Hi All, My wife and I can't seem to come to an agreement. We have 3 kids ages 6, 4 and 7 months. We live in WA state and she really wants to take the kids to Disney while the little one is little enough that he can fly for free and he isn't yet walking so he is a bit easier. She also wants it to be magical for our daughter 6 and son 4. I disagree as I feel it will be a fun trip that we can take later when the kids are 10, 8, and 4. I feel it will still be magical and the kids will have more of an understanding about the characters and be able to go on more rides. Her rebuttal is that I haven't ever been there! Which is true! Do any of you have any advice from past experiences? I would like to surprise her with a trip but I want it to be somewhere different! We went to San Diego last summer and loved it! We are both teacher so if we go it will have to be on Spring or winter break. Thanks so MUCH in advance for any advice. I really appreciate it!
Dave

Sorry, but I'm with your wife! I think it's fun to see the little ones with the characters and they are able to go on any of the rides your other kids can. However, waiting a while may lead to a situation where the older kids are tall enough to get on the other rides where the little one can't and then someone will have to stay out with the little one.

I am with both of you - why not to take the children to the DL twice, the older ones will remember and take the younger one to their favorite places.

WAIT!!!! disney with young children is not fun! IMy husband and I took our four kids over Easter- after a long wait. The oldest was ten, the youngest three. Our oldest had a blast and so did the youngest. If you go now be prepared to have one of you always skip the rides and keep out of the sun! There were a few rides that the youngest had to skip-but not because of her age! The first time I went to Disney with kids my husband's company had paid for EVERYTHING! Our son was not quite two at the time- way too young to fully enjoy the place! On this trip I was struck by the number of stressed out families who were determined to "get everything out of the park since we've paid so much and not coming back for a long time!" Translation- very stressed out parents and very tired and cranky kids! Disney is special no matter what the age- wait until everyone can better enjoy it!

We loved the wonder in our little kids' eyes when they saw Disney for the first time and think it was worth the trip for our memories, even if not for theirs. Your average ten year old has seen and done so many things that I doubt you would see the same sparkle.

Strategies we used to make the trip nice included waking up early (since little kids are up early anyway) and being the first in line at the park in the mornings. We would tour the park, eat a snack and leave in the mid-afternoon when everybody was cranky and needed a nap.

We'd then head back to the hotel for a nap / swim / inexpensive dinner off property. We would go back at night and see the fireworks, etc. If the wee ones fell asleep in the strollers during the fireworks, that was fine. I am probably in the minority in that I actually miss having a stroller at a theme park since I used it to also haul the family camera, the raingear, my purse, the water bottles, and the kitchen sink.

The key is being flexible. More than likely your family can budget to go again when the kids are older. It will still be fun, just a different trip.

If it's a present for your wife, shouldn't you give her what she wants? Stay at one of the Disneyland properties so it's easy to take the 7 month old back to the hotel for a nap.

Or if not staying at the Disneyland properties, stay directly across the street. Since it sounds like you are getting an Alaska Airlines package, consider getting the Park Place Inn or one of a very small number of places immediately next to it. Don't be fooled by the properties which claim they are "one block" away.

I think the 4 and 6 year olds will have a fabulous time. The baby will be happy wherever everyone else is.

Wow thank ALL of you for the great and thoughtful responses. I think I may try to plan this trip, do any of you have any strong opinions on where to stay? We can eith go Feb. 13-17 or the 2nd week in April? So many decisions to make!!! Man you people on this board are amazing. So nice and helpful! Wow.
Thanks again
Dave

I would go in February. It is probably still off season and therefore less crowded, less expensive, more fun. February weather might still be wind jacket weather so you might want an indoor pool for the kiddos. Disney seems to be running family friendly specials now so it might be a good opportunity to even stay on the property with the special VIP extra hour access in the morning.

Have a great time and take plenty of pictures. In the mornings, find out where the 'autographs' will be for Goofy, Mickey, etc. Your kids will love you for it. Splurge on a Disney autograph book and let them collect all the characters' signatures.

Remember to pack at least two pair of comfortable shoes per person, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and water bottles.

Have fun!

I live in Orange County, and if I had my pick of the times mentioned, I would pick April. February is very unpredictable - could be cool and sunny, or overcast and raining. You might get some rain in April, but more than likely the weather will be nicer.

I would say that if your budget can afford it, stay at one of the Disney properties. I think there are 3 of them now? (Hey, I don't stay at hotels around here, ya know? It just always seems more convenient for the tourists I see there. If your budget doesn't allow for that, than any property that is located either on Katella (between Harbor and Walnut, if possible) or along Harbor from around Katella to the entrance of the park would be good. There are shuttles from, I believe, all the hotels so you needn't be concerned with parking at D-land.

Please do keep in mind that restaurant offerings are not what some might expect. Of course, all the hotels have restaurants, but who wants to deal with the prices? Being D-land, there are probably more kid-friendly places to eat, but expect to either have to walk or drive to get to them.

I'm not sure how long you are planning on being in the area, but keep in mind that Anaheim is not Los Angeles. It's not even that close to the beach. You might want to get a feel for what else you might want to visit while you are here. I think you and your wife will enjoy the "magicalness" of D-land in your children's faces, however, a maximum of 2 days will probably cover everything there is to offer there.

I hope you have fun! I was 4 when my parents first took me to D-land, and even though I really don't remember it, I know it was a special time for them.