The Best Age to Take Kids to Disney

In today's post: Notice out the all-time historic period to have your kids to Disneyland, plus tips for traveling to Disney with kids of all ages.

Here's something that won't surprise yous: taking the family unit to Disneyland is EXPENSIVE. When you're spending hundreds of dollar per person only on park tickets (non to mention food, hotel, and travel), you want to brand sure your trip is magical. And if yous've never been earlier, or haven't been with kids, it can be hard to know whether your kids are the correct historic period for that magic. Since we've visited Disneyland a number of times with kids ranging from a few months former to teenagers, I'one thousand going to give you my have on the best age for taking kids to Disneyland. Plus I'll give you my best tips for a Disney trip with kids of various ages!

The Best Age to Have Your Kids to Disneyland

Let me just start off by proverb there aren't many "bad ages" for a Disney trip. Disneyland is fun, and Disney does a good job catering to all ages, so you can certainly take kids of any age and have a proficient time at Disney. However, how old your kids are when yous become will definitely affect how much they (and you lot!) bask the trip. If you lot've ever been in a long line at Disney with a small-scale child who's begging you to get back to the hotel so he tin can play in the puddle, y'all know what I'thou talking almost. ("I merely spent hundreds of dollars to get yous in here and now y'all're going to enjoy it if information technology kills us all!!") When you're making an investment in a Disney trip, it's worth considering when it will be the most fun for your family – especially if the trip is only going to happen in one case. The tips I share today should assistance y'all make your trip as magical every bit it can be!

The "magic age" for taking your kids on a Disneyland trip is when they are in elementary school, specifically between about 7 and 12. I think this is the all-time age for a couple of reasons:

1. Nearly unproblematic school age kids are better at handling lines than younger kids. Information technology's almost impossible to ride annihilation in Disneyland anymore without at to the lowest degree some fourth dimension in line, and during peak flavor (summer or Christmas) you need to plan on LONG lines. I'thou pretty sure nothing can ruin the Disney magic faster than a piddling one that just can't handle 30 minutes or more than waiting in line. There volition be tears. And they might be yours. Kids over 6 or 7 are much more expert at managing lines without making you wish you'd never heard the give-and-take Disneyland.
2. Most seven year olds are tall enough to ride nearly any attraction, meaning they (and you) don't miss out on whatever of the fun. Sure, Disney offers ride switch on some attractions, meaning that you can hang out with the baby or toddler while Dad rides the attraction, then you guys can switch and yous tin can ride. Merely let'south face it: it'south Mode more fun to just be able to ride things together. Older kids are also less probable to exist frightened past rides, which ways fewer tears within the Haunted Mansion or when you get wet on Splash Mountain. Annotation: On our terminal Disneyland trip, our 8 year erstwhile daughter rode everything other than Guardians of the Galaxy (Tower of Terror). It was great!
3. With slightly older kids instead of toddlers and preschoolers, you won't spend the whole trip stuck in Fantasyland or Toon Town. Those are the two areas of Disneyland that cater to the toddler/preschooler set. Some of the rides are beautiful, but these two areas get SO CROWDED that you can begin to experience like you might exist trapped in that sea of strollers for the residual of your life. Ride lines stay adequately long because some of the rides load and then slowly (I'yard looking at you, DUMBO!) and most of the rides are too short to brand them feel worth it. Kids at the "magic age" volition be more interested in other areas of Disneyland, which will work in your favor – especially start affair in the morning when lines in Tomorrowland or Adventureland are fairly curt considering everyone else is headed to ride Dumbo!
4. Finally, seven-12 is the best age for Disneyland because those kids are still immature enough for Disneyland to feel truly magical. They'll enjoy just about everything: the rides, the shows, the parades, the characters, the pin trading, the chase for the perfect souvenir, and the super cute Disneyland treats. And when your kids are having a magical time, You will have a magical time! Sitting side by side to my kids while they laugh their heads off riding Large Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of my favorite things in the whole world.

Other Ages at Disneyland

Ok, so peradventure 7-12 is the best fourth dimension to visit Disneyland, but what if that'southward not practical? Or what if you have multiple kids at all different ages? The good news is that you can withal take a cracking fourth dimension at Disney. Here are my tips for making the most of a Disneyland trip with kids of all ages.

Babies at Disneyland

People ofttimes enquire: should we have our infant with us to Disneyland? My reply is this: If you lot take someone you can go out the babe home with, get out the baby home. A baby won't especially enjoy or recollect whatever of the trip, and having a baby along just makes everything more complicated. Nonetheless, yous certainly shouldn't decide against Disney if your other kids are at a skillful age to go just because you likewise have a baby. You can make it work! Consider these tips:

