Plans & schemes: Helping our significant others fall in love with Disney!

[dansyr2514]

Is it "Disney" that he doesn't like? Maybe a side trip to Universal or a few days at the beach?

I think it is theme parks in general. He would absolutely love a beach vacation. Sitting around on the beach doing nothing all day is his idea of paradise....me .....I would go stir crazy.
We did universal for a day on our last vacation...and he wasn't too crazy about that either.
But you've got a point there....maybe next year we'll do a beach day

 

[pickles]

brilliant!

DF and I just bought DVC in August! I don't understand not using something you are paying for.... Especially with kids, he does understand that they grow up, right?

I do really think it was invasion of the body snatchers..they left a pod in his room


I am not 100% sure I know his reasoning now, except some pride/ stuborness issues

I think when you add up the thousands extra a year you spend on tickets, and airfare has made him choke a bit on it. We are a family of 6 , so traveling isnt always "cheap"

 

[antkim]

I only read the first few posts so forgive me if I am saying something redundant etc.

DH enjoys WDW although is not a "fanatic" like I am. First few trips were a bit "tense" since dh is SOOO type B and I am SOOO type A!!

Then I realized ( and yes I am admitting it was me...that had GOT TO BE A FIRST!!) that running around crazy was not what it was all about! I decided that touring the parks was just as important as relaxing DOWN time..that is when DH started loving WDW. We skipped last year (first time in 8 years) and plan on going on a 4 night cruise followed by 2 nights in WDW this ja/feb. This the the first time EVER that DH is REALLY REALLY excited about going to the parks! He is excited because ds is older and really wants to try a couple of rides he has not been on AND he said that "taking a year off really makes a difference".

Personally I would go every week if I could but if taking time off means a better experience (and we have had great times!!) then so be it!!

(I should add that I do go to wdw other times during the year for a night or 2 without the family so I can't say I suffer from not going! )

 

[Planogirl]

My DH doesn't like themeparks period and nothing will change that. And believe me I tried to find ways to change his mind.

He does like hotels however so the last time he went with us we stayed at AKL and at one of the superb Loew's hotels at Universal, the Royal Pacific. He did like those and stayed in them most of the time while DS and I enjoyed the parks. OK.....

 

[ogreenlee]

My husband associates Disney with costing too much. He loves it, but feels that it's a very expensive vacation. We love to travel, so then he starts thinking about all the places in the world we haven't seen, and it's hard for him to justify the money.

That being said... he loves Disney. He especially loves it now that we have a little girl.

He's a football fan, but not a fanatic. He is not a hunter/fisher/outdoorsman type. He likes music, movies and reading as hobbies.

He doesn't like having to worry about money, as I don't tend to worry about it enough. He loves the dining plan b/c it's paid for upfront and he doesn't feel that punch everytime we get a bill for food. At Disney, this is very important because that tab is pretty high no matter if you're at a counter service or table service. He isn't one that cares about where he sleeps. He'd love the convenience of the monorail hotel, but thinks it is far from worth it, considering how much you have to pay to stay.

He isn't a big thrill rider b/c it messes with his equilibrium, so Disney has more to offer than any other theme park. We do love Islands of Adventure, though.

So basically, we'd go more often if it wasn't for the money. We have enough that we don't have to get a loan or pay for it over time, but we don't have enough to go there and all the other places we want to go. Since my DD has been born, this will be our third time. She is six. I think that's pretty good.

 

[Puget Peach]

Everyone has a different vacation "style", "speed", or expectation. Crowded theme parks, for those of us who love them, are no obstacle. For others (maybe your DH, DW, or SO) it's really a large hassle, at least if they think that's what they have to do every day. My suggestion? Don't act like you are joined at the hip. You can go to rope drop and he/she can meet you whenever he/she gets up and decides to get going. I've never done the dining plan because I don't like the way it cuts down on spontaneous activity. Make sure you have enough room (read that privacy) if you are going for more than four nights or so. Don't go so hard all day long that you are too tired to share more, er, private time. Send the kids to one of the day time activities and have some down time for just the two of you. Take a day to go to the beach and plan activities that don't involve standing in lines. Go to the ESPN club or check out what's happening at the Sports Venue. And please do not make him/her shop if they hate it!

 

[Puget Peach]

I haven't tried a cruise. She get motion sickness pretty easy -

last trip we stayed at the BC and although it was really nice, there is something about staying in a hotel room with the entire family for a week.
There really is no time or space to get away and just chill-out.


My strategy now is to stay offsite in a townhouse or condo which would give us all more space and would be comparable to the vacations she likes - staying a week at the shore in a condo or house.


