It is Always the Perfect Age for a Disney Vacation

I went to Walt Disney World® for the first time when I was 6 years old. I have been there many times since that first trip. I love it, I have always loved it, and I don’t think I will ever get tired of Disney. There is something very magical about being in “the Disney bubble” and I firmly believe that there is something for everyone, regardless of your age – adult or child. My husband and I went there on our honeymoon, and we are returning this year for our 10th wedding anniversary and have done several trips in between. I don’t doubt for one second that we will have the best time, even without the kids! However, since becoming a mother in 2010, I was waiting for the perfect time to take my kids on one of those trips. And I am writing this to tell you – it’s ALWAYS the perfect time for a Disney Vacation!

We took my older two kids to Walt Disney World® Resort for the first time in April 2014. My older daughter was almost 4, my older son was almost 2, and I was about 6 months pregnant with my 3rd child. I cannot tell you how many people told me I was crazy for taking them at that point – “You’re going to be miserable.” “You won’t be able to ride anything”. “They aren’t going to remember”. My response? I WILL remember! Plus, there was an added bonus to traveling with young children – they are COMPLETELY FREE! Any child under the age of 3 years old is free at Walt Disney World® – free admission, no cost for the dining plan (they are allowed to eat off of your plate), and no cost at the resort. Plus, if they are under 2, they are also free to fly!

The bottom line – We had made the plan before I knew I was pregnant and had decided to stick to it! I do not regret it for a single second. My daughter still talks about parts of the trip, and although my son doesn’t remember a whole lot, he LOVES looking at the pictures now. And he may not remember, BUT again, I sure do! I remember Snow White leaving a lipstick print on his cheek and the first time that my daughter saw Cinderella Castle. I remember that for part of the week, my son was TERRIFIED of the characters, but then we met Minnie Mouse in Town Square and he was TOTALLY smitten! I even remember eating a Dole Whip while waiting for the fireworks to start and within an hour – my belly was jumping because my younger son was kicking like crazy – haha! I kid you not, pineapple is one of his favorite things to eat now!!!!

Fast forward to 2017, my younger daughter was born in March, and we had already planned another Disney trip for June 2017. She would be 3 months old when we traveled and at that point, I was nervous! I even asked our pediatrician for tips – it was June, no sunscreen allowed, is this really a good idea? Luckily, our pediatrician is as much of a Disney fanatic as I am, and said there was no reason to not take the baby!

So, off we went! Our kids were 7, 4, 2 and 3 months old for that trip, and I think that has to be my favorite trip thus far in my life. It is definitely possible to take kids to Disney at ANY age – here are some tips from our experiences.

• Baby Care Centers are THE best thing ever! There are Baby Care Centers in every park. These places are wonderful, it’s a quiet area with everything that a parent would need when traveling with kids. If you forget wipes, run out of diapers, or even if you need extra clothes or food, this is the place to go. You can purchase any of these things and more. There is a room filled with changing tables. There are books and coloring sheets and the latest Disney movie is usually on the TV. And for nursing moms, there is a separate space with comfortable chairs and privacy to nurse your baby.
• The Characters and Cast Members are fun for EVERYONE! Yes, the characters are great with kids but they also are great with adults, and even the littlest of babies! Some of my favorite pictures from our vacations are candid shots of characters interacting with my kids, but I will also never forget some of my own interactions with them!
• Memory Maker! If you purchase any extras on your vacation, this is the one I would ALWAYS recommend. Memory Maker is something that you purchase either in advance (for $169) or once you arrive ($199).  Doing this gives you any of the pictures that you get taken by the Disney PhotoPass® photographers in the parks. You can view the pictures on your phone in the My Disney Experience app or when you get home on the computer. It was SO convenient to have someone else readily available to take all of our pictures. Some of the photographers were also very creative and fun – I will ALWAYS treasure the picture of me holding my 3-month-old baby girl up in front of Cinderella Castle, with her smiling back at me! We were able to capture those candid moments, all of the character meetings and even Magic shots – where the PhotoPass® photographers add in some extra magic! I guarantee that you will get pictures you didn’t even realize you had and you will treasure them forever!
• Be Flexible! Yes, making dining reservations and using Disney Fastpass+ service are always things that I would recommend doing on your trip. However, when traveling with an infant or really any children, it is always good to be flexible! You never know when you may need to change your plans, and that is ok! The My Disney Experience app proved to be pretty helpful and I was even able to change the times for some of my plans. When traveling with a baby, I learned that everyone had more fun if I slowed things down a bit and was open to the fact that we may not see or do everything that we had planned.  
• Take breaks! Walt Disney World® can be overwhelming, even as an adult. So, imagine what it’s like for a small child or even a baby. It’s the most Magical Place on Earth but can also cause sensory overload and breaks are often extremely beneficial. Some people opt to leave the parks and go back to their rooms for a midday break. Others feel that it takes too long to leave and then come back. We were somewhere in the middle, so we did a little of everything. We have a planned resort day on all of our trips – we sleep in, we hang at the pool, explore Disney Springs™ or even some of the other resorts on property. For the park days, sometimes we head back early to the hotel, or if we know we want to stay late, we make sure that we have some downtime. There are many ways to do this – take advantage of some of the shows, sit and watch the parade, enjoy a Dole Whip or one of the other great snack options around the park. This gave our kids (and who am I kidding? Us too!) a chance to calm down, regroup and get ready for the rest of the day! It was also helpful on some days to arrive right at park opening, stay until lunchtime, and then leave for the afternoon. We would often return for dinner and then stay the rest of the evening.

There are many ways to plan a successful trip, regardless of who is in your family and you will have those memories for a lifetime. Your favorite agent at Key to the World Travel® can help you do it!

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