Disputing with my husband. . . Please weigh in

Well, like someone said before, most of us on this board are not 1 trip and done lol. Our first family trip was with my oldest at age 2 and youngest at 8 weeks old! ;)

But our most recent trip the kids were 2, 4, 6, and 8 and they were amazing ages. It was so incredibly magical for my 4 and 6 year olds in particular. I would say they were at the best ages!
 
My kids think Disney has mostly little kid rides. Go now before that changes. They were 3 years old and two months old on our first Disney trip and 7, 10, and 13 on our most recent one. We had several in between too. But even my younger two at 7 and 10 were starting to feel like they were outgrowing Disney. I still like it as an adult, but some kids go through that phase.
 
I went to Disney when I was 5 and I still remember it. Go back again in a few years, not just once. It is a new experience every time.
 
I am with those who say to wait. We don't know if her husband will love or hate it. He may say "Let's book another trip!", or he could slam his foot down and say "Absolutely not never again!". If she waits, both kids will be able to ride and do everything and remember the trip. I took many trips when I was young (when there was only one park) and don't even remember those, though the ones when I was 10+ I do. I say wait.
 
He is more of sit on the beach with a drink and not move kind of vacationer. I don't think he is looking forward to crowds or lines. I know this about him which is why I'm planning to go at a time of low crowds and plan for some resort days
If he is this kind of vacationer I would consider giving him the option of staying home. Also, point out that going now when your children are at an age when you can more easily have them miss school to avoid a crowded time is doable. It's not as easy as they get older. Now a days once children are in 4th grade it's very difficult to play catch up on missed school work and time out of school. My children actually have asked us not to plan vacations when school is in for that reason. It's not much of a vacation when you know you have tons of school waiting for you.

My husband is more like yours and would rather vacation on a beach and do nothing. It took him a while to realize that this is not how children are wired. Now we plan a long weekend away somewhere for just us two, which even I admit I look forward too. Then either he sucks it up and does a family high energy vacation with us or I take the kids and go alone or with a friend and their children. A few trips where we left him and now suddenly he is more willing to go on the family vacations. On our most recent trip to WDW this past March for spring break we did a few hours in the park all together then took a mid day break. Often just that kids and I returned to the parks. We have learned that if hes not going to enjoy it and be a crab its better to leave him laying by the pool why we hit the parks. This makes for a much nicer vacation for all.
 
If he is this kind of vacationer I would consider giving him the option of staying home. Also, point out that going now when your children are at an age when you can more easily have them miss school to avoid a crowded time is doable. It's not as easy as they get older. Now a days once children are in 4th grade it's very difficult to play catch up on missed school work and time out of school. My children actually have asked us not to plan vacations when school is in for that reason. It's not much of a vacation when you know you have tons of school waiting for you.

My husband is more like yours and would rather vacation on a beach and do nothing. It took him a while to realize that this is not how children are wired. Now we plan a long weekend away somewhere for just us two, which even I admit I look forward too. Then either he sucks it up and does a family high energy vacation with us or I take the kids and go alone or with a friend and their children. A few trips where we left him and now suddenly he is more willing to go on the family vacations. On our most recent trip to WDW this past March for spring break we did a few hours in the park all together then took a mid day break. Often just that kids and I returned to the parks. We have learned that if hes not going to enjoy it and be a crab its better to leave him laying by the pool why we hit the parks. This makes for a much nicer vacation for all.

I agree with giving him the option of staying home. My DH does not like nor understand my family's love of Disney (nor does he have a lot of vacation time). Last year I went with my DD, sister and grandparents and this year I'm going with my sister, mom, brother, other sister, and DD (I'm the oldest of 8 so this is a fraction of the siblings I can travel with). It saves us money (just paying for DD and me instead of DH as well) and since he doesn't really love it he's fine with staying home and getting the house to himself. This year I'm pregnant with our second and the rule in our house is the person that gets me pregnant gets to drink as much as I drink so I'm sure he's looking forward to buying a six pack while I'm at Disney and cheating on this rule :) Anyway, we both get to do what we want and then we do other things as a family and those are good as well.
 
