flopmeister

We are considering a trip to Disney in Florida with our son, who will then be 4 years old. He has a great imagination and a good attention span, but then he's still only 4. I'm wondering if Disney will be over his head/too stimulating, etc., and whether any Fodorites have had experiences (good or bad are welcomed) with a child of this age. Thanks!

Dick

Although he may not remember much when he gets older. 4 is not too young.

Much of Magic Kingdom and MGM is geared to the pre-shool set.

There is nothing like seeig disney through a child's eyes.

placeu2

It's a great age! The best times I had at Disney were when my kids were that young. Took them more recently as teens and they still liked it but there is nothing (for a parent)like a young childs excitement.

You might make an agreement with him that a break may be a good idea on some afternoons...that way YOU can sneak in a nap!

Leona

We took our children for the first time when our younger daughter was barely 3. It was in May, and it was extremely hot. She was miserable for the entire week. I think it was a combination of the heat & her being a bit too young. Maybe you could try to plan it when the weather is not too hot.

Rachel

4 or 5 is about the youngest i would take and a lot depends on the time when you go. It there's going to be long lines or uncomfortable weather, no age is good. Will the life size (and sometimes larger than life) characters scare your son? Does your child need a nap-will he be miserable if you try to do too much. At @ $50/ticket for adults, you have a tendency to want to take advantage of everything. If you're only going once in a lifetime, I'd wait. If you think you'll go back again, then give it a try. Having gone twice-when our kids were young and then as teenagers, we all liked it better later.

DawnCt

We started going to Disney when the oldest was 3 and the youngest was a year. We have gone almost every year since then with four boys three years apart and the oldest is now 25. The best thing about going with a young child is that they really make the leap of imagination and immerse themselves in magic but no age is too early or too old. Its for kids of all ages. They may not remember a thing about it if they are too young, which is a good excuse to go again.

Darvy_Kuntz

I think anyone who takes their kid to Disneyland or Disneyworld prior to age 10 is out of their cotton pickin' minds.

I love the quote from the Unoffical Guide on this matter...I can't remember it exactly, but it's something like "A child was asked what his favorite part of the Disney trip was. His answer was 'the hotel pool.'"

-Darvy, the travel gal

patg

I think 4 is a great age for Disney, but the corporate Dumbos make it nearly impossible to enjoy an appropriate amount of park time. What I mean is that there are 1 day-1 park tickets ($52 adults, $42 children) but the cheapest multi-day ticket is about $200 for four days. That is too much for a little one, and leads to kids and parents being "disneyed out."

So, you will have to fight the urge to overschedule; go to the parks on just one or two days. I would pick Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom as the best two for that age.

One way to enhance your time there is to stay at in the park, arriving early and departing late. Make reservations for a character lunch or dinner on your arrival date, and enjoy the nice pools that are a great feature of Disney hotels. Spend the next day at the park, leaving mid-day for a much needed nap. Return at night as the crowds thin out. On the day of departure, you can visit the pool again, and take a little tour of some of the hotels, especially Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The last week of April and the first two weeks of May are great times to go; so are late September, October, and the first two weeks of December. The heat and crowds are much less than summer, and you can almost walk on to many of the rides. This makes a huge difference, as you can imagine.

karens

I'm on the side of waiting until kids are older. We first went when my kids were 4 and 6 and that is the very youngest I would recommend. Disney is so expensive and so exhausting. I'd want them to remember things, and be able to take advantage of a lot of what's there. Paying almost $200 for a one day admission and being limited to only a few rides that are really appropriate isn't the best value.

And I agree with Darvy and the Unofficial Guide to Disney - the only thing preschoolers tend to remember IS the hotel pool. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and it had a great pool - and that is what my older son talked about.

If you have unlimited funds and unlimited patience, then I'd say go whenever you want. But otherwise, I'd wait. I do realize that many people feel differently, but to me, pushing a stroller around in Orlando's heat would be sheer torture for me.

SaraLM

I don't know where you are from but my plan for my (soon to be born child) is to go to Disneyland first. It is smaller, less to see and maybe a little less crowded. I think 4 is the youngest I would take and a perfect age. It is also important to slow down once in a while, do go play in the pool.

Disney World is great but with so many parks it can be overwhelming - I have only been as an adult and I am utterly exhausted when I go (can't stop!).

So that might be another option, depending on where you live. Just listen to your son and if he is tired quit and go back after a nap or even a swim. I think I went for my first time at 4 or 5 and loved it.

Height is another factor, some rides require children to be a certain height, if the disappointment of not being able to go on a 'big' ride will be an issue, maybe wait until he is taller.

