We are thinking about taking our two daughters to Disney World, SeaWorld, etc. sometime next year. At that time they will be 3 and 5. While we're sure our youngest will have a ball, we're afraid she might not get to ride the same rides as the older child or maybe none at all. Can anyone tell me what the age limit is on the rides? Also, can anyone suggest a resort close enough to everything and that would be appropriate for our children? Thanks!

i'm pretty sure it's a height limitation issue. Meaning, if your daughter is the same size as 3 year old Shaq, then maybe she can get on the ride.

IMHO, it seems like a major pain to bring a 3 year old to WDW.

We actually took our nieces to DW when they were these ages and we had a blast. And, I might add, I hate DW!!

Definitely stay somewhere on the property where you have easy transportation back to the hotel at nap and pool time. We stayed at the Contemporary but this was about 10 years ago now.

What really made it fun was getting to ride Dumbo and all those other "baby" rides that I had actually never gone on. And they actually believe all those characters are real which is so cute.

If you're planning on going sometime soon, be aware that it will be really HOT.

We recently took our 3 year old for the first time and he absolutely loved it. Old enough to understand and recognize and express himself. He could ride most everything except the largest roller coasters. The small-medium roller coasters he rode (there are 2 I can think of) without a problem. All of the rest of the rides are accessible for all ages. The ages of your two daughters sounds perfect for a first trip.

It was so much fun for us to see the joy and amazement on their faces. We took the 1 year old as well and that was more of a challenge, but I wouldn't hesitate to take them again at those ages.

A wealth of information can be found on the Disney website - www.disneyworld.com. It will tell you about all the rides, hotels, character meals, height limitations (not age limitations). You can reserve hotels on there, as well. In the off-seasons, Disney resorts are well-priced and they are fun for kids.

Do you think you'll get back when they're older? I think one of the most important things about a trip like that is that they have a chance to remember it. Your 5 year-old will probably remember bits and pieces, but your 3 year old won't.

I would never base any decision concerning a vacation on whether my child will remember it or not. Who cares whether she will remember it, YOU will remember it, and if the whole family has a great time, and she enjoys WDW, then go!

I've taken my children to Disney 3 times, the first when they were almost 3 and 6, and the almost 3 year old adored it, I have over 50 photo's of the happiest child, a big smile in every one. I think the first trip was the best, why wait? If your question is can a 3 year old enjoy Disney the answer is absolutely, undeniably YES.

WDW will still be there in 5 years, so you can always go again if you need your child to remember it. Hell, I can't even remember college but I know I enjoyed the ride....

We've done Disney (WDW, Disneyland and EuroDisney) and SeaWorld many times with our two kids. Our first trip with an under 2 year old was fun and we went twice when my son was 7 and my daughter just 18months... both enjoyed it but just watching my little daughter's face when she set eyes on Pooh and Piglet was magical!

We haven't been to Disney since my kids were about 11 and 4 years old as the magic fades a bit as they get older or maybe we'd all seen enough of it!...but both enjoyed SeaWorld last year at 14 and 8yrs of age.

Stay on site at a Disney property... we liked the Swan resort at WDW.

3 is a great age to take kids to Disney. She will be able to ride most rides except for the fast ones like Space Mtn, Splash Mtn, but CAN ride Autopia(sorry, I know this is a different name at WDW, but can't remember it), and all the others like Peter Pan, Tea Cups, Snow White, Pinnochio, even Pirates. The shows are great too for all ages. I have 4-year old twins and a 2-year old and we went several times last year (to Disneyland). I also whole heartedly agree with nina, who cares if the child won't remember that Mickey gave her a hug, or if she doesn't remember laughing/smiling while visitng with Cinderella, she will be enjoying herself at that moment and you will remember those times for ever!

oh, and I disagree with yale, whos to say that your 3-year old won't remember your trip?? She may not rememerb every detail, but probably will remember bits and pieces. My twins remembered plenty from their trips when they were 3, and not just to Disney, but they look at other pictures and we talk about going to Idaho and they say "yeah, remember the park had that thing"...silly stuff like that, but hey they do remember!

I agree with Vegas..and I bet they'll also remember, at least for a little while, that Mommy and Daddy were smart enough to stay On the property so when everyone started getting cranky and tired it was easier to get back to the hotel for that nap.

Who cares if they don't remember it when they are 60...they WILL remember it for a while just after it is over and isn't that good enough?

We went with a 2 and 3 year old for a long weekend (MLK Jr.) and the kids had a blast. We only did the Magic Kingdom and only for part days. The rest of the time we hung out in the pool at the Embassy Suites (highly recommended!) or watching my husband play in a 3 v. 3 soccer tournament.

