How to excite a non Disney fan?

[Rainforest_Elf]

Hello my friends

My little sister is graduating college this week, and as her reward after 4 years of stress and hard work, we're going on vacation! She wanted to do Vegas again.... we went there for 5 days in 2010, and it was fun, but I don't drink and I'm not a partier, so I split the different with her. 2 1/2 days in Vegas, 3 days at Disney.

Now, I love all things Disney. Still enjoy the movies even though I'm 27, and have always enjoyed my trips to Disneyland. My sister however does not understand the appeal. She thinks its crowded, full of little kids, and aimed at a young crowed and not meant for adults.

HAHAHA. She's silly.

So my question is, what do you do to get a non Disney person excited about rides and the magic of Disney? Anyone ever had this dilema before?

 

[Tiradan]

I'm looking forward to the responses, because I have the same problem

 

[Eeee-va]

Do they like thrill rides? I'm taking a not-huge-Disney-fan with me and she's most excited about the rides. Though she's also excited about dressing up for Halloween, so I reckon there's hope for her yet!

My mom (also not a huge fan of Disney movies/etc., and not a fan of poorly-behaved children, which we seemed to see quite a few of our last trip!) loves the atmosphere and restaurants.

I also almost never drink (literally been averaging 1 drink a year) and am not a partier, so embracing that aspect is tough for me. But I've heard great things about Trader Sam's (bar at Disneyland Hotel).

 

[rokstedy]

Don't make it about the rides. All non-believers will tell you that the rides suck at Disneyland and that they're way better at Knotts or Universal or Magic Mountain. Instead, do a little homework and learn enough of the history and bits of trivia about the park so that you can be a guide of sorts. Find opportunities to show how Disney is committed to totally immersing you into their experience.

It's in these details and history that one begins to understand that Disney really loves you. That they're doing all of this....just for you.

For example, you might mention that every night, there is a whole squadron of cast members that come in after closing to paint, sweep, dust, repair, and generally clean the park. Pass along the anecdote that you can strategically place a piece of small, insignificant piece of trash late on a Saturday night, and it will be gone in the morning.

You could share some backstory about some of the names you find on the windows on main street.

Watch Cars, the movie, before you go to the park. Then take her to Cars Land at night and let the lights and the rock work do the rest of the talking for you.

Interact with the cast members and characters. Be childlike and watch how they respond to you.

Whatever you do, don't make it about the rides or the lines or the people. In fact, embrace the people. Watch and listen to them. There is so much joy and optimism in the park. There's enough for everyone

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

Loving the suggestions so far, wondering if anyone else has ideas?

 

[Eeee-va]

So much of knowing how to help is knowing what excites your sister, and we don't know her. When I talk about the kind of things Rokstedy mentioned to my not-Disney-fan friend (and I do it regularly), I bore her nearly to tears. The details of the parks mean almost nothing to her, even when I'm excited about them. She's not a fan of peoplewatching either. Since she likes the 1920s and seaside parks, though, I'm hoping she likes Paradise Pier and Buena Vista Street, and I've told her to watch Cars again before we go.

On the other hand, another friend went to DL, without me, and was so amazed at how clean the parks were. (She didn't go when it was crazy busy, evidently!) She takes it slower and I'm guessing she would be fascinated by Disneyland trivia.

Is there anything about Disneyland that excites you that also interests your sister? There has to be some overlap. For my friend and me, it's the rides...for my mom and me, it's the atmosphere.

I am hoping you and her enjoy being kids at the parks, and maybe your excitement will rub off on her! But like I said, I don't know her enough to know what she'll like.

 

[mgd]

I'm not sure how much of my interest is due to nostalgia, but just all the little details of the various lands are so interesting to me. Rides like pirates of the caribbean have such detail and atmosphere I don't know how anyone can not like them. The music from the various parades and events are mesmerizing and the whole park just creates an enjoyable atmosphere. But I guess if they don't care about those details, it would be hard to change their minds.

But there are so many different things to do, from thrill ride roller coasters to 3d shows like captain eo, star tours, muppets 3d, to old classics in fantasy land, to so many different shops and restaurants to enjoy, I don't know how anyone can't find things to enjoy. The entertainment value per square foot is amazing.

You also didn't mention how recently, if ever, she has been to disneyland. If she has been there recently and has those opinions, I don't think you can really change her.

 

[Escape2Disney]

DD and I are HUGE Disney fans, and will be taking my mom to the parks for the first time this December. She went to the park once 35 years ago, but doesn't really remember much about the trip.

She was luke-warm about the trip at best when we first started the planning process. I was concerned she would be bored on the trip! It was actually DD that brought her around. You see, DD is very shy and has a lot of social anxiety. We used trips to Disney to help her work through those issues. She decided to tell my mom about that and how Disneyland will always hold a special place in her heart because that's how she learned to be in a crowd and talk to CMs without having a panic attack. She then went into detail about her first coaster ride (in ToonTown), and her favorite restaurant (Cafe Orleans), and how beautiful New Orleans Square is at night. By the end of the conversation, mom was hooked!

