Pros & Cons of taking a 1 1/2 year old vs. a 2 1/2 year old

My wife and I have a son who will be 2 1/2 in October 2010, which has always been the schedule for his first trip to WDW. However, while we were watching a TV show on Disney thrill rides, I got to browsing Intercot's ride restrictions page and was surprised at the height restrictions for some rides I thought a 2 1/2 year old might could ride. So, it hit me like a ton of bricks...why not go a year early, at 1 1/2 years old? My logic was that it appears that there isn't really anything that a 2 1/2 year old can do that a 1 1/2 cannot.

BUT, since our son is our first child, we really are clueless about the development of the two different ages in terms of his ability to enjoy (or understand) the parks. So, for those with more experience than I, what are the pros and cons of going at 1 1/2 vs. at 2 1/2.

PS: At much as we might like, going at both ages will not be an option... :(

I have two young daughters and their first trips were at 5 and 4. We've been almost yearly since then. Some will tell you that a 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 will understand alot I'm not so sure. In my opinion the older the better. The main reason is it's HOT and kids get tired and cranky. I've seen so many families pushing little ones in strollers who are crying and it looks like the parents are ready to 'Flip Out' or are there already. That's not what Disney is all about. If you are going to go I would wait for him to be the 2 1/2 or older and set your expectations low. Don't expect him to want to go all day at the parks or to go on certain rides that you thought would be a lock for the trip. Setting expectations low and keeping your emotions in check are the only way to go with a little one at Disney! Best of luck with your decision.

We have 4 kids, and have taken them annually since they were a few months old. I'd say that you need to be realistic in your expectations. We actually find the age from 2 to 3 years the most difficult for our kids. At that age, they are more aware of their surroundings, so ours really didn't want to sit in strollers. Once we were in line, it was hard for them to be patient. They still had a great time, but it took patience on our part as well. We always let them play around in the various playgrounds at the parks for a while. Some may feel like this is wasting time, but our little ones really need to run around and play during vacation too.
Like the previous poster said, don't expect to do or see as much as usual. Keep in mind that little ones can get over stimulated very quickly. We always stick to our regular schedules and have naps in the afternoons. Someone once told me that if you look at Disney as they experience it, you'll do much better. At this age, EVERYTHING at Disney is real. They have no concept of animitronics, actors, or costumes.
That said, I think you'd do fine at either age. I don' know how much he'll remember, but he'll still have fun.

The youngest we have taken the children is 3 1/2. At this point they were all 40 inches so rides in MK are easy and over naps. We have taken trips when the children were younger, they just went to grandmas. I think a 1 1/2 year old would be hard. They like to walk and don't like to wait or sit in a stroller. I would not take a child that young but plenty of people do. Maybe try a day trip at a local park and see how they do even October may be hot. The problem with October is the hours in the parks are shorter. So if you have to go back and take a nap, you won't have much time. I would look at park hours now to get an idea of what they will be like in the future. Also, I have a friend with a 2 year old that does not sleep well in hotels. They refuse to go anywhere until he can do this.

also at 1 1/2 you have diapers at 2 1//2 you have to find potties.

Your main problem would be sensory overload. This is very kid specific. However, sensory overload in very young kids is usually dealt with easier than in toddlers. Very young kids can be removed to a quiet bench, or the baby centers at Disney parks, rocked or rolled, where they will generally go to sleep and then, provided you have a comfy stroller, you can go back to touring.

As was mentioned in a previous post, by 2 1/2 most kids are very aware of their surroundings. More things are scary than they are at 18 months. And sensory overload is a bit more challenging, depending on the kid. Some kids take things in their strides and other kids react more strongly. The more challenging kids might have to be given more time away from the parks (playing in the resort pool is great).

Certainly at 18 months kids are more apt to watch while at 2 1/2 months they are more apt to want to get involved. This can lead to more disappointment as many of the fun looking things aren't available for the 2 1/2 year old to ride, as you've discovered.

As another poster said, Disney for very young kids isn't about the actual attractions, it's all the stuff going on around them - the characters, the colorful buildings, the sounds, smells, etc. Sensory overload. At the same time, an adult gets to see a completely different Disney, when touring with a very young child.

If you are going for you and your spouse, go when your child is 18 months. If you're going simply for the child, so that the child remembers and can have fun on all the attractions, you might have to wait awhile. Here again, it's child specific. Our granddaughter was still quite disturbed by most rides (sensory overload) even at 9. She was less unhappy at 2 years old.

We had older family members who lived just north of Disney who visited quite regularly but never went into any attractions. They mostly sat on a bench and absorbed the atmosphere. If you go with a young child, you will have to ride some rides solo, and take your time, and see only a fraction of what's available, but you will probably have a very enjoyable visit.

