My husband and I are discussing a trip to Walt Disney World this May. Our son will be three and a half at the time. Are we rushing things with this trip or is he old enough to really enjoy WDW? Anyone know of any good websites besides the Official Disney site or any good guidebooks? Also, what are you opinions about staying inside or outside WDW and whether or not to rent a car. Thanks!

Only you know your child well enough to determine if WDW is appropriate and how he will handle it. Each child is different. I personally think that, while he may not have memories later on in life of the trip, it can be a wonderful experience for all of you. Three and a half is old enough to understand most of what is going on. He'll recognize the characters most likely, and realize he is in someplace special. My first trip to WDW was when I was 2, the year it opened. I am now planning our 18th trip there. We are about to have a baby, and will take her to WDW when she is about 2. Your trip will just require a bit more planning. With a young child, you can't do the park commando style. You must take into account his needs, build in plenty of rest/pool time. I highly recommend staying at a resort on-property. You will be able to take advantage of early entry, e-nights, and the WDW transportation. It is just so convenient. Additionally, it will make it easier for you to go back to the room for a rest. If you are only going to be at WDW, then there is really no reason to rent a car. You can take shuttle services such as Mears or Transtar from the airport, or a limo service such as Tiffany Town Car (more economical than the other two, and will make a stop at a grocery store). There are two websites you should check out. 1) Deb Wills wdn.com/dwills (I think that's right) and 2) DIS www.disneyinfo.com. This last one is probably the best site around. Birnbaum's Official Guide is also good. There have been discussions on its message boards about taking young children to WDW. If you want more info on planning your trip, please feel free to email me. You will have a wonderful time.

My opinion is that Disneyworld is too much for a 3 year old. He'd be happier if you take him to a local amusement park -- less tiring, overwhelming, confusing for a child that age. Wait until he's 5 -- then he'll have a ball!

However, if you decide to go, you should follow the excellent advice in Ilisa's letter.

Ask yourself two very important questions:
1. Is my child under 36" tall?
2. Is my child afraid of costumed characters?
If the answer to either of these is "yes", I would seriously recommend waiting a couple of years.
My family took our first WDW vacation many years ago when my sister was 4 years old. Not only was she too small to go on 90% of the rides, but she was also deathly afraid of Mickey Mouse and all the other costumed characters. this made the rest of the family have to split up to go on rides, or we just skipped them entirely, which made it a lot less fun!
I would highly recommend staying on property- I've been back 3 times and have stayed on property all but one time. It's SO much more convenient, especially with young children. And no, you won't need to rent a car.

I just reread my message. I meant there are good discussions about taking children to WDW on the DIS boards, not the Unofficial Guide (that's a book). Sorry. Oh, the last post made me think of something. If there is a ride you want to go on, but the child can't, you can do the baby swap. All three of you wait on line. When you get to the head, one gets on the ride while the other waits with the kid. When the ride is over, you switch, without having to stand on line again. However, there are many, many things for the family to do and ride on if you son is less than 36" (in some cases 40").

Thanks for the great responses. Based on the research I've been doing on the 'Net and through guidebooks, we're almost sure we are going to wait another year or so for WDW. Our son is a not great under stressful situations (nor are we for that matter!) and hasn't yet experienced carnival rides. So, I guess we will hold off and try a local amusement park (Great Escape in Lake George, NY) this summer as well as a water park or two. I think we (the parents) really want to go right now. But, alas, the child comes first! Maybe we'll just do a beach vacation this year. Any ideas for a good beach with calm water (Florida or Carib.) where there are enough kid activities to keep it interesting?

YES- It is too young. Save your $$$ and wait until chidren are older. So many people and so many things that can go wrong at WDW.