How to get DH excited for Disney?

[mickimousemama]

I am sure I can't be the only person out there whose DH is less than thrilled with the idea of a vacation to Walt Disney World...

in 2006 I went with friends and brought our kids and DH felt awful for missing out on all the things the kids saw and did they were 7, 3, and 15 months at the time. I have been working on him to let us go again. He has finally agreed to a vacation next fall. But I want him to be atleast a little excited about it... granted I'm excited enough for the whole family... and the kids don't even know

MY DH is a real outdoorsman into hunting and fishing and things, not so much a crowd lover (so he claims)

Anyhow so I thought I would see if any of you had ideas to get him excited about our trip!

 

[Mommy2JulietJocelyn]

My DH is not a crowds guy either but if you are going in the fall they should not be bad at all. We have been a couple times in late Sept and have waited at most 20 minutes in lines. Where do you plan on staying? If he is outdoorsy then Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness would be a great place. The cabins are up to 6 people at FW. They have lots of outdooor activies for all ages. My DH wasn't too into DIsney until we started taking the kids - now we have 400 points in the DVC and he gets more into it than I do at times.

 

[scottish mum]

I agree with pp abput staying at the cabins in FW. We stayed there last year and it was great. The resort was so relaxing with lots of things to do. Maybe you could hire a boat and go for the cart rides etc. It doesn't all have to be in the parks to have a great time. If he thinks that you will have some time away from the parks he may be happier

 

[ScrappyRN]

Mickimousemama, are we married to the same guy? My DH went in Sept. 2004 our 1st time taking our DS, and hasn't returned since. Plus he didn't like going with my parents(stayed with them in their 2 bedroom DVC). He didn't like all the walking(even though he'll walk miles to go sit in a tree stand when it's 20 degrees) and said he had fun, but wasn't in a hurry to go back. Now DS and I LOVE WDW!!!!! Been back 3 times since DS was 3 and we're going in Oct. DH is coming this time, just the 3 of us.(we're paying to stay, not using the DVC of my parents) I booked us at WL, thought DH and I would like this since log cabin is our dream home, and it's on the lake. DH can take DS on a boat ride if he chooses. I am surprising DH with a Richard Petty racing experience(he better appreciate it, it's his Christmas and B-day presents!) And I am still planning for some breaks in the afternoon from the parks(DH is an EARLY riser, so he will be napping!) I have all of our days planned, so hopefully not alot of waiting in lines and I plan our day so we're not crossing the park alot, I try to do everything in 1 area and then move on.( This works well with kids too) I don't know if you'' have a car, but we went to Bass Pro shops last time DH went and he liked that. Good luck. I'm hoping to figure out how to post pictures so I can do a trip report when we return in Oct.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

DH fought me for 3 years on going to Disney - he'd never been and didn't "get" it. The whole time I was planning I got rolled eyes, comments about how much work I was doing, etc. I would tell him some of the fun things about WDW, the little trivia things that make Disney so special trying to draw him in, but no such luck.

The second we walked on property and he saw the kids faces light up he was a whole new man and was ready to book again for the following year.

 

[logan&tylersmama]

i know your feeling -- DH is not a disney lover (I know, I know -- guess i forgot to ask that before we got married)
anyway -- i force disney on to him in suttle ways - mickey waffles for breakfast once in a while -- i record the disney travel shows and we watch them -- the kids and i talk about what we are going to do while we are there --
he comes around when we get there - but its like i have to force him
jennifer

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I agree on staying at the cabins. MY dh is the same sorta guy and he loved them. There is so much to do around the cabins too my kids had so much fun. My dh wasn't overly excited the first time we went. I had been before but he never had. Once we got there it was diffrent. He had fun.

 

[nursegirl]

I totally hear what you're saying. Its not that my DH doesn't like going to WDW, its more that we differ on how much it should/will cost. He's the guy that wants the best and most upscale, but gives me a hard time about it being expensive. Sorry, I can't get a 2bd Deluxe Villa Resort at Value Resort prices.

He definitely responds to having break days and days away from the parks. He also doesn't seem to get excited about anything until we are on our way there or the day before maybe. I of course am bouncing off the walls with just the thought of planning another trip - even if its years away!

I agree with all the posts so far - trying to include what he's into can make a big difference. My husband is a golfer, so we make time for him to play a bit and he's much happier. Also, we have been on beach holidays and other family trips and he realized that since WDW has something for everyone its the easiest way to have a vacation together.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We took our first trip this past May and my dh was WAY less than excited to be going too. He hates crowds also!!!! Needless to say, he did not like the Disney busses, we will be driving next year to have our truck with us, that was way too much for him. I enjoyed them though!