Anybody have any experience with staying offsite at a house or condo?

I have done both - everything from POP to a DVC one bedroom villa and offsite villa rentals. I liked all of my trips with a few caveats:

If you like to go, go, go at the parks but others in your party don't, then staying on property allows you (and them) to come and go as you wish. If you stay offsite with a rental car, it throws in an extra dimension of planning. Part of your party can't stay for the fireworks while part of you goes to the ESPN club. When I travel with my BFF fellow Disneyholic, offsite works great for us because we have similar touring styles, as it does if you have enough adults for multiple rental cars. I also find that many folks who have rental cars don't take full advantage of the Disney Bus system, which would allow your party to split up for different activities. It's not so much that one works better than the other except that a single hotel room, even a deluxe, gets REALLY small after a few days...

 

[dansyr2514]

My husband associates Disney with costing too much. He loves it, but feels that it's a very expensive vacation. We love to travel, so then he starts thinking about all the places in the world we haven't seen, and it's hard for him to justify the money.




He doesn't like having to worry about money, as I don't tend to worry about it enough. He loves the dining plan b/c it's paid for upfront and he doesn't feel that punch everytime we get a bill for food. At Disney, this is very important because that tab is pretty high no matter if you're at a counter service or table service. He isn't one that cares about where he sleeps. He'd love the convenience of the monorail hotel, but thinks it is far from worth it, considering how much you have to pay to stay.

He isn't a big thrill rider b/c it messes with his equilibrium, so Disney has more to offer than any other theme park. We do love Islands of Adventure, though.

QUOTE]

lol...exactly!!!! I think you're hubby and my dbf share the same brain

 

[LadyVT]

Have him read this: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2106779

 

[Planogirl]

Have him read this: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2106779

Mine would think that seeing some of these things is nice but then ask if I'm ready to go home yet. He believes that special things can happen anywhere.

 

[tink713]

What made my DH fall in love with Disney was the Deluxe Dining Plan. As they say, the way to a guys heart is through is stomach!

 

[kaos928]

I think it is just a mental block...because when we are actually there.... he's ok.
I've had to change my disney ways....I could be at the parks morning til night.....he insists on pool time.
Forget about making a morning adr.....I set the alarm once on vacation and he threatened to fly home if I did it again.

Help!!!!!!

That's weird about the mental block. I had to change a bit too to add more relaxation time in there. But I told DF that this is not the vacation where you get to sleep in. Disney is different! Gotta get value for that money!! That got him out of bed pretty well.

I do really think it was invasion of the body snatchers..they left a pod in his room

I am not 100% sure I know his reasoning now, except some pride/ stuborness issues

I think when you add up the thousands extra a year you spend on tickets, and airfare has made him choke a bit on it. We are a family of 6 , so traveling isnt always "cheap"

Yeah I can understand that rationale. For us a yearly vacation is something we know we will always have the expense of. If I have to live in NY then I HAVE to get out of the winter weather for at least a week a year!! That's why DVC made so much sense for us.

What made my DH fall in love with Disney was the Deluxe Dining Plan. As they say, the way to a guys heart is through is stomach!

I agree! I think the dining plan reeeally helped sway my DF. He was really impressed with the food almost everywhere we went. And we got to go to places we wouldn't normally if it wasn't for DDP.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

My plan was just to make him keep going until he found his inner kid! I've also learned to let him have a few things he wants...like he really enjoyed the food & Wine festival. He also likes video games, so Disneyquest is a great fit! (Seeing classic old games was a treat!)

Surprisingly, I think he also got a kick out of Hoop de Doo.

I know he loves Space Mountain....I also know not to push him to go on It's a Small World more than once.
I think it REALLY helps to go to WDW with small kids- even if they are not your own- at least once! The first time we went with niece was amzing! She was just a baby, but at 10pm, when we were all exhausted, she was still bouncing up and down in her stroller walking back along the Boardwalk area! It is a memory we'll always treasure! Seeing WDW through her eyes though really helped him to let go for a few hours.

For my dad, two things were key: steak and taking care of all the planning. In fairness, it was my dad who took us to WDW when we were kids (multiple times), so he's always kind of liked it - he just forgot. Plus, he also really enjoys seeing the kids having fun.

I think for men to enjoy WDW, they have to find a way to be a kid again...however they do it! Being around other kids helps them let go of all that manliness. If you can get them to don a silly hat or Mickey shirt - that helps. For others it might be driving...for others it might be letting them have a few beers. Still, for others it might be having a big giant cookie, or riding the rockets. My dad enjoys CR, DH enjoys the pool slides!