Jan

There really isn't a difference in taking your child between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 since eithier way he probably will not be tall enough for the rides with height restrictions. He may be a little easier to carry at 1 1/2. I took my son in February this year when he was 1year 8 months old. He had a great time. My son does not like to sleep much so we stayed at the parks morning to night. He was still wired the night we were at the Magic Kingdom until midnight. Don't listen to people that tell you that it is too young to take a child to Disney because he won't "remember." Who cares if he remembers as long as he has fun at the time. My wife and I will always "remember" watching him have fun at Disney. We had such a good time we are taking him back to Disney next month.

2 tips for taking a small child that helped a ton. 1. Bring fruit snacks, they don't melt in the FL heat and they are great when the child gets impatient standing in line. 2. Bring/buy a lighweight stroller that can be thrown over your shoulder. We have a Mccleren(the spelling may be wrong), it handles like the sports car of strollers. I saw too may parents that looked miserable trying to push those gigantic rentals or other enormous strollers.:mickey:

Thanks to everyone for your views, and I hope to keep them coming.

Just to clarify, I do not really think a 2.5 y/o would be ready to “ride” anything with a hard-and-fast height restriction. I guess what I meant to say was that I came to realize that neither a 1.5 or 2.5 y/o may be ready for any long or loud shows (Lion King, Nemo, etc…) or 3-D “rides” (Muppets, PhilharMagic, Bugs, etc…) even though there is no outright restrictions on the rides/shows. So, assuming that I am not wrong about these types of attractions being inappropriate for either of the two ages, then I began to wonder what other factors might be considered. We do expect a much diffrent kind of trip for any child under 5 or 6, and not riding any rides would be okay with us. However, sensory overload is our big concern, and were looking to avoid that at any age.

Thanks again for all your input.

We decided when we had kids their first trip would always be after their 1st b-day and we have kept that thought. Both of my DS have had that experience and it was well worth it for DH and DW. We took the trips though the eyes of a child of this age. They are free, and can still go on many rides. If you feel the need to go on the big rides there is the kids switch program. This is explained in Info Central here on this site. Let me tell you going when your child is younger, makes yourself feel like a kid again and let me tell you it feels great. I wish my kids could experience their first trip over and over again.

We recently just took my DNephew to WDW for the first time and he was 23 months. We were unsure as to how he would be and react with the characters. He did wonderfully well, he loved the characters and the rides. He didn't do well with dark rides though, but we had a blast with him. He took a 3 hour nap in his stroller, while DM watched him and DD and I rode the mountains in MK. It all worked out and had a great time.

Now he is going to meet us again at MK for a day of fun in a couple weeks. Can't wait to see his excited face again!

I say if you think your toddler is ready, why wait? If you are staying OP you can always go back to the resort for some down time too.

Whenever you decide to go, have a great time.

I realize everyone has different views but personally I'd wait til they were a little bit older. (full disclosure, I have no children, but I see the reactions of those who do every time I'm at the World).

Most of that stems from the they won't remember it point of view. I know we're an instant gratification, want to see our children smile society, but I personally would save that money you'd otherwise spend the first few years, put it towards their college fund, and then take them once they're old enough to remember things and ride the rides.

My :twocents:

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Originally Posted by Janmac

If you are going for you and your spouse, go when your child is 18 months. If you're going simply for the child, so that the child remembers and can have fun on all the attractions, you might have to wait awhile.

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This is my philosophy for my upcoming trip....and for our recent vacations.

My daughter was 10 months when we took her to Atlantis in The Bahamas for the first time. We went on this trip because I wanted to go....she enjoyed herself, but she would have had just as much fun anywhere that had a pool (and her cousins). If your expectations are that she'll light up and make it all seem 'worth-it', don't hold your breath. If you want to go because you miss WDW, then definitely go....that's why my family is going to WDW in September.

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Originally Posted by jdcastle

Just to clarify, I do not really think a 2.5 y/o would be ready to “ride” anything with a hard-and-fast height restriction. I guess what I meant to say was that I came to realize that neither a 1.5 or 2.5 y/o may be ready for any long or loud shows (Lion King, Nemo, etc…) or 3-D “rides” (Muppets, PhilharMagic, Bugs, etc…) even though there is no outright restrictions on the rides/shows.

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Actually, I'm planning on doing many of these shows this September with my baby (who will be 15 months when we are in WDW). This will be specific to your child, but there are some milestones that will tell you if she'll be able to handle these types of attractions. I'm hoping/expecting that she'll be okay because her attention span (right now) can be around 20 minutes....she actually sat for around 40 minutes when we had Ratatouille on, and usually sits quietly for 20 or so for Baby Einstein DVDs...so long as she's being held or cuddled. And because I'm trying to indoctrinate her, I've put Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on many times and I'm pretty sure she recognizes Mickey now, and will watch that for 15 minuets or so quietly.

And though its none of anyones business, she never watches TV for more than 30 minutes a day....and never alone. She's always with me or her mother when watching.

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Originally Posted by dnickels

Most of that stems from the they won't remember it point of view.

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I know of this philosophy, but I don't think it's a good one. It's true they won't remember a trip to WDW.

