— @giveittomestraight / TikTok
During a recent episode of their Give It To Me Straight podcast, married couple and expectant parents, Alex and Jon, wonder about why parents go to Disney parks with very young kids.
“I wanna know, truly, anyone who has brought their kids to Disney, ages three, four, and below: are you having fun?” Alex asks. “How are you being productive? What are you doing?”
Basing their feelings on a recent trip to the parks with their niece and nephew, the couple — who are expecting their first child — pondered the rationale of parents who bring young children to Disney.
“Disney in itself is an exhausting thing for kids. Like … they don’t wanna be in their stroller, even though you bring it until they’re super exhausted and then … you know, their body just makes them go in the stroller, but it’s like, it’s so hot. There’s so much walking for their little legs. It’s like, I can understand why they get cranky. I was cranky too,” Alex said.
“So much screaming, so many meltdowns,” Jon adds. “Not just from our niece and nephew, but from other kids. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, these poor parents.’ I’m like, what do you do?”
Alex then adds an anecdote about the “most fun” part of the trip for her young niece, which actually had very little to do with the trip to Disney at all.
“The most fun that our niece had was when it started downpouring, and she was just excited that she was able to jump in puddles and dance in the rain,” she said.
“She was having the time of her life. I was like, ‘We should have just stayed at the hotel and she could play and splash in the pool.’ Give the kid a cardboard box. They would love it. They don’t need all this bougie sh**t.”
“Anyway, so we decided that we’re not going to Disney until our kid is 25,” she joked.
After the video gained traction, hundreds of TikTok users commented on the video with their personal reasonings for heading to Disney theme parks with young kids.
“Yes it’s the best. Such a magical age to take them,” one user wrote.
Another echoed, “Best time! Seeing the magic in their eyes makes up for all the tantrums 🥰”
One mom wrote, “I remember before I had my daughter, I was always like ‘I don’t get why ppl bring their young kids…we’re not doing that.’ Boy was I wrong. It’s sooo cute seeing them so small & taking in the magic.”
“Took my daughter when we was 3 and had the absolute best time of her life ❤️she did so good! No melt downs was in her stroller so she didn’t have to walk! As soon as their fireworks finished she was 😴,” another said.
Other parents shared differing perspectives, noting that their kids did not thrive at the parks at such young ages.
“My kids didn’t remember anything and hated The heat… they loved it at 6&10,” one mom said.
“My kid doesn’t enjoy the rides yet, it’s too early,” another wrote.
Another commented, “Nooooo my kids forget. Lol I don’t remember anything before the age of 4. We took our kids at age 5 to Disneyland and they are 9&12 now and they still very much remember their 1st time at Disneyland.”
With realistic expectations and proper preparation, a trip to Disneyland can be done with young kids. Parents just need to be mindful of how much their kid can take at that age (ie. waiting in long lines, overstimulation, heat, etc.) and plan accordingly.
Let’s be real, Disney is magical at any age, so if/when Alex and Jon decide to bite the Disney bullet with their own kid, they’ll have a wonderful time.