Help my Husband, Please! ***UPDATED pg 4****

[disneybella]

Dan,
When kids grow up, many of their childhood memories are of vacations taken by the family.
We have limited time to create those memories with only so much vacation time each year. It will be something your children will always remember.
And wait until you see how Disney pays attention to details!
My DH and I had such a wonderful time there in May (on our honeymoon) that we couldn't resist when we found a great package deal for August and we're taking my daughters back to share the magic with them.

 

[CapeCodFam]

Dan, my Dh planned our first trip to wdw in sept. 2001.(ds5,ds3) The boys were so excited, then sept. 11th happened. MY DH said if LOGAN opened in time we were going for the kids sake. Iwas terrified to fly. DH just said they are not going to beat us. Well to make along story short we got there. It was the best decision he ever made. Just hearing my 5yr. old say This is the best place on earth and watching them all smile, laughing and having the freedom for all of us just to be kids.
We now go every year and there is always some thing new to see and do. We now have three boys and watching my 2yr old with his brothers is the best. It is truly a magical place. Dan I hope you can truly see and feel the magic of Walt Disney World.


God Bless Our Troops
Joy

 

[MELSMICE]

Well, I am the Disneyholic in my family - so my DH says, however.................

--He is the one always telling me to plan another trip
--He is the one that found the resale we bought at OKW
--He is the one that says he wanted to buy DVC because he doesn't know where our DD's may end up after college & he wants to be sure we can all vacation together at a great place with them.

Anyway, just give it a try, Dan. If you don't like it, don't go back. If you don't enjoy the parks, stay at the resort.

It's funny, DH always "complains" about going to the parks "again" so this last trip I just planned things & said if he wanted to go with us he could. A few times he opted out & he always admitted that he would have had more fun with us than just sitting at the resort.

Like I said, give it a try - what's the worst that could happen. The memories we have made with our DD's are priceless - certainly not frivolous!

BTW - if you golf make sure you get a chance to do one of the Disney courses. This definitely makes the trip all the more enjoyable for my DH.

 

[Mortlives]

Hi, Dan.

My DH keeps agreeing because he says the looks on my face and DS's face make it all worthwhile. Mind you, I get the same feeling looking at his face in the China movie, or watching Illuminations.

I know Disney World isn't real, but why spend precious vacation time in the real world if you can go somewhere fantastic? What we get from a trip to WDW is decompression. You can actually feel tension dissolve under the influence of being in Happiest Place on Earth ™

If you're concerned that it's frivolous, hang at Epcot, which is both fun and educational, or Animal Kingdom. Even MGM will give you information, and a sense of the history of the entertainment industry. And many of the Magic Kingdom attractions are living foklore and children's lit.

Then, there's the resorts with their careful theming, and attention to detail. You'll love it.

Kungaloosh!
Mort.

 

[mamamia]

It took me about 2 years to convince my DH to go to Disney. The whole time leading up to our first trip, he kept complaining that it was just going to be an amusement park, blah blah blah! The first time we went was in February 2000. The crowds were nonexistent, I had booked the Hoop De Doo, the Laua (sp?), and a specialty illuminations cruise, and several character meals. We were there for 10 days, my kids were 9, 7 and 4 1/2. The whole time there I couldn't tell if he was having fun or not. Oh, and we were staying at Shades of Green with his parents. It was towards the end of the trip that he started saying that if we ever came back he wanted to stay at the Contemporary because he thought it was cool the way the monorail went through the resort. We had driven from NY to Florida. On the day we were leaving we were sad, of course, but it was so funny, we weren't even off of Disney property yet and my DH asked when we could go again!!! I was so happy! By the time we got home he had forgotten he had said that. We wound up going again in Nov. 2002. We stayed at the Contemporary and on the last night my DH said "can't we just stay one more day?" We were heading to Univeral then. The whole time there, he kept saying he wished he was in Disney. We wound up going for HIS birthday last September. We are now getting ready for our 4th trip (this September). Every place we have been to since the first trip to Disney (including Washington D.C., Boston, New Hampshire, Atlantic City, etc.) he would say stuff like "this isn't as much fun as Disney", "we should have gone to Disney instead". We have been invited to go on a cruise with my sister; it would cost about $4,500 for the 5 of us and his response was "i'd rather spend it at Disney". Never did I ever imagine that he would convert to a Disney person. He has a few requests for each trip. He has to stay in the Tower of the Contemporary, and he has to eat at Cinderella's Castle for breakfast, and the crowds have to be low. My next goal is to convince him to go to Disney in the summer time so the kids don't have to miss school.

