first thing, jump on the train at Main Street, tell him as you ride along that the train is a portal.....to Tomorrowland....go straight to buzz lightyear....and if he likes it and wants to score more points, then hand him a cheat sheet with how to improve the score, then speed time on Star Wars, then ask what the Matterhorn is ( historical roller coaster is the answer) and see how he responds to that ride. then jump back on the train at Tomorrowland and straight to NOS for Indy. I would try to do little waking into other lands, keep the suspense up....because Main Street and no magical surprise into a New land can be a drag for a non- disney person, present it at first like a puzzle, then let the nerd put the parts together.
If trader Sam's is a must rather than a visit.....then best of luck to you
Hey I really like the history and facts thing! Thank you for the pointers
Get maxpass.
My Dh wasn't against Disney and is nerdy and doesn't really like roller coasters. We learned to love DLR together.
He's fine with the coasters at DLR. But I can't handle Matterhorn because of my back so we skip that. I'd only been once as a tiny tot.
That's my goal! I hope he can experience the charms of DL and maybe get a feel of why I love it so much
And oh...why yes of course I'm going to invest in MaxPass when we're there! Save us a lot of walking, which might make him less grumpy!
Disney is working very hard to have non Disney fans like their parks! He’s a nerd? I’ve never met one that doesn’t like Star Wars or Indiana Jones. If you are there when Pixar Pier opens then that might entertain him some. Seriously there have to be people who visit and are like Mickey who now?
I think he'd get a kick out of IJ! I might get him to watch some Pixar movies to prep him for the trip
We do Trader Sam's for lunch and have found a table every time. There might be like a 10 minute wait for tables but there is also the bar. Have never been at night though. It was pretty fun even at lunch
There is the new Star Wars vr thing at DTD if he is into SW.
Ralph Brennan's is a good spot in DTD. You could also go off property. There is the Anaheim packing district
http://anaheimpackingdistrict.com/visitor-information
Ohh! Maybe I'll take a break from the parks after lunch and head over to Trader Sam's! Maybe take the Monorail to DTD
I'm planning to go to Blue Bayou AND Cafe Orleans, would Jazz Kitchen make it New Orlean cuisine overload?
Or maybe stop by for just the beignets?
I didn't even think of the packing district, thanks for the suggestion! It'd be a good non-park day thing to do!
I must respectfully disagree with you, Charlene, that all of DLR's ride would be tame enough for a person who is a tad scared.
The last time I rode Space Mountain, I was terrified and was sure that I was going to fall out of the car and die. Maybe you should let your boyfriend decide for himself what he wants to ride.
Hey Nanny, I guess you're right. I feel the same when I'm on Goofy's Sky School. i'll let him look at the ride before letting him decide if he wants to go on or not. Space Mountain now has Single Rider, so I guess it'll be easier for me and he wouldn't have to wait TOO long
My husband was the same. Instead of having him focused on the rides, I told him about the logistical aspects of the park. How the gardens are maintained late at night, how the garbage is never seen. The "go away green paint" to mask things that Disney doesn't want you to see. He spent a lot of time trying to figure out where POTC and IJ actually go. Things like the petrified tree, the morse code of Mr.Disney's opening day speech. I bought him some books for Christmas about the maintenance side of Disney. He loved it. Now he loves Disney as much as I do....but for different reasons. He still won't ride the rollercoasters.
Hey Susie! Could you share a little more of your favorite facts about the park? Would love to learn more!
The BF is definitely going to be more interested about the operations aspect of things!
I'll have my fingers crossed to see if my BF will try any coaster rides!
In DTD, I like the restaurants with outdoor seating so I can people watch while I enjoy my food and drinks.
Uva Bar is right in the middle of things and has tons of options for cocktails, wine, and beer.
Ralph Brennans has a nice 2nd story balcony and the drink menu sounds even better, Raspberry Rum Runner, anyone?
The Hearthstone Lounge in the Grand Californian Hotel is usually pretty quiet and easy to slip into for a drink or two.
Trader Sams is awesome, but I haven't figured out their slow times yet, aside from when they first open.
Have fun planning!
Sipping some wine and people watching esp at
Disneyland sounds awesome!
How crowded is Ralph Brennan's usually?
And oooh! I've never heard of the Hearthstone Lounge! I might check it out for some quiet wine time! What do you think of Napa Rose for drinks?
Trader Sams looks pretty fun with the theming and props etc, so I do want to check it out---I hope I can score some seats
I'd say Trader Sam's is a must if you are looking forward to some drinks. Besides the drinks the place is just chock full of fun Disney stuff from it's past. Try to find one of the automatically raising and lowering bar stools and make sure he gets it
Trader Sams looks really neat with all the themes! I hope it's not too packed for me to find a bar stool like that! :O
Booze!! In order of my favs: Carthay Lounge. Alfresco Tasting Terrace. Trader Sam's*
*highly themed. Might not be for him so research it out first for sure.
I'm thinking of trying the duck wings and some drinks at Carthay as an afternoon thing for our day at DCA!
Are they one park per day tickets? If so, he may only want to visit Disneyland one of those days if he doesn't like Disney stuff. DCA has plenty of places to hang out and drink, if that is what he'd prefer. What month are you going? That can change some of the advice we give you.
The only rides I think of as "roller coasters" are Space Mountain and Screamin. I'd avoid both at all costs if you don't want him to completely hate the trip. I've also been with non roller coaster people who don't like Big Thunder or Goofy's SkySchool. Let him look at the rides before he decides if he wants to try anything. I agree that the other rides are basically tame, although some people get scared on some of the other rides.
Carthay Circle Lounge in DCA is a classy place to sit and have a drink and maybe a snack.
I am a big fan of Hearthstone Lounge in the Grand Californian lobby. If you have one park per day tickets, you can easily go over there for a drink on your Disneyland only days.
I like Rainforest Cafe's bar area, but if he doesn't care much for Disney themeing, he may not care for the jungle theme over there. Uva bar is outside and in the middle of downtown Disney. That can be a nice break. There are new places opening in downtown Disney that I haven't tried. I did see the bowling alley was open this weekend.
I do love Trader Sam's, but that is because of the themeing. I like Disney and jungle themeing. The food and drinks are not spectacular on their own. I do love Hawaii and sitting there outside at night with the tiki torches and the live music is very much like any place I would be hanging out at in Hawaii. The inside is dark and cramped. People can be very cutthroat about getting a seat. If you make any move that you are leaving, someone will put their hands on your chair to take it before you even stand up. It's probably much easier to sit inside in the daytime. The service can be pretty bad. I've had excellent service sitting at the bar from the bartenders, but good to very bad service sitting anywhere else from the normal wait staff. I know people who won't go there ever again because they've had such bad service.
Thanks for the long reply, Cruise!
Yes, the tickets are 4 day one park per day tickets. We're planning to go at the end of August.
I think I'll let him look at the ride and decide if he's up for it
I know that Goofy's Sky School scares the crap out of me!
Carthay Circle's drinks and duck wings are definitely on our to-do list!
I just learned about Hearthstone Lounge and I totally agree with you, it's a good afternoon area break from Disneyland that's quieter and close by!
I'm not sure if the Rainforest Cafe will still be there in the summer! Sad to see it go, but the bowling alley looks interesting with good bites!
I know that there are two pubs/eateries opening up in the summer at DTD so I'll keep my eye out for that!
I agree, I love the Jungle Cruise and so I figure that Trader Sam's is a must-try! But yikes, I'm worried about the "cutthroat-ness" you're talking about regarding getting a seat! I think I'll try to go in the early afternoon and try my luck. Thanks for sharing your personal experience, it gives a lot of insight!
