Advice, please - the perfect 40th bday trip (long...)

[MrsSpratt]

Hello, you fabulous bunch of creative witty folk -

Mrs. Spratt here. The first (or second? who keeps track?) post of the link in my sig gives you an idea of who I am.

I show up here form time to time, because y'all rock - and get it when I make a Delta Burke joke. (She hugged me once - no lie - and I know where she lives in NOLA..and I don't stalk her, I swear!)

SO....onto the idea/question at hand.

My DH husband turns 40 (gasp!) in 2014 (something like that - a long way away - plenty of time to save) and I want to do a glama-glama ding-dong doozy of a trip for him (never mind that we have never been and he isn't a big fan.)

I can lure him with the promise of a day of driving a race car as his "big present..." he knows I am dying to go....

I then want to surprise him by having his family and friends there from Ireland and have all of his best mates get to drive race cars with him.

Which becomes throwing one H*ll of an event. As a secret.

The Irish are savers, and all of DH's friends are starting to breed and the kids will be the perfect age for WDW in 5 year.s I know we can get some grandgatherings (if they still exist?) when we go, and turn it into a great week.

We would be going around February twelth.

Depending on the "deals" (who knows what things will be like?) I will want DH and I to stay at the Four Seasons (Or the Waldorf, or on Property if the quality goes up - it is all about good sheets!)

SO...I will be planning two trips - the "romantic" trip for DH's 40th bday (masquerading as a 40th birthday/6th year anniversary trip) with AND the surprise mates and families trip (which isn't hard, as long as I plan and then don't lose it when no one sticks to the plan!)

My question:

Besides the race car thing, a couples massage - what makes a perfect guy trip? He is a foodie who also thinks the sandwich is the perfect artform...he doesn't play golf (although he is captain of the dart team he plays on) He loves marine life but can't swim and is afraid of water, gets hot easily, loves animals, has a resistance to Disney because he worked at the Texas Renfaire (no, we are not Rennies!)

Loves fireworks, no clue how he feels about rides (we have never been to a theme park together...he worked at a carnival when he was 16 in Dublin.)

This is not your typical "guy." No love for football, does the laundry - a perfect, handsome geek. Loves Lord of the Rings, likes Star Wars - hates trip clubs. Even when I'm with him.

ANY AND ALL IDEAS APPRECIATED.

Many, many thanks -

Mrs. Spratt

ps - How to throw the surprise? Welcome dinner he thinks is just the two of us? Do I throw a 40th party? Do I have to pay for all of the guys doing the driving experience?

 

[Safari Queen]

Dinner at Victoria and Albert's, at the Chef's Table, if you can afford it. Do the Backstage Tour at AK where you get to learn about the animals (we touched a rhino). Gotta see Wishes at MK.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

How 'bout a Wishes or Illuminations Cruise?

p.s. -- the race car thing sounds awesome!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

The Richard Petty Experience is pricey, so keep that in mind, particularly if you plan on paying for all of his mates!

There are specialty cruises. You could rent the Grand, it's Disney's yacht, and it's really nice! You could rent it for a Wishes cruise (they pipe in the music) and have drinks and finger food. That would be really nice!

There are other types of boats though too. Pontoon, and a reproduction ChrisCraft (my personal fave ) that you can rent for Wishes or Illuminations.

Oh, there is are a couple of Segway tours available. Maybe he and his friends would like to do the one at Fort Wilderness? There is another one at EPCOT's World Showcase, too.

Don't forget to get him a birthday badge. They are free for the asking at Guest Services.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We have done La Nouba and Lunch with an Imagineer that were both very cool.

The trick with planning so far ahead is that things change at WDW ALL the time. I would make a list of things you want to do, and an alternate list of things you MIGHT want to do in case some of your top choices are no longer offered when it is time to start booking.