Dare I get my hopes up? :goodvibes

[Draggy]

I was showing my kids you tube video's of different rides at WDW and my husband started to crack a smile. He saw how excited they were and even said that the rides looked kinda cool!

He's always had the opinion that Disney is sooooo much money and he wants more then just rides for his vacation.

Do I see light at the end of this dark tunnel?

Any other idea's of things I can show him that will convince him that Disney is so much more then just rides???

Thanks so much!

 

[rebelfreek]

Well, to get his inspiration up, it helps to know what he is into. Try getting him to read one of the Disney tech or Imagineering blogs.

 

[Draggy]

I wish he would but I can only get him to pay attention to Disney stuff for 2mins or so then he wanders away.

He won't read blogs.

I have asked him all kinds of questions about his preference's and opinions on things and all he will say is " I don't know? "

 

[thehowells]

remind him about the world class golf, eating and drinking around the world, and free dinning for canadians next year

 

[Draggy]

Any ideas on activities that would interest him?

He's 26 and not a golfer

I am hoping to go in Aug 2012.

 

[iluvtheworld]

What kinds of things is he interested in? My husband is not a golfer, he is a computer guy. He also loves photography. Thankfully he shares my love of Disney! He even finds hidden mickey's in everyday things! (shh...don't tell him I told you that...he reads the DIS, but doesn't frequent the Canadian board!)

Have you ordered the vacation planning dvd? It's free. Hopefully your husband will crack soon!

 

[SmilingGrump]

If seeing your kids' reactions to youtube videos was enough to get him to crack, then he probably won't have far to go before he cracks! Look for some of the "Behind the scenes" videos and (as suggested) get the planning DVD.

Also, let him know that amusement parks are for rides, WDW is MUCH MUCH more then just rides.

I'm a big Disney addict and my DW enjoys it was well. However, my folks were not very enthusiastic about going to WDW last Christmas. They looked forward to the cruise, but not the "World" ... afterall, what's there for 2 people about to turn 70? Well, I convinced them to come along "for the grandkids" ... next thing you know, they're all over the parks. They both said they had no idea there was so much to WDW (they'd been once before, but Epcot was still being built and only MK was open!). They really enjoyed themselves, but for different reasons. My mom loved the animals and doing the rides with their grandchildren. My dad loved the architecture and Dole Whips

I think if you convince him to go "for the kids" that both he and you will be pleasantly surprised by his reaction once he gets there. Just make sure that he and you both have the understanding that it will be impossible to do everything so slow down and enjoy all that WDW has to offer.

Good luck!

 

[bdoyledimou]

My wife was expecting a Canada's Wonderland experience. She was extremely overwhelmed and surprised by the real Disney Experience when i finally got her there.

Same with her mother and nephew. We took them last year and her nephew (who was 8 at the time) was all pouty and down about "driving 24 hours just to go to Wonderland rip-off" he was in for a shock and loved it.

 

[dis_guy]

I think the "transformation" has begun.

If I can be "turned", then anyone can!

I hope this doesn't get long... I went to DL as a teenager and frankly, was not impressed. I hated the pollution (early 70's), the crowds and thought all the different levels of tickets were a PITA. End of story.

We didn't take our kids when they were small. Disney parks were not even on my radar except as something way too expensive for a single-income family. End of story.

2007 and our kids are now in their late teens. Grampa and Gramma give us all a family a trip to WDW for Christmas. While touched with their generosity, I was underwhelmed and seriously considered staying home to look after the pets. I decided to go just to keep everyone happy.

It was Easter 2008 and we had a blast! All the stuff I hated (except the crowds) was gone or changed. I just loved how you could just "switch off" once you landed at MCO and Disney just looked after you after that. I loved how my wife and daughters became "princesses" everywhere we went.

The "Aha moment" came as we were were watching an outdoor movie at CBR (they had them because the main pool was closed for renos) and the EPCOT fireworks started up. Then and there I decided that we would make up for lost time.

We've been back in 2009, 2010 (Mom and Dad only-the kids went to DL with their aunt for a girls only trip) and we're going again after Christmas this year.

Relax, let the magic happen!

 

[Draggy]

As this will be our first trip I feel a lot of pressure that if he doesn't enjoy himself it will be our first and ONLY trip.

He told me that he likes to just go with the flow and not have a plan we have to follow.

He also told me that he doesn't want to have to worry about money while we are there??? So i'm guess meal plan is a good idea?

I guess I'm just looking for a way to take some of the pressure off and still do everything I can so this is not a one time thing.

Anyone else with Disney resistant family members?

 

[Ken_Breadbox]

As this will be our first trip I feel a lot of pressure that if he doesn't enjoy himself it will be our first and ONLY trip.

He told me that he likes to just go with the flow and not have a plan we have to follow.

He also told me that he doesn't want to have to worry about money while we are there??? So i'm guess meal plan is a good idea?

I guess I'm just looking for a way to take some of the pressure off and still do everything I can so this is not a one time thing.

Anyone else with Disney resistant family members?