Linda0515

I took my son when he was 4 and he loved every minute. The key to success: we stayed "on site" (Wilderness Lodge), we got to the parks as soon as they opened, and then after lunch we went back to the hotel (a quick trip since it was on site) for a swim in the pool and a nap. Then we went back to the parks for the evening. Get the Unofficial Guide to Disney World--it has terrific information on exactly how suitable each ride/attraction is for each age group.

But there's no one "right" age...I took my son back when he was 11, and he had an even better time, since he could go on more rides, appreciate more of the sights, etc. But I'm still glad I took him at age 4, as we did then all the things (like Dumbo and The Lion King) that he refused to do at 11. By going at two different ages, you get to experience everything.

BAK

One of the best times to go is outside of school holidays, so for many kids, this means before they turn six.

Outside of school holidays, the lines are much, much shorter.

If you do have to go when the park is full of other children, and going will not be something you do very often, my suggestion is to wait until he's seven or eight.

Waiting longer means you put off the great time longer than necessary, but going earlier probably reduces memories of the visit.

And finally, if when he's four is the only time you can go, well, that's the time to go, because he'll probably have a great time. But with naps, etc., it's a lot of money for a lot of time not doing much whilehe gets his energy back.

BAK

hleesa

As a 31 year old, one of my first memories was as a 4 year old at Disney world who was very upset that she could not ride many of the rides. Having said that, I also have some memories of the things that I did enjoy. So -- go!

djkbooks

He'll love the place, and you'll be thrilled with enjoying him loving the place. It will definitely not be "over his head".

No question, though, but that if you can afford to go back when, or wait until, he's 5-6-7, he's more likely to remember the experience. But, even if not, you can show him the videos.

cajunlady

I have concluded that there is no "one" right age to bring a child to Disney. It is so diverse that 3 trips are necessary. Age 4 is great for the first. Don't try and see it all. Just the Magic Kingdom (animal kingdom opened after we went) for the fantasy rides. If you wait too long, the older child is bored. I first took my daughter when she was 2. She may not remember it, but she had a great time at the time. Then at 7 she was into the "adventure" rides. And as an older teenager she enjoyed Epcot, more of the adult exhibits. Definitley stay on disney property and take the shuttle back to the hotel to nap mid-day. Character meals are great, especially at his age. Again when he's older it'll be too "babyish".
Go, have a great time; don't over do it; and plan to go again when he's older

kkraczek

I was so excited to take my kids to Disney the first time... the only drawbacks I can see are that the strollers are a pain in the a-- to push around through the crowds, and that the lines to the kiddie rides are unbearably long! (Dumbo is the worst!) Bring lots of food and drinks to keep your son occupied while you're waiting... good luck!

Knoel998

When deciding if a child is ready for Disney...I see no point in questioning whether the child will remember years from now. If that is the criteria, then why do anything "fun" with a child? After all, they probably won't remember all their birthday parties, vacations, every trip to the zoo, and any one of the endless "fun" events/trips that occur in their childhood. So what? It is THE MOMENT that matters and what they are living at that particular time. It is the general mememory of having a happy childhood that sticks with a person. So if you want to take a child to Disney who is only 2,3,4-whatever age- DO IT! The only suggestion I would have is to tailor the event to the child's age- hours spent there, appropriate rest/naps, suitable rides/shows, etc.

Tricia

We've taken our sons to Disney a few times. The VERY best time we had was when our youngest celebrated his fourth birthday at Disney.
He was tall enough to do the rides. We went in the Spring that year, so it wasn't unbearable heat. My husband let him ride on his shoulders when he was tired since he didn't want to get in a stroller. We started early each day, and spent the afternoons at the pool.
We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, where the kids had a blast at the pool and built sand castles at the beach.
It's all a wonderful memory for my husband and I ~ we have plenty of pictures to remind our youngest of his first trip to Disney.
Take him, you'll all just love it!

Dick

If I understand correctly, what some of you are really saying is that it isn't worth the money to take a pre-schooler.

That is a personal decision. My wife and I took our 5 year old (on her birthday) to Disneyworld. She had a blast...and loved every minute. A highlight was breakfast with the princesses. Having her alone, without her parents, made it a great value to us.

From the kid's point of view....4 is not too young. As for it being a good value, it is all relative.

antmaril

Our best trip to Disney was when our son was four years old. He LOVED it (and so did we). We have priceless video of him meeting "Leonardo", his favorite Ninja Turtle. Everything about that trip was magical.

We have gone to Disney many, many times since then (and are going again for a couple of days later this month), but nothing compares to his first trip at age 4. The characters are real when you're four years old.

Take him NOW - you won't regret it!!!