Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 9:54:01 GMT -5
DS is 3.5. From the other thread I've gathered that you have to plan a Disney trip like a military operation and make reservations far in advance.
So what is the best age to take your kids to see the mouse?
Edited: he's a one and only so should we kidnap someone's else's child to bring?
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Jun 15, 2012 9:58:10 GMT -5
One of my good friends just got back - she has a 2yo and a 6yo. The 6yo had a BLAST, but the 2yo was usually tuckered out by mid-day and someone had to take her back to the hotel.
We went when I was in jr high or high school - so we were probably 6, 7, and 13. My brother and sister had a good time. I think I was a little old for it.
So based on my limited experience, the sweet spot is probably 4-9.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Jun 15, 2012 10:03:31 GMT -5
My parents took me when I was 6yrs and I LOVED it and still remember it. I would say 6-8 is a good age because they will enjoy it and will also remember the experience.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jun 15, 2012 10:05:10 GMT -5
6-8 is perfect. I wouldn't bring another child. Not only is it fun to have the family time to yourself, but kids don't always agree on what they want to do and see, when they get hungry, when they're tired and when they're plain old done.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 10:05:56 GMT -5
We were thinking of taking the kids when they are 7 & 8. Maybe we should push it back a year and take them next year instead.
It'll be a one time deal so I would like to optimize the experience for them. I only thought of waiting that extra year to make sure they'll be tall enough to go on the bigger rides.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 10:09:15 GMT -5
I am taking my kids to Disney for the first time in July! They are 16, 14, and 10. I can't wait. I think we will have a blast!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 10:10:43 GMT -5
I had my first visit when I was 30. ;D
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Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Jun 15, 2012 10:46:22 GMT -5
I think the younger kids (4-6) love the whole "magic" of disney. But the older kids like the rides more.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jun 15, 2012 10:51:28 GMT -5
I took mine when they were 3 and 4.5. They loved it, but they were too short to get on every ride they wanted to. My DD is tall for her age, so she was able to go on the Tower of Terror. She thought it was great.
There are lots of pictures of DD sleeping in her stroller, though.
We're going to take them back in a few years.
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Formerly SK
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Post by Formerly SK on Jun 15, 2012 10:52:04 GMT -5
I think the younger kids (4-6) love the whole "magic" of disney. But the older kids like the rides more. I think there are two "perfect ages." We went last year when the kids were 5&6. The 5yo was perfect for the magical aspects - her favorite "ride" was Sleeping Beauty's castle and basically we roamed about looking for princesses. The 6yo only cared about the rides. He was able to do all but 2 due to height issues (he's small for his age). If he had been a bit taller it would have been perfect.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 10:52:07 GMT -5
We should go together!! ;D
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jun 15, 2012 10:53:30 GMT -5
We should go together!! ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 11:02:11 GMT -5
don't forget to swing by and get us! ;D I also think WDW can be fun as an adult. We went for our honeymoon. I LOVED Animal Kingdom. I also had a lot of fun in Downtown Disney. I enjoyed walking around Epcot and looking at their renditions of the different countries. Magic Kingdom and MGM were alright. I was disappointed that we didn't get to Universal Studios - I'm a roller coaster kind of girl.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 15, 2012 11:03:51 GMT -5
I had my first visit when I was 30. ;D I was 27. DD went two years ago for the first time at 15. She went with a band trip and all the people who went were from 14-18 years old and they had a blast!! She went to Walt Dinsey World though, not Disneyland. I don't know if WDW has more for older kids/teens than DisneyLand as I have never ben there. She does still actually remember the 12 business people who just happened to end up on the plane with the 189 of them.
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Jun 15, 2012 11:08:44 GMT -5
I had my first visit when I was 30. ;D Me too. I enjoyed it as much as my son did as he was 5 at that time. We had annual passes for Disneyland in So Cal for 5 years and we would go every other week, go through a few attractions and come back home before he got too tired. ETA - my son goes with the band 1 day a year and he still has a blast.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jun 15, 2012 11:28:27 GMT -5
"She does still actually remember the 12 business people who just happened to end up on the plane with the 189 of them. "
A few years ago, my son (who was 6 at the time) and I were the only civilians on a flight to Belize. Every single other passenger was a young military guy. Don't remember which branch of the service, they were all in camo/beige and had a single duffel each. Super polite and nice, but a bit stinky. No worries, I have boys and that wasn't a big deal. They were all very nice.
The business guys probably got a kick out of the kids if the kids were halfway behaved.
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justme
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Post by justme on Jun 15, 2012 11:38:09 GMT -5
If you ask my parents, they say the best time for the parents are when the kids are like 2 or 3. Apparently my brother and I were just in awe by the whole Disney thing at that age and it was fun for them to watch us see all the new things. But they say if you only plan on going once to go in the 5-8 range because that's when the kids remember. I don't remember going when I was real young, but I do like looking back on the pictures of when I was so tiny.
