# Is a 4 year old too young for Disney World? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749 "2002-12-05T19:17:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drollman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@drollman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drollman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/1 "2002-12-05T19:17:56Z")
Well, I"Y"HO, is it? Mrs. Drollman wants to celebrate 1 year of bliss with Drollman Jr. by taking a 2 week Floriada getaway? Would he appreciate it at this age? Drollman: Over 200 posts with a spelling mistake! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/2 "2002-12-05T19:24:42Z")
We went with our 2 1/2 year old and our 3 1/2 year old last winter. They loved it. They ask constantly when we are going to go again (when they are 4 and 5, btw). There are lots of caveats about DisneyWorld with a kid this age. Like “Take It Slow”. And “Be Prepared to Wait 45 Minutes to Ride Dumbo.” ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/3 "2002-12-05T19:34:29Z")
It’s important to note that a lot of the attractions in the park have a fairy tale level fright element. For some young ones, it’s just too effective. We took a 5 year old and all the dungeon/castle/dark was just too much. If your content to see only a small slice of the park then by all means go for it, just be aware of the possible limits. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/4 "2002-12-05T19:42:00Z")
I remember going to Disneyland at about that age, and I liked it. The only thing that might’ve been considered negative was, I was too scared to walk up to the Big Bad Wolf and shake his hand. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/5 "2002-12-05T19:43:47Z")
God, I hope so. We’re taking ours in 2 weeks! I think he’ll love it. I sure do! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/6 "2002-12-05T19:44:10Z")
From what I hear he is going to be standing in line 98% of the time. I don’t think there is an age restriction on that. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/7 "2002-12-05T19:44:25Z")
My brother and SIL went with their kids earlier this year when their youngest was only 2 and a half. She’s really shy, but surprisingly wasn’t afraid of the characters at all. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/8 "2002-12-05T19:45:25Z")
I mean I hope NOT! ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/9 "2002-12-05T19:57:14Z")
I live in Orlando and have 3 boys, ages 8, 5, and 3, and although we have let our Disney passes expire (we’re carrying Universal/Islands of Adventure and Seaworld this year), I can assure you your 4 1/2 year old will have a great time. He’ll probably be completely wiped out by the time the parade comes around though, so take or rent a stroller. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/10 "2002-12-05T20:09:24Z")
I think he’ll do ok. There is an area called Tom Sawyer Island. In that place your kid can just plain run around pretty much. Then let grab a bench and a nap. Are you going to be staying at the park? That might be a good idea as you can catch a bus back to the hotel for break mid-day and go back later. ---
**Author:** ![Benanuel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@Benanuel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Benanuel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/11 "2002-12-05T20:48:29Z")
I have no personal experience with taking young children to Disney, as I have only cats, but Mr. Ben and I are frequent visitors. (Got a Vacation Club membership as part of my bennies) There are always a number of familes with small children there, from infants on up. By the end of the day, you see a number of parents pushing strollers full of sleeping children. You might want to wander over to Disney’s website and see if you can find info on height requirements, so you can plan around any rides that might tempt the sproggin but for which he might not be tall enough. I second the mid-day nap at the hotel thing. It’s good for grown-ups, too. It’s actually rather easy to avoid the long lines for the most part just by going off-season. We just got back (having been there from 11/16 thru 11/22) and there were short to nonexistant lines on a number of rides. Week before Thanksgiving = good. Week of Thanksgiving = bad. Lines and crowds all depend on when you want to go. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/12 "2002-12-05T21:02:10Z")
I was four when I went to Disney World for the first time, and I certainly don’t think that’s too young for a first visit. However, realize that taking such a young child is going to severely limit what you can and cannot visit. For instance, I loved Dumbo, Small World, Journey into Imagination, and a lot of the shows. I really liked meeting Mickey, too. However, some things that weren’t really scary _did_ scare the living crap out of me. Like Pirates of the Carribean. And one of the street performers at Epcot (she jokingly told the parents to–I think–drop the kids on their heads. I was old enough to know what she was saying, but not old enough to realize it was a joke). In other words, your kid might get scared at things you think are all well and good. Be prepared to comfort him if he gets scared. Of course, he might be a little trooper; you might not have to worry about the tamer rides. Thing about taking a kid that young though is this: to them, everything is _real_. I thought I was _really_ meeting Mickey. I thought Cinderella was really living in the castle. You can’t get that experience with an older kid. I saw it when my parents took my sister and I when we were older (she was 4, I was 9), and it was just incredible, watching the way she reacted to things. Go for it. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/13 "2002-12-05T21:05:47Z")
