How to convince hubby WDW is awesome?!

[StarDrifter]

I have probably the most feared problem among DisneyWorld fanatics.....im married, and my husband (who has never been to WDW) says HE WILL NEVER EVER GO TO DISNEYWORLD!

Some people dont understand, but for fellow disneyworld lovers, this makes me think "oh how I wish I were married to someone who loved disneyworld!!!! everything would be perfect!" Its like cause for divorce....well. almost.

How do you convince someone that disneyworld is so great? He thinks its just an "amusment park" . I know he would have so much fun if he just went, but nothing I say seems to make him willing to try it....so what is your advice? I would be so appreciative! I just want to be able to share the fun and lovig memories of WDW with my husband! I know it would be fantastic!

 

[BetsyinFL]

Not sure how to get him here, but I would book a weekend at the Wilderness Lodge - that one usually gets people to fall in love with the place.

 

[oh_sachi]

Cry.

Then he'll take you.
And fall in loooove.

 

[jimmiej]

Have you tried ordering the free DVD? How about showing him some of the Travel Channel shows? Show him some of the hotel slide shows on http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/gallery.htm

Do you have any male friends that have been & liked it? Does he like theme parks at all? Is he a golfer? WDW has PGA level courses. Does he like NASCAR? Richard Petty Driving Experience http://allearsnet.com/btp/petty.htm

Does he like baseball? Disney's Wide World of Sports hosts the Atlanta Braves every year for spring training. Other teams train nearby. The Houston Astros train in nearby Kissimmee.

Just a few ideas off the top of my head.

 

[vy2cga]

I can relate. The thing is to convince him to go once to be hooked. My dad was not that impressed with the idea the first time we took him. He thought it was just a theme park with carnival rides. The whole day there, he was lamenting the lack of time and planning the next time saying things like "Oh I wish we could do this and that & the next time we will have to go here etc. My husband is not as much a Disney fantantic as me but was willing to try it and is getting more into it each time. It was actually an e-mail with a great deal from Disney that started him planning our last trip and not me wishing to go. Keep em' coming Disney. Maybe a friend of your DH can recommend what he likes at DW or if your husband is into sports an event at WWS to get him there the first time. Good luck. It's worth it.

 

[StarDrifter]

thanks guys! those are some great suggestions! Keep them coming. Im developing my master plan.... haha!

you guys are great

 

[helloirishkitty]

I'm currently having the same problem, except I haven't married him... yet!

We're going on our first trip in September for freedining and staying at the Beach Club. I've always found the BC/BW to be the most romantic and the Boardwalk area to be very adult friendly after hours. The first thing that got him excited was looking at menus/pictures of the restaurants and deciding where we wanted to eat. I also booked the Keys to the Kingdom tour because I figured he'd like to see a little of what goes on behind the scenes. We're also doing Cirque du Soleil because I think he'd enjoy that and a little bit of PI after the show

He recently found out about Richard Petty on his own, but after we priced it, he said it would be a reason for him to go back!! I told him not to tease me like that...

Good luck on your quest! As soon as he sees how much you love it, he's bound to love it too

 

[jimmiej]

Speaking of tours, there are several that might interest a newbie. If he's into animal science, the AK tours would be fun. At Epcot, the Segway tour is a blast! We've done it twice.

 

[K9pal]

I've been married many years, so I feel "qualified" to answer, esp. since my DH had never been until I forced him!

My dream many years ago was to go on a cruise... DH said NO WAY he was going to be "stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean". I finally guilted him into saying yes for our 10th anniversary. Had to plan the entire thing myself, I was all excited and he was dreading it. And when our week was over, had to DRAG him off the ship!!

Then I wanted to go to Hawaii. Again, he refused to go because you know, it's "just a big beach". Guilted him into it again for a special occasion, planned the whole thing by myself again, and from the moment we set foot on Hawaii until we left, he never stopped smiling! LOVED it!

He would never have gone to Disney if we hadn't gone shortly after our marriage. Now, WDW is his favorite place.

My advice is to force him to say yes by whatever method works for you , then plan the trip based around doing things you know he'll love. As many times as we've been, it's always a new experience every time we go.
GOOD LUCK!!

