< The Latest 2025-01-22T15:00:41+0000

Frumpy Mom: When should you take the rug rats to Disneyland?

Do infants and toddlers get enough out of the park to make a visit worthwhile?

The Pasadena Star-News | Wed 01/22 07:00am PST | Marla Jo Fisher

I want to talk to you about babies and Disneyland. These are both very important topics, especially in Southern California, where sometimes it seems like every other person either worked at Disneyland, has an annual pass, or has a baby. Or all three.

Disneyland is the largest employer in Orange County, which I’m only mentioning to prove how important this topic is and why you should read every golden word I produce. And can you name another business where people will come at the crack of dawn and stand in line to buy overpriced popcorn buckets that they’ll never fill with popcorn?

I didn’t think so. The whole baby thing has been on my mind lately because my 25-year-old daughter, Curly Girl, now has not one but two babies, apparently on the theory that two-for-one deals can be had in later life. My first grandson, whom I call Floyd for the purposes of this column, is now nearly 2 years old. And my granddaughter, who I’m calling Mabel, was born right after Thanksgiving.

That’s right. Two babies in diapers at the same time. Sounds like a horror movie to me, but she loves it.

If you’ve ever been to Disneyland, you may have noticed the many moms walking around with tiny babies in strollers. In fact, they could just call it StrollerLand, because sometimes I think there are more strollers than people. Or maybe Stolen StrollerLand, because these strollers are typically parked in big parking zones, and anyone can just grab your pricey stroller and walk away with it. And they do. Then, they sell them online.

Neither Disneyland nor the Anaheim cops likes to talk about this, since they don’t want to cast an unfavorable light on the Happiest Place on Earth. A mom who walks off “It’s a Small World” to discover that her stroller, backpack and sometimes even her purse have disappeared is not happy. I know, people shouldn’t leave valuables on their strollers, but they fall into a trance when they walk into the park, and assume everyone there simply must be as honest as they are.

But back to the babies in the strollers. I used to cover Disneyland as a newspaper reporter, which meant I was there several times a week. And I often saw young moms walking around the park with their infants, apparently under the impression that a newborn baby could appreciate the wonders of the Haunted Mansion.

This may shock some of you, but an infant is incapable of grasping the concept of Winnie the Pooh. Or Cinderella. Or Alice in Wonderland. I’ve always assumed that these moms just love Disneyland themselves, and so they’re delighted to have an excuse to go there, even if it means pushing around a tiny baby all day.

This is just wrong. And the reason it’s wrong is that the child in question will be bored with the park before she’s even old enough to use a sippy cup. He’ll never have the magic of discovering the park’s wonders for the first time, because his eyes didn’t even focus the first time he was brought there.

I adopted my kids when they were age 3 and 5, and I took them to Disneyland for my daughter’s fourth birthday. I won’t say they were excited to go, but I woke up at 4 a.m. on the big day to see a light on in the living room. When I blearily dragged myself in there, I found two little kids dressed from head to toe, even to shoes, sitting on the couch.

“What are you doing?” I asked them less than kindly.

“We’re waiting to go to Disneyland!,” they replied.

I told them to go back to bed because we weren’t leaving for hours, but that’s the level of excitement kids should have on their first visit. When we got to the park and walked onto Main Street, the kids saw Mary Poppins. We’d just watched the movie, so they flung themselves excitedly at her and got autographs.

It was definitely one of the most thrilling days of their young lives and they enjoyed every second, (except for being terrified on Splash Mountain.)

That wouldn’t have happened if I’d plunked them in strollers and taken them to the park as soon as they could breathe independently.

I’m happy to report that Curly Girl feels the same as I do, so we won’t be dragging the grandchildren off to the Magic Kingdom until they’re old enough to find it thrilling. Of course, it may cost a thousand dollars to get in by then, but I can take out a second mortgage on my house. Or maybe I’ll win the lottery.

What’s your opinion? Email me at mfisher@scng.com and let me know.

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