Help! DW is done with the parks.. but I'm not

[tjcj]

So the DW and I were talking about future DVC trips in a long car ride yesterday. She has decided that she is a bit burned out on the parks but still loves staying at DVC resorts. She wants to start doing non-park stuff on our trips...
Okay but I am still hooked on parks and during our normal sun-fri trips I need to hit the parks for at least 4 days
We normally go once a year, rotating resort every other year; stay one year at a 2brm BWV (OCT adult F&WF), the next OKW or SSR (May/June GV with family).

So help a park lover out! how can I mix in park time and "non-park" stuff for my DW so we get the best of both worlds (sorry for the pun).

 

[DisDaydreamer]

So the DW and I were talking about future DVC trips in a long car ride yesterday. She has decided that she is a bit burned out on the parks but still loves staying at DVC resorts. She wants to start doing non-park stuff on our trips...
Okay but I am still hooked on parks and during our normal sun-fri trips I need to hit the parks for at least 4 days
We normally go once a year, rotating resort every other year; stay one year at a 2brm BWV (OCT adult F&WF), the next OKW or SSR (May/June GV with family).

So help a park lover out! how can I mix in park time and "non-park" stuff for my DW so we get the best of both worlds (sorry for the pun).

Sorry, I don't think you can mix it on the same trip. I would suggest you consider doing the parks every other year. We go about every 3rd or 4th year. 4 days at WDW would just be too expensive for us to do every year. It is enough to pay for a nice national park trip somewhere.

Even I understand that we can't go to VB every year. Sorry to be a downer, but from one man to another.... priorities.

 

[daisyduck123]

How about scheduling new stuff to do that's inside the parks?
Like maybe a tour?
DH & I would totally love to do the Segway tour...but are waiting until the kids are old enough.

 

[jekjones1558]

I guess going to the parks by yourself is out of the question? DH's health issues make park visits hard for him, so I go alone. It isn't as much fun as going with someone, but it isn't bad. I get to pick and choose exactly what to do when. DW could then enjoy the resort. Maybe after a trip like this she would be more inclined to do parks the next time?

 

[DVCLiz]

Ummm, have you not heard of the SPA???????

I would think a woman who had an appointment to have a manicure, a pedicure, a facial, and a massage, as well as a nice lunch delivered to her room and a nap afterward - would be occupied for many, many hours that the average husband could then use to his advantage in line at Space Mountain.

Just a thought....

Seriously, you both need to be a little flexible. What she says now and what she might be willing to do next year are two different things. And, you might find that a ride around Bay Lake on a Water Mouse is fun, followed by a swim and a...nap. Play it by ear and see what you can come up with in the way of extras, like a Segway tour or another of the behind the scenes tours. I'm sure you can work something out!!!!

 

[Kurby]

i totally agree about the flexibility. you've been going to the parks for years and now your wife is finally wdw'd out. you need to understand that and maybe this year only go once or twice instead of the 4 plus times you've gone in the past.

maybe you can make a deal with her that while she doing something in the morning you can take advantage of the EMH and go to a park alone for a few hours then do something on property after lunch.

even off property - check out another park or tourist attraction - there's lots to do in florida outside WDW (so i've been told ) and i'm sure you'll have fun doing something else for a change too.

open your minds to the opportunity that's out there and enjoy - you'll find you'll appreciate the parks more if you have a chance to miss them a bit

 

[wildernessDad]

Maybe mix it up. Do non park things one day and park things the next. Or go early to a park and then bag it early.

 

[MrsNick]

Ummm, have you not heard of the SPA???????

And, you might find that a ride around Bay Lake on a Water Mouse is fun, followed by a swim and a...nap.

Yes, a...nap is an excellent idea!

 

[tjcj]

Maybe mix it up. Do non park things one day and park things the next. Or go early to a park and then bag it early.

I am on board with mixing in some non park days, and I do like going early and getting out before the crowds start.

I guess I could manage to hit the parks less (maybe 3 out of 5 days !)

 

[dolphingirl47]

In our family it is actually the other way round: DH has had his fill of the parks, but I can't get enough of them. This was actually the main reason why we became DVC members. DH will probably hang out at Typhoon Lagoon every now and again, but just intents to have a relaxing vacation sitting on the balcony, by the pool or hire a bike or a boat every now and again. I will head for the parks and enjoy myself there and then we will meet up in the afternoon or evening and do stuff together. That way we both get exactly the kind of vacation that we enjoy most.

dolphingirl47

 

[LeCras]

Buy your wife a set of golf clubs, you'll never look back !

My DH golfs on average every two or three days at WDW and honestly - I love it! It gives me time to do the parks on my own, catch up on all the rides my DH isn't bothered about. In the mean time he has a great time doing something he loves.

Golf widow and loving it

Charlotte

 

[BroganMc]

Easy, book smaller accommodations so you can stay longer. An 8-day stay is a lot more amenable to flexibility than a 4 day stay.

We go for two weeks at a time. In that, we hit the parks about half the time. We only do a few all day park adventures. Most of the time we split our time between resort lounging (pool, sleeping in, long walks, dining, shopping) and park touring. With Annual Passes, we can also pop into a nearby park for just one thing (fireworks, a ride, to buy something, to eat) guilt-free.