I'm sorry this was so long. I still don't know what happened to change him. I will chalk it up to the Disney Magic!!!!

So Dan, I say give it a try.

 

[llij]

Well Dan,

My husband was not a fan of disney as he had never been growing up so he didn't know why I liked it so much. I wouldn't call him a Disney fanatic like I am, but I can call him a fan now and he will sing Disney's praises to our friends who are interested in going. Why does he like Disney now? Well many reasons....

1. We go there and leave all our worries behind. It is easy to get caught up in the great atmosphere that Disney provides.
2. You can't beat the look on your kids faces when they see a character that they love, see the castle for the first time, ride a cool ride, etc. etc.
3. Disney knows how to provide a great vacation! The detail they provide is amazing! The resorts are great and with the help of discussion boards like these you won't have to pay rack rate. If you think about it, you get a lot of bang for your buck with a Disney vacation.

My hubby just gave the green light to buy our AP's today and let me tell you a few years back I would have never dreamed we would be purchasing an AP!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Kendra17]

Thanks again, all of you!

I just read him the latest batch, and he's really appreciative of the time and care all of you took with this. Plus, to be completely honest, all of you hit the exact points I was hoping you would! THANK YOU!!! All of you were so completely on target with your comments; I can't thank you enough!

Anyways, I know he's getting excited. And, when I talk about returning in February (if he likes it, I say), with his cousin, cousin's wife and kids (I was speaking with his cousin last week who goes yearly. . .they were very close and always really liked eachother. . .this would be a great opportunity for our families to see eachother ), he actually nods and smiles. Then, to see if he's JUST nodding and smiling, or if he really thinks that's an option, I mention that we can upgrade our ph passes to ap during the trip if he thinks we'll come back. And, he said, oh, well okay. . .we can do that there? they would let us?

Also, he mentioned that maybe we should change our plans for this trip, and fly instead of drive. . .that we'd get more vacation time if we flew. I'm hesitant to do this, because that would be, what, $1500 more with plane fare (us, 3 kids) and rental car? Plus, we have a stroller, car seat, etc., and I would like this trip to remain it's current cost so that it doesn't seem so cost prohibitive if we plan another trip 4 months later. . that makes sense, doesn't it?

So, this is looking like it might something great! The thought that I might be able to start planning another trip soon after the first is very exciting to me! And, realistically, I do think he'll love it when we get there!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Mamamia,
Sounds like you need to sign up for the Disney Cruise!

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by Kendra17
Also, he mentioned that maybe we should change our plans for this trip, and fly instead of drive. . .that we'd get more vacation time if we flew. I'm hesitant to do this, because that would be, what, $1500 more with plane fare (us, 3 kids) and rental car? Plus, we have a stroller, car seat, etc.,

You may want to at least check into flights - you never know. Does Southwest fly out of your area? Also try Jet Blue. If you can't get a good rate for this trip, look for a good rate for a possible February trip.

It is worth it (IMO ) to fly if you can swing it because it does give you more vacation time.

Good luck - I bet your DH will love it more than you can imagine!

 

[mamamia]

Pea-n-Me,

that's so funny because I keep hinting around that for my 40th birthday I want to go on a Disney Cruise!!! I have a little over 2 years until then.

 

[laceemouse]

My only advice for Dan when you guys go down is DO NOT focus on the negative. Even though the weather should be great and the crowds light when you go DO NOT dwell on those things!!!! Even many fans on this board worry themselves sick about crowds and weather and I feel that if you just "go with the flow" you will enjoy yourself so much more. We have friends who went to DL last summer and ALL they came back talking about was how long they waited in line for this and that. We just make the best of things no matter what. I wear a watch all the time, but I don't stare at it in line. You will just get yourself all worked up and what good is that? Just talk and enjoy being with your family. Also, don't calculate the $$$ either, just accept that it will be pricey.

