.

This is exactly how I see it, DianeM. My family lived in San Diego until I was almost a teen and I remember many trips to DL. Not the exact moments per-say, but a general feeling of fun and family. I believe that's why I feel so at home when I return as an adult. Same with camping in Yosemite.


...maybe I should say that enjoying DL with a child is a different kind of fun. But for family togetherness, you can't beat DL.

So very true~both statements. If you've been able to enjoy DL as an adult child, you really do have to adjust your expectations when you add a little one into the equation. If people go into the vacation with that in mind, many issues take care of themselves.

I still think that a key decision maker is the possibility of multiple Disney vacations versus "the once in a lifetime" tripper.

~kisroo:)

[disneyhound]

About 9 years old! I don't get parents who push a stroller, with a two year old passed out, come on! Or kids under five throwing a fit. Maybe school-aged kids is a good break, if they can function in a classroom, they can handle the park.

[geoffa]

I wonder if this isn't part of the difference of opinion. I see DL as a FAMILY place more than a FUN place to go and have fun on rides.... kind of fun. But for family togetherness, you can't beat DL.

As I said earlier families aren't necessarily composed of 2 adults and a bunch of kids. The premise about DL is based on the fact that Walt said (I paraphrase) that he wanted a place where a father could take his daughters and he did on occassoins refer to DL as a "family park". That was the 50s. Things have moved on.

However he also said:
"Give the public everything you can give them, keep the place as clean as you can keep it, keep it friendly. "

and
"I don't want the public to see the world they live in while they're in the Park (Disneyland). I want to feel they're in another world. "

As a member of "the public" I feel the park is a much for me and my partner as it is for anybody else. And that's why, as you said, there are varying views on this thread.:)

[TripleTrouble]

Our triplets were 2 1/2 yrs. old the first time we took them to Disneyland. It was the best trip! They were troopers. Everything was so magical and new. We just kept playing until they needed a nap. After naps we went back, had dinner and stayed until it closed. We have taken them also at ages 3 1/2 & 4 1/2. The two last trips they complained a bit more but still had a great time.

We have many friends that take their kids from an early age and have wonderful vacations. We also have some friends that don't want to take the kids until they are 8 yrs. old. I think by then, an 8 yr. old will have fun but it won't be as magical since they have a better understanding of what is fake and real.

:)

[DianeM]

This thread is about whether young children belong at the park. If anybody suggested that families without children don't belong at the park I must have missed it. And, imo, suggesting that they don't would be as wrong as suggesting that young children should be restricted from the park.


As I said earlier families aren't necessarily composed of 2 adults and a bunch of kids.

...
As a member of "the public" I feel the park is a much for me and my partner as it is for anybody else. And that's why, as you said, there are varying views on this thread.:)

[ToursbabeC3po]

I did not read the entire thread so I am not sure where this was heading but I thought Disney was for people of all ages? I don't think I would bring a newborn to the the park because of infection reasons but my daughter really enjoyed the park even when she was 1 year old. I think it is awsome they have built a park that people young and old can enjoy equally.
That is all I have to say:)
((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))
Jen

[Osky]

I took my daughter for the fist time when she was turning two. She loved it. In fact, she loved it soo much, she cried when we left. We go back all of the time, and when the other kids were born, they went before they turned one. From my experiences, about age one is when kids can really start enjoyng the park.

[geoffa]

This thread is about whether young children belong at the park. If anybody suggested that families without children don't belong at the park I must have missed it. And, imo, suggesting that they don't would be as wrong as suggesting that young children should be restricted from the park.

I know exactly what the thread is about thanks. I may have been away from it for a day or two but I was on page 1 of it when the discussion first came up about babes in arms (or cots). I was merely addressing your thought that "I see DL as a FAMILY place more than a FUN place to go and have fun on rides." I wasn't being hostile and nor was I suggesting that you were saying other groups shouldn't be included I was merely saying that familes aren't always the nuclear unit that governments believe them to be. I would never question children being at the park - that was part of Walt's original aim.
And to get back on thread - my doubts lie with whether a 3 month or even a 9 month old baby has a clue as to what is going on. Yes, they react to colour and sounds and start to reach for objects but I'm not convinced they know who Mickey is. That IS in the parents minds. This site gives a month by month account of infant development and would seem to back up my thoughts.:)

[cpeak]

About 9 years old! I don't get parents who push a stroller, with a two year old passed out, come on! Or kids under five throwing a fit. Maybe school-aged kids is a good break, if they can function in a classroom, they can handle the park.