From working there, I think kids in the 5-8 range have the most fun and a lot of things are geared towards that age (like Jedi Training camp). Though I agree that the 2/3 year olds are adorable - when they're not screaming bloody murder from missing a nap.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 15, 2012 11:59:06 GMT -5
"She does still actually remember the 12 business people who just happened to end up on the plane with the 189 of them. " A few years ago, my son (who was 6 at the time) and I were the only civilians on a flight to Belize. Every single other passenger was a young military guy. Don't remember which branch of the service, they were all in camo/beige and had a single duffel each. Super polite and nice, but a bit stinky. No worries, I have boys and that wasn't a big deal. They were all very nice. The business guys probably got a kick out of the kids if the kids were halfway behaved. My Dd and a few others said they looked shell shocked when when they saw who else was boarding the plane. I think their plane took off at 6:30 AM. It had 189 HS band students, 19 adult chaperons and the 12 poor business people. The students were told that they had to go to their assigned seats till after every one boarded but that then they could switch to sit with their friends. She said it was the funniest thing ever. As soon as everyone was one EVERY kid go up and started changing seats. They then started singing and playing their instruments if they had them the whole way down. They actually did ask the "civilians" if they wanted the farthest seats up front together. Those poor people were still locked on a plane with a bunch of hyped HS'rs and had them right behind them, but it was a nice thought.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 12:09:42 GMT -5
Personally I don't like Mouse World. Too plastic, too much enforced "happiest place in all the world" merriment, WAY too much money for an artificial experience. I prefer genuine history, the occasional cranky subway clerk and gum on the sidewalks.
I took DS when he was 7; he REALLY wanted to go. His attitude after that was that we went, we had a good time and we didn't need to go back. I've had to go there for business conventions and pretty much stick to the meetings and the hotel pool.
I believe that Disney can be fun for small kids but you really have to be laid-back about not getting 110% for your money. They will tire out. They will want to hang around in the hotel pool. They may be scared by some rides or even by larger-than-life Goofy and Mickeys. Some of the saddest sights are cranky, sunburned little kids accompanied by frustrated parents who are trying to maximize their time in the parks because they paid so darn much to get there.
So, either deal with the fact that you will not be able to get the full value of admissions given the limitations of very small children, or wait till they're 7 or 8.
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kimax
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Post by kimax on Jun 15, 2012 12:33:58 GMT -5
Our oldest son went to Disneyworld when he was 2 and again at 3 and we went to Disneyland earlier this year when he was 5. At 2/3, he got excited looking at all the sights and interacting with the characters, but didn't care much for any of the rides. We only lasted about 4-5 hours before he got tired and wanted to leave. At 5, he was more into the rides and wasn't too interested in the characters, but we were able to last most of the entire day.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Jun 15, 2012 12:35:35 GMT -5
We too DS when he was 3 the first time I think, and 7 the second time.
Even though he was 3, we brought an old umbrella stroller. For very small kids, there is too much walking. Plus we went back to the hotel every day for lunch and a nap. The advantage of going when he was still in day care was we could go in the 'off' season when it was a little less crowded. When we went at age 7 we went the first week he was out of school - the first week of June - and the difference between the early May visit and the early June visit was enormous - way, way more crowded the second time, and at 7 our son was done with 'baby' type rides and only wanted to ride the more exciting rides, like splash mountain, but those were also the rides with the really long lines.
After that, our trips to Florida were to Universal, they are more geared to older kids, with more exciting rides (like coasters) and less shows.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jun 15, 2012 12:55:08 GMT -5
We took ours at 7 and 8 I think. They had a blast and they were tall enough to get on all the rides. They were still young enough to appreciate the kind of corny Disney Magic stuff, but they weren't like freaking out because they met a real life princess. You do see some of the younger kids doing that. Of course to me it seemed about a fifty fifty chance that instead they'll be terrified by the people in costumes, the crowds, the lines, the walking, etc. You see as many cranky screaming 3 year olds as you do excited ones.
I can imagine it's pretty frustrating for a parent who just shelled out that much money, endured a plane trip with kids that young, and is now stuck schlepping a cranky scared kid through the park. Seems safer to wait a couple years.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 13:30:25 GMT -5
I can imagine it's pretty frustrating for a parent who just shelled out that much money, endured a plane trip with kids that young, and is now stuck schlepping a cranky scared kid through the park. Seems safer to wait a couple years. Yeah, that scenario is not inevitable but it will happen if you're determined to do everything on your "list". When DS and I went, the Hoop-de-Doo Review/Dinner Show was the don't-miss event. Because we weren't staying in the park, the earliest we could get in was 9 PM. I passed it up- DS was not into afternoon naps and neither was I, and I was not going to try to have "fun" at that hour. I'm sure there were parents who did, though.
