Do most children want to visit Disneyland?

[Greenbutterlfy566]

Do you think most children want to visit Disneyland?

We’ve never been and wondered whether they would be left out so to speak if they didn’t go?

We went to Disney Paris through Make A Wish.
The dc loved it though I think because they were at Disney rather than what Disney had to offer

It was a fabulous trip but I wouldn't go back to Disney Paris I didn't think it was great.

The fireworks were good though.

As a child I was desperate to go, finally did aged 12, mum and dad saved so hard to take us, it was everything I imagined and more. I loved it and now I can finally afford it, we go every year. My DD loves it as much as I do, I love the chance to immerse myself and totally forget my life back home for a while, find it weirdly very relaxing. I should say we do enjoy Florida for other reasons and do other things there, not just Disney. I also didn’t rate Paris Disney, it’s nothing like WDW.

I took mine to Disneyland Paris when they were teens and they did enjoy it for the theme park, despite having outgrown princesses etc at that point.

I've floated the idea of saving up to go to Florida and neither of them are interested. Too big. Too hot. Too busy. Those are their reasons. They prefer the idea of going back to Paris if going at all.

I think children generally want to go somewhere exciting don't they? The ads on TV... The Disney machine?

I adore Disney it's fab but there are so any more amazing theme parks out there.

My ds, aged 11 and 6 have expressed zero interest. They don't even want to go to UK based theme parks.

Our parents offered to take my sister and I to Eurodisney for a few days. We said no thanks, we'd much rather have a week somewhere decent.

DS wouldn't enjoy it at all, and so far DD isn't shaping up to be that interested either. For some reason DH sees it as some kind of "rite of passage" and wants to take them in a few years... I think he might as well just go on his own, to be honest!

I mean they offered when we were kids! App removed paragraphs from my post, sorry!

I never wanted to go as a child - DLP didn't exist until I was a teenager but I don't think I would have wanted to do that either as wasn't into Disney particularly. I never understood why it was held up to be the ultimate holiday. We used to go to holiday parks in the UK with maybe a day at a theme park and that was plenty for me.

DS (7) has seen the recent adverts featuring the Lion King and Star Wars and really wants to go. I don't think other children from his class have gone, or if they have it hasn't been a big deal or he'd have mentioned it.

Disney is much bigger than it was then and while I am still not a huge fan I've enjoyed the Disney Pixar films so I think they have more wide appeal now. There are lots of adults who seem to love Disney so I guess they are more than willing to take their kids.

I've said I'll consider it for the future (it's not something we could afford at the moment) so we will see if he keeps asking or loses interest by then!

Mine had no interest, long story short we offered it to them and they looked horrified and said no. They are primary age but don’t really like Disney films (all the death). They also consider legoland hell on Earth. But I get they are on their own in this assumption.

Mine (teens) have never really expressed an interest, although DD did say once that all her friends had been. I know I shouldn't knock it till I try it but there are always many, many other holidays I'd rather spend my money on, I don't like theme parks and am not into Disney.

It's the atmosphere though isn't it of these places, the music whilst you walk around, the entertainment, the lights.... The shows..

I can’t stand Disney. I have every sympathy with the PP who said she’d rather eat her own liver!
Fortunately, my DC (now grown up) never liked Disney either, and didn’t want to go to theme parks - probably because DD1 is autistic and would have hated the sensory overload, and DD2 at the time preferred beach holidays or exploring interesting foreign culture.
I took them to the places I wanted to go, and found ways to make them child friendly and interesting (usually involving ice cream, swimming pools, boat rides, caves etc!). They were happy to potter round the ruins of Carthage and the mosaics in the Bardo, in exchange for a camel trek the next day, for example. And they gained a love of travel and culture. DD1 visited the Hermitage a year before I did!
There is so much to see in the world, why waste time on plastic modern commercial tat?

I'm mid 30s and I still want to go to disney land.
I'll never be able to afford it so I'm looking at taking the dc now they are teens to the one in France.
The magic and excitement of being there and seeing all the characters will still be there.

Expletive so many dp have 'begrudgingly' taken dc and ended up utterly loving it.
It's total escapism.
Having said that theme parks across Europe have so much variation its impossible to say 'I don't like theme parks'.

Look up puy de foy in France. Its a theme park but there are no rides. You watch incredible shows, one is in Romes collesieum almost Built to scale!
Another is about the vikings and so on. I've never been but I'm definitely going when dc 2 older.
Another one in France is based on robotics and future tech.
Then there's the utterly incredible The Efteling in the Netherlands which beats dlp hands down for charm and real atmosphere!

Europa Park in Germany, left me cold but I imagine lots of people would love it, themed on different eu countries... Etc etc etc.

I want a cookie, after years of pricing it up, I eventually realised an annual pass and staying off site is best value by far.

You get a special entrance with magic plus, sail past queuing hotel guests... In the morning... Money off various things. Off site hotels are eqa distance to the park as some so called '' on site hotels '' and off site hotels often have far better amenities like a fridge in the room.

We stayed in one with a free shuttle and the train station opposite, we also had free parking with our pass.
Having said that, go to efteling instead, cheaper and better quality.

Ds never showed an interest he was taken to Disneyland Paris and didn’t seem particularly excited by it preferred LEGO Land

When in California family often offer to take him he declines as he would rather be playing in the pool. He loved Universal Studios and is excited to go back there

Mine want to go to Florida universal to see the Harry Potter bit, but couldn’t care less about Disney.

Ha ha! I’ve been seeing tv ads and thinking the same thoughts. Looks an absolute nightmare to me and don’t think I’d have wanted to go at all as a child. However it seems to be an obsession for lots !
Good luck if you go. Logistics often seem hugely complicated to deal with crowds and queues
And eating etc.

Went as a kid (about 8) with my ruins-loving, non sun-worshipping parents to Florida. We had the best experience ever and all absolutely loved it. Can’t wait to take my own kids!

It was eventually beaten as a “holiday of a lifetime” by a safari so obviously it’s not the /only/ or /best/ thing. But for kids, it’s bloody fabulous.

(And very different from Chessington etc...)

What would you say is the ‘best’ age to take them ?

Mine has said no, used to enjoy lego land ( not last year it was terrible) and loved harry potter experience. TBF we go abroad about 4 times a year and he knows if we do Disney it would be only break that year and the next

Ours were 5&7 when we went. It was June so they couldn't stay up to see the fireworks (they were asleep by 7.30 through exhaustion!). 5yo was too small for quite a few things, 7yo could go on everything I think.
They were the children plucked out if the crowd to lead the parade one day- that is the memory they will never forget.

No interest here at all. I've never been and dc understand its a 'thing' for some people but dc1 doesn't like people dressed up and non of us are massively into rides.

We're planning a trip to e
Efteling though and v excited!

Mine were never bothered.
Never asked to go.
We enjoyed days out at various age-appropriate theme parks, Legoland, Chessington, then Thorpe Park. No wish to go specifically ‘Disney’ or get obsessed with theme parks generally.

They have enjoyed a wide range of experiences travelling and enjoyed it all.

None of us would really want to do a whole Florida / Orlando thing.