“Worst” age kid for DCL

[Lisa F]

I think it depends entirely on where your kid is at a certain age and also your personality. I have taken my son to Disney (not cruises) at all ages from 9 months old to 11 years old and they all had their bright spots and their challenges. I definitely prefer being a parent in general to an older kid than a baby.

My son is 11 on our next cruise and I am so grateful to have been able to afford the SWDAS this year - it's a bucket list item for me and for me he is at the ideal age where he can still participate in the "little kid" stuff if he is feeling it (like Jedi Training and anything in the Oceaneer Club) but also can do the tween stuff in the Edge if it's more his style (and I suspect it will be - some of the activities there are REALLY appealing to him.) So I feel like he is pretty much the ideal age for this cruise right now.

A cruise is a big nut for me to crack as a single mom so I had to be careful and choose when I go, it won't be an every year thing!

 

[MillauFr]

No age is bad. The trip is what you make out it. We have great times no matter what our ages.

 

[DisneyPups]

I think that age 2-4 range, and maybe that 11-13 range, because 11-13 sucks worldwide. Because of the way Edge and Oceaneer's splits, and because of the widely variably growth rate and maturity level of your average 11-13 year old, hot kinda mess there.

Haha. I'm sorry. My kids aren't that age yet, but I'm a school psychologist and your comment made me laugh out loud. Obviously there are exceptions, but...
My kids aren't yet there, but I can't wait... and also the teenage daughter/mom conflict. Can't wait for that either.

There are pros and cons to any age. I think it also makes a difference with how big of a Disney fan your kids are. If they're just coming along for YOUR ride, there are likely more "not good years"... but if they've grown up Disney, they'll probably enjoy it at any stage. But we are venturing out to an RCCL for the fun/adventurous/thrill parts of the big boats, and the ability to drive to port, and I know we'll all miss the Disney-ness of it while we're there.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

My kids aren't that age yet, but I'm a school psychologist and your comment made me laugh out loud.

To quote one of our middle school teachers: "AXE is not a substitute for showering, and I would rather you not buy it for your boys, thanks."

 

[DCLDVC1]

Between 2 & 3 was the worst for us because our youngest wanted to go to the Oceaneers Club & Lab all the time but couldn't. Pro tip - don't take your 2 yo to an open house. It won't end well!

 

[disneylandlocal]

Haha. I'm sorry. My kids aren't that age yet, but I'm a school psychologist and your comment made me laugh out loud. Obviously there are exceptions, but...
My kids aren't yet there, but I can't wait... and also the teenage daughter/mom conflict. Can't wait for that either.

There are pros and cons to any age. I think it also makes a difference with how big of a Disney fan your kids are. If they're just coming along for YOUR ride, there are likely more "not good years"... but if they've grown up Disney, they'll probably enjoy it at any stage. But we are venturing out to an RCCL for the fun/adventurous/thrill parts of the big boats, and the ability to drive to port, and I know we'll all miss the Disney-ness of it while we're there.

That’s a good point. We are a Disney family but of course my kids have their own interests and at some point may decide they aren’t Disney kids. The’ve had Disneyland annual passes basically since birth and one ironic result is my kids do not care about characters anymore. I couldn’t get them to stop and snap a picture with a character on the last cruise and they are older and more jaded now. I’m hoping to keep the magic alive as long as we can. They absolutely love Disneyland and all the rides and have been begging for another cruise. I will put a placeholder down and do another cruise just trying to get the timing down.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

We cruised when my daughter was 18 months and it was really tough. We still needed a lot of baby things, and she was grouchy the whole trip. And she wasn't really excited about any of it because she was too young to get it. Dinner was a scream fest every night. It was only a 4 day so paying for the nursery a couple times wasn't that bad. But she scream at drop off, of course. That same cruise my son was 4 and he was great.

 

[Chemist]

My children were horrific travelers as babies, so I'd say anything under the age of 5!

An old 2 or young 3 can be pretty rough on a cruise ship. Can't go in the pool, and the 3 year old can't stay long in the club if they aren't COMPLETELY POTTY INDEPENDENT. That is very different from potty trained.

 

[hnthomps]

I agree that 2-3 is the hardest - still needs naps and early bedtime, can't go to the Club/Lab, can't go in the pool unless fully potty independent, most excursions aren't practical, has very little self control, and melt down when tired or hungry.
We loved our first cruise, naturally, but really regretted going with a 2 year old.
I think a baby who is flexible about schedules and can just be worn in a carrier everywhere would be totally fine, but having to have a stroller would also have been hard.

 

[pezgirlroy]

My youngest went on her first at 2 and turned 3 during the cruise last year. We had no issues at all with her at those ages. It does help that she has an older sister to go to the kids club with.

 

[diznymom]

No certain age. When they don't want to go, go without them (if at all possible.)

 

[smmco]

I've been on a couple of DCL European cruises. The 18-20-year-olds had a good size group and seemed to be having a good time. They kept us adults entertained at the adult pool with their pool game competitions. Maybe it's just a Europe that attracts college kids. I've never done a Summer Caribbean cruise on DCL.

 

[o&smom]

With so much experience and so many cruises under your belt, I am curious: if there was no bad age, what was for your family the best age?

Interesting question! That is so hard to answer. I may be able to answer that better after our WBPC in March. I feel that this may stand out as one of big change for us. The last couple have been expanding our DS’s autonomy with less family time at the pool or elsewhere. We still always eat meals, share shore excursions and force him to do family photos with us as a family on formal night. Got to get in at least a few! DD used to have to see every character, but our last cruise we experienced her choosing to do an activity at the kid’s club more than once. The itinerary also is affected by the ages of our kids and how we experience our cruise. We had a great time on our last cruise, but it was very port intensive, so we shared a lot of experiences as a family exploring new cities and new countries. Cruises with more sea days, and more relaxing ports allow you to explore and enjoy the ship and all it has to offer. These cruises seem more relaxing overall and just seem to allow you to share more down time together. Neither is better or worse, just different experiences shared. As our kids mature, it has also very much changed the cruise experience for my husband and I. We have just been able to start to enjoy adult areas and experiences like wine tastings. So I cannot pick a best age because each one has been a really different experience. Some difference because of age of the kids - nap times could have been looked at as a negative, but it was a time of relaxation that we had scheduled in our day. It is so easy to just go, go, go from morning to night, so it was good to have a time where we just had to enjoy being there. DCL just has so many things to do for different age groups that we still have things to look forward to doing with each of our kids, together as a family or just my husband and myself as our kids choose to spend a little more time being with their peers. The “best age” is always whatever age we all are, sharing time together, making memories, and the bonus is being on Mickey’s boat! One of my sweetest memories was when DS was 13, so we thought we might start getting a little less enthusiasm from him. We had not cruised in about a year and a half, and we were heading to Cabana’s after boarding for our first meal, and he says, “We’re home!”

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Interesting question. My kids have been cruising since they were about 6. Now in their 20's, they still want to come! And they still love Disney and now all the adult stuff there is to explore. We enjoy each others company and have fun as a family, so maybe that has something to do with it. For us, traveling was a lot easier when they were potty trained etc. I see parents with little ones and think of all the stuff and diapers they have to haul. I admire them. Not sure I could have done it! I think as a parent you take into account your child, what you feel like you can handle and still enjoy yourself and what your child can handle (crowds, kids clubs) etc. at any age!