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t-dog
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Post by t-dog on Jun 15, 2012 13:48:23 GMT -5
I took DS in March for his 9th Birthday - he LOVED it. Now we are planning a return trip when its Halloween decorated so he can see all the villans wandering about. We were there during a massive rainstorm and that only made the park that much more empty and we got that much more ride time (albeit we were prepared with rain boots, rain jackets and ponchos). Despite the "sting" of rain in the face (ok it really actually hurt to the point where on a couple of coasters we held the poncho hoods down over the face) we had a blast. I remember my first trip at about the same 8-9 range. Still love the place!
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Jun 15, 2012 14:07:26 GMT -5
Like others said, it depends upon what you want out of the trip -- wonder and awe from the kiddos or memories to last a lifetime. I'm not an amusement park fan, but nevertheless we went to WDW during a whirlwind tour of Florida when ODS was 2 months shy of 12 and YDS was 9. Neither ever craved a Disney trip, but DH dreamed of the "in awe" looks on their faces. The day we went the temperatures were in the 20s and the wind chills were in the teens, I kid you not. We had driven down to Florida from New England, so we were dressed appropriately. I was absolutely horrified at the number of little kids who were dangerously underdressed (well, how can you blame the parents, it's not like weather forecasts are all that available ). The overall crankiness/sadness level in the park was at maximum level that day because of how unbearably cold it was (you'd think Disney, with all of its talented artists and designers, would have figured out a way to hide FHA heaters in the fake trees and boulders and such to keep the place at a balmy 65 degrees, or something). The gift shops were sold out of EVERYTHING with long sleeves -- regardless of price. But, even though we were dressed warmly, it really wasn't fun in those conditions. So, we left early and didn't even go back the next day. The kids just weren't that impressed. Poor DH was crestfallen -- he never got the reaction he dreamed of. Last year we won a trip for 4 (including airfare and hotel) to Universal through AAA. We weighed the interest in the trip against the tax consequences...and didn't go. The kids had other travel priorities and no one has ever had second doubts. I guess if you really, really like crowds and rides and deep-fried turkey legs, LOL,... Anne, maybe you can do a test run at a local amusement park to see how your little guy fares with the sights, sounds, crowds and overstimulation before investing $$$$ in Disney at this age...
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whoami
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Post by whoami on Jun 15, 2012 14:17:56 GMT -5
It is a military operation. My kids were 10 and 12 when we went. I hated it. Lines were too long and it was really hot. Overpriced everything. We waited for at least 2 hours to see the mouse....lots of tired cranky kids waiting in line. It was really miserable. Every time you thought you were almost there, around another corner you went. We almost left the line several times but with so much time invested, we stayed....all for the privelege of 30 seconds with Micky and an overpriced photo as you left the maze.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 15, 2012 14:44:36 GMT -5
We went when the kids were 3 and 5, and it was a little young for my son. We had a great time, but we went back when they were 5 and 7 and that was better.
As far as "military like planning??" I disagree. I thought the Disney vacation was a good value. There are a lot of hotels right around there that are not overly expensive. We paid to take the bus, and bought our tickets ahead of time. We made our kids walk for the most part. My big fear was that they were going to return to the hotel with some energy (which I know LOTS of people whose kids rode in the strollers all day, and jumped on the bed for an hour that night.) My son did poop out kind of early, so we rented a stroller and let him sleep through the fireworks.
I'm not sure what type of planning you need. Unless you have the need to actually "see" and "do" everything there is to do in Disneyland. We ended up spending a lot of time in Toon Town, because the kids were having a great time. We missed a whole section, but whatever, I didn't care and the kids didn't know. The second time we did get the map and make sure we got in very specific requests, and kind of planned them out and made sure we did them all. Of course, my kids are tough. They man-up in those situations. Our vacations are exhausting!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 15, 2012 14:46:52 GMT -5
I highly suggest you skip a couple days of school and go in late September or October. Especially if you are going with a pre-schooler. Summer is much more difficult. Try to go on a weekday, and then spend the weekend on the beach or doing something else in the area.
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Jun 15, 2012 14:50:00 GMT -5
OP- It also depends if you are going to Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
Disneyland in CA does not need military like preparation and is small enough to be covered in 1 day if not 2. You just need to go in Spring or Fall when it's not too hot.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 16:06:47 GMT -5
Anne, maybe you can do a test run at a local amusement park to see how your little guy fares with the sights, sounds, crowds and overstimulation before investing $$$$ in Disney at this age... We've been taking DS to a local amusement park that has a preschool time and he loves it. For the military type planning I was referring to those who said that hotels and good restaurants require 6 months reservations for WDW. I was thinking Disneyland when DS is younger and WDW when DS is older.
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