Anonymous wrote:All of you waxing poetic about the "magic" of Disney, you do realize that is all manufactured to manipulate you into buying merchandise, right? Disney is the vacation equivalent of processed food. Kids do enjoy genuine experiences, I assure you!

Also there's no Santa.

Anonymous wrote:I have a 3 yr old and a 5.5 yr old. We can really only afford one vacation a year. DH and I have been doing lots of beaches in the caribbean, yellow stone this year and maybe Europe next year. We don't really want to waste our vacation time and money on Disney. The kids have never asked us FWIW. And they have lots of fun on the vacations we take them. We have done a weekend trip to Hershey which they liked. So what say you, can we make it through childhood without ever going to Disney?

If you want them to remember it wait 5+ years.

All of you waxing poetic about the "magic" of Disney, you do realize that is all manufactured to manipulate you into buying merchandise, right? Disney is the vacation equivalent of processed food. Kids do enjoy genuine experiences, I assure you!

Took our kids twice. First time, ages 5 and 8. Then, two years later. It really was magical--especially the first time. We didn't try to do everything, we just let the kids lead us. Wonderful memory.

We took dd to Disneyland only bc we were in LA for another reason when she was 3. She is now 17 and I will never take her to Disney ( she still gives us a hard time jokingly). We have toured the US and Europe and I feel that Disney is a total waste ( just my opinion obviously). Every one of my friends who has done it has come back with the attitude of well.. Checked that one off the box.

My parents never took us to Disney and my sister and I were not happy about that. My brother got to go with his best friend around age 10. We will be taking DD possibly this January (she just turned 2) but that's only because it coincides with a work trip. We were planning her first trip to be around age 5. We just took her to Sesame Place for her bday and after watching her reactions and excitement that's something we'd like to recreate daily if possible.

DH went when he was around 6 and still remembers how magical an experience it was for him. He said he hardly slept the entire time, he wanted to spend every minute in the park. We also still have his first autograph book from Disney as well!

i went when i was a kid. don't remember it being magical or anything but maybe i was too old (maybe 13). really have no interest in going with my son who is 9. he's never been particularly into disney stuff…probably because i'm not.

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 8 and 10. They've never expressed any interest in going to Disney World. My 10 yr old mentioned something about Harry Potter world last year in passing. But neither ask to go.

On the other hand, they are always asking to go to the beach and to Mexico, where we went once a few years ago. They have wanted to go on an African Safari since they were around 4 yrs old. They love animals and we've visited many different zoos around the country.

Pssttt... they'd probably love Animal Kingdom.

Just sayin'

I never went growing up, though I wanted to. I always thought that kids had to be older (around 7-8) to get something out of Disney. A few years ago I met the sweetest little 4 year old who had been to Disney and could identify every building and experience and clearly got so much out of it. I am going to take my child when he is older for sure. If you don't want to, don't do it. If you want to, do it. To each her own.

OP here. Funny that this thread got revived. But also reminded me that I never posted back. So the verdict is....
We are not going to Disney now or the near future. Now when one of our kids beg to go we might take them but right now all is fun and good on the trips we choose. I appreciate all the people who made me see that not going is really not a big deal. It is after all, just an adventure park. And to the over zealous posters insisting we.must.go.to.disney for the sake of our children's health... Well, let's just agree to disagree.

Anonymous wrote:Disney should be done every year. I go every year kids like it, I love it !!!

we have visited 49 states; many memorable experiences. Disney seems such a waste of time.

Disney should be done every year. I go every year kids like it, I love it !!!

Took my kids when they were 5 and 8, and they've never asked to go back. They had fun while they were there, but they have a lot more fun at a lake resort in the midwest with their cousins.

My kids are 8 and 10. They've never expressed any interest in going to Disney World. My 10 yr old mentioned something about Harry Potter world last year in passing. But neither ask to go.

On the other hand, they are always asking to go to the beach and to Mexico, where we went once a few years ago. They have wanted to go on an African Safari since they were around 4 yrs old. They love animals and we've visited many different zoos around the country.

The answer to OP's question is just Yes.
Growing up in California it's normal that someday, either with your family, grandparents, on a school trip, or even for College Night, you are going to end up going to Disneyland.
It's fun, but the Anaheim area has slums just like Orlando, it's not quite the destination as WDW is for East Coasters. People aren't snobbish about it like they are here i.e. we're too sophisticated we always go to Europe blah blah. You go to Maui, you go to Tahoe, you go to Disneyland, you go to Japan, nobody gives a flying f.