boyfriend's first trip...my 30th

[Hadjii]

Okay so I'm excited to be showing him my favorite place in he world but we're only going Thurs-Sun next week and I'm freaking out. He thinks we can do everything in 3 days but he has no concept of how vast WDW is! He's a Star Wars fan so that's on my FP list but what other rides/shows/events would everyone suggest for a 45yo Disney newbie? I don't want to overwhelm him but this is my opportunity to make him fall in love with WDW! I just love seeing everything thru the eyes of someone who's never visited before. PS: staying at POR so boat ride to DS and dinner at Morimotos (he's a sushi guy) should be a hit. Sigh.....

 

[Sybernova]

Okay so I'm excited to be showing him my favorite place in he world but we're only going Thurs-Sun next week and I'm freaking out. He thinks we can do everything in 3 days but he has no concept of how vast WDW is! He's a Star Wars fan so that's on my FP list but what other rides/shows/events would everyone suggest for a 45yo Disney newbie? I don't want to overwhelm him but this is my opportunity to make him fall in love with WDW! I just love seeing everything thru the eyes of someone who's never visits before. PS: staying at POR so boat ride to DS and dinner at Morimotos (he's a sushi guy) should be a hit. Sigh.....

Learn from my mistake: let him do what sounds fun to him but gently steer him away from the "less desirable" rides. Get some FP+ to the headliners, allow for some time to take in the sights and enjoy the environments. Don't go in with a plan to do "everything" because it will cause more stress than excitement. Also think, did you fall in love with Disney because of the magical environments and exciting rides, or because you ran around with no breaks trying to feverishly run between attractions? If you miss something, tack that on as incentive to go back again!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If you can afford it, I would consider doing the new Star Wars tour in DHS (I think they do them on Saturdays) or book the Star Wars dessert party for one of the nights you are there.

Otherwise, are you doing all four parks? If so, I would try to hit the headliners and leave the rest of the time to wander. I would probably do:

MK - BTMRR, Splash (if it's warm enough), Space Mountain, 7DMT (if the line isn't terrible)
AK - Safari, EE, Dinosaur and one or two of the shows
EP - TT, Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Mission Space, walk around WS
DHS - all the Star Wars stuff, RnRC, ToT, TSMM

If you can't do a Star Wars special event, maybe pick one signature? Cali Grill has a stunning view. Or hit some of the fun lounges - Trader Sam's, Nomad, AbracadaBAR.

Personally, I wouldn't go commando with a 45-year old newbie and there probably isn't any need to as I'm guessing he won't be disappointed if he misses the Winnie the Pooh ride or the Disney Jr. show?!

 

[Accident]

Learn from my mistake: let him do what sounds fun to him but gently steer him away from the "less desirable" rides. Get some FP+ to the headliners, allow for some time to take in the sights and enjoy the environments. Don't go in with a plan to do "everything" because it will cause more stress than excitement. Also think, did you fall in love with Disney because of the magical environments and exciting rides, or because you ran around with no breaks trying to feverishly run between attractions? If you miss something, tack that on as incentive to go back again!

THIS!!! ^^^^

it's a trip for him, not a chance for you to show him 30 trips worth of disney as fast as you possibly can..

EDIT: Also your first trip is setting up expectations of all future trips. Avoid any extras if possible and maybe do 1 or 2 interesting only at disney meals.. Set the bar to see some of disney and there will be a chance to do the rest on future ones. Disney is the special thing the first trip..

 

[Hadjii]

Learn from my mistake: let him do what sounds fun to him but gently steer him away from the "less desirable" rides. Get some FP+ to the headliners, allow for some time to take in the sights and enjoy the environments. Don't go in with a plan to do "everything" because it will cause more stress than excitement. Also think, did you fall in love with Disney because of the magical environments and exciting rides, or because you ran around with no breaks trying to feverishly run between attractions? If you miss something, tack that on as incentive to go back again!

Well said. He's definitely someone who'll appreciate the smaller exhibits which I know eat up a lot of time but I want him to be happy. I'm trying to go in thinking..... Yes I know space mountain is everything but you've been on it a hundred times and he really wants to check out the Swiss family tree house lol. Thanks for your input...wish me luck

 

[Hadjii]

If you can afford it, I would consider doing the new Star Wars tour in DHS (I think they do them on Saturdays) or book the Star Wars dessert party for one of the nights you are there.

Otherwise, are you doing all four parks? If so, I would try to hit the headliners and leave the rest of the time to wander. I would probably do:

MK - BTMRR, Splash (if it's warm enough), Space Mountain, 7DMT (if the line isn't terrible)
AK - Safari, EE, Dinosaur and one or two of the shows
EP - TT, Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Mission Space, walk around WS
DHS - all the Star Wars stuff, RnRC, ToT, TSMM

If you can't do a Star Wars special event, maybe pick one signature? Cali Grill has a stunning view. Or hit some of the fun lounges - Trader Sam's, Nomad, AbracadaBAR.

Personally, I wouldn't go commando with a 45-year old newbie and there probably isn't any need to as I'm guessing he won't be disappointed if he misses the Winnie the Pooh ride or the Disney Jr. show?!

We're doing MK, Epcot and DHS. He's a veterinarian and I think he'll be okay not seeing animals for 3 days. I did consider the dessert party. I'm will check out more on that . I was there in December and missed Abracadabra so I will get there this time. Thank u!