If you can go when your youngest is 2, she'll enter the park for free. I think WDW has a thing where, if she is too short to ride a ride, your husband and elder daughter would go on, and you'd get to go once they got off, without waiting in the line again. We didn't use this, as we focused on Fantasyland, and both kids could go on those rides. Their favorites: It's a Small World, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Aladin's Magic Carpet Ride, Dumbo and the Tea Cups... oh, and they also loved the tram from the parking lot and the boat or monorail ride over to the park too. Best advice, go early in the day, use Fast Pass as much as possible, and go back to the hotel when the kids are getting tired.

Have fun!

We just got back last week after 5 days with our 4-year old daughter. She did have a blast but some rides with loud noises scared her...and others she just was a little too short to go on, but not a problem. She was so in love with the characters...and, as another parent put it, it was magical to see the look on her face!

I agree to stay on property, we didn't and it was pretty hard to go back and forth to our hotel. I wouldn't do that again, especially with a child who needs to take a nap.

If you can stay a week, I would suggest going to Disney a few days and then take a day off in the middle, just to rest. We were so exhausted that we are just recovering after being home a week.

Also, buy a good Disney "how to" book. We bought the Unofficial Guide, which gives lots of good information on hotels, restaurants and even has sections that explain each ride, how long it is and how scary for kids. Our daughter was not afraid of the Haunted Mansion but a puff of air in her face put her over the edge, so it was good to know ahead of time what to expect.

I actually found reading about the "grown-up" rides advantageous also...as I am a bit of a chicken. When I found out the RockNRoll roller coaster ride was only 1.5 miles, I knew I could handle it!!!

Also, you never know what kids will remember, so make the memories for yourself so you can bore your kids with them later!

If you can afford it, try to find a Disney Timeshare for rent on property so you can have a kitchen, living room and bedrooms to stretch out in.

Good Luck!

My son and daughter in law took their son,who was five, to DisneyWorld. I don't know how much he remembers..but we all remember that he refused to speak to his Dad all morning because "Daddy had his photo taken with Cinderella" ..and according to my grandson that was AWFUL because she wasn't his MOM.

www.disboards.com has a forum where DVC members (timeshare owners) post points for rent -- if you want to book one of those Disney resorts, that seems to be the way to go. That site is also a wealth of information for anyone planning a Disney trip and they can answer specific questions about resorts and theme parks.

I think both your daughters will enjoy the trip. Definitely go to the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom to see the animals. Avoid Epcot at those ages -- there really is nothing there for little kids and they'll be bored. I'm not so sure about MGM Studios, but my gut says to skip it at that age.

yeah, the height limit is the issue....someone would have to ride with the 5 year old and the 3 year old with have to stay with someone else since some rides may be off limits to them.

We took our 4 year old son this April. I was surprised as he didn't enjoy any of the rides that were fast or dark...and he has been on similar fast rides at home. We let him make the choices for rides, and didn't make a big deal out of his fears.
He also made a point in telling me that he was unhappy that there were no "diggers" in DW, and there was too much "girl" stuff ( ie: princesses ! )
He quite enjoyed Animal Kingdom, and MGM which he indicated had more "boy" stuff. To each his own.
I would highly recommend Marriott Cypress Harbour. Only two exits from Disney and close to Sea World.
Speaking of Sea World, our son loved it ! He wanted to go every day to see Shamu, and fell in love with the dolphin and sting ray encounter.
We're going back next year, and will focus in on Sea World, Epcot, and possibly Animal Kingdom again.
Have fun.

I respectfully beg to differ with xrae.

All kids are different, but my 4-year old daughter liked Epcot's Land ride (educational) and she also went in the earth ride inside the big ball 3 times! She loved the animatronic people (I am sure I did not spell that right...robots).

We also went to Germany (great buffet) and she loved eating the "hot dogs" and dancing with the ompah band. She also was very interested in the Japanese section because some of her buddies at preschool are from Japan.

At MGM she really liked the Beauty and the Beast show too.

I would take them to all the parks and let them tell you if they are bored. You never know when something will spark interest in them.

Hate to bust your bubble, but we took our kids the first time when they were 3 & 7. 7 loved it, 3 was miserable for the entire week.

All kids are different, you know your own.

I agree, all kids are different. I've seen 5 and 6 year olds crying and whining. My kids in the 3 to 4 range were fine at Disneyland (we're in CA).

Only you can decide what your little one will enjoy. We try to set our pace and our expectations accordingly and we took our with us. Disney is a theme park - rather than a thrill park - so there will be lots for the whole family to do.

A list of the Rides with Restrictions (heigh etc.): http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/rr.htm

Here is information for two of Disney's "Value" resorts that have great theming for kids: All Star Movies: http://disneylinks.net/Resorts/AllStarMovies/ & http://disneylinks.net/Stephens-Resources/

Pop Century: http://disneylinks.net/Resorts/PopCentury/

Here is a link for the free Disney Campfire Sing-Along with Chip & Dale (one of my favorite activities with little kids): http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com...-campfire.html