Disney fans can argue about a great many things: best resort; best park; best attraction; even where to get the best burger. These discussions are typically friendly exchanges with each side building their case and, often, learning something from the opposing argument (“You mean they weren’t real beaver tails?”). I’ve only seen these debates get passionate when the topic is transportation (some people really don’t like riding the buses) and children.
Not that folks are objecting to children in general, or even their presence at Walt Disney World. Where it starts to get heated is when you begin discussing when, or more specifically, at what age it is appropriate to bring a child there.
How young is too young?
Am I too young? Photo by Michelle Schwab.
This is a question that can evoke passionate responses. Many people feel very strongly that bringing a child under the age of x (and I’ve seen x represent every age from three to ten) is a recipe for disaster and will impinge on the enjoyment of everyone around you. To these folks, I say “Relax.” No one, and I really mean no one, is better equipped to answer that question than the parents of the child.
The argument that I hear most often is the child won’t remember anything from the vacation—not even the close encounters with Mickey. My response to that is, “So what?” While that might be true, you will enjoy and remember your child’s smiles and laughter for many, many years. You’ll also have six thousand digital photographs and thirty-seven hours of video footage to remind you.
The naysayer will argue that your crying or screaming child will detract from their enjoyment of the attraction, resort or restaurant that they share with you. Again that might be true but each parent needs to exercise some common sense. Make sure your child gets plenty of time to rest. Don’t bring them into an attraction that will frighten them. If they act up in a restaurant and you can’t calm them down, one of you needs to take the child outside for some cooling off. To the naysayer: Please don’t come to Walt Disney World if you’re not expecting to see any children.
Assuming that we can agree that it’s all right to bring a fetus with you to Walt Disney World, let’s also agree that there’s no problem bringing a child of six years old. I think everyone can agree with that and, with those assumptions out of the way, we can more closely examine the various age groups between those two:
The Infant – Age 0 to 11 months
Bringing an infant is not easy, but, on the plus side, you will have your child with you at the Happiest Place on Earth. You, and your spouse or significant other, are able to take that family vacation at Disney World that everyone told you to postpone. Your child may enjoy some limited character interaction, and you will certainly enjoy watching that.
It’s not all roses, however. The difficulties of traveling with an infant may be significant, particularly when you consider the hardships in navigating airports, security and airplanes. While traveling, and during the vacation, you will need to deal with diapers, bottles, breastfeeding, formula, naps and strollers. Strollers are essential and you’ll need to decide if you’ll bring one from home or go the rental route. You will also need to be very concerned about sunscreen and hydration, particularly during the summer months.
Above all, you’ll need help. I’ve seen those solo Moms getting off a bus with two or three children and a stroller, diaper bag and backpack. They often get my assistance, and help from others, but it’s amazing to see what they go through. I think it would be exponentially easier with a spouse, grandparents, and as many friends and relatives as you can muster. Just having the additional hands available for lugging things would be an enormous help.
The Toddler – Age 1 to 3 years
The toddler can enjoy some attractions and will probably interact to a greater extent with the characters. At this age, the child will probably be ambulatory which means you’ll need to spend less time holding and carrying them but… potentially much more time chasing them. Strollers are still a consideration here as well.
While the traveling difficulties mentioned above will ease just a bit, they won’t go away entirely. My advice to bring help still stands.
The Child – Age 4 to 6 years
The child can and will express his or her likes, dislikes and favorites. Sometimes, that’s a good thing. Others… not so much. He or she will let you know what they want to do and what they’d like to do again. This is probably a much better age range for the parents and child alike—they can enjoy their surroundings, and each other, at the same time.
While traveling is a bit easier, you’ll still need to consider naps and strollers.
What’s the bottom line? My vote is that the “pros” of bringing a child of any age to Walt Disney World will always outweigh the “cons.” Just don’t forget your common sense. If you are bringing a small child, you must understand that you will probably not be able to ride every thrill ride that Disney offers. You will need to curtail your touring hours a bit and you will probably need to cut back on your bar hopping and late evenings. That’s the price you’ll pay, but, in my mind, it’s worth it.
All of the above is based on the expectation that, at some point in the child’s life, you will return to Walt Disney World. If that’s not the case, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, you must then consider what would be the minimum age that will allow your child to enjoy the experience as much as you’d like him or her to. No one else can tell you what that age is for your child.
How old is old enough?
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, there’s a follow-up question. Now that your children are a bit older, at what age can you turn them loose on their own? Is ten years old too young? Fifteen? Thirty-four? The right answer will certainly vary with the individual. Depending on many factors, maturity among them, some children will be able to handle this fine at age twelve while others may need to wait a bit longer.
Do you feel they’re old enough? Not surprisingly, that’s the most important question. If you do, then that’s probably the case. No one is better equipped to make that evaluation than you. Walt Disney World is generally a very safe place, but common sense must be applied.
A post concerning this topic recently appeared on the rec.arts.disney.parks Usenet newsgroup (RADP). A parent, with children aged 4, 11 and 13, asked what age would be appropriate to allow children to go off on their own. One of the regular posters, Rodney, offered a response that, I thought, delivered the best advice. He wrote:
… if your children regularly handle things like this in daily life, then they will probably be fine at [Walt Disney World]. If they have never been out of your sight, then I’m not sure [Walt Disney World] is the best place to experiment.
What you might want to do is test the waters by first letting them ride one attraction while you take the 4-year old to another one nearby. Then meet afterward. You can then continue to let the leash out a bit until you reach the right balance between your comfort and their freedom. If you have a pair of cell phones, that might work to communicate, but of course, you don’t want to panic if they don’t answer because reception can be spotty, and they may be enjoying an attraction and not able to hear a ring or answer. If you go the cell phone route, make sure you learn how to “text” as that seems to work when voice doesn’t, plus it’s easier to check and reply than [listen and respond to] a voice mail. Walkie-talkies (even the top of the line FRS handsets) are almost useless at Walt Disney World because so many people have them.
Unless these are just the most mature children in the world, I doubt you would want to let them have complete run of all of [Walt Disney World]. Even though I am sure they could figure out the transportation, it’s just a big place. I think staying in the same park (or even the same area or land) would be best. If you are staying at a Disney hotel, you will probably feel comfortable letting them go to the pool and game room, too…
…Again, it’s all about how you feel. They are your children, so you know them best. One final thought is that you might not want to consider only their safety, but also the comfort of others around them. If they tend to be rambunctious and rowdy, you might not want them off on their own as they might bother other guests.
I could not have said it better.
That’s my opinion. What’s yours?
