Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
prefer splashing in fountains and clambering over curbs and benches to experiencing
most attractions, but no matter: He or she will still have a great time.
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Traveling with infants and toddlers sharpens parenting skills and makes the entire
family more mobile and flexible, resulting in a richer, fuller life for all.
An Iowa City, Iowa, mother of three says, “Get over it!”:
Get over it! In my opinion, people think too much about the age thing. If taking your
3-year-oldwouldmakeyouhappy,that'sallthatcounts.Endofstory.Itdoesn'tmat-
ter if the trip is really for you or your child—it's all good. You shouldn't have to
jump through a bunch of hoops to give yourself permission to go.
Somewhere between 4 and 6 years of age, your child will experience the first va-
cation that he or she will remember as an adult. Though more likely to remember the
coziness of the hotel room than the theme parks, the child will be able to experience
and comprehend many attractions. Even so, his or her favorite activity is likely to be
swimming in the hotel pool.
As concerns infants and toddlers, there are good reasons and bad reasons for va-
cationingatDisneyland.Agoodreasonfortakingyourlittle onetoDisneylandResort
is that you want to go and there's no one available to care for your child during your
absence. Philosophically, we are very much against putting your life (including your
vacation) on hold until your children are older.
Especially if you have children of varying ages (or plan to, for that matter), it's
better to take the show on the road than to wait until the youngest reaches the per-
ceived ideal age. If your family includes a toddler or infant, you will find everything
from private facilities for breast-feeding to changing tables in both men's and wo-
men's restrooms to facilitate baby's care.
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Baby supplies—including disposable diapers, formula, and baby food—are for sale,
and rockers and special chairs are available for nursing mothers.
An illogical reason, however, for taking an infant or toddler to Disneyland Resort
is that you think Disneyland is the perfect vacation destination for babies. It's not,
so think again if you are contemplating Disneyland Resort primarily for your child's
enjoyment. For starters, attractions are geared more toward older children and adults.
Even designer play areas such as the Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island in Disney-
land Park are developed with older children in mind.