Yike. Disney is kind of hard to do without at least a little rudimentary planning. I mean, dinner reservations are STRONGLY recommended verging on mandatory, at least if you plan on eating on-site. From there, it makes sense to be in the park closest to your ADR on whatever given day. And if you choose not to use FastPasses you'll end up wasting a lot of your time...but those passes necessitate more planning.
My wife is a convert. We went last October for our tenth anniversary and although it was a joint trip, at the outset it was mostly me. I did most of the planning--which I find almost as much fun as actually experiencing--and she was content to be in the background. She also said, and several times, that this would almost certainly be our one and only trip to Disney. Her vacation philosophy (and it's one I share to some degree) is why go somewhere you've been when there's a whole planet you haven't been to yet?
That was before we went.
On our second last day, we attended the DVC seminar and were very strongly tempted to buy in. Only some Disboard research convinced us it wouldn't be financially beneficial for us, given that we are not dripping money. (And yes, even resale is too pricey for us right now.) But the thing is, we actually considered DVC. The woman who had said she'd only go once found herself wanting to LIVE in the Disney.
And it wasn't because Disney specifically catered to any of her interests, either. In fact, she didn't even get to see much of AK and animals are her passion. (She is extremely heat sensitive and despite preventative measures the temperature that day was too much for her.)
Rather, it was the atmosphere. We were treated like royalty and yet we felt almost as if we hadn't left home. Old Key West will do that to you. The "welcome home" vibe is real and very agreeable.

Anyway, I'd at least have him put some input into where he'd like to stay. You can book your ADRs with his likes in mind. Yes, the meal plan is a good idea.

Happy DISing!

 

[Ken_Breadbox]

Oh, and forgot to mention: if he wants more than just rides, EPCOT's likely to appeal. That's also where a lot of the good food is. And although people joke it stands for Every Person Comes Out Tired, there is a ton of stuff to see and do.

 

[Draggy]

he told me universal looks interesting... but that just seems like more rides to me?

My Daughter thinks harry potter could be cool.

Any tips there? we won't rent a car if we go so is there another kind of transportation?

 

[scrappinginontario]

There is free dining in August of 2012 available to Canadians. What if you were to price out a trip so that he could see what it might actually cost and that it's quite reasonable? If you price out a 5+ day trip it's really not too costly/day, especially when everything including your food would be included.

Often when I price trips for friends they're pleasantly surprised by the lower than anticipated cost.

 

[Camshell]

Having an enjoyable day at Disney requires some strategy (especially if you want him to enjoy it enough to go again), and you could do most of the planning and just have him follow along.

Here are some of the tips I tell friends going to Disney for the first time:

1. Go to the parks when they first open. Line-ups for rides are much shorter at this time. If you sleep in and wait to go later you'll find yourself facing longer line-ups. Walk past the shops, etc. and get on the rides when you first get in. You can come back for photos, etc. later when the line-ups get busy.

2. Have a good understanding of the park layouts, and don't try and criss-cross the parks to go from one ride to another. The distances can be huge, and you can waste a lot of time "wandering".

3. Learn how to use the fast-pass system efficiently. Also learn about how some rides have "fast moving lines" and some have "slow moving lines".

4. You will need reservations for most table service restaurants. Get these months in advance if you want to go. While you can luck out and get one by just showing up, I wouldn't count on it. Also you can review menus on-line before you go so you have a good idea of what places you might want to eat.

5. Do your shopping or various performance type shows when the lines are busy for the rides (i.e. afternoon).

6. Make sure you wear good walking shoes. There is a lot of walking and sore feet can ruin your vacation.

7. Find a balance between "just winging it" and "over-planning".

 

[Draggy]

Can you explain a little more about these points?

2. Have a good understanding of the park layouts, and don't try and criss-cross the parks to go from one ride to another. The distances can be huge, and you can waste a lot of time "wandering".

3. Learn how to use the fast-pass system efficiently. Also learn about how some rides have "fast moving lines" and some have "slow moving lines".

7. Find a balance between "just winging it" and "over-planning".

 

[Camshell]

Others can chime in... but I'll give my explanation....

2. Some people have a list of attraction/rides they want to do that are on opposite sides of the park or at least big distances. It can be more efficient to try and stay in one "land" or "area" for chunks of time and then move to another area. You might get a fast pass for a ride in one area. Go to another ride (with a shorter line) in that area, take that ride or another one too, then do the fast pass ride. Then move to another area.

3. You can google this for more complete info, but most simply you can get a fast pass, get another one in 2 hours, or when your fast pass ticket tells you you can. Also some rides have fast moving lines (e.g. Pirates of C., Smallworld, etc.) that aren't nearly as "long" as they look when you get into them. However other rides look just as long but move very "slowly" (e.g. Dumbo, Peter Pan, etc.) The line times posted are pretty accurate most of the time, although they do make mistakes.

7. No planning and you could end up in long lines, "wandering" aimlessly, and hungry. Over-planning can result in a "mission" to get to everything according to schedule at the expense of just having some fun. You want to have some planning, but you also need to seize the "magical moments" when they happen and toss the plan aside for a short time.

 

[SmilingGrump]

Please note that dining reservations are only required (or at least greatly encouraged) if you want to eat at a table service restaurant. While those are quite good, there are LOTS of other places to eat. Check out the "Disney Restaurants" section for tips on each one.

Universal is more rides orientated then WDW, but the Harry Potter section of Islands of Adventure is on par or better then what Disney has put out for theming. Dr Suess Island is also very well done.


There are touring plans available from a number of websites, do a google search and you'll see a number. You should be able to find ones that are fairly age specific for you children. Just remember, they're guidelines. You don't have to follow them to a tee and if you get offtrack, don't get stressed out

 

[Draggy]

Does anyone know if prepaid master cards can be used to pay Disney?

DH is not really liking the idea of using our credit card to pay. He's afraid we will use it to pay for the trip and then be stuck with a huge bill. I was thinking if I saved up any extra money we got and any extra grocery money I don't use each week I could get prepaid master cards and use them?

Boy I must be sounding crazy at this point.