 

[Hadjii]

THIS!!! ^^^^

it's a trip for him, not a chance for you to show him 30 trips worth of disney as fast as you possibly can..

EDIT: Also your first trip is setting up expectations of all future trips. Avoid any extras if possible and maybe do 1 or 2 interesting only at disney meals.. Set the bar to see some of disney and there will be a chance to do the rest on future ones. Disney is the special thing the first trip..

No! I definitely want to hit a few key things that will be memorable. I hope he falls in love as much as I have with Disney.

 

[Accident]

No! I definitely want to hit a few key things that will be memorable. I hope he falls in love as much as I have with Disney.

Well thought out ones are good adds, but keep in mind what he is going through as @Sybernova pointed out. Memorable to you might be 1 thing too much to him.

 

[amberpi]

He's an adult, if things start to go off the rails, hop to Epcot and start drinking around the world

 

[DisHmsklMom]

Try and point out a number of things that normal people miss, pretend you are a special Disney tour guide just for him. It really helped to introduce the stories of each park, ride or area as you enter them, it won't take long for him to see and feel the magic.

 

[avalovesminnie]

We're doing MK, Epcot and DHS. He's a veterinarian and I think he'll be okay not seeing animals for 3 days. I did consider the dessert party. I'm will check out more on that . I was there in December and missed Abracadabra so I will get there this time. Thank u!

I'm a veterinarian and I was blown away by animal kingdom! Unless he is a wildlife vet no one ever gets as close to wild animals as on the safari ride and no (visible) fences! We didn't do a whole lot in the rest of the park but I thought it was different than anything I had done before.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Well thought out ones are good adds, but keep in mind what he is going through as @Sybernova pointed out. Memorable to you might be 1 thing too much to him.

This. One million times this. When I first started dragging my partner, Ryan, on Disney trips, although by the end of the first trip (to DL at the time) he loved it--and at the end of the first day cried at the end of Fantasmic--he eventually put his foot down. He told me they way I liked to do Disney wasn't the way HE liked to do Disney, and that I was ruining the experience for him by trying to force him to love Disney the way that I do, rather than the way that he does. I'm a commando, rope drop to midnight, ride my favorites repeatedly, run across the parks like a marathoner Disney parks fan. He's a resort-loving, pool hounding, show up at MK at 3, give me my five favorite rides per trip and I'm good, inveterate bench-sitting people-watcher Disney parks fan. Our trips got so much better when I stopped trying to make him be the kind of fan that I am. And he was trying to tell me that from day one. (Literally, when I dragged him up Main Street when he wanted to stop and watch the band play.)

OP, your BF is NOT (I assure you, absolutely NOT) going to share all of your same loves, likes, and preferences at WDW. If you don't give him space from the start to both let you know what he's enjoying and to lead sometimes and not just follow you around everywhere, you're setting yourself up for disaster and Disney heartache. Take it from someone who's had that mid-trip screaming match over my plans vs his plans and thankfully lost.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

We're doing MK, Epcot and DHS. He's a veterinarian and I think he'll be okay not seeing animals for 3 days. I did consider the dessert party. I'm will check out more on that . I was there in December and missed Abracadabra so I will get there this time. Thank u!

Did he tell you he didn't want to do AK or are you assuming?

 

[sbmorasch]

Animal kingdom is really fun but if he is a Star wars fan i would for sure spend my time in Hollywood studios. Lots of star wars stuff. Like I'm not a star wars fan but when i went i loved it! chewie was the best

 

[BigredNole]

As a 45yo that has not been to Disney and wanting him to like it, I would not push too much. It is very difficult to make them like it. If you can get him to start to understand what Disney is about and that it is not like a Six Flags or something, he may turn around.

 

[BobbyDukes]

Walking down Main Street for the first time is always something awesome. Kind of jealous of people now who get to experience that "brand new" feeling of seeing the street with the castle in the background.
Another neat and fun thing to do is explore the "nooks and crannies" of each country in the World Showcase. That may impress him.

 

[anniemae]

I agree that you should step back and just kind of let it happen. Plan some fp for the big rides, plan some great meals, and then see how things unfold. If he wants to check out another park, go. If he wants to go back to the resort, that's fine. If he wants to run from ride to ride, so be it!

Try not to feel the pressure to "make him like Disney." It's hard because it feels like so much is riding on this, if he hates it, well that would stink. Like others said, whatever you do, try not to push it. I'm hope he love it! Please let us know how it goes after your trip!

 

[IrishNYC]

As someone that was told how I should do Disney on my first trip back as an adult, I cannot stress enough that you let him do the things he wants, even if it's the Swiss Family Treehouse, and Stitch. So what? As you being a Disney vet, I promise there are things you don't appreciate that he will as a first timer. Let him experience those things without you anticipating them for him, or you pointing them out to him.

 

[Hadjii]

He's an adult, if things start to go off the rails, hop to Epcot and start drinking around the world

That's the only thing he asked to do,other then star tours lol

 

[Parker Clan]

I remember our first trip back as adults and I agree with what everyone else is saying here! As a Star Wars fan I can tell you he will love HS! It was cute to see my husband so excited like a kid in a candy store at the Star Wars exhibits & the fireworks show! If he doesn't fall in love with Dis after that I'd be shocked!