When Should I First Take My Kids to WDW?

I get this question a lot from friends contemplating a first Disney World trip with their kids.  It is a very reasonable one, and my wife and I thought long and hard on this one before deciding to go approaching our twins' 4th birthday.   There are various things to consider, including the child or children's readiness, whether they will likely remember it, and whether WDW is a one off trip or the first of several.  So I will attempt to address each of these issues individually in this blog.

A child's readiness to not only travel by plane and / or car, and spend a day or days in an amusement park such as Disney World with so much going on is very individual.  It is not about whether a child needs or wants a stroller, but more about their ability to handle the age appropriate rides, meeting large sized characters, watching shows in crowded theatres and viewing areas, and lining up (sometimes in the heat). My kids could handle it at nearly four, but even then my son had a couple of tear filled near meltdowns over our four days (not full ones) in the parks.

This brings up a couple of points to note.  There are plenty of rides and shows suitable for younger kids both in the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Several of the character dining  experiences are geared toward the younger set, including the gang from Winnie the Pooh at Crystal Palace in MK.  You also have to be realistic about what you and your kids can accomplish during the day, how long they should be in the parks, whether a nap is needed, or a return in the evening.  Fastpass times should be sufficiently spread out to enable you all to get from one attraction to the next, and have a chance to grab a bite if needed or stop a watch a show or parade.

If you believe that this may be your one and only time that your family may go to Disney World, or at least for quite a long time, then waiting until your youngest child is 7 or 8 would be a good idea.  Our children definitely got more and more out of each successive trip, and we would not have gone at around age 4 if we thought it was going to be our one and only trip. But it also pays to consider how much you want your child or children to remember.   That is if it even matters to you.  Our kids do recall quite a bit of their first trip, due partly to the fact that my wife took many photos, and had each child choose their favourites to put in a Disney photo album.  They each keep this in their room to look at whenever they please.  It has aided in keeping the memories of that first trip alive.

There is no definitive answer to the question of which is the best age to first take kids to Disney World.   As with most other questions regarding WDW, it depends on your family's situation and expectations.  My best advice is to consider the questions that I raised to come to your own conclusion for your child or children. And for the most part, focus the decision on your youngest child (or children), as he or she is the one that will effect everyone else's enjoyment the most.

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