At what age is Disneyland fun?

[RockStarMom]

My friend wants us to take our kids there, but I'm hesitant. My daughter is 4, and it would probably just be for a day. Thanks for any advice.

[zebra15]

IDK, my child is 9 and never showed interest.

[tabrizia]

Well DS and DD both liked Disney World when we took them at 5 and 6 months old. DS also loved it at 2 1/2, so depending on the 4 year old I would think they would enjoy it.

[mama2toomany]

my daughter was 4, she just turned 5 a few days ago. I took her to DisneyLand California and she loved it. It was loads of fun. Not sure if she will remember it, but it was so so so much fun, she lite up like a Christmas tree!

I highly recommend 4 years old.

[mamalisa]

My dd is 4 and had an absolute blast at Disney World in November. She was in heaven!

[Marylizah]

I just took 3.5 year old DS to Disneyland for a day. He LOVED it. He keeps asking to go back. There's already lots of rides your daughter can go on. Plus, it's just a neat atmosphere. If her age is the only thing holding you back, I say go for it. She probably won't remember it, but *you* will!

[ASusan]

My friend took her 4-yr-old son with her two nieces, 8 and 12. The girls really helped her son get all excited about seeing the characters, waiting for rides. If it were just her son, she thinks he wouldn't have "got it" and it would have been overwhelming (for him). But with his two cousins along, he was able to focus in on what was fun and exciting and the three of them could keep each other amused while they waited in lines or for the parade to come along.

I think if you go with your child and your friends children, it may be a good experience, especially if there is at least one child who knows what it is all about and is enthusiastic about sharing that experience with others. After all, isn't that what theme parks are all about? - sharing a fun experience with others?

(I was an only child until 9, so my theme park experiences - both Disney and Busch Gardens at 5 - were driven by my dad's enthusiasm and my parents preparation for it. They would remind me that there would be lines, noise, crowds, but that we would have fun - on the rides, seeing the castle. I still remember my dad preparing me for the "loop-de-loop" roller coaster (the Python - at five!!), and being scared but excited, and then loving it. Much of that, I think, came from the anticipation and preparation as much as the ride itself. They prepared me very well for the day's experience, and I knew what to look forward to and what to expect. I think this made a world of difference.

[newbymom05]

My brother took his 3 y/o and 15 mo old and he said they all had a blast.

[Shannie77]

My SIL took her then 3.5 year old and she LOVED it. She was already pretty Disney Princess obsessed so seeing all those characters was the highlight for her.

I went when I was 12 and again at 13 and loved it then.

[oceanbaby]

My son had fun at 4. I think it's really meant more for the 6-8 and up crowd, but there's enough for the younger ones to enjoy. However, there is a high possibility a 4yo will find most of the rides scary. Even the "preschool" ones have a light of suddeness to them - jerky movements, something popping out, a loud sound, etc. And the ones that are totall tame, like It's a Small World, require the child being okay with going into a dark tunnel where he can't see what's around the corner until he gets there.

So, a lot depends on the kid. If you only plan on going once, I would wait until they are older. The very first time we took our kids they were 6 and 3, and it was fun, but my 3yo went on almost no rides.

[Drummer's Wife]

I think 4 would be a magical age for Disney.

We took the kids when they were 1 and 3 (and the 1 yr old didn't get that much out of it, but I would still say he had fun)

Then to Disney World when they were 1, 3, 5, and 7 (had two more kids at this point). They all loved it, but especially the 5 and 7 yr old.

We went to Disneyland again this past summer when the kids were 2, 4, 6, and 8 and it seemed like a great age for all of them. Of course, the 2 yr old couldn't go on certain rides - but he loved the ones he could go on, he loved all the characters (especially meeting mickey), he loved the parade and light shows, fireworks, etc.

Personally, I really don't think they are ever too young to enjoy it (except maybe a newborn, who who have no clue what's going on). But if I had to pick an ideal age for a once in a lifetime visit - I would probably say between 4-6 years old. Any older and some of the 'magic' is lost as they know the characters aren't real (not a bad thing, just a different experience).