DD was 3 and DS was 7 on our last trip. DD (now 5) can still tell you how much she loved riding on Dumbo twice, she didn't like the big golf ball because it was too dark, and she would love to take her mommy to have breakfast with Pooh again.
She may not remember much else, but parts stick withe her and that makes me think it was all worth it.
 


you can literally say that about any experience with children, doesn't mean you don't create the memories

it is a great time for the little ones to see the magic. And experiencing it through their eyes is a not to be missed opportunity
 
I can easily see both sides of this argument. When we went for the first time, my youngest had just turned 4. My older two were 6 and 8. My concern was that by the time the youngest was old enough to experience everything at Disney, the oldest would be too old for the "magic". They all knew the characters weren't "real", but they loved meeting them anyway. The did some of the rides. We had a fantastic trip. Do they remember it? Some parts... Will they remember it in 10 years? Probably not. I barely remember my first trip and I was 21. But that's not the point.

Our second trip, they were 11, 8 and 6. I felt like my 8-year-old was the perfect age on this trip. She was old enough to appreciate some of the "thrill rides" but still have fun meeting princesses and she had the stamina to keep going all day. This trip overall was better than the first, but in different ways. My 11-year-old son didn't seem "too old" for Disney at all... My kids are fantastic there, because they feel like they're "allowed" to be little kids. There's no peer pressure to act mature or cool - they can just do whatever they want. And we had SO much fun.

I'm now planning our next trip for when they will be 12, 10 and 8. I can't wait! My husband doesn't love Disney personally (he'd never want to go there without the kids, and mostly just indulges me because I love it so much). But he loves us all being there together as a family. I completely disagree with other people's advice to give your husband the option of staying home... It's not something he should miss out on, regardless of when you go.
 
I've had this conversation with so many people. In my opinion waiting until 10 or older for a first trip takes away some of the magic. Kids that age will still have a great time but it won't be as magical. I think your kids are the perfect age. The youngest I took one of my boys was 2. He's now 9 & we're going for his 4th trip in May. Does he remember that first trip? Of course not but some of my most treasured Disney memories are from that trip & I'll never forget them. We also have some great pictures from when they were that little. On our first trip my older 2 boys were 3 & 5 and were very, very into the Power Rangers. Back then you could meet them at HS. They got to meet every one & get pictures posing with them. It was great. They were in heaven. Do they actually remember this now (ages 14 & 16)? Only vaguely & probably just from pictures. Who cares? They were the happiest 3 & 5 year olds on the planet in that moment. What does it matter that they don't remember it?

I say go for it. You'll have a fabulous time & hopefully DH will change his mind once he sees how happy the kids are.
 
I agree with a previous poster - you may be asking the wrong crowd! I went to Disney as a parent for the first time a year and a half ago just after DD turned 2. It was magical! She may not remember it when she's older, but seeing her see the parade and meet Elsa and Anna was priceless! I cried. It will depend on the kid to some extent, though. DD was laid back, took her daily nap in the stroller, and went from rope drop to fireworks. We will be back almost 2 years to the day and wish we could afford to go every year! My husband had never been to Disney as an adult until that 2015 trip and now he's the one watching Tim Tracker and friends daily on Youtube and googling strategies for dining and FP+. If your husband has ANY bit of Disney love in him, you'll be back more than once!
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm going to share ALL the comments with my husband and go from there. I'm a SAHM and that will be my last year home so I think the family deserves this trip before mom goes back to the "real world"!
 
I was in the same position as your husband. My wife wanted to take our daughter for her 3rd birthday, I said no-way, she won't remember any of it. She grew up going every couple of years, I had never been. As typically happens in our household, I eventually agreed. We have now been 3 times and going back in next month. I don't know how much of that first trip my daughter remembers, but my wife and I remember how amazed she was at everything and how magical it was. I also remember how my wife's face lit up everytime my daughter met a new character or had a magical experience. I too thought our first trip would be our last, but we got hooked and our friends now are DVC members, so we go with them every other year on their points ( we pay them back the value of the points on David's by buying park tickets and food). I would say go for it, and find a way to go again in a few years.
 
