boyfriend's first trip...my 30th

[Hadjii]

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.

I have no intention of imposing my will on him. Just looking for suggestions of things that might be fun for a first timer. I do not ever expect anyone to have the same likes as me, at Disney or at home. My wish would be that he gets to enjoy the experiences he wants to and I will absolutely let him dictate what is important to him.

 

[Hadjii]

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

Yes it's high on his list. I'm so happy he's going get to experience it. I on the other hand, will skip Star Tours cuz it makes me ill lol.

 

[Hadjii]

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

I've showed him brief videos of all the parks and he chose to skip that one. Bring a vet I think he just wants to have an animal free few days lol.

 

[Jennytoon]

I am a little weird, but in your situation I would choose to put the same money I would have put into a dessert party into the omakase dinner at Morimoto Asia: https://www.patinagroup.com/morimoto-asia/omakase. For me, that's plussing up a special thing I was doing anything anyway, as opposed to adding another "scheduled thing or special experience" that may turn out to be the one that was too many.

 

[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!

Got FP's for the things he requested and the rest I'll just wing. IWe all know how it is to walk the parks and just see something that appeals to you and go for it. I just want him to be happy and not feel pressured. I agree... The less desirable rides can be skipped because in reality , 3 days is too short but if he thinks he absolutely has to spend an hour with the talking trash can.... I'm in. It's all magical to me!

 

[Hadjii]

I am a little weird, but in your situation I would choose to put the same money I would have put into a dessert party into the omakase dinner at Morimoto Asia: https://www.patinagroup.com/morimoto-asia/omakase. For me, that's plussing up a special thing I was doing anything anyway, as opposed to adding another "scheduled thing or special experience" that may turn out to be the one that was too many.

He's a huge iron chef fan and Morimotos is the only place we have reissues (Thurs night!). It's my favorite and we're very excited. I'm going to check out the dessert party! Thank you !

 

[Hadjii]

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.

Exactly what I'm hoping to do. Even after all my stays, every time I fall in love with something I've never noticed before and think "how the heck did I never notice that before?" Lolol

 

[Hadjii]

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!

He seems sooooo excited about the trip. He's always wanted to go but just never had the opportunity. I personally am secretly thrilled to see him get to take a break from his crazy intense job and be a kid again. He's very hardworking and sweet and never really gets to just Have fun. I agree with you, I think he'll fall in love once that first Storm Trooper passes him lol

 

[Hadjii]

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.

When we went to AAA and picked up our hoppers...the agent and I immediately fell into "disneyspeak" as I like to call it. He was cracking up. When we got outside he turned to me and said..... " you Disney people are kinda like a gang" ... I laughed so hard but he actually said he felt like he was getting his own personal tour guide lol. How much fun is it going with a newbie right?

 

[Hadjii]

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!

Thank you so much! I will def go with the flow but I draw the line at IASW lol. I just can't....not even for him.

 

[Hadjii]

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.

That's awesome. No he's not a wild animal vet but he just got back from a trip to Brazil in December where he vaccinated and worked with reproduction with livestock in the Amazon so he actually wanted to skip AK this time around. He did say he'd like to check it out another time so that's a good sign already!!! Woohoo. PS: thanks for your work, I know it's an intense career taking care of people's fur babies and dealing with the emotions attached to that. Very noble.

 

[Hadjii]

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.

He's not anti Disney. He's actually very very excited which gets ME even more excited!!! I'm really happy for him and I'm just pumped to see his face the first time the realization hits of how magical it is.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

One more thing. A cool thing. As he gets his Disney legs under him, he is going to show you things about Walt Disney World, or a way of looking at it, or just something somewhere there, that you've never thought about before or considered before, or got the idea to look at in the same way. And it's going to blow your mind. This is kind of the Second thermal law of dynamics of introducing your spouse to Disney.

 

[disnut8]

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.

I would add that if you really want to do something and he's hesitant (or vice versa), remember that either of you can exit any Disney attraction right up until the time you board the vehicle. You mentioned not doing it's a small world but if he wants to do it, join him in the queue and be there right until the boarding. Then say "one to ride, one to exit" and you can leave. He can enjoy, you can have a sit somewhere.

It's his first trip and he's excited so let him choose things he wants to see. Although I am disappointed with him not wanting to see Animal Kingdom. I think Flights of Wonder would have been a great choice for him.

 

[sarahann77]

I just took my fiance to disney. Loved star wars so did the dessert party. He loved it. While I asked him multiple times about meeting characters he didn't seem interested unless it was characters not around when we went, but that's now the one thing I can't live down - I didn't take him to meet Mickey Mouse. Coworkers and friends had asked him I think. I didn't think it'd be a big thing to him but it was. So maybe make sure he knows where the meets for characters are while there to have that as an option. Having also taken my mom this past year for the first time I've found it's hard to plan for first timers as they don't know what they may like.

 

[dkrauss]

Trader Sam's at the Poly is a fun alternative.........not park related

Doug

 

[Accident]

One more thing. A cool thing. As he gets his Disney legs under him, he is going to show you things about Walt Disney World, or a way of looking at it, or just something somewhere there, that you've never thought about before or considered before, or got the idea to look at in the same way. And it's going to blow your mind. This is kind of the Second thermal law of dynamics of introducing your spouse to Disney.

This is kind of where my "do very little if any extras" comes from. you need the space and time for them to start to lead. Even if you start to hear somethign you've always known, they will see it different and open up a new disney for you as well or some detail you never noticed.

"I'm happy you love the stormtroopers but we better run across the park to get to the desert party" is where things can fall apart fast or let them feel like they aren't geting a chance to finally experience this place. The place is their lifelong dream, not overpriced finger deserts taking an hour away from the stuff they've waiting all their life to finally see. This is why I like to keep disney the special place. He's never been, he's excited to finally get there. The resorts and parks are more than enough to finally get that dream and no possible way to do everything in them on 1 trip even without adding extras. Meals with an atmosphere just at disney (and maybe 1 more worldly like the luau at poly) is a great way to add in more of what disney has to offer to get your feet wet. Everyone has to eat so it's different in your mind when you have to head to dinner vs head to something we paid extra for. " I'm loving this moment, I want to explore what that thing in the background calling me is, I don't need a $150 desert party right now.". He may never say that and if your lucky he will but you need to go back to your first trip and then imagine if you were his age finally getting there for the first time..

Nobody wanted to come to disney because of a desert party the first time. That's something that as you had more time and wanted to explore more of what is available or change up the next trip that these start to really make sense. Right now it's just extra money that might end up having to be somethign that you must buy every trip.. let them figure out what disney is not only to them, but to both of you.

 

[Ladyfish77]

" you Disney people are kinda like a gang"

It's not a gang, it's a club!

Glad he sees that he will have an expert tour guide. We took DS's GF (both early 20's) this past summer. GF had never been and had a bit of a negative view of WDW, but was looking forward to the trip. Her friends told her "you will spend lots of time waiting in lines". Well, we didn't due to FP+, flexibility and good planning. She really had a great time.

Make plans but be flexible--you can change your minds with no penalty on everything but ADR's. You and he will have a great trip!