And I don't get parents who feel that kids should be cooped up at home until they are nine. Kids are going to have fits everywhere, be it Disneyland, school, or the store. Even 9 year olds are not perfect and throw fits when they don't get there way. My kids aren't perfect at Disneyland, but if someone were to say something to me while I was in the park I may be irrated. Just because they may be upset because they don't get what they want when they want it doesn't mean I shouldn't take them out in public and someone who doesn't know the situation or my family should have no opinion about how I raise my kids and where I take them (as long as it's no obvious abuse.)
And just because a child is in a classroom doesn't mean they can function. My four year old behaves better than some of the students in my class.

[dsnyredhead]

About 9 years old! I don't get parents who push a stroller, with a two year old passed out, come on! Or kids under five throwing a fit. Maybe school-aged kids is a good break, if they can function in a classroom, they can handle the park.

Well, most two year olds do nap. Sometimes, the best thing for a two year old is to nap while the parents are taking care of whatever shopping they are doing, taking turns doing rides, etc. My two year old typically naps after lunch or falls asleep if we are there late in the day. If the child is comfortably in a stroller, why should it be a problem if they are napping?

Now if the parent is dragging the child on their feet, yelling at them that they paid for a vacation and they need to enjoy it...then I have a problem with that.

[SandraVB79]

After reading the OP, I decided to give my opinion, and not first read all the other replies. I know that on Disboards, my opinion.... they almost killed me...

I will only take my (future) children to Disneyland when they'll be old enough to enjoy it. I don't think you can put an age on that, it depends from child to child. I want my children to be able to WALK during the visit. I have seen way too many parents carrying their children during the morning because they were still sleepy, during the day because they were napping/ didn't like the walking, during the evening because they were sleepy again.
I have seen children freezing in their strollers, because it was so cold (at DLP), and snowing (real snow), and they had that layer of snow on them on their strollers and I was like "what the he11?????". I have seen children soaking wet in their strollers because it was raining so badly, but yet the parents wanted to continue their marathon through DLP. (Btw, the small children that were not in strollers, but just running around were just as frozen and/ or soaking wet).
Children are afraid from the rides, from the characters, from the parades, from teh fireworks, ... They also don't "get" what it's all about.

All that and so much more combined with teh high cost of a Disney-vacation have me already convinced that I am not going to do that. On disboards, I got blamed that I was going to be the worst mother of the universe because I was depriving my future young ones from some magical moments, yada yada yada. Well, I personally prefer taking them on an other sort of family vacation, where they will have a great time, and where we will create other magical moments. It won't be Disney-moments, but family-moments nevertheless. And it will cost me a smaller amount of money. I don't know about all the other people in the world, but for me, that's sometimes a constraint :)

Apart from all that: I really DON'T see the use of bringing a 2-weeks old in the freezing cold while it' snowing to DLP, and keeping it in the park until Mickey kicks you out (seen in January, and I asked the mom how old her cute one was) I saw mothers breastfeeding 1-week olds while I was there in the summer of 2004. I don't know, but I don't think all the noise and all the movement and so are that great for a new-born first weeks. But well, if those parents think that's right for their baby, who am I to tell them it's not?

But inverse, I don't like people telling me I am going to be the worst mother in the universe and in the history of people because I am determined to not take my kids (if I ever have some) to Disneland before they can fully enjoy it. (and "depriving" them from all possible joy in their childhood... yeah, I only went to a Disney-park for the first time and never ever experienced joy and special moments and so on during my childhood... yeah, really... :rolleyes: )

[SandraVB79]

OK, in the meanwhile, I read about half of the thread, and I wanted to add one remark:

A HUE factor is whether you're a local, or you come from far-away. If you live "arounf the corner" and have APs, it's completely different, because you can go to DL for some hours and then go back home. IF you come from far away (I read somewhere about 30-hour drives, or halfway around planet earth in my case) it's completely different: different cost associated, different way of visiting, ...

Actually, this is one of those very sensitive subjects, and there is nog good or bad about it. (But I still feel sorry for that poor frozen baby covered in a layer of snow! :) )

[amismo]

Disneyland is actually one of the BEST vacation places to take younger kids. My husband and I were budget globe trotters, and pre-kids used to take upto 4-5 vacations a year (usually very spontaneous because we were both consultants and would take off between projects). That came to a screeching halt when my daughter was born.

We took her to Disneyland for her first birthday. before that I really indoctrinated her (Hee) and got disney tshirts and toys. That first trip was a good lesson for us - we realised 1) walking distance hotel 2)food arrangement 3)afternoon nap/rest time 4)non peak times. For three years after that (my second daughter was born 18mths after the first) we held the annual passport to Disneyland. Both my girls are familiar with Disneyland - THEY plan out the rides (we have the map, schedule). The girls often chose Mickey Dollars as rewards, and the trek down to Disney Store to buy and collect spending money has always been fun.

