Most families either want to travel to Disney with their young kids and if you do get there with your wee ones, the experience won’t be one that either of you ever forgets.

Which, given the Disney reputation, isn’t surprising. But what is a bit of a shock is that the experience can actually affect your toddler’s brain. Below are 4 pretty cool ways that can happen.

4. It boosts their IQ.

The Telegraph reported that research shows that environments that offer new experiences like social, physical, cognitive, and sensory interaction activate the “brain fertilizers” in the frontal lobes. It can enhance “stress regulation, attention, concentration, good planning, and the ability to learn.”

3. It strengthens memory.

You may think that your toddler will have no memories of your trip, but researchers have discovered that four-and-a-half-year-old kids can recall detailed memories from a Disney trip 18 months later.

2. It promotes intelligence.

The trip could boost your little one’s brain development by helping to exercise two “genetically ingrained systems” in his or her brain – the play and seeking systems.

The chance to explore engages both systems, which stimulates growth and maturation in the frontal lobes, improving “cognitive functioning, social intelligence, and well-focused, goal-directed behaviors” that can follow them into adulthood.

1. It encourages language skills.

Scientists have found that the more mental stimulation a child gets around the age of 4, the more developed the areas of their brains are that handle language and cognition – and the impact lasts throughout their teen years and beyond.

I can’t wait to take my littles in a few years!