 

[kidangel]

My Dh had absolutely no inclination to take that first trip to Disney. Then, we bought THE BOOK (Unofficial Guide) He really got into the planning, and everything went beautifully. We're now planning our 4th trip, and the one thing that he continues to enjoy is the planning and researching. He also finds the engineering fascinating - Disney is such an awesome combination of all the engineering sciences. Now he's a bigger fan than I am!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Frivolous-that's exactly how my MIL would describe a trip to WDW! How sad that she can't see that time spent with family is never frivolous! My kids won't remember every detail of these early trips but the good times we share as a family will become a part of who they are. My baby certainly won't remember but she'll see photos of herself having a good time and see the photos of us having a good time with her.

How great that you guys are buying AP's!!! So my biggest piece of advice for having a great trip-don't try to see everything-take it slow to enjoy and really savor the things you do see and know that everything else will be waiting for your next trip.

 

[Kendra17]

Originally posted by Pea-n-Me
Mamamia,
Sounds like you need to sign up for the Disney Cruise!

Well, yes, I know this , but I am not sure I'll ever be able to convince him to do that! Since Disney started that, I've wanted to do that. . .maybe for my 40th, too. . .that's only a couple years away (ahhhhggghhhh! can you believe it???). . .maybe I can convince him if this trip is fun, which it WILL BE!

Lovesdumbo--you are RIGHT! I totally agree with you. And, my best times growing up were family vacations--and they weren't elaborate events, either. . .we did MK once, and the rest were trips to Niagara Falls, Toronto, NY, KY. . .but even the drives were fun (that's one reason I don't mind driving. . .that was always so much fun as a kid).

I really don't think my DH ever had that--good family memories (no abuse or anything, but just grayness. . .you know?). . .he likes to go places, but his attitude is so much less relaxed about it than mine. And, his Dad had your MIL's attitude.

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by Kendra17
my best times growing up were family vacations--and they weren't elaborate events, either. . .

This is sooooo true. My Dad didn't go on many vacations as a kid - in fact he never spoke of any - so he wanted to make sure that we did do family vacations. He was a blue collar worker, there were 4 of us kids & my mom was a stay at home mom, so not a lot of extra money but........... They bought a 5th wheel trailer when I was about 11 (got a great deal because the person had to just about give it away) They didn't even have a truck to pull it at the time. They bought a truck & we travelled many places together & made so many memories. We still talk about the funny things we did as a family & it's now 30 years later! All those goofy things are so much fun to remember - we will never forget any of it.

My DH also did not take many family vacations. They drove to Disney 2X & went to Hershey, PA once, but other than that he says they never did anything. He always heard my family talking about all the vacations we had together. He is not a camper, but wanted to make the same memories with his daughters that my family made. He decided the best way for us to do that was to buy into DVC.

We love the time we get to spend with our DD's & have them "all to ourselves" especially as they are getting older. It's great to go there & have no one calling, no computer, no lessons or practices to rush to & to not have to worry about work. It's like a different world.

Kendra17 - I can almost bet your DH is going to love it!!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Kendra,
My DH always wanted to cruise but I really had no interest whatsoever. After three fairly close trips to WDW I told DH I was ready for something a little quieter and more relaxing. I was looking into Aruba or somewhere when it happened: The Travel Channel had an hour long show on the Making of the Disney Cruise Line. It showed how the ships were designed and built, all the restaraunts and activities there are to do on the cruise, and of course Castaway Cay. I was hooked and within the month we were booked on our first cruise!

I know you are trying to get your DH to WDW, but since you'd really love to try the cruise as well (after all, your only 40 once!) I suggest checking the Travel Channel website and see when that show will be on again. Also order the DCL video/DVD. You could also pick up a DCL brochure from your local travel agent, and pick up a Passporter's Guide to the DCL. Lastly, if he's on these boards, have him read a few cruise trip reports! With all that there's no way he would not want to go - I know, everyone I've showed these to wonders where they sign on the dotted line, LOL. You could always combine the two (DCL and WDW) which is what many of us do, a little something for everyone.

