DH says NO character meals!

[01Sweetpea]

What is up with this? I am planning our ADRs and was going over the list with DH. He said that now that the kids are older (13,11 & 11 when we travel) we don't NEED to do the character meals! What am I going to do?

I had everything pretty much planned out. We'd do Chef Mickey's the first night. And Crystal Palace breakfast about 3 days in. What is wrong with this man? I NEED my character meals!

So now I need to spend the next few weeks convincing this man that we HAVE to do them. The kids are getting older so they aren't into getting autographs and taking pics with the characters, but you can't ask me to give up my meals as well!

UGH!

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

I am 34 and I NEED character meals.
oh, um, i mean...

My kids still like the character meals. The older two are 11 and 12. I think we're doing 3 or 4 on our upcoming trip. Ask the kids if they want a character meal. Maybe one will still say yes and help talk dad into it.

 

[Ilovestitch]

Are you on the dining plan? Maybe you can convince him by saying the buffets are such a good deal w/the dining plan b/c they are expensive.

Or, maybe you could get the whole family to look at allearsnet at the menus and everyone gets to pick a meal. You could pick a character meal, let each one of your kids pick something, let your husband pick something.

For our upcoming May trip, I told my bf to go on allearsnet and pick some that interest him and surprisingly enough- he picked Chef Mickeys, and we have no kids and have never done a character meal.

 

[dylansmom1]

I can't imagine NOT doing a Character meal. We always do at least two Character meals for a one week stay. It wouldn't be a Disney vacation without them. The way I look at it, I'm the trip planner and I make the ADR's, so we eat wjere I want to eat. I love the Crystal Palace and event hough my DS7 is a little old for Pooh bear, he still likes him.

If you have character meal Photos lying around, start sticking them on the fridge. Maybe hubby will remember what a good time he had at them.

Personally, I would just keep the ressies and tell him that there wasn't much available for the times you wanted and since you already made reservations for the meals, he has to go anyway!!!

Jane

 

[01Sweetpea]

Jane - I like your thinking... I may just have to do this!

Personally, I would just keep the ressies and tell him that there wasn't much available for the times you wanted and since you already made reservations for the meals, he has to go anyway!!!

 

[lillygator]

does he have an option??

 

[AshAlytwins]

Hay...my girls will be 13 (twins, too) on our next trip and we are doing Crystal Palace(never done it) and Chef Mickey's (our regular stop)....we all love the character dining, we don't do the autographs, but the photos are fun!!! You can convince him and get the kids to help out!!!

 

[Hannathy]

Sorry I have to agree with your DH. If it is that important to you try to talk them into one. or maybe if you can convince one child to go with you the two of you can go while the others go to the park. I know my kids at those ages would rather ride the rides or use the money for DQ and not have anything to do with a character meal. My DD would have still gotten some autographs or pictures then but she didn't want to go to a meal.

 

[Ava]

Like others have said, maybe you can get at least 1 of your kids to help you convince your DH on the character meals. The last time I was at WDW with my family I was 17 and my sister was 12 and we still did a couple character meals. We did a Pooh one somewhere that was my choice.

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

Oh No! I would absolutely cry. I could not imagine not doing a character meal. We do several each trip and we don't have any kids! We've done charcter meals ever since I was a litlle girl and I couldn't imagine not doing one now. To us, it only adds to the magic. This was my husbands first trip and he fell in love with character meals. He's already talking about which one he wants to do next trip. I love that man!

 

[jeankeri]

I would check with your kids. When we returned to the World this past Dec, my DS10 wanted to repeat every character meal we had ever done (except LTT, because he doesn't like Thanksgiving food ). If your kids are really excited to return to a perticular spot (the 2 ADRs you have are awesome- tons of yummy choices ) I'm sure your DH will go along. The original post stated he thought your brood was too old. Let him know otherwise !

 

[FayeW]

Maybe it's a money thing...all of your kids are now paying adult prices. Perhaps he just doesn't see the value in spending $20+ per person to have breakfast? If that is the case, maybe you could chose a late ADR so that you could skip lunch, and it would be a budget saver and not a budget buster! If your kids, like many others of their age, are not big eaters he may just see it as a waste of money!

 

[01Sweetpea]

It's not a money thing. We are going to do the DDP, but have the 11yos order off the kids menu for all the restuarants EXCEPT the character meals so we'll have extra TS credits to do HDDR.

He just doesn't see WHY we have to do character meals if the kids don't want autographs. For me it's being able to see the pure joy and excitement in a little child's face when Mickey or Pooh comes up to them.

Also, my 11yo step-daughter didn't come with us in 2004. She's been to Disney a few times but has NEVER done a character meal. So I want her to have the experience as well.

 

[Tissa]

Why not compromise and just do Chef Mickeys? That way you get your character breakfast and dh only has to sit through one.

 

[got2travel]

. I love the Crystal Palace and event hough my DS7 is a little old for Pooh bear, he still likes him.

Jane

Too old for Pooh! NEVER

My 10yr old is very upset that I haven't included Crystal Palace in our itinerary. But I assured him that between Chef Mickey's, Liberty Tree and Donald's Breakfastsaurus, he'd see plenty of characters. Then I was told that no matter what, we have to find Pooh in Critter Country since I'm not letting him eat with Pooh.

Guess I'm raising a Disney lovin' kid.


For the original poster. I like the idea that someone else suggested. Let everyone choose a restaurant. Let your choice be a character meal. And if one of the kids picks a character meal, then DH can't complain. Of course there's always the posting the pics around idea too.

 

[MinnieGi]

How do the kids feel? Do they want to do the character meals? If they still do you and the kids go!!! He can use his TS dining credit elsewhere!!!!!!!

 

[sajetto]

My DF wasn't crazy about the idea of character meals...until he tried on and loved it! Now we always do at least 2 or 3. If it were me I'd say sorry charlie but we're going!

 

[zenshome]

OP I'm not sure from your post that you have made it clear to DH that it is YOU who wants to go . If my DW told me she wanted to go for herself than we would be going . If I thought we were going just to go for children that I felt had outgrown this than I would probably say no too. I personally enjoy the character meals and my DW and I enjoy watching our DD's responses, but in addition we like seeing the other children as well(this includes the young at heart ).

 

[Kaycee]

OP I'm not sure from your post that you have made it clear to DH that it is YOU who wants to go . If my DW told me she wanted to go for herself than we would be going .

I was wondering the same thing - have you told him that you really want to go? Family trips are for everyone, not just the kids. Our sons are 14 and 16 now, but we still go to character meals, mostly for me. DH and DS's go because they know how much I love the characters.

 

[La2kw]

I agree with your husband. Fortunately, so do my kids and wife so it's not a problem. We've done our share of character meals, but after a few, what's the point? They really are just actors in costumes. I can barely get my kids to go to WDW as it is, I wouldn't want to torture them or myself with a character meal on top of that! The food is usually not as good as character-free meals and often less expensive as well. Thirty-two bucks for a plate of breakfast food in the castle is a bit much, IMO.