Nor will they remember a trip to Paris, the mall, the vet, a safari, nor to Gymboree. So go on the vacations YOU want to go on during those first few years, and plan accordingly. A baby will diminish the number and type of things you can do....but parents need vacations just like non-parents. Putting your life on hold until a child is old enough to truly process the world around them really isn't an option for many people...they'd go stir crazy in the home/hometown.

We took my son when he was 13 months old. I don't regret it in the least. We took him on everything he could ride, which was quite a few things, I was not disappointed at all. We followed no schedule and did exactly as we would at home, when it was nap time, he went down, no matter where we were. A reclining stroller was a life saver! He was very very adaptable though, we were very blessed. When he was young we just packed him up and off we went. I am glad we did because now at 7 he rarely complains in the car or waiting in lines (yes on occasion, he still is a kid, heck sometimes I even complain, LOL). Family is family and we enjoyed being together and witnessing my son clap and dance at the parades, smile at the characters (thankfully he was not afraid), and eating nibbles of his 1st mickey bar.

Now if this is a once in a lifetime trip, I would wait. That I would think you would want to remember together. But if you plan on going again in the near future you have nothing to lose. Good luck with your decision.

Well, last September we bought our 1 1/2 year son to Disney. He had a great time. He enjoyed all the rides on which he could and loved the characters. Now, we watch Playhouse Disney plus the Disney movies and at that time he may have watched him but didn't really "know" them.

Now, within the last few months, he has come into his own with recognizing the Disney Characters. He loves his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse CD and TV show, his favorite bear is his Pooh bear and he loves the Pooh movie, along with My Friends Tigger and Pooh. And if a day goes by without him asking to watch Buzz and Woody, I would be shocked.

If we had brought my son this year at two and a half, he would have had a 100% different experience in Disney. I think the recognition of the characters and other sights in Disney would have increased ten fold.

This is not to say we didn't have fun with him there and I doubt he would be able to ride any more rides than had did last time but I think the wide-eyed view of the park would have been greater this year as opposed to last.

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Originally Posted by MidnTPK

I know of this philosophy, but I don't think it's a good one. It's true they won't remember a trip to WDW.

Nor will they remember a trip to Paris, the mall, the vet, a safari, nor to Gymboree. So go on the vacations YOU want to go on during those first few years, and plan accordingly. A baby will diminish the number and type of things you can do....but parents need vacations just like non-parents. Putting your life on hold until a child is old enough to truly process the world around them really isn't an option for many people...they'd go stir crazy in the home/hometown.

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That's actually what I meant. While the kids are younger, do the trips that you want to do, not to just go to Disney because it will make the toddler smile. They'll have a good time no matter where they are as long as they're getting attention. The original poster asked about taking a 1 and 1/2 year old vs. a 2 and 1/2 year old so the short version of my post would say "take the 2 and 1/2 year old."

We have taken both of our DDs on their first trips to WDW at 15 months, and 14 months respectively. Looking back on them, I wouldn't do anything differently. My oldest DD LOVED Disney! She was a little timid at first, but by the end of the trip, she would run to the characters, give them a hug, and turn around and pose for the camera! LOL:mickey: She loved every ride we took her on. Our youngest DD went last October for the first time. She was not so into the characters or any rides that were dark :( But we just let her tell us what she wanted and didn't want. They both loved all of the shows, parades and fireworks. I think only you know how your child will react to certain things. We didn't find out some things until we got there and that's okay. We still had a great trip! We made great memories for them and they will always have the photos and video to look at to remember their first visist to WDW. :mickey: We are going back to the World this Oct. Our girls are now 2 & 4 and we can't wait!! Hope this helps!! I hope you have a great trip!

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Originally Posted by jdcastle

Just to clarify, I do not really think a 2.5 y/o would be ready to “ride” anything with a hard-and-fast height restriction. I guess what I meant to say was that I came to realize that neither a 1.5 or 2.5 y/o may be ready for any long or loud shows (Lion King, Nemo, etc…) or 3-D “rides” (Muppets, PhilharMagic, Bugs, etc…) even though there is no outright restrictions on the rides/shows. So, assuming that I am not wrong about these types of attractions being inappropriate for either of the two ages, then I began to wonder what other factors might be considered. We do expect a much diffrent kind of trip for any child under 5 or 6, and not riding any rides would be okay with us. However, sensory overload is our big concern, and were looking to avoid that at any age.

Thanks again for all your input.

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We have taken our 2 boys at various stages in their little lives, each trip has been a wonderful experience with them and each time they have gotten something from our vacation.

I do think that at 2.5 they get more from the trip, better interactions and better reactions with characters & attractions. That being said, I have seen my youngest at 14 months watch everything going on around him during shows!

As for your above post - all of them are hits for both of our boys - they both watch attentively and their little facial expressions are beautiful to watch!


The ages our boys went:
Benjamin
4 months, 11 months, 14 months
Brandon
23 months, 35 months, 44 months, 47 months

I totally agree with JanMac. Either trip is more about the parents than the kid. I've been to WDW with both my children when they were 18 mos and 30 mos. There wasn't much of a difference for us.

TikiG