Advice for Taking Kids to Disney World

My wife and I just returned from a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was a great vacation, however, I noticed some things that I would like to pass along to those of you who are considering taking your kids to Disney.

We had about a 2 hour flight, we boarded the plane about 30 minutes before take off. There was a 2 1/2 year old little girl with her mother sitting behind us and about a 2 year old little boy with both of his parents sitting in front of us. The little girl was screaming and crying from the time she boarded the plane until it began to move. She then quieted down for about an hour. The last hour of the flight she was once again crying and screaming. This was not good for anyone on the plane. The girl was obviously not happy, her mom was not happy because she could not keep the girl quiet and the passengers were not happy, especially the ones that were sitting close to her.

The advice I have for any parents considering taking their child on an airplane is to be sure that their child can stay quiet. There are 3 things to look for to see if your child is plane ready. First is if your child obeys you. When they get upset, can you get them to calm down quickly? Second, how does your child do in public places? If they consistently throw tantrums then they are not plane ready. Finally, take them on a 2-3 hour ride in a car. If they can stay entertained and do not cause any problems, then they are ready for an airplane. The little boy that sat in front of us was quiet the entire flight, he did get a little squirmy a couple of times but he did a good job. His parents brought a DVD for him to watch during the flight and that probably helped quiet him down.

When we arrived at Disney World I noticed a lot of strollers. Now parents, let's stop and think about this for a minute. How far back in your life can you remember? Most people can not remember things prior to the age of 4 or 5 so taking a child that needs a stroller is not a wise move. First of all, the child will not remember the Disney World experience. Second, the child will get hot and tired and be cranky. The parents won't be able to enjoy Disney because they will have a crying and cranky child with them. Third, they will have to hassle with a stroller. It isn't much fun wrestling with a stroller everywhere you go. Strollers also have a tendency of getting in the way of other people trying to walk around the park.

My advice is to wait until your child is at least 5 years old. That way your child will remember the Disney experience an also enjoy it better than when they are a baby. In fact, you should wait until your child is AT LEAST 5 YEARS OLD before you take them to any major attraction. Prior to the age of 5 you can take them to parks, restaurants, beaches, county fairs and state fairs to get them used to being outside and being around people. By the time they are 5 years old, they will then be ready to fully enjoy Disney World and other attractions and you will enjoy those attractions more too!