So I REALLY want to take Carter to Disney World this year. He LOVES all things Disney right now. He is so into the movies and characters. I just know that if we take him it would be MAGICAL for him. But, I don't think the girls are old enough. We are thinking of going in October so they will be just over two.
So here is my delima..do we spend the money and take Carter now and then turn around in two or three yrs and take all three of them again or do we just wait? I know financially it makes sense to just wait so we don't spend the money for two trips, but I am just afraid in two or three years Carter will be 6 or 7 and it won't be as "magical" for him. I know he will have fun but he will be big enough to know that Mickey is just a guy in a suit vs right now I think he would really think he was meeting THE Mickey.
What do you think??
7 comments:
Funny you should ask because I was just researching Disney World on the Internet last Friday because we are debating on whether to take Sadie or not! I know it sounds crazy because she is only 13 months old, but Bryan is going to Orlando the end of January/beginning of February & his flight is free & hotel is free. We also have enough miles for my flight to be free & since Sadie can fly for free the only money we will be out is spending money. From what I read, it sounds like the girls could easily do Magic Kingdom right now. We are thinking about taking Sadie there only & doing a 1 day pass. I will let you know what we decide & we do go, I will let you know how the trip is & if it's worth it!
I think it just depends. They would probably still enjoy it at 2, but with the age difference it would be hard for Carter to do what he wants. It would be a fun to go just the 3 of you too. I think it just depends on what you are willing to spend. :)
It's Becky Quinn Courington, blog dropping. :) We've been to Disneyland and Disney World a few times with our kiddos. Leah was 2 the first time we took her (DL) and Kate was 9 months (DW). Here is our experience:
- Disney World is great for older kids (like 8 or 9). Disneyland is great for younger kids. DW has a lot of the same rides as DL, but it is much more spread out.
- At DW, there is no way to avoid mass transportaion. If you stay in a DW resort, you still have to use mass transportation. If you drive to the parking lot, you still have to use it. You cannot access a park without using a monorail, tram, boat, bus, etc. and sometimes more than one. This means you are in lines and spending lots of time just to get to the park. Park hopping is almost pointless because of the time it takes to get from one to the other. Also, you have to empty and collapse strollers to get on most of them. Sometimes the waits can be very long too. At DL, the resort is a five minute walk into the gates. The second park, California Adventure, is a five minute walk from DL across the courtyard and so is Downtown Disney. In addition to this, there are MANY hotels right outside the gates that you can stay at (make sure you get one that is on the main gate side, there are not side walks all the way around the park and there is no back entrance). We always stay outside the park and walk in (saves $$ on parking too). You don't have to empty and collapse your strollers and can walk home for meals, naps or anything else you want. There are also a lot of restaurants along the opening, everything from sit down to McDonalds. We found a hotel that included breakfast and had the managers reception (evening meal) and splurged on character lunches at the park.
- At DW, we spent 10 days there one trip and still didn't feel like we "saw it all". A LOT of attractions will be too old for your kiddos. There is a lot for them to do, but like I said, it's a lot more walking to get around to them. At DL, you can spend 3 days and feel like you've seen it all (trust me, not in a "we're bored" sense), especially if you go in the light season. Part of this is because you aren't wasting time getting to the parks.
- Disney is brilliant! Both parks are designed with families in mind. Most of the kids rides (Dumbo, Peter Pan, Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and so many more) don't have height requirements. Even better, they are made to seat three (or sometimes more). This way NO one has to ride alone regardless of the family size. You can always ride 2 or 3 and everyone gets a turn. BRILLIANT!
- Our experience has been that until the kids are about 5, they can't ride many of the big rides. At 5 they are still in love with the little rides and by 7, Leah was ready to try a few bigger rides while still enjoying ALL of the little rides. There is SO much to do at DL, nobody will feel like they are missing out.
- Another brilliant Disney detail is the Parent Pass. If Carter (or just you or the hubby) want to ride something that the girls can't, you go to the start of the line and tell the cast member. They will give you a parent pass (say you and Carter). You and Carter go through the line and your husband and the girls wait. When you get off the ride, your husband (and up to 5 people I think) take the parent pass and go through the exit to the front of the line. You both get to ride for the wait time of one AND the lucky big brother gets to go twice, once with mom and once with dad. We snuck in many single rides on Space Mountain while the girls napped. :)
- You can look on their websites to see how many rides Carter could ride vs. the girls, but my guess is, unless he is REALLY tall, that there would only be a few (less than 5?).
***Apparently I typed too much, it cut me off LOL***
- My girls are 8 and 4 and still believe they are meeting THE Mickey or other character. It is such a magical place, I don't think they will ever quit believing in it. I don't think there is a bad age to take them.
Overall I'd say you can't go wrong. I do feel, based on our experience, that DL is where we will stay until we are past the stroller stage. I am pretty sure the girls are free until they are two at either park. Also, our favorite times to go have been January and mid-late September. The crowds were very low! I think that DL just opened up a whole new area called CARS Land, based off the Cars movie, if Carter is a fan.
If you want any more info, please don't hesitate to ask. We LOVE Disney and love to share our experiences. :)
You're welcome to go check out my Vacations tag on my blog www.couringtonfamily.blogspot.com
to see details of our DW trip when K was 9 months. Back at the very beginning of the blog should be our DL trip when L was 2. Hope it helps!
Hi Emily...this is Natalie, Shaye's sister. I randomly clicked on your blog today off of Shaye's and just saw your post. We are actually taking our son Kason (who is about to be 4 in a couple months) to Disneyland in February. We are leaving our other two little ones at home and just making a trip with him. We are taking him to Legoland and the beach also. We have decided to hold off on Disneyworld since it is a much larger vacation until all the kids can go at once. I will most definitely share our experience with Kason after we return if you are interested...we leave in two weeks. My husband and I were just like you about having a "magical experience" because he seriously loves him some Disney :) and we didn't want to take him too late where he wouldn't be as pumped about it.
Thanks all for the advice.
Becky - I will for sure check out your blog.
Natalie - I would love any feedback you have. We have thought about Disneyland also so let me know how it goes.
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