Taking my Grandson to Disney!

I know this is a topic that many families discuss: How old does your child need to be to visit Disney? For me, this is an interesting topic. Unpopular opinion here, but I took my son to Disney for his first trip when he was 6 weeks old! Yes, I said 6 weeks. I had planned the trip for my daughter, who was 7 at the time, and then got pregnant. I decided I wasn’t going to cancel a trip she had been looking forward to, even though I was probably going to have a 2-month-old by the time the trip came around. He ended up being 6 weeks old. So, we just went with it. It was one of our best trips ever, and when both of my children had their own babies, I couldn’t wait to take them to Disney.

My first grandchild is my granddaughter, and I was so excited because I was finally going to take a grandbaby to Disney. However, my daughter said no—she’s too young at 1 year old. So, when my son had his son, I asked him if I could take him to Disney. He said YES!! I was beyond excited. Not only did I get to take him to Disney, but I was also able to bring my sisters with me to enjoy that special time as well. We all made plans to head to Florida, where my son lives, and take Gianluca to Disney!

I wanted to visit Magic Kingdom, but I thought Epcot would be a great place to visit because the Flower and Garden Festival was happening at that time of year. There were so many great things for all of us to do, and having a 6-month-old with us limited us to what rides we could all enjoy together. The best part is that you can do rider swap if everyone wants to ride Guardians or Soarin’. We took advantage of rider swap for Guardians. I stayed with my grandson, exploring some of the character topiaries, while everyone else rode Guardians. Gianluca and I enjoyed spending one-on-one time together while everyone waited for their turn. Then my sister and I jumped on the Lightning Lane to get a chance for me to ride. It only took us about 15 minutes to get on and gave my grandson time to have a bottle while I got my turn on Guardians. When the rest of the family rode Soarin’, my daughter-in-law, my grandson, and I rode Living with the Land.

One of the things everyone asked me about the trip with such a young child was: "Will he remember the trip?" My answer was that he won’t remember it, but I will always remember the wonder and excitement on his face all day long. The ride we took on Living with the Land (his dad’s favorite ride), where he took a nap; the jolt of water squirted on Remy’s, where he jumped and looked spooked; and the time we spent together walking around Epcot, seeing the park through his eyes, will forever be etched in my mind as core memories. So, when you ask someone what the best age is or how old you can take a child or grandchild to Disney, my answer will always be: whenever you want to go. I don’t think kids need to be a certain age. They may not remember it, but the parents and grandparents will have lasting, special memories.

Now that our first trip to Disney went so smoothly, I can’t wait to head back to Florida and visit my grandson to take him on his second Disney trip. I am also excited for when I get to take my granddaughter on her first trip. I want to take both grandkids to Magic Kingdom to see their excitement at viewing the castle for the very first time. Seeing the magic of Disney through my grandchildren makes visiting the parks even more magical. I love Disney, and sharing it with my grandchildren takes my love to a whole other level. Don’t get hung up on kids' ages—take the trip and make those core memories!

Your Bibbidi Bobbidi Bestie,

Celeste