Taking Your Too Short/Young Kids Anyway, &*#$@!!

OVERVIEW

This site recommends waiting to go until your kids are at least 48 inches tall and in the third grade or older. If you do, all of the best of Disney World is open to them.

Of course, as noted several times before, kids of all ages can have a great time at Disney World. So you may be ignoring this instruction…

The problem with younger kids is that

  • Younger kids enjoy attractions that older ones and their parents would view as skippable
  • Older kids and their parents enjoy things that younger kids can’t or shouldn’t ride
  • Moreover, little kids also slow everyone else down, as they can’t keep up at the same pace as the rest of the family

The result is that it is very hard to keep everyone happy on a single Disney World trip, and the family overall does not have the best possible trip.

TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO WON’T FOLLOW SUGGESTIONS

The best—not great, but still best—answer depends on your family circumstances. Two variables are critical:
types.jpg

  • First, are all your kids too young or short, or do you have a mix of some the right age/height and others not?
  • Second, could you afford to return?

Suggestions are grouped below based on these two variables; you can also see them organized a little more simply by clicking on the thumbnail to the right.

YOU CAN AFFORD TO RETURN, AND ALL YOUR KIDS ARE TOO SHORT/YOUNG

Go now for a shorter, simpler trip, focused on what little kids like, and return later when they are older for a full scale version of one of this site’s itneraries. 

YOU CAN AFFORD TO RETURN, AND ONLY SOME OF YOUR KIDS ARE TOO SHORT/YOUNG

  • Leave your youngest kids behind (grandma, police, kennel) and go on a regular trip with your properly aged kids; return later for a regular trip when your youngest kids are old and tall enough, or
  • Go now with everyone for a regular trip, but split up often and use babysitters often (see below); return later for a regular trip when your youngest kids are old and tall enough

YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO RETURN, AND ALL YOUR KIDS ARE TOO SHORT/YOUNG

  • Wait until they are (you knew you were going to hear that again), or,
  • Go now for a shorter, simpler trip, banking the money saved compared to the regular trip for a short return later when they are old and tall enough, focused on what you missed this time around

YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO RETURN, AND ONLY SOME OF YOUR KIDS ARE TOO SHORT/YOUNG

  • Wait until they are (you knew you were going to hear that again), or,
  • Go now with everyone for a regular trip, but split up often and use babysitters often (see below); if you possibly can, return later for a regular trip when your youngest kids are old and tall enough

MANAGING A TRIP WITH KIDS OF WILDLY DIFFERENT AGES

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OTHER RESOURCES

Bob Sehlinger with Len Testa’s The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2009, in its chapter on kids, has additional wonderful ideas. Skip the instructions on how to parent (!) and move straight to the concepts and ideas.

LINKS FOR HOW OLD/TALL YOUR KIDS SHOULD BE

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10 comments

1 Kristen { 02.09.11 at 5:40 am }

I can definitely understand why your age/height minimum would be 3rd grade/48″ but I have to tell you… My first trip to Disney (all the parks.. minus animal kingdom, which was not around then) was in 1990, when I was 5 years old and just 44″.

I will be 26 in May, and I still remember that trip from my 5 year old mind’s perspective. I am not sure what I really missed out on… but I do know all the cool stuff I got to do! Including Space Mountain.. I really thought we were going through Space. I thought we were really flying in Peter Pan’s Flight. It was just so magical for me. I really believe that is why I have always loved going to Disney World so much.

Meanwhile, it was also my sister’s first time going at the age of 16, and she could live without ever going there again. I also at the age of 5, lasted every single day, all day… no rest! We had to go back and forth several days from my grandparents, which was an hour away.

Maybe I am an exception to the rule.. but I really dislike this advice of waiting so long to take your kids to experience Disney.

I have known for a very long time that when I had children, that the perfect first age to bring them would be 5. My daughter just turned 5 in January and one of her presents is our upcoming trip to Disney World in May. She is a lot like me… so I hope it’s as magical for her as it was for me. :)

2 Dave { 02.09.11 at 9:25 am }

Kristen, what a sweet and touching story, and I’m sorry you dislike the site! Don’t tell anyone :)

My advice on kids’ ages constitutes the most-disliked and disagreed with stuff I have ever written.

However, I think part of the issue is misunderstanding, or just plain unclear bad writing on my part.

