Many of us were Disney fans long before our children came along. Many if not most visitors to the Disney theme parks are adults. Some children might seem to grow too old for Disney themed vacations, while others never seem to. It would seem that some people even assume that children (or adults) might grow tired of visiting Disney theme parks! This week we asked the Parenting Panel: How have your children “aged”? Have they rebelled against their parents' passion for Disney or have they grown with it?
Chris, also known as GusMan, is always planning his next family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort and loves to help others plan their trips, as well sharing his experiences. Chris writes:
As we continue to choose Disney as our preferred vacation spot, I do keep in the back of my mind that there is always a chance that my kids might grow tired of our visits. Sure, my oldest child talks about still vacationing with us during her college and adult years, but I wonder about my son at times. He is a huge Disney fan and loves to go, but I think that between my two children, he might be the one that may change his mind over time.
Being that my children have nearly a 10-year age difference, I see both ends of the spectrum. I see my oldest having the same love for Disney as I do, which for her, started at a rather young age. I see my youngest being born into a Disney family and it is all he has ever known. I wonder if it would be different if they were closer in age or if we started going earlier or later in their lives as to how much of a difference it would make. Would they be as passionate about Disney as I am? It’s a good question, but one that I’m glad I don’t have to sincerely ask.
I think that during the times where my son had “Disney issues” is when he does not understand something or an attraction at the parks. Maybe something did not appeal to him and given his age, he sometimes thinks that everything else in a certain park is the same way. We had to work with these misunderstandings in the past and I anticipate that as he gets older, he can see for himself that its OK to not like something at Disney. (He seriously disliked Captain EO… and says that he will never go back to Epcot if we make him see it again.)
When it comes to my daughter, her love for Disney makes me believe that it will be a part of her life forever. Between her Goofy antenna topper, to her wanting me to paint a huge Mickey icon on the hood of her car, I think she is going to have to make sure she marries someone equally as in love with Disney. (But not for a long while!!) But in all seriousness, she is a dreamer and takes it even beyond the parks. She has the mind of an Imagineer and really believes that she can makes her dreams come true. She lives by the motto of if she can dream it, she can do it. And I believe she can.
As I think back to our trips of the past, I can see where Walt Disney World has become more of a second home to us rather than a vacation destination. It has become a part of our life and lifestyle that goes rather deep into who we are. I don’t think a day goes by where we don’t mention something Disney-related. I realize that to some, that would grow old. It ranks up there with people wondering why we love it there so much and ask “why Disney again?” Simply put – it is what we find works best for our family.
Parenting in the Parks columnist Adrienne Krock’s three boys are now 13, 10, and 7. They’ve been visiting the Disneyland Resort since they were each just weeks old and Annual Passholders since their 3rd birthdays. Adrienne writes:
Recently someone asked my now-13-year-old son what special excursion he might like for a birthday celebration. He answered that he'd like to spend the day at Disneyland. The adult replied, “But you go there all the time! Don't you want to do something special?” I appreciate that not every person enjoys visiting Disneyland or Walt Disney World, or that some prefer to visit more frequently than others. But yes, my teenager still loves Disneyland! Should we, or anyone else be surprised that he might like to celebrate there?
Even teenagers appreciate that the Wilderness must be explored!As my sons grow, so do their options at Disneyland. First they grew tall enough for rides like the Matterhorn Bobsleds or Gadget's Go Coaster, next it was Big Thunder and Space Mountains. Before we knew it, they could ride Indiana Jones or the California Screamin' roller coasters. Now our two youngest count down the days until they can drive an Autopia car alone. Our 10-year-old is not quite there but we check every time we visit! Part of their excitement revolves around each milestone height.
They still enjoy rides without restrictions, too. Any child with a Nintendo DS, Wii or Playstation can appreciate the satisfaction of scoring higher than Grandma on Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (or the challenge of trying to catch up to Mom and Dad's scores!) They all still ask to ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Proving that the apple does not fall far from the tree, our three boys love knowing secrets about the attractions. The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride in Anaheim occupies space once used for the Country Bear Jamboree attraction. Our boys turn around and wave to Melvin, Max and Buff, characters from Country Bear Jamboree, which are now “hidden” within the attraction at Disneyland! My boys love learning the hidden secrets or knowing the history behind the lands and attractions in the parks.