Just another chiming in. We took DS a month shy of 3 because my mom really wanted to go. Grandpa and Daddy were mostly along for the ride but both admitted how much fun they had (my dad especially is a super grump when it comes to crowds). It was so incredibly magical, we all loved it!! I took a billion pictures, made a shutterfly book and framed some of the pics in our house. A year later DS still talks about meeting Mickey and points to Orlando on the US map and says "that's where Mickey lives, we visited him." Will he remember it much on his own? No, but what does that matter? We went a few times when I was a kid and I remember going at 5 and I remember the trip at 9 really really well. I agree with everyone about going now while you've got the best chance for the Disney "magic." Plus you just mentioned you're a SAHM (I'm jealous!) and this is your last year home. No vacation to take and loads of time to plan!! GO!!!!
 
Go now! You won't regret it. My DD started going at 13 months and went 1-2 times per year until she started school. Now we go once a year. The memories we have from those early trips are priceless. However we are going in May and this is the most excited she's been. She hasn't put down her copy of Birnbaum's Disney for kids since she received it! You'll have pictures the kids will look at and remember! And this is one of my favorite commercials. Yes, I'm a sap and cry when I watch it! If the link doesn't work google Good life Disney commercial. If you are anything like me, you'll be packing your bags to leave tomorrow! lol

 
We just took our 21 month old and it was magical (she was also still free). I know she won't remember it; HOWEVER, the trip is for me. Why can't we, as mommies, have memories too? I want to see her light up, I want to see her yell "MICKEY!" with excitement, I want to see her take in the fireworks and rides. I will keep those memories for myself forever.

[/endmommyhasfeelingsrant]
 
We struggled with when to take our boys. We waited until this year when they are 9 and 12, so they can remember it. We will not be sure how often we would make it back to Disney. Hope it wasn't too late to make multiple trips.
 
We just took our 21 month old and it was magical (she was also still free). I know she won't remember it; HOWEVER, the trip is for me. Why can't we, as mommies, have memories too? I want to see her light up, I want to see her yell "MICKEY!" with excitement, I want to see her take in the fireworks and rides. I will keep those memories for myself forever.

[/endmommyhasfeelingsrant]
And if your daughter never returns to Disney, which is the OPs plan, she won't remember all of that magic. Which is fine, if it is for your memories.

But the problem is, the father in the OP wants the children to remember it.
 
They are the perfect age! My kids were your kids' ages when we went in November. It was so much fun watching them experience the parks for the first time. We took our small stroller so my DD could ride because we knew she would have wanted to be carried. My DS was a trooper and walked the entire week. They have talked about who they got to meet pretty much every day and begging to go back. Now is the perfect time to go!
 
We went for the first time in December '16. Our kids were 3 and 5. It was an amazing trip. It was so amazing that we will be returning on the 30th of this month, so the kids are still 3 and 5. :)

Haha ...that's what we did. Went in Oct 2009 for a "once and only" long weekend when kids were 7/8 and promptly returned in Jan 2010 for a "proper" 10 day trip. And been back every year since!

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm going to share ALL the comments with my husband and go from there. I'm a SAHM and that will be my last year home so I think the family deserves this trip before mom goes back to the "real world"!

Even better to go before u start working again! That first year of going back to work was super tough on me and my family and I found it exhausting and draining until we all adjusted. Who knew I got that many calls from the school?

We struggled with when to take our boys. We waited until this year when they are 9 and 12, so they can remember it. We will not be sure how often we would make it back to Disney. Hope it wasn't too late to make multiple trips.

It's never too late :) I waited too and ended up regretting it. No matter, we have a blast on our trips every year! This year, they will be 16 and 14 and are still excited (my DS14 is quite subdued about it - he's a cool dude after all)
 

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