 

[StarDrifter]

k6pal your post made me laugh so hard! I really think that will be my way to go. See, ive gotten him to admit he'll go a few times but those were in super loving voulnerable moments (when I knew I could get him to say it. HAHA!) But he always goes back on his word. Nope. He's already said yes and thats that. If he can spend $25,000 to restore his old Willys Wagon. SURELY WE CAN GO TO DISNEY WORLD JUST ONCE!? its only fair, its OUR money. And if our money goes to that old thing, then our money can go to disney. Its simple really....

muahahaha!!

 

[dburg30]

LOL, I'm the opposite problem. I have to convince the wife to goto WDW . I got the DVD, and the travel channel had perfect timing with about 5 shows about WDW. After watching that and seeing the DVD / pics that my sis and her family took sent her over the edge and she said let's do it. So I've been making plans and I think she's getting excited about it.

I am the one making the plans, all she wants to do is show up and have fun

 

[amery]

I needed to consult with my wife on this one before replying as she claims that I was a bit hesitant prior to my 1st arrival in WDW in 99.

Charm, a boo-boo face and "you need to go at least once in your lifetime" plus a little basic research in my part was about all the convincing I needed.

When I was single digits old, my mother had artistically placed a few Disney charcters on my bedroom wall so I guess you can say that the seed had been planted at an early age but lied dormant until my 1st visit to Disneyland in 81.

It wasn't until I met my future bride in 92 that I would start getting a regular idea of the magic that is Disney. We started dating in 97 and by 99, I decided that upon arrival, I would pop the question which didn't actaully happen until 2 days into the trip at Epcot at the entrance to World Showcase.

We have since been back in 02 and 05 and will be back in the 1st week of December this year.

 

[Harvest02]

I've been married many years, so I feel "qualified" to answer, esp. since my DH had never been until I forced him!

My dream many years ago was to go on a cruise... DH said NO WAY he was going to be "stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean". I finally guilted him into saying yes for our 10th anniversary. Had to plan the entire thing myself, I was all excited and he was dreading it. And when our week was over, had to DRAG him off the ship!!

Then I wanted to go to Hawaii. Again, he refused to go because you know, it's "just a big beach". Guilted him into it again for a special occasion, planned the whole thing by myself again, and from the moment we set foot on Hawaii until we left, he never stopped smiling! LOVED it!

He would never have gone to Disney if we hadn't gone shortly after our marriage. Now, WDW is his favorite place.

My advice is to force him to say yes by whatever method works for you , then plan the trip based around doing things you know he'll love. As many times as we've been, it's always a new experience every time we go.
GOOD LUCK!!

I think you have the twin of my husband! I had to laugh when I read your post because my DH is not a Disney fanatic like me. Everytime I am on these boards, he tells me I am reading my Disney porn! We took the entire family in June 2006, and I had to drag him along! He says Mickey takes all his money . But, I kept it in budget, and we are going back this October again for MNSSHP. I think he was not happy with the heat and going when it was so crowded, so at least he agreed to another trip. I do all the planning though. Our boys are 10 and 7, so I think he does it for them mostly. He just tells me "tell me where to be and when". I am still trying to convince him to go on a cruise someday. He is worried about all the Norwalk virus stuff! I can keep hoping that he will finally agree to that cruise!

 

[NJtoATL]

We went for our honeymoon 11 years ago. My husband complained from the moment I booked the trip up until we walked into our room. Needless to say, we own a timeshare in Orlando and we visit 2-4 times a year. Just make a believer out of him.

I like everyone else has stated gear the trip around activities he will like.

 

[xipetotec]

I have probably the most feared problem among DisneyWorld fanatics.....im married, and my husband (who has never been to WDW) says HE WILL NEVER EVER GO TO DISNEYWORLD!

Some people dont understand, but for fellow disneyworld lovers, this makes me think "oh how I wish I were married to someone who loved disneyworld!!!! everything would be perfect!" Its like cause for divorce....well. almost.

How do you convince someone that disneyworld is so great? He thinks its just an "amusment park" . I know he would have so much fun if he just went, but nothing I say seems to make him willing to try it....so what is your advice? I would be so appreciative! I just want to be able to share the fun and lovig memories of WDW with my husband! I know it would be fantastic!

