What’s the Right Age for a Disney Trip?

How old do you think a child needs to be before they can really enjoy Disney World?

I hear this question frequently.

Most parents can’t wait to take their munchkins to Disney World, but they want to make sure it’s “worth” it.

You want to make certain the experience will be appreciated the way it’s meant to be. You want the trip to be significant.

So when is the right time to go?

The truth is, there is no right time.

Every time, every age, is the perfect time to make memories with your children.

But I want to break it down a little differently for you.

Before the age of five? Those memories are for you. When you see your son meet Mickey for the first time; when you watch the wonder on your little girls’ face as she rides It’s a Small World. This is the good stuff. Or what about when Winnie the Pooh stops by at breakfast and the awe on your little one’s face melts your heart? These moments are yours to keep.

The time between magic and reality is fleeting. One day your children will understand Santa is more of a feeling, or that there’s a grown up in that Mickey suit. So enjoy their awe while you can… it’s a gift.

After five, there’s a shift. Your child has an agenda: who they want to meet.

Therefore, you have an agenda: make it happen!

This is the age when your child’s memories start to stick. They’ll remember bits and pieces of the way you held their hand during Peter Pans flight or when they got their picture made with Lilo and Stich at dinner one night. Months later they’ll tell their friends what it was like to meet Cinderella and the Beast. They’ll remember monorail rides and trams, riding the train around Disney World and when they were tall enough to ride Big Splash Mountain.

And there’s a whole other side to these memory making trips: your kids will love hearing your memories of their first visit years from now. They’ll love the pictures you took and the look on your face as you watch them meet Belle or Tigger.

I know I do. I look at the pictures of myself as a baby at Disneyland and immediately notice the look of joy on my parents’ faces. Seeing my Dad watch me watching the parade or my Mom holding me while I meet Alice… those are perfect memories. Sure, I was a baby, but that trip was for my parents.

The magic when they are young is for you. The magic when they are older is for them.

And still a little bit for you too.