What is the right age for children to travel to Disney?

If you’re thinking of traveling on Disney World Vacation with small children you may wonder, what is the right age? Is there a best age for a child to truly enjoy all that Disney has to offer? I know many families with small children who cannot wait until their little ones are “old enough” to take to Disney. What age is old enough? The question makes sense, because you want your child to remember this special occasion, especially if it is a rarity for your family.

As with any vacation, there are several important factors to consider before booking. First of all, consider your child or children. How do they handle meeting new people? How do they handle crowds? How do they handle heat? Each child is different and just answering these few questions, which every parent can answer without much effort, can be very telling on whether or not your child is ready for Disney World.

Some things that surprise parents when they take their children to Disney for the first time are that things that adults know and take for granted, children do not necessarily know and it can be shocking to them. For example, Cinderella is a princess and therefore human. She is one of the easiest characters for children to meet and be comfortable with. But Mickey Mouse is a mouse and therefore five inches tall, right? It can really rock a child’s world to see a “mouse” bigger than them with huge hands! Another surprising thing to parents can be what you find harmless, your child may find terrifying. For starters, any dark ride, even about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, can ruin your child’s day, which would ruin yours as well. Woodland creatures can appear scary if they’re three feet high and in a dark room.

So, while many people claim that age 5 or 7 is the ideal age for a child to visit Disney, it is different for every child. Only a parent knows their child well enough to determine if he or she is ready for Disney World. But now you have some food for thought on making that determination.