So, what I did before our trip was try to get some ideas of things that we could do there to get him excited too. He loves boats, so I surprised him with renting one in DTD, he got to drive it. A CM does not come with you, they just show you how to do it and you go. That was awesome.
You said your dh likes to fish, I know they have fishing going on down there! Just keep searching around and hopefully he will realize that there is a lot more to do than just wait in lines for rides.

 

[Colleen27]

Has your DH ever been to Disney? If not, just being there might be enough.

My DH had absolutely no interest in going to Disney. He had been there once as a child, the year Epcot opened, and wasn't impressed. His idea of a good vacation was hunting trips, rafting, canoeing, skiing (noticing a trend here - all outdoors, and not terribly young-kid-friendly!). The kids' first trip was with my inlaws, without us. I was upset to miss their first Disney moments, but my best friend's wedding was that week so I couldn't go. His entire reaction was "Good, now we don't have to take them" But he knew I was sad about missing that first trip and we came into a small amount of "found" money that summer, right around the time free dining was offered for the first time, so he agreed to a family trip in Spet/Oct 2005. It took about 2 minutes, walking down Main Street with our then 7yo son and 4yo daughter, for him to be completely won over!

I can't say he's as big a nut as I am, simply because he doesn't get into the planning fun. He wants his trip to materialize, fully planned, ADRs made, schedule in hand, with little to no effort on his part (good thing he married an obsessive DISer like me, huh? ). But he's been happy to go as often as we can manage, was disappointed to miss DD's birthday trip when he couldn't get away from work, and is seriously considering my idea of a DVC purchase.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

My DH is the same way - he wants to go camping or to Europe, but he does NOT want to take kid-centered vacations. We haven't been yet, but I'm working hard to try and make this a great trip for him. For instance, I booked CSR because the rooms are really nice and the resort isn't very disney-fied, rather than a value. I am doing Free Dining, so we can eat at a range of restaurants and I have worked HARD to find restuarants that he would like as well as ones the kids would like. I'm reading up on things to find the rides he will like. I'm hoping he'll get excited from the looks on the kids faces, but you can't plan around that!

 

[mickimousemama]

My DH is not a crowds guy either but if you are going in the fall they should not be bad at all. We have been a couple times in late Sept and have waited at most 20 minutes in lines. Where do you plan on staying? If he is outdoorsy then Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness would be a great place. The cabins are up to 6 people at FW. They have lots of outdooor activies for all ages. My DH wasn't too into DIsney until we started taking the kids - now we have 400 points in the DVC and he gets more into it than I do at times.

Since we are trying to be budget friendly we are looking at staying at POR Riverside, although I have to admitt I keep going back and looking at and trying to justify the price difference of Fort Wilderness. I think we will be there what apparently sounds like the busiest "fall" time... over Thanksgiving, Nov 20-28th

Mickimousemama, are we married to the same guy? My DH went in Sept. 2004 our 1st time taking our DS, and hasn't returned since. Plus he didn't like going with my parents(stayed with them in their 2 bedroom DVC). He didn't like all the walking(even though he'll walk miles to go sit in a tree stand when it's 20 degrees) and said he had fun, but wasn't in a hurry to go back. Now DS and I LOVE WDW!!!!! Been back 3 times since DS was 3 and we're going in Oct. DH is coming this time, just the 3 of us.(we're paying to stay, not using the DVC of my parents) I booked us at WL, thought DH and I would like this since log cabin is our dream home, and it's on the lake. DH can take DS on a boat ride if he chooses. I am surprising DH with a Richard Petty racing experience(he better appreciate it, it's his Christmas and B-day presents!) And I am still planning for some breaks in the afternoon from the parks(DH is an EARLY riser, so he will be napping!) I have all of our days planned, so hopefully not alot of waiting in lines and I plan our day so we're not crossing the park alot, I try to do everything in 1 area and then move on.( This works well with kids too) I don't know if you'' have a car, but we went to Bass Pro shops last time DH went and he liked that. Good luck. I'm hoping to figure out how to post pictures so I can do a trip report when we return in Oct.

Hmmmmm it does sound like they could be closely related!! We will be flying so we don't plan on renting a car unless absolutely needed... then I have to justify carseats for the kids which seems like a head ache, (All 3 of my kids are still in carseats) I am trying to plan out lots of Dan time and find things I know he'd enjoy with the kids like the Archery Program (I believe its at Fort Wilderness) and a few other things That people have already mentioned.

DH fought me for 3 years on going to Disney - he'd never been and didn't "get" it. The whole time I was planning I got rolled eyes, comments about how much work I was doing, etc. I would tell him some of the fun things about WDW, the little trivia things that make Disney so special trying to draw him in, but no such luck.

The second we walked on property and he saw the kids faces light up he was a whole new man and was ready to book again for the following year.

That is EXACTLY what I am hoping for... a little Disney Magic to wow him upon arrival!!

Has your DH ever been to Disney? If not, just being there might be enough.