I find the best to convince non-converts about WDW is to emphasize the NON THEME PARK activities that DisneyWorld offers. Is he into golf? Disney has great golf courses ( I hear, I'm not into golf AT ALL ) two of which have been on the PGA tour! Is he into boating? You can do that, parasailing? Yep. Dolphin swims at epcot. Surfing lessons at Typhoon lagoon before opening. horseback riding at Widlerness lodge, mini golf? water parks? Sports Center? Spa treatments? shopping ( obviously ) ?

once you GET there... sure you'll spend lots of time in the parks, and hopefully he'll see the magic ONCE he's there

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

I had the same problem. I finally talked him into going in 2006 (talked him into it in 2002) and that was all I could talk about. I was driving him crazy I know. We even watched the planning DVD and the shows on the travel channel and he still did not seem interested. Then we went and he fell in love with the place. He said it was nothing like he had imagined. We already decided to go back every 4 years confused: would like more often but will take it) and now he is so involved in the planning.

You just have to get him down there some how and then hopefully it will turn out like my story.

Only 1185 days to go

 

[StarDrifter]

These are all some great tips! You guys give me lots of hope! Ill trun him into a disney man yet! I think he would like the golfing (we dont golf, but he sure has fun doing it with friends, even though he diesnt know the first thing about golf!!) and I think he would dig the activities, ecpecially tom petty driving experience, he would love it!!! And Ive always schemed (yes. scheme. Im a bad girl ) to bring him to wildreness lodge, we are both very outdoorsy people. I know he would be AMAZED if he saw it, its so beautiful! Yes, get us a cabin....he wont complain so much.

thanks!! my master plan is going great!

 

[pednurse]

My DH is NOT a Disney World fan.....at all. That being said, it wasn't until this year that I convinced him to go (we married in 1995)......and it was only because our kids kept begging to get to go. He finally agreed that if we saved up the money, we could go. So we went a couple of weeks ago. The kids and I had an absolute blast. DH tolerated it. When asked, his favorite 2 things were DD (age 5) falling asleep in his arms on the way back to the resort bus after Wishes, and the TOT. He was a good sport about it all, but I don't know when we'll talk him into going again (might have to finally agree to go rough camping....out in the boonies with no kind of plumbing anywhere nearby.....to get him back to Disney). He's just not a person to enjoy being anywhere crowded (thus the like of camping out in the middle of nowhere), which was his biggest issue.....followed quickly by the food prices. He is a long-distance runner, so now my next plan is to convince him sometime in the next couple of years to agree to run the Disney marathon and turn it into a family vacation......here's to wishful thinking! Hope your DH gives in sooner for you!

 

[stemikger]

Hey,

I took my wife on our honeymoon 15 years ago. She never went as a child. She loved it, but is not a fanatic like I am.

Every year when I suggest we go again, she says let's take a year off. I usually wind up winning the vacation choice, but it does take a bit of persuasion on my part. I'm a 43 year old guy who is in love with the place and would love to go more then once a year. My wife would be alright with going every 3 years or so. My 12 year old daughter is hooked like me.

However, not everyone gets it. I have several friends who went and liked it, but felt like they saw it once and that was enough. On my last trip, there was a guy about my age who was sitting on the floor of one of the gift shops on main street talking business on his cell phone and saying to someone that he was in Disney Hell.

My uncle also dosen't like it and says he would never go back.

I can't understand how someone can't love the magic this place has, but different strokes for different folks.

Good Luck, I hope your husband catches the Disney Fever.

 

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

k6pal your post made me laugh so hard! I really think that will be my way to go. See, ive gotten him to admit he'll go a few times but those were in super loving voulnerable moments (when I knew I could get him to say it. HAHA!) But he always goes back on his word. Nope. He's already said yes and thats that. If he can spend $25,000 to restore his old Willys Wagon. SURELY WE CAN GO TO DISNEY WORLD JUST ONCE!? its only fair, its OUR money. And if our money goes to that old thing, then our money can go to disney. Its simple really....

muahahaha!!

It sometimes can be hard to convince a man that you need to spend money on Disney instead of his street rod. I have one of those. It didnt happen until we had children. NOW...hes hooked!!!!!! Every time he goes to order a part say "that in two nights in Disney and I am not fussing....you should take the love of your life at least a weekend" Make sure you have a good pouty face. When you get him to agree ...get all over it with the reservations and discover that a week is not THAT expensive. Also, there is a stars and motorcars parade with STREET RODS at MGM!!!!!! You can do it.