What is the best age to take your children to Disney? Part 1

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The answer here should be simple really. There is no bad age to visit Disney World. I have taken kids as young as 7 weeks (I know, I am insane to take a baby to Disney 7 weeks post c-section) through teenage years. So, if someone offers you a free Disney trip, first invite me too, then accept and make magical memories at whatever stage your family is.

The reality is, however, for most families, Disney is a once in a lifetime, or maybe twice in a lifetime, vacation experience. If that's the case for your family, you may be wondering when to time things to create the best experience for you and your family. I am kicking off a series ranking least desirable to most desirable age to take your child to Disney World. I have categorized kid eras into infant (0-1), toddler (2-3), preschooler (4-5), early elementary (6-9), late elementary (10-12), and teens (13-18).

Throughout the posts, I will provide tips, tricks and recommendations into each era regarding the best lodging, parks, dining, rides and bonus experiences that can add magic to your trip during each phase of a child's life. This guide can help your family determine the best timing for your Disney World vacation.

Drumroll for our least desirable age to take your child to Disney World?

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You may have guessed it! Toddler (Ages 2-3)

Alas, the toddler age is a time of extreme highs and extreme lows. This holds true when you take a toddler to Disney. I have traveled with four different children during their toddler years, and we created some of our best memories and survived the most epic meltdowns. It also tends to be prime potty-training time and I will never forget my child peeing at the Flight of Passage show and that pee rolling all the way down the slanted theatre. I......was......horrified.....child got a $120 new Disney outfit. I would not hesitate to travel to Disney with a toddler, but it has been the most consistently challenging among the kids I have traveled with. That, combined with the fact that the children don't have lasting memories of the trip pushes it to my least desirable time to take children to Disney World. That said, if you plan to visit Disney with multiple kids, or plan to make several trips to Disney, this is still a joyous age to make the trip. In fact, it has created some of my favorite memories with kiddos fully embracing and totally believing all of the Disney Magic. Watching your child do the hot dog dance with Mickey is pretty incredible. With some tips and tricks below, you can make magical memories with your toddlers.

When to travel with toddlers. Take advantage of kids not being in school and travel in the "off" season. September, early February and early May make great options. Also consider going right before they turn 3 so you get a free ticket for them to the parks! We did this with both our kids,and it was great to feel like we "beat the Mouse" a little!

Best hotels with toddlers. Hotels for this age should be convenient to parks for ease of taking afternoon breaks. I also suggest a hotel with a great splash pad as this age tends to love to run around in the water. My reccomendation for best hotels for toddlers would be Art of Animation for the value resorts. This hotel is an easy skyliner ride away from Epcot and Hollywood studios and best of all, you don't have to fold up strollers, so no need to wake a napping toddler! Art of animation also has an adoreable splash pad themed to finding Nemo that will keep you little ones happy. If you are looking to stay at the moderate level, a great choice is Carribbean Beach Resort. This resort is located on the Skyliner and has the same benefits as art of animation. It also features a lovely pirate ship water play area and a white sand beach for extra fun. If you are ready to splurge, there are a few great choices. We love Beach Club for the Storm Along Bay pool area. It is the best resort pool on property with a sand bottom pool right on site. Plus, you can walk to Epcot or Hollywood studios or take the boat, or hop the skyliner....so many choices. We even once had a toddler fall asleep in Magic Kingdom and we didn't want to wake them. We took the Monorail to Ticket and Transportation Center, transferred to Epcot and walk through Epcot snacking (and drinking) while they slept until we made our way back to Epcot. We never had to disturb them or fold the stroller. If you use bus accomodation you have to fold up the stroller, thus disrupting nap time. I also recommend the Polynesian for a splurge. The theme is so great for toddlers, there is a splash pad, beach, easy viewing of the electrical water pageant at night and lovely balconies to relax on while toddlers nap.

Best parks with toddlers. Favorite parks of toddlers tend to be Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, both have lots of attractions geared to their age. I suggest two days at Magic Kingdom with toddlers and 1 day at Animal Kingdom along with a late afternoon nap and rest evening. Every park has something to offer the toddler set, but these are our favorites.

Best rides for toddlers. We have found our toddlers to be hit or miss with "scary" attractions. Our daughter really wasn't fazed by darkness or loud sounds at this age, but our son cried on anything remotely scary. I suggest starting with the least likely to freak them out before you try something with spooky factor. We learned this after our 2nd ride of the day was Haunted Mansion and our son was then fearful in anticipation of every subsequent ride. Best attractions in the Magic Kingdom to start with include: It's a Small World, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Autopia, Walt Disney Railroad, Peoplemover, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Over at Epcot try the Seas with Nemo and friends, Figment and the Imagination Pavilion, Moana Journey of Water, Three Callabreros, Pixar short film festival, Living with the Land, and Spaceship Earth. I also suggest focusing on visiting characters as you make your way around world showcase, this keeps some fun highlights for them along the way. In Hollywood Studios we suggest starting with Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers, and Slinky Dog Dash. Finally, favorite rides at Animal Kingdom include Kilimanjaro Safari, Navi River Journey, TriceraTop Spin, Wildlife Express Train and Kali River Rapids (if they aren't scared of water). Most toddlers also LOVE walking through all of the animal exhibits and will be the highlight of an Animal Kingdom visit.

