Young at WDW

A few weeks back, a friend of mine told me that her husband
had suggested taking their young family to Walt Disney World in 2005 for
a nice vacation. She came to me for advice, and her questions made me
do some serious thinking.

What are all the pros and cons on taking small children to Walt Disney
World, and when is a child old enough to visit Mickey and friends?

In this session, let’s look at some of these issues and toss around some
thoughts on preparing for a trip to Orlando.

The Perfect Disney Age

I’m often asked, “What is the perfect age for a child to go to Walt
Disney World?” I’m sure everyone feels I duck the question when I
reply, “That depends upon the child.”

Let’s face it: No two adults are alike and no two children are alike,
either. When seriously thinking about bringing children to Walt Disney
World for their initial visit, there is a lot to be considered.

I’m sure most of those running the show in Orlando would NEVER say your
child is too young to visit the theme parks, but I think they are wrong.

I’ve often heard that Disney considers the ripe old age of 7 as the perfect
Disney age. It’s at 7 years old that the child’s personality really emerges.
Also, at 7 the child is very impressionable—and impressionable children
are a much desired market for entertainment companies like Disney.

But I’m not here to help Disney; I’m here to help you.

I don’t care what Disney sees as the perfect Disney age; I want to focus
on your individual family, and your kids.

Disney shouldn’t decide if your children are at that age, you should.

For our discussion today, let’s define young children as being 5 years
old or younger.

Kristen’s Family

Let’s focus on my friend Kristen and her family. If she does decide to
visit Walt Disney World, she would go with her husband and their two children.
At the time of this potential vacation, their older child will be just
over 3 years old and their newest family member will be just 7 months
old.

Kristen and her husband have not been to Walt Disney World in many years.
I don’t recall how long it’s been, but I do know it’s long enough so that
it will seem quite different to them.

The good news is that they have visited Walt Disney World in the past
and have some idea of what to expect. The bad news is that they have never
visited Orlando with young children and may not fully grasp how to approach
a Walt Disney World vacation with such a young family.

Many times a young family is drawn to Walt Disney World through marketing
hype, as well as through conversation with friends and relative who have
recently visited Mickey.

Sometimes the excitement of going prevents young parents from really
sitting down and thinking about how to properly approach such a trip.
Certain preparations must be taken to ensure that everyone—parents
and little ones alike—really enjoy the adventure.

Let’s look at all the components of taking young children to Walt Disney
World and what young parents should be aware of when deciding whether
to go or not.

Traveling with Children

Most visitors either fly or drive to Walt Disney World. If you have young
children who have never flown before, do you have any idea as to how they
will react on the flight? I’ve heard that young children who fly are prone
to ear infections. I have no idea as to the credibility of such a claim.
I also know those too young to pressurize their ears on their own can
experience excruciating earaches, so at the very least, I would recommend
feeding your children (especially infants and toddlers) to keep their
jaws actively working to relieve ear pressure. In essence, make sure you
are prepared to deal with any discomfort your child may have on the trip.

Before you travel with your children, call their pediatrician and ask
for advice on what medicinal supplies you should pack.

If you fly, book a direct flight to Orlando if at all possible. Avoiding
multiple take-offs and landings would appeal to most people with or without
children, but especially with small children.

Regardless of whether you drive or fly, try to bring along some snacks,
as well as something to keep your child occupied.

Finally, when traveling with small children keep in mind that small children
have small bladders, so they may require frequent bathroom stops.

Where to Stay

It goes without saying that staying on-property offers so much for young
families who need that mid-day break or prefer to be as close to the parks
as possible.

Disney’s value resorts, such as Pop Century and All Stars, offer small
families very good accommodations at reasonable prices. These two resorts
would be at the top of my list for young families.

If, however, a young family plans to spend most of its time at Magic
Kingdom and prefers to be closer to it, then Port Orleans French Quarter
may be the moderate resort best suited for all.