That all said, I went as a kid when I was 8, 13, 14, and 15 -- and had a blast each time for different reasons. So, I also think they are never too old to enjoy Disney, either.

[limabean]

DS has been enjoying Disneyland since he was 2, but when he was 4 he started to really LOVE it.

[Thalia the Muse]

I first took my daughter at 20 months, and we all had a great time! We've been many times since, and it's always magical.

By age four, there is actually a lot they can do. most of the "little kid" attractions are in Fantasyland and Mickey's Toontown (and if you go to California Adventure, there's A Bug's Land, and they also have a gorgeous carousel with sea creatures to ride). There's a beautiful carousel in Fantasyland, storybookland canal boats, and a train that runs around the whole park, plus lots of stage shows. The jungle cruise is also good with little kids, and never has a long line.

One thing people tend to forget about is the island -- used to be Tom Sawyer Island, now it's "Pirates Hideout" or something -- you take a raft out, and kids can run around and explore artificial caves and treehouses. It makes a nice change from standing in line! there's something similar at California Adventure too, called the Redwood Challenge Trail, with lots of stuff to climb and play with. Both parks have parades and stage shows.

Bolder kids can enjoy the Peter Pan ride, where you "fly" over London, and by four my daughter was ready for things like the Nemo submarine and Pirates of the Caribbean -- that definitely depends on the kid, though.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by Thalia the Muse

By age four, there is actually a lot they can do. most of the "little kid" attractions are in Fantasyland and Mickey's Toontown (and if you go to California Adventure, there's A Bug's Land, and they also have a gorgeous carousel with sea creatures to ride).

oh! My 4 yo LOVED Bug's Land at California Adventure. We spent hours there and it was soo much fun (for all the kids, but especially the 4 yo). OP, maybe you won't go there this time if you are only spending one day at Disneyland, but just for future reference -- it's a really cool area of CA.

[Betleowe]

We went to DisneyWorld in August with DD, she was almost 4. She LOVED it, she didn't really cared about the rides though, she was thrilled about the parades and shows. And she can't get over the fact that she met Pluto (her favorite). And it was surprising, shes' hard to please.

[gcgirl]

We took DS when he turned one and again recently when he turned 2 (mostly for the benefit of the grandparents). He enjoyed himself both times, but this last time around he got a bigger kick out of it. He loved the rides like the small world and submarine, and the jungle boats (his favorite, the "gungle boat).

We don't really do Disney as a family, but going to the park was fun, I have to admit. I'd do it again while the kids are little. We're hoping they never buy into the evil empire as older kids though.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

I havent read the other posts, so I am not sure if anyone posted anything like my answer. I went to Disney world when I was 4. I sort of remember the trip, but no details of it. I know I had fun, what kid wouldnt? But we live in NY, so a trip to FL isnt just a weekend thing. So if I were to take my boys, I would wait until they were the age that they would remember the good time.

That said, if you live nearby, why not? We have a "six Flags" about 45 minutes from us, and I didn't think twice about taking my boys for the weekend. It was a blast! They wont remember a thing, but it was still fun.

[DaughterOfKali]

I'm sure younger children love Disney but I'd want to wait until my child has a better chance of remember it. I'm thinking age 7 is a great age (yep, ds is begging me to take him in 2010.)

[MtBikeLover]

We have a Six Flags in our backyard so we go every year all the time. We've been going since my kids were babies. They love it, although DS actually liked it more when he was 2-3 than he did from 4-5 because he became afraid of a lot of the rides! Now, at 6, he is back to loving it.

And we go to Disney World every year. My 4 year old DD loves it. My 6 year old DS was not such a huge fan - he was afraid of the dark and all the rides are indoors so he thought they were going to be in the dark. Now that he realizes that isn't the case, he loves Disney. He had a blast last year and is excited about going this year.

I think it is totally dependent on the child. I say try it!

[snoopy5386]

lots of fun for a 4 year old!! We've taken DD to disneyworld 5 times in 3.5 years (we love it there, can you tell?) Her first trip was at one year. They've all been different, but all been fun. At 4 it will be a blast for your DD.