Some of our favorite non-park things to do include:
Fantasia golf
DTD shopping
Afternoon Tea at Grand Floridian (followed by a stroll along World Showcase Lagoon to the Polynesian)
Breakfast at Chef Mickeys with shopping on the Concourse
Breakfast at Cape May or lunch on the Boardwalk
Lounging at AKL with dinner at Boma's
Long walks around SSR with our morning hot coffee/chocolate/tea
Soaking in the SSR hot tub and zero entry pool
Ferry rides to OKW and POR
A night out at Pleasure Island

On our ToDo lists include Fort Wilderness for the petting zoo, WinterLand/Summerland golf, DisneyQuest, and some of those tours. (We're divided on whether they destroy the magic.)

If you can allow each other to split up for a few hours, you can broaden your adventures too. We have been know to split up and do different things with a meeting place later. You can get up and go ride Tower of Terror 3 times, while she sleeps in and has a nice bubble bath. Then meet up for lunch at Brown Derby.

 

[ldo]

We go at least 1 week a year. In a 5-7 day trip, we do 2 long WDW days, a WP day and then pool days, DTD, putt-putt, golf, character dinners at WDW hotels, etc. We originally did this to save $ on tickets (family of 5), but we actually prefer it--we get our WDW fix and have plenty of downtime to enjoy all the great other stuff. We also alternate parks and skip some for a year or two--that way, it's always exciting and there's some new cool thing to do at that park the next time.

 

[Cruelladeville]

DH and I split up during the day, when it's sunny, so I can swim and lay out, and he goes to the parks. In the evening we do things together, including the parks and fireworks. That way we each have the trip we like best during the day, and we come together in the evening for romance, like candlelit dinners, walks around the lagoon, and fireworks--both kinds.

 

[Judique]

We go at least 1 week a year. In a 5-7 day trip, we do 2 long WDW days, a WP day and then pool days, DTD, putt-putt, golf, character dinners at WDW hotels, etc. We originally did this to save $ on tickets (family of 5), but we actually prefer it--we get our WDW fix and have plenty of downtime to enjoy all the great other stuff. We also alternate parks and skip some for a year or two--that way, it's always exciting and there's some new cool thing to do at that park the next time.

That's approximately our schedule now. The exception is that we go more then once per year, but we usually do 2-3 days of parks and the rest of the days are for other things. We are not disneyed out, but we like to try and balance our time so that we enjoy our vacation.

 

[tjcj]

Buy your wife a set of golf clubs, you'll never look back !

My DH golfs on average every two or three days at WDW and honestly - I love it! It gives me time to do the parks on my own, catch up on all the rides my DH isn't bothered about. In the mean time he has a great time doing something he loves.

Golf widow and loving it

Charlotte

Do you use that DVC golf club membership thing? We both want to start golfing more and that was an idea we had

 

[tjcj]

Easy, book smaller accommodations so you can stay longer. An 8-day stay is a lot more amenable to flexibility than a 4 day stay.

We go for two weeks at a time. In that, we hit the parks about half the time. We only do a few all day park adventures. Most of the time we split our time between resort lounging (pool, sleeping in, long walks, dining, shopping) and park touring. With Annual Passes, we can also pop into a nearby park for just one thing (fireworks, a ride, to buy something, to eat) guilt-free.

Some of our favorite non-park things to do include:
Fantasia golf
DTD shopping
Afternoon Tea at Grand Floridian (followed by a stroll along World Showcase Lagoon to the Polynesian)
Breakfast at Chef Mickeys with shopping on the Concourse
Breakfast at Cape May or lunch on the Boardwalk
Lounging at AKL with dinner at Boma's
Long walks around SSR with our morning hot coffee/chocolate/tea
Soaking in the SSR hot tub and zero entry pool
Ferry rides to OKW and POR
A night out at Pleasure Island

On our ToDo lists include Fort Wilderness for the petting zoo, WinterLand/Summerland golf, DisneyQuest, and some of those tours. (We're divided on whether they destroy the magic.)

If you can allow each other to split up for a few hours, you can broaden your adventures too. We have been know to split up and do different things with a meeting place later. You can get up and go ride Tower of Terror 3 times, while she sleeps in and has a nice bubble bath. Then meet up for lunch at Brown Derby.

Thanks, these are all great ideas, have done some of these (we normaly get to PI for the AC once a trip).

I like the idea of a longer trip, might be an opportunity to talk about an add on vice smaller unit

 

[tjcj]

We go at least 1 week a year. In a 5-7 day trip, we do 2 long WDW days, a WP day and then pool days, DTD, putt-putt, golf, character dinners at WDW hotels, etc. We originally did this to save $ on tickets (family of 5), but we actually prefer it--we get our WDW fix and have plenty of downtime to enjoy all the great other stuff. We also alternate parks and skip some for a year or two--that way, it's always exciting and there's some new cool thing to do at that park the next time.

I like the idea of skipping some parks for a year or two to keep it fresh. The only problem is we have been taking F/F on most of our trips home, and for most of them its been the 1st time or they had not been to WDW in quite some time. So it's hard not to plan on hitting every park with them...
But I think the time has come to start doing trips for us and doing things like we want to...

 

[LeCras]

Do you use that DVC golf club membership thing? We both want to start golfing more and that was an idea we had

Yes, DH has got the DVC golf membership and it works out great. He's just started booking tee times for our next trip (in May). So far he's got two booked at about $35 each - an absolute bargain! I think the membership itself is $50.

Charlotte

 

[Simba's Mom]

DH and I split up during the day, when it's sunny, so I can swim and lay out, and he goes to the parks. In the evening we do things together, including the parks and fireworks. That way we each have the trip we like best during the day, and we come together in the evening for romance, like candlelit dinners, walks around the lagoon, and fireworks--both kinds.

Sounds very similar to our trips. But I'm the park goer, while DH plays golf all day/every day.