Absolutely not. My wife and I took our three-year-old three years ago (three then, now he’s six), and he had a blast. His (then) one-year-old brother and eight-month-old sister were a bit young to appreciate it, though. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/14 "2002-12-05T21:28:59Z")
We’re probably going to finally take our kids this year (sometime during Christmas break). They’ll be seven and 4.5. I’ve kind of avoided it before since the price/performance\* seems a bit skewed. But Grandma and Grandpa brought it up, so we’ll probably go. For things that are scary or violent I’ve always made sure that they’ve understood what is real and make believe; for fun stuff I let them figure it out for themselves. \*This is at least partly because of the restriction to certain items and the reality that about half a day is enough for them in one go. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/15 "2002-12-05T21:44:41Z")
Tips…get to the park a half hour before they open. I think they open the gates a half hour before the listed time so there’s not a big line. If you want a nice lunch, your very first stop should be a beeline to The Crystal Palace. Make a lunch reservation, and come back to enjoy the buffet. I don’t mind paying $14 for lunch when it’s all you can eat. It’s good selection and good food, too. Take it slow, enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![rundogrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@rundogrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rundogrun)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/16 "2002-12-05T21:46:04Z")
At the ripe old age of 6, my son has been three times (I used to be a Castmember…free passes for everyone, wheee!). He loved it everytime. Stick to Magic Kingdom…there’s limited appeal at Epcot and even less at MGM. But at MK, he’ll have a blast in Fantasy Land as well as in Toon Town, where Mickey’s house and kid sized rides/play areas abound. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/17 "2002-12-05T22:48:11Z")
Yep. Definitely too young. You’d better take me, instead. I’m 41 and I’ve never been. I promise not to whine and not to get cranky. StG ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/18 "2002-12-05T23:50:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Benanuel \* > \*\*It’s actually rather easy to avoid the long lines for the most part just by going off-season. We just got back (having been there from 11/16 thru 11/22) and there were short to nonexistant lines on a number of rides. Week before Thanksgiving = good. Week of Thanksgiving = bad. Lines and crowds all depend on when you want to go. \*\* I totally agree - I went there from 9/21 thru 9/27 and there were **no** lines. We went on everything twice, pretty much, and I’d say the longest line we hit the entire week was at the Safari in Animal Kingdom - 30 minutes. Most of the rest were either a walk-on or maybe a 10-15 minute wait. It was great, but it seemed like we ran out of things to go on! But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love going on Rock’n’Roller Coaster three times in a row. ---
**Author:** ![drollman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@drollman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drollman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/19 "2002-12-06T12:12:48Z")
Thanks for all the input! Looking into height restrictions is a great idea. The mid-day nap might change to a mid-day break, since he is now out of the nap-habit due to attending school since September. Could someone with “vacation with child” experience provide a breif rundown of pros/cons for Epcot, The Magic Kingdom, MGM Disney, Animal Kingdom (what is that?) and the water park area? The last time we were at WDW, MGM/Disney was a newest thing having opened a few months previous. Drollman! Over 200 posts with a spelling mistake! ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749/20 "2002-12-06T14:13:42Z")
We took Soupo last year when he was 4 1/2. He had a great time. Got there early and was first in line for Dumbo. (His first Disney ride.) I skipped Small World, but he liked it. Splash Mountain was a hit along with all the roller coasters he was tall enough for. Pirates of the Caribean was a bust though. We stayed on the grounds, started early and ended early. (We also went with all of his aunts and uncles which made it an even better trip.) Three days of Disney was all he could take. The last day we spent in the pool and shopping. -Rue. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-4-year-old-too-young-for-disney-world/140749.md?page=2)