I actually started getting a little uneasy that they would happily run upto anyone in a character costume and give them a hug (safety issues!). Our pace is always relaxed, we developed rituals (we have a gauranteed great spot for fantasmic for last minute arrivals) we used the back roads etc. As adults we often race past the little touches that make Disneyland so special.

We have not visited for over 6 months now, and every so often my younger one (3) will whisper her wish to go to Disneyland over some dandelions. I have been hoping to return to more 'grownup' vacations, but still can't imagine taking the girls to New York or London. We flirt with the idea of taking them to Belize etc - but Disneyland is a no brainer! We are spending spring break in Carlsbad - and let's see if we can keep Disneyland to just a day visit as planned ;)

[sixwoofys]

I don't get parents who push a stroller, with a two year old passed out, come on!

...what would you have them do when only one of their children falls asleep?

[sixwoofys]

And I don't get parents who feel that kids should be cooped up at home until they are nine.

Well said.



And just because a child is in a classroom doesn't mean they can function. My four year old behaves better than some of the students in my class.

My four year old behaves better than most adults. She's never been in a classroom.

[cstephens]

I will only take my (future) children to Disneyland when they'll be old enough to enjoy it.

Just curious - what criteria will you be using to measure that? And how much do they have to enjoy it? Does it mean they have to be tall enough to go on every ride? In theory, your idea sounds good, but I'm not sure how that works on a practical level.


I want my children to be able to WALK during the visit.

I've seen 8 and 9 year olds in rented strollers, and while looks don't tell you everything, it didn't appear to me that they needed the strollers per se.

[Pat-n-Eil]

Just curious - what criteria will you be using to measure that? And how much do they have to enjoy it? Does it mean they have to be tall enough to go on every ride? In theory, your idea sounds good, but I'm not sure how that works on a practical level.

This is the gist of my whole question. For me, the answer is yes, I would wait until they are all tall enough to ride every ride.. unless they are exceptionally tall for their age, this likely gives them enough life experience to handle those rides. Folks who bring little ones have every right to do so - and folks who ascribe to waiting until their kids are older have the same right.



I've seen 8 and 9 year olds in rented strollers, and while looks don't tell you everything, it didn't appear to me that they needed the strollers per se.

I would think that unless the kids have some kind of physical challenge or handicap, that is entirely too old for a stroller in my opinion. It only serves to coddle the child, add more movement clogging stroller traffic and is likely being done in lieu of actually taking a break, which I would highly suggest if your 8 or 9 year old is too tired to walk at Disneyland.

[MouseFaninQueue]

I've responded a couple of times in this thread already and basically I'm of the opinion that each family has to look at what is best for it. Some families, my sister-in-law's for example, don't have the option to go to Disneyland when they choose to. They basically have to have the right opportunity at the right time in order to go. This way, they go when the opportunity arises, which is not necessarily when their kids are "big enough".

For me the main reason for going when my kids are younger is the whole "Age of Not Believing" thing. I want the place to be magical and yes I am selfish I want to create memories of those times when my kids wanted to meet Mickey and still believe in wishing on a star. So thus I took my 3 year old to Disneyland.

As for my taking my 3 month old, well part of that had to do with my 3 year old being at the right age, part of it had to do with the 50th Anniversary and a part of it has to do with the fact that she was free for everything. Realistically, taking your 3 month old to Disneyland is no different than taking them for a walk in your local park. My wife was still breastfeeding so there was no different food outlay, there was no cost for the ticket into the park, and we brought our stroller from home so the baby had her own "stuff" with her (as much as her own stuff is really hers at 3 months old).

If we go for a walk in sunny California through the Magic Kingdom or if we go for a stroll in our very own River Walk here in Quesnel, it makes no difference to the 3 month old but it does make a difference to the parents and the 3 year old. So for those that are against taking a newborn or infant to DL, all I ask is what is the difference between taking them to DL or taking them for a walk in your park at home? And before you say why bother taking them at all, remember it is a FAMILY vacation (you pick your definition of Family) and there is usually more than just the one member of the family to think about. Rarely will you see JUST an infant at Disneyland without there being other members of the family - unless of course you are looking at a local.

[Osky]

This is the gist of my whole question. For me, the answer is yes, I would wait until they are all tall enough to ride every ride.

I don't know if this is possible now since it is gone, but it used to be that if you were tall enough for the tallest ride, than you were too tall for the bounce house in toon town. I don't know if they have any other kid's attractions with too tall restrictions.