Staying on the property offers the parents the advantage of a short trip
back to the room to rest, nap, or enjoy the pool.

If your children are used to a mid-day or early afternoon nap, you can
maintain this routine while still enjoying your vacation.

This is not to say that a hotel room outside the Walt Disney World resort
property wouldn’t serve the same purpose. I’m sure it would, especially
if you have a rental car, and the off-property hotel is very close by.
The decision to be made is just how far you want to be from the theme
parks.

I know I’d want to be as close as possible.

Park Touring with Young Children

I won’t get into which attractions in which parks are the best for young
children. Instead, let me point out a few things that young parents with
small children should keep in mind.

Theme park attractions can be loud and dark. No one knows your children
better than you, so you are best to judge which attractions your child
can handle best. To help you, Brian Bennett put together a great Mouseplanet
article on theme Park fear factor (link).

It is important to really spend time planning your itinerary for touring
the parks. This means drawing up a plan that allows your family to properly
pace yourselves in the park. Always understand that young children have
only so much energy; don’t want to burn them out. Plan your day accordingly,
around their abilities.

Well before the trip, prepare your children for the theme-park characters
they might meet. Chip and Dale are not nine inches tall but more like
five and a half feet tall. Do your children know this? Will they be frightened
by a huge Pluto? If possible, expose your children to life-size characters,
Disney or non-Disney, well before the trip. And when a character appears
in person, it would be a good idea for either mom or dad to hug that character.
This may help ward off any fear that the children may have of the character.

Make life easier on everyone by supplying your own juice boxes and snacks
for your visit to the parks. You can easily quench little thirsts and
provide a snack in a flash.

Remember the medicines I mentioned earlier? Don’t forget to bring it
to the park. My wife use to also bring a supply of wet naps or wipes to
the park as well. They always came in handy.

The first thing you need to do when you enter any of the theme parks
is to find a park guide and take note as to the location of first aid
and baby care center. Actually, it would help to know their locations
before you get to the park.

Theme parks are pretty big and that means a lot of walking. Unless you
like carrying your child a lot you may want to consider either bringing
your own stroller or renting one at the front of the park.

If you decide to bring your own stroller, it should be as small as possible
and easy to fold up. Parking lot trams are much easier to embark and disembark
with smaller, folding strollers.

If your children are sometimes in need of walking on their own you may
want to consider purchasing one of those harnesses or tethers that allow
them to walk on their own without having to hold your hand. I’ve seen
them many times and they seem to work well.

Parade watching may be a real challenge here because we all know that
it’s important to find a spot well before the parade begins. Will your
children patiently wait an extended period of time for a parade?

Disney Dining

This is easy. Before your trip to Walt Disney World, know your children’s
dining habits and how well they do in restaurants. Of course Walt Disney
World offers character meals and that means a different type of restaurant.

Sometimes children are too fidgety for restaurants. On a recent trip
my wife and I were having dinner at Chef Mickey’s and the couple next
to us had a young childÉ maybe nine months old, who would not sit in a
high chair and wanted to be held at all times.

The parents alternating holding this child and I dare say they did not
enjoy their meal.

Do some planning before the trip and determine which restaurants may
best suit your family.

Food for Thought

In doing research for this column, I poked around the Internet and read
many forums and sites and one person made an interesting comment about
why he will no longer go to Walt Disney World with children younger than
5 years old. He said he’s seen too many “hollow-eyed parents pushing
bulky strollers around the park with kids who won’t remember one moment
of the whole event,” because most of us don’t remember much of what
happened in our lives before we were 5. The person also commented that
he didn’t want to take the child to the park on the one day he decided
to have a bad day no matter what. Ê Perhaps the most important thing for
a parent is to recognize when your child is old enough to really appreciate
a trip to Walt Disney World and more importantly, old enough to…

…Remember the Magic!

Next Time

I’m definitely overdue to discuss the new Magic Your Way ticket program.
We’ll look at the specifics and see how to make them work for you.