Best entertainment with toddlers. One of the things that sets Disney apart from other theme parks is their quality shows. Some of these are particularly good for toddlers such as the Festival of Fantasy Parade and Move it Shake It Dance Party at Magic Kingdom. Turtle Talk with Crush is a big hit at Epcot. Over at Hollywood Studios there is ample fun entertainment including Disney Junior Play and Dance and Beauty and the Beast live onstage. Over at Animal Kingdom toddlers especially enjoy Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond. I find any character dance party is a win for toddlers! Also, don't forget to find the playgrounds at the parks and resorts, these provide wonderful opportunities for kiddos to run free and take a break from lines during the day. We also love Tom Sawyer Island for a run free break in the afternoon. This area at the Magic Kingdom has caves for exploring!

Best restaurants with toddlers. We love character dining with toddlers. Keeps them entertained while we eat. Our favorites include Tusker House at Animal Kingdom where you can meet members of the Fab Five all decked out in safari gear while enjoying African inspired dishes. They do have the typical food for picky kids.....or adults! We love Cinderella's Royal table with princesses in the castle or try Akershus in Norway for a more low-key princess experience. We also enjoy Garden Grill at Epcot which features Mickey, Pluto and the mischievious Chip and Dale. If you aren't doing character dining, I suggest mostly sticking to counter service or buffets with toddlers. I don't know about your kids, but mine were dining terrors at this age and we hated to waste money on a great restaurant just to be miserable trying to get through!

Tips for character interactions with toddlers. This is one of the biggest areas that can make or break your Disney trip with a toddler. My kids have all loved characters both face characters and masked characters. I suggest taking them to a few local events with similar characters to get an idea of how they will react. Chuck E. Cheese can be a good option. Also, prepare them by indoctrinating them with all the Disney movies before you go! Once at the parks, I do suggest starting with human characters like princesses or Mary Poppins etc. This can be less intimidating than the larger costumed characters. If your child loves the characters, this may become the most magical part of your vacation. Our daughter had an amazing interaction with Ariel, showing her some of her human treasures. Our son lived out his dreams of doing the "Hot Dog" dance with Mickey. These are the moments that make memories that will last a lifetime!

Best Disney extras with toddlers. The parks are enough to keep folks pretty busy at Disney, but there are lots of fun extras on property. We traveled with toddlers in the warmer months and had a blast at Typhoon Lagoon. There is a great area for toddlers with small slides and even some fun tiny tube slides. There is a sandy beach for play and of course the enormous wave pool. There is also a relaxing lazy river the whole family can enjoy. I also suggest monorail riding with toddlers for a little less stimulation than you find in the parks. They love the cool form of transportation! Our toddlers also love the little known Electrical Water Pageant. Each evening, a series of lit up floats makes it's way around the Bay Lake resorts. Watch from the beach (if your kiddo is still awake) and it is a wonderful way to end a Disney day.

Touring strategies with toddlers. The key with toddlers is pacing. They don't do well burning the Disney candle at both ends. My favorite strategy with toddlers is the daily nap and afternoon break touring model. This works best when staying on property and in high-season periods where there are long opening hours at the park. Get up early and be at park about 30-60 minutes prior to park opening. Then tour all morning. Grab a late lunch and head out about 2 p.m. My husband and I usually take turns napping with the toddler from day to day. The off-duty parent has time to hit up the pool with the older kids (if you have them) or can enjoy some alone time by the pool at the bar etc. It's is a nice break for everyone. We usually head back into the parks, refreshed, about 5 p.m. and tour until park closing. I will also note, we put our child in the stroller on our way out of the park. If they fall asleep on the way out, we usually let them nap and continue touring with parents alternating staying with the sleeping kiddo.

Miscellaneous toddler tips and tricks. When possible, it is better to visit Disney World with additional grown-ups. I think multi-generational trips with toddlers are wonderful. They allow you to take advantage of baby swap and to split up the group at times for attractions. Plus, my kids made the most amazing memories with my parents that I will treasure forever. I also suggest taking lots of snacks with toddlers. I like to put them in a hard sided pencil case so they don't get smooshy, but you might go broke buying a snack and it helps get them through lines! Finally, we love to buy our Disney dresses and ears ahead of time for this set. Cheap dollar store Disney stuff too. Each morning they get a little gift or toy and we don't worry if they get lost or dirty running around the parks! If you go in the colder months, get one of the Mickey and friends full body zip up costumes. We put these on our kids at night right over their clothes and it kept them super warm all evening and they had a blast!

What tried and true tips and tricks do you have for traveling with toddlers? Also, if you are vacation hunting with a toddler, consider a Disney Cruise Line vacation. Check out how I made my husband a Disney Cruise convert!