Here’s what I say on my home page:

  • Kids of any age can have a wonderful time at Disney World. However, if this may be your kids’ only childhood visit, consider going when your youngest child is at least 8 or 9, and your shortest child at least 48 inches tall.

    • The key word there is only, which I have just highlighted in red on the home page–it used to be just bold…

    If the question were just about the earliest age a kid could have fun, I’d be fully with you.

    But if it is first and perhaps only trip, then it gets harder, as the question becomes how old enough should a kid be to get almost all of the best of WDW…which is why I end where I do…

    3 Kim { 04.16.11 at 10:56 am }

    I wanted to say bravo – this is an interesting site. I am having fun navigating around and seeing other peoples opinions. I have been described as being obsessed with Disney. My first visit was with my parents in 1976 and have returned about every other year. My one parent had a second wedding in Disney, both me and my sibling had our Honeymoons in Disney and we have many family reunions in Disney.
    I consider myself to be a great resource on Disney and have advised many people over the years. I wanted to make a small comment on the age of children advice. I agree with you if parents are considering a once only type visit. For families more like mine, where you plan on making Disney more of a traditional type vacation.
    Parents consider taking your family when your youngest child is around 2.5years. At this age your youngest won’t ride rides, but you get to see so much of the parks that you normally run past getting to the next greatest attraction. You get to interact with the staff and some of the characters will spend so much time with the young ones. Even Better is that under 3 is FREE!!! So they get to be on your dining plan no charge, no charge entry into all the parks, no charge for hotel stay. If you take tons of pictures and talk about your trip your child will remember. My son is 6 and he remembers his first visit at 2.5 years because we talk and look at the pictures a lot. My twin daughters are 2 this summer and I feel it’s time to start planning their first trip. My son will not be interested in any of the same things, but it also won’t be his last visit so he can learn to slow down. The twins will have a great time and this will be the start of new traditions for our family.

    4 Dave { 04.16.11 at 11:28 am }

    Thanks Kim!!

    5 Anonymous { 01.05.12 at 1:20 am }

    Hi Dave, very nice site indeed! so i am taking a 4.5 yr old and a 2 yr old for the first time in the week pre-easter. took your advice and doing a 4 day trip starting on Monday 4/2/2012. we are staying at the swan Dolphin and was wondering if you have an itinerary suggestion. thanks!

    6 Dave { 01.05.12 at 8:11 am }

    Honestly, I’d rebook. That’s the second busiest week of the year, and little kids can be really hard to manage in such crowds…

    7 Kelly { 01.10.12 at 6:49 pm }

    Your site offers great advice; I worked at Disneyland for 5 years and you have a concise way of communicating all of the tips that my friends and family have solicited from me over the years! I particularly agree with your comment above about avoiding crowds. Crowds at Disneyland do have a tendency to feel worse than WDW due to the cramped nature of the park, but a free, open park vs. a crowded environment will make or break a trip. I know first hand that on busy days, fellow guests are quicker to lose their temper and potentially put a damper on your magical day.

    8 Dave { 01.11.12 at 8:46 am }

    Hi Kelly and thanks for weighing in and your kind words about the site–I always love hearing from current and former cast members!

    9 Tammy { 01.17.12 at 12:25 am }

    Hi Dave,
    We are planning a trip to florida the week of 4/27/12 to 05/04/12. We have accomodations about an hour away at friends. I have a 3.5yr old son that LOVES Mickey Mouse club house and keeps asking to go to his house. We also have an 8yr old daughter that has been to Magic Kingdom 2 yrs ago. Can you suggest the best place to go? Is there an actual club house where he can meet all the caracters? Is there any deals on tickets for this time of year? Is there any other low cost attractions that we can do while we are in Florida, so that we can make it a great trip for all? Thanks so much in advance. Tammy

    10 Dave { 01.17.12 at 9:25 am }

    Hi Tammy!

    There’s no one place where he can meet all the characters–and no “clubhouse”–but characters are everywhere, and especially so in the Magic Kingdom. He can meet Mickey right inside MK, in the building to the right.

    For deals, see this: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/03/29/walt-disney-worlds-latest-spring-and-summer-deal/

    I don;t really cover other attractions, but from what I’ve heard, you likely wanna check out Legoland… http://florida.legoland.com/

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