Sometimes when we visit, we only have one adult along, which may restrict which attractions we can visit. Because we live so close to Disneyland, we appreciate the opportunities to share Disneyland with friends and family. Sometimes we get to spend the day with fellow Annual Passholders who live out of town. When these friends come to Disneyland, we use the excuse to meet them there. Spending time with friends outside the family enhances the fun for my boys, too. They eat up attention from other adults, but one advantage of having friends with Annual Passes is that our boys meet other children who love the parks, too. Other times, we have friends or family visiting Disneyland on vacation, or local families who do not have Annual Passes and visit the parks less frequently. Our boys enjoy showing off the parks and playing tour guides. They might get to ask others what rides they really want to see, or sometimes a grandparent or auntie might ask them “What is YOUR favorite attraction? I want to see what you love to do!” Whether they are sharing a mutual love of Disneyland or sharing the park they adore with a less frequent visitor, our boys enjoy social opportunities at Disneyland.
Now, not every moment is roses and lollipops. My middle son has a strong aversion to The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure attraction at Disney California Adventure. That boy can pout like no one's business when forced onto a clamshell. Last time I tried to tell him “We can look for Mr. Limpet! Did you see him last time?” It didn't help. My youngest starts to whine when his legs get tired of walking. With the renovated Star Tours FastPasses running out early in the day, my boys get annoyed when the lines are long and we arrive too late to get a FastPass.
I won't be entirely surprised if at least one of my sons eventually rebels and no longer wants to spend as much time at Disneyland as the rest of us do. But so far, their engineering little minds wonder how everything works, even the teenager still appreciates the Art of Animation and the wit of Phineas and Ferb and they all enjoy the rides and attractions, as well as the history and secrets within the parks. I'm going to enjoy it as long as I can.
Mary Kraemer is an avid Disney fan and travel consultant with CruisingCo/MouseEarVacations who loves to travel with her husband and children to Disney destinations as often as possible! Mary writes
I have four kids, and, as any parent knows, each one is very different. My oldest son loved going to Disneyland when he was little, when we averaged one or maybe two trips per year. When his little brother and sisters came along, we began going to Disneyland more often, and, after a few years—as a teenager going on vacation with his family that included preschoolers and elementary-school aged kids—he started to get tired of it.
He now prefers to go on vacation to visit places that don’t involve characters or rides. I think his attitude is due to oversaturation more than a rebellion against my passion for Disney. Happily, though, he made an exception and cruised with us on the Disney Magic a few years ago, and enjoyed it very much.
I anticipate that when he becomes a parent, his attitude might change, and once he sees the magic in his child’s eyes, he will think differently about Disney vacations. Or, maybe not. If that’s the case, some very lucky kid is going to share the magic of Disney with their super-enthusiastic nana!
We learned through our experience with our first child that maybe our frequent trips to Disneyland were too much of a good thing. Because we don’t want our other kids to burn out, we have scaled back our Disney park travels, mixing in other destinations that are on our family’s rather large “must see” list. In our family, scaling back is a relative thing, and considering that we just finished a year where we had Premier Annual Passes and used them more at Walt Disney World than at Disneyland, it’s a little tongue-in-cheek. But then, Walt Disney World is different from Disneyland, so it’s a different experience. .
Because we live 400 miles away from Disneyland, we don’t run the risk of going so often that the park seems commonplace to us. It takes some effort and planning for us to go, and we pick and choose our visits carefully to experience new attractions or rides, which gives the kids something to anticipate and enjoy.
Taking a Disney trip is not just all about theme parks. Going on the Disney cruise provides an entirely different experience than being at a theme park, but it’s still very much a Disney experience. My kids have previously sailed on the Disney Magic, and, this summer, we sailed on the Disney Dream; the kids had a delightful time on the new ship, exploring the wonderful features like the Aqua Duck and the enchanted artwork. They had a great time at Castaway Cay, which is one of our favorite cruise stops.