Good Luck and don't give up, Magic awaits you!!


P.S. My 40th at WDW was very special - free upgrade to Poly LVC!

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

he says he's anti-Disney because it's superficial and manufactured (my interpretation to his explanation!).

By the time you are done with your trip, his view will change.

WDW is amazing because of Disney's attention to detail. I hate department store music but I love the piped in music at WDW. There are a million little things that you will never notice that make WDW special.

I love WDW because I can act like a child without embarrassing myself! I forget the rest of the world when I'm at WDW. It is truly the happiest place on earth.

 

[Banshee]

Originally posted by Kendra17
You would be surprised how much these comments are affecting him! I'm so grateful to all of you. He's amazed that people are taking the time to do this when I asked!

Anyways, SRUAlmn, he says he's anti-Disney because it's superficial and manufactured (my interpretation to his explanation!).

What I really think? He and his family took ONE vacation growing up and, from what I gather, it wasn't to someplace like WDW! He was brought up to believe that anything frivolous was, well, just that. . .and irresponsible. Anything fun? Well, then it's not an absolute necessity, in which case it's frivolous.

His brother and sister were like this, too, but they rebelled and learned how to have fun. For my dh, this is more of a struggle. . .although he has been working on it for years! And, for fear I'm giving you a horrible impression of him, he's actually fun, usually! I think, for him, WDW is the "final obstacle" to this whole thing. Am I being clear? I don't know how well I'm explaining this!

THANK YOU!

Holy Cow!!!!! You are describing my DH to a T!!!! Same thing except for my DH new school clothes were frivolous also. Why buy new when you can get them from the thrift shop!!! And let me say my in-laws make very good money my FIL is a lead engineer at the nuclear power plant and my MIL is a head nurse in the maternity unit. But literally they did nothing they did not even go on one vacation!! He had never been to a county fair or great adventure which is here in our state. He had never been to the mall until he met me!!!!! They did not even go to his football games or financially support his passion for the game. He worked 2 jobs to help pay for his equipment! After 6 months in college they told him they would no longer pay for it!! And freaked out when he did not qaulify for financial aid because they made well over 300,000. Well enough about that, I could write an epic story about those two!! But my DH was not into the idea of going to WDW it was the whole money thing and they just want to get their hand in your pocket and suck you dry! So I basically apoligized for his cr**** up-bringing and told him life is too short to be this way. I think what got him the most was when I told him that I wanted to do and give to my children better than what I had when I was child or at least the same! I went on vacations as a child, we went to the boardwalks and great adventure I had every oppurtunity that my parents could afford me and it was all given in love. And my DH knows this. He gave in to WDW. And the first day we walked down main street and saw the castle and saw our childrens faces we both cried! There were many moments during that trip that we had tears in our eyes. And now he does see what is soooo special about Disney that you can maybe for a short time be free and re-do a child hood and do it with the people you love the best. And see the magic in your childrens eyes and know all too soon they will be grown. So now he goes with a gusto and really looks forward to our WDW vacations. So sorry for this looooong post! But Dan you will really really enjoy your vacation just leave your inhibitions at the door and really enjoy the Disney experience!

 

[Alysa]

And now he does see what is soooo special about Disney that you can maybe for a short time be free and re-do a child hood and do it with the people you love the best. And see the magic in your childrens eyes and know all too soon they will be grown.

Sniff! That was wonderful Banshee.
But on a lighter note, how did he survive never having been inside a mall?

 

[Banshee]

I dont know how he survived!! His mom never even took him and his brothers to a grocery store!!! She brought my older DS used underwear for his first year of school!!!! I told her keep them and wear them yourself!!! Needless to say she wishes a hole opens up in the ground beneath me and swallows me whole!!! We havent talked to his mom in about 9 months! His father is a little better!! Like I said I could write a VERY BIG book about these two!