For her it became less about the park and more about sharing a special place with her granddaughter. As people have said here, it really depends on what motivates your sister. Is she a thrill seeker? Then talk about Matterhorn, BTMRR, and Screamin'. Is she a history buff? Then talk about how Main Street represents a turn of the century mid western town. Does she like making memories with family? Then focus on what makes the park special to you.

 

[Patrick in Oregon]

I'll be the guy to say some people get disney, and others don't. My friend was telling me about someone he took that was "luke-warm" to Disney. My friend is a major Disney fan that keeps the energy level of the group up solely on enthusiasm. But it sounded like his trip with luke-warm was the most awkward thing.

Like in life, if your sister is skeptical going in to something, it might be hard to break through that shell.

Magic just happens. I don't think it is something someone can learn to see or be convinced to feel. My hope for you/her is that she takes in the nostalgia, appreciates the details of the park, and picks up on the subtle humor that only an adult who is paying attention would understand.

As an aside, I can't believe the number of people that sit stone-faced through Jungle Cruise. Bad humor sure, but the looks on their faces tell me that the jokes are just flying over their heads.

C'mon people, stop taking the limestone for granite!

 

[Brian Noble]

Let me get this straight: your sister graduated from college, you are going on vacation to celebrate her accomplishment, but spending more than half of it doing something she doesn't want to do?

I'll be the guy to say some people get disney, and others don't.

I'm that guy too. And, I'll confess that when *I* graduated from college, a Disney theme park was not high on my list of places to celebrate, even though I also never really "got" Vegas (I don't gamble).

That said, you would be wise to plan some things that do not meet with her expectations of "Disney": its crowded, full of little kids, and aimed at a young crowed and not meant for adults. So, plan dinner at Carthay Circle. Spend a happy hour (or three) at Catal or Trader Sam's. Book a nice, upscale hotel, and make sure it has a hot tub. Recognize that she is probably not going to enjoy putting on a set of ears and skipping down main street, but *might* enjoy a mid-morning stop at the bakery for something delicious and some people watching.

 

[BayGirl22]

Let me get this straight: your sister graduated from college, you are going on vacation to celebrate her accomplishment, but spending more than half of it doing something she doesn't want to do?


I'm that guy too. And, I'll confess that when *I* graduated from college, a Disney theme park was not high on my list of places to celebrate, even though I also never really "got" Vegas (I don't gamble).

That said, you would be wise to plan some things that do not meet with her expectations of "Disney": its crowded, full of little kids, and aimed at a young crowed and not meant for adults. So, plan dinner at Carthay Circle. Spend a happy hour (or three) at Catal or Trader Sam's. Book a nice, upscale hotel, and make sure it has a hot tub. Recognize that she is probably not going to enjoy putting on a set of ears and skipping down main street, but *might* enjoy a mid-morning stop at the bakery for something delicious and some people watching.

This

I'll admit (and I haven't admitted it previously on these boards) I am more like your sister than like most of the DIS'ers here. I'm not the kind of adult who gets really into Disney just for the sake of Disney. I've been to the parks as a child and adult and enjoy them, but Disney does not play a prominent role in my day to day life. I'm more focused on optimizing our trip for the enjoyment of my kids. So I completely understand where your sister is coming from in not choosing that as her place to celebrate her accomplishment.

Its good that you are splitting the trip, make sure she gets her Vegas fix, because it is her celebration. What does she love to do on vacation? Sounds like food and partying is fun for her, so make some reservations for nice meals and figure out the best bars and live music to go to. (Trader Sams, Jazz Cafe, House of Blues, maybe Mad T Party) Plan those nights out into your schedule, even if that's not how you would usually do Disney.

Is she into sitting by the pool and getting the resort experience? If you are staying onsite maybe do a pool half-day and rent a Cabana. Disney customer service cannot be topped, show her that. If she's into shows then make sure you get her to the one's Disney does best - WOC, F!, etc.

Don't push her to do things she's not in to, find the things at Disney that fit her interests. She'll notice the other things on her own. Some of it may be trial an error - don't barrage her with historical tidbits if she's not interested. And don't take it personally if she's not appreciative of the things you love about DLR - its just a personal preference. There's so much that Disney has to offer but not all of it is for everyone. You may need to plan this trip differently then your others if its truly a celebration for her.

 

[smiles33]

Ditto BayGirl and Brian. I would not have liked DLR as a college grad. I love it now because I'm sentimental about my long-gone childhood. Plus, I loved seeing the excitement in my DDs' eyes. Yet DH was outright ANTI-Disney, to be honest, and literally was dragged along on our trip last September because I insisted DDs would love it. He grudgingly admitted the trip was worth it AFTERWARD only because he saw how much our girls loved it. Would he willingly go without DDs? Heck no. Will he go again with the girls knowing how special it is to them (and me!)? Yes, in fact, he's being nudged along for our next trip in April 2013.

But for your sister, I don't know that she's devoted enough to say, "The fact that dear sister is having a fantastic time is enough for me even if I'm bored silly." I like BayGirl's advice: forget the nostalgia for someone who's not interested--cater the trip to her interests. She likes to eat? Lots of more upscale and interesting dining options. She likes to be pampered? Stay at the GCH and get her some spa treatment while you single-rider rides.

Good luck!