Disney anticipates that not everyone will want to vacation at a theme park at every possible opportunity, but they are a “brand” that families trust. Besides the Disney Cruise Line, there’s Adventures by Disney, which take guests to locations all over the world for wonderful guided tours, sprinkled with pixie dust but without the theme park experience. My kids would love to go on quite a few of these tours. There’s also Disney resorts, most notably the new Aulani that just opened on Oahu. It’s a beautiful resort in a gorgeous place, with activities and amenities perfect for a family vacation. Would my kids go there? In a heartbeat…but they might have to race me to the door because I want to go, too!
MousePlanet columnist Chris Barry his wife Diane, 12-year-old Samantha, and twin 9-year-olds, Casey and Alex, live on Long Island and are all major Disney and Walt Disney World fans. Chris writes:
It’s interesting to watch our kids grow up taking the yearly trip to Walt Disney World. It’s definitely a part of their lives and they always seem to want to go back. Whenever we ask the question, “Where should we go on vacation this summer?” they answer, sometimes in unison, “Disney!” That’s with no prompting from us either. But seriously, how many kids wouldn’t say Disney?
Our twin boys are now 9 and they always want to go back. They do, however, express some anxiety over certain aspects of their Disney fandom. For instance, when they go to school or camp, they will not wear anything with a character on it. This started last year. I’m not talking about just Mickey or Donald either. Cars, Toy Story, and The Incredibles are all off limits when it comes to clothing. They have claimed that other kids have made fun of them and said to them, “Disney is for babies!” As a parent, I want to find those bullies and tear their heads off (not literally, of course). As an educator, I want to find them and teach them a lesson. As a Disney fan, I feel bad for them that they aren’t experiencing the magic of Disney the way that my kids are. I’m quite sure that if any one of those bullies’ parents told them they were going to Walt Disney World, they would jump and down and act like the happy little child that they probably are deep down inside.
Despite that little bit of anxiety, I assure them that Walt Disney World is packed full of kids of all ages, and they’re all having fun. They see that when they’re there. Plus, their mom and dad wear Disney clothing from time to time and no one is calling us babies, are they? No…really…are they? Regardless, when they’re charging through the Magic Kingdom with Mickey or Goofy on their shirts, that anxiety sure seems to melt away. I’m pretty sure that’s why they still respond, “Disney!” to the vacation question. They know they have a blast there. They know that it’s become part of our family’s fabric. It’s just something we do. Much like skiing. Not everybody does it, but we do and we enjoy it together as a family. They’re definitely in tune with that concept.
We were in Walt Disney World just this past August. With the schools closed for two days last week, we were contemplating a local long weekend getaway. We asked our daughter her opinion on where to go and she asked, quite seriously, if we could go to Walt Disney World. She will turn 13 this December and, obviously,Walt Disney World is still important to her. She doesn’t seem to be outgrowing it. Granted, she’s outgrown the Disney Princess thing, as one would expect. But she still wants her picture taken with her favorite character, Eeyore. She still loves to go on Peter Pan and Dumbo. She’s not a big fan of the crazier rides and would be happier walking around taking pictures of Frontierland than plummeting down Splash Mountain.
I will add that she is a major, major Harry Potter fan. Last summer we spent four days over at Universal Orlando and we had a wonderful time exploring The Wizarding World. I honestly figured that after seeing the final film this past summer—three times—that she’d want to return to Universal this summer, that maybe she was growing out of Disney a little. But, she pushed for a full-blown trip to Disney with no side excursions whatsoever over to that other castle. She wanted to just be in the “World.”
I think the combination of the Disney-fan father and the graphic artist mother has instilled in her a true appreciation for the Disney details. She’s got her mother’s artistic eye and her father has been spewing Disney knowledge at her since she was old enough to listen. When you put those two things together, it isn’t any surprise she still enthusiastically wants to go on a Disney vacation again and again. It seems that once you’ve got the bug…you’ve got the bug.
I have a friend at work that’s gone to Walt Disney World year after year. They’ve been DVC members since its inception. Her daughter is now in her second year of college. Last spring, after spending her first full year away at school, she called her mom and said, “Can we go to Walt Disney World this summer…I need my Disney fix.” She’s obviously not growing out of it at 19 and I kind of expect that my kids will be somewhat the same as they grow up, and that’s just fine with me.
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