1. Disney is pretty stroller friendly. They have strollers available for hire there, or you can bring in your own (just be aware at that place are at present size restrictions on strollers). At that place is "stroller parking" outside attractions where people leave their strollers while they are on rides, and in our feel strollers never get stolen, and the baskets underneath are a handy place to stash snacks, etc. Just don't leave valuables in a stroller and be aware that during busy times of twelvemonth it can be quite a hassle to button a stroller through the crowds.
2. One thing that's nice about Disneyland is that it has plenty of bathrooms that are e'er clean! Most bathrooms take irresolute tables, and there is also a Baby Care Center with nursing rooms, high chairs, and vending machines that sell all sorts of baby supplies.
3. There are plenty of rides that yous can take a baby on with you. I have fond memories of snuggling upwards with a babe on Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Just be prepared to carve up upwardly on the rides that don't permit babies.
4. Information technology's probably easier to have a baby to Disneyland than it is to take a toddler, especially if your baby is fairly content in a stroller. Then if you have older kids who are at a great age for Disney, it might be better to go while your infant is all the same fairly young.
5. If you tin bring along a grandparent or other adult who tin can help care for your baby while y'all're at Disneyland, practice it! This might exist the best possible solution: you lot can go as a whole family and bring baby with yous on the attractions she tin can ride, and so let grandma sit down in the shade with the infant while yous ride other attractions with your older kids.
6. For lots more than info on babies at Disney, check out this post.

Toddlers at Disneyland

Twelve months through age 3 is the historic period I'd exist least likely to take a kid to Disney. If at that place'due south someone you lot can leave your toddler home with while you go, I'd recommend doing and so. Yes, the toddler will have fun on some rides and will enjoy seeing characters, but I don't believe many toddlers volition have plenty fun to make information technology worth both the toll and the hassle of dealing with a 2 twelvemonth old in long lines. But if you're going to exercise information technology, exist aware:

1. You'll take a meliorate trip if your are prepared with a great attitude and an inexhaustible supply of snacks. Disneyland will let you lot bring in merely nigh as much food as you want as long as you don't try to bring in a large cooler, ice (water ice packs are ok) or things in drinking glass jars. Teddy grahams and fruit snacks volition get a long manner toward helping your piddling one handle standing in lines.
2. Disneyland used to accept a few play areas, similar you'd find at the mall, scattered throughout the park, but virtually of those take been removed. The splash area in A Bug'south Land in California Adventures is gone too, along with the rest of A Bug'southward Land, which used to cater to younger kids. If y'all're looking for a place where your toddler can take a break from the stroller and run around for a chip, Toon Town in Disneyland is probably your best best. Tarzan's Treehouse is also fun for toddlers – just be prepared for a lot of stairs.
3. If yous're bringing a toddler to Dinseyland, attempt to volume a hotel right beyond the street and then you can bring the little i back to the hotel for a nap during the hot afternoon hours.

Preschoolers/Kindergarteners at Disneyland

Kids ages iv-6 tin can have an accented boom at Disney, or they can spend the whole fourth dimension begging to go back to the hotel pool. You know your children all-time, then consider how you think they'd handle the lines and stress of a long day at the park – and recall that spending a total day in a crowded park is tiring. Some things to consider when bringing a preschooler to Disneyland:

1. Some iv year olds volition be alpine enough for almost all of the rides, only might be also scared to ride many of them. Sometimes kids at this age prefer spending fourth dimension looking for characters and watching shows. Will you lot be disappointed if your Disney trip is grapheme heavy and low-cal on the rides? Or will it still be fun because your child is having fun?
2. Plan to fix expectations for what y'all will buy in accelerate, and review those expectations every day equally you lot are walking into the park. There is SO MUCH to buy at Disneyland that your five year old can absolutely drive you nuts asking for treats and bubble wands and Mickey balloons. Pro tip: you really DON'T desire to have to hang on to a Mickey balloon all. day. long. If your child knows in advance how many treats they tin await each day you won't have to say no nearly every bit frequently.
3. Disneyland and California Adventures both have exploration areas that are Swell for kids this historic period. In Disneyland, accept a ferry over to Tom Sawyer'south Island when your preschooler needs some time abroad from the crowds to run around. In California Adventures, visit the Redwood Creek Claiming Trail surface area, which has lots of stairs and bridges and tree business firm type attractions to explore, likewise equally a small slide and creek. Just be aware that one part of the Challenge Trail does have a meridian requirement. Also be aware that yous will need to follow small children around both of these areas to go on an centre on them (older kids are usually ok to roam on their own in these areas while you take a sit downwards in the shade!).

Teenagers at Disneyland

Some parents wonder if Disneyland will be fun for teens or if they'll think it's boring. In general, I call up there is a lot for tweens and teens to savour at Disney.

1. Disneyland has more rides than always before that are more thrilling than cute. The Incredicoaster is a pretty legit roller coaster, complete with a super fast outset, some adept drops and a total loop. Guardians of the Milky way is Nifty for teens – in fact, it'due south too scary for most kids that aren't nearing teenager historic period. Fifty-fifty some of the rides that aren't scary are super fun for older kids, similar Toy Story Midway Mania and Buzz Lightyear, where yous can compete to score the near points.
2. Disney is a fairly rubber environment with LOTS of very helpful employees, then it's a proficient place to give teens some independence. Splash Mountain is fun, only information technology's even more fun without your parents. Letting the ii oldest kids go ride a few attractions on their own or even letting the teenagers stay late at the park while y'all take the younger kids back to the hotel for bed is a skillful way to brand the trip feel more than exciting.

More Disneyland tips

I hope this post helps you determine on the best age to take your kids to Disneyland! If yous're looking for even more tips to make your trip every bit magical as possible, check out these posts:

Disneyland MaxPass: is it worth the cost?

37 Disneyland hacks for your best trip yet

How to relieve money on food at Disney

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