My DH had absolutely no interest in going to Disney. He had been there once as a child, the year Epcot opened, and wasn't impressed. His idea of a good vacation was hunting trips, rafting, canoeing, skiing (noticing a trend here - all outdoors, and not terribly young-kid-friendly!). The kids' first trip was with my inlaws, without us. I was upset to miss their first Disney moments, but my best friend's wedding was that week so I couldn't go. His entire reaction was "Good, now we don't have to take them" But he knew I was sad about missing that first trip and we came into a small amount of "found" money that summer, right around the time free dining was offered for the first time, so he agreed to a family trip in Spet/Oct 2005. It took about 2 minutes, walking down Main Street with our then 7yo son and 4yo daughter, for him to be completely won over!

I can't say he's as big a nut as I am, simply because he doesn't get into the planning fun. He wants his trip to materialize, fully planned, ADRs made, schedule in hand, with little to no effort on his part (good thing he married an obsessive DISer like me, huh? ). But he's been happy to go as often as we can manage, was disappointed to miss DD's birthday trip when he couldn't get away from work, and is seriously considering my idea of a DVC purchase.

He has never been to Disney, He was the youngest of 8 kids in his family and by the time he came around they were DONE doing fun family things, so he never got to do any fun family vacations, Although I never got to go to Disney my family talked about it and "planned" on going every year, or atleast mentioned the idea of it, so I have been dreaming of Disney my entire life. I'm hoping that this trip will get him hooked atleast enough to get him to return in Feb 2013, that way all three of our kids will have celebrated their 8th Birthdays at WDW


Thanks everyone for your responses!!

 

[edandcolleen1995]

Don't push.. Seriously..

Some things.

If your DH is not into it, accept that. Would you like it if he rammed a Vegas or golfing trip down your throat? Don't be "that" wife that henpecks your DH into going..

What Disney does have is something for everyone. If your DH loves outdoor stuff get him tee times, get him time at the water parks, get him over to the test track (not the Epcot one, the real one).

Pay for the babysitter service and get a nice romantic adult night out for just the two of you.

Advice like staying at the cabins is great. We did that for our first trip and it really sold my DH. He wanted to be there for the kids first trip, but after being at the cabins and fishing, chatting with RV neighbors, chilling at the pool and doing the campfire/movie, he enjoyed it.

I guess though that I hate seeing people (men or women, not gender specific) force their SO to do vacations THEY enjoy. It is a two way street

 

[mickimousemama]

Don't push.. Seriously..

Some things.

If your DH is not into it, accept that. Would you like it if he rammed a Vegas or golfing trip down your throat? Don't be "that" wife that henpecks your DH into going..

What Disney does have is something for everyone. If your DH loves outdoor stuff get him tee times, get him time at the water parks, get him over to the test track (not the Epcot one, the real one).

Pay for the babysitter service and get a nice romantic adult night out for just the two of you.

Advice like staying at the cabins is great. We did that for our first trip and it really sold my DH. He wanted to be there for the kids first trip, but after being at the cabins and fishing, chatting with RV neighbors, chilling at the pool and doing the campfire/movie, he enjoyed it.

I guess though that I hate seeing people (men or women, not gender specific) force their SO to do vacations THEY enjoy. It is a two way street

I can totally see your point but perhaps a little back story, in 9 years EVERY SINGLE family vacation that we have gone to/done as a complete family is scheduled planned a hunting or fishing trip, so it's only fair that after the hundreds of weekends we have spent doing HIS thing that he atleast TRIES something that we want to do.

I've talked to him about the babysitter service and he says no way he'd let the kids be with strangers, so that's out. He doesn't like golfing so the tee time wouldn't work either. I am not exadurating that if it doesn't involve hunting or fishing he has no intrest.....

Just don't want you to think I am like forcing him into something that isn't well deserved! I am a SAHM and I NEVER go anywhere with out my children in tow, This past Saturday DH took the two youngest to his moms over night, our youngest is 4 1/2 and this was the first time she has ever spent a night away from me. DH goes away on hunting and fishing trips (alone) 2 or more times a month, sometimes they are just a weekend to our cabin and sometimes its a 10 day trip to washington or 5 days to Nebraska/North Dakota or where ever.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Don't push..

I can totally see your point but perhaps a little back story, in 9 years EVERY SINGLE family vacation that we have gone to/done as a complete family is scheduled planned a hunting or fishing trip, so it's only fair that after the hundreds of weekends we have spent doing HIS thing that he atleast TRIES something that we want to do.

.

I agree with "don't push." I also agree that he should do soe vacations you like since you do what he likes. However, it sounds like he HAS agreed to go to WDW. So, now you can back off and not push him. It is very possible that Disney will work its magic on your DH when you get there. I think he may be less receptive to that magic if you have pushed him to share in your planning excitement. Does you insist that you get excited to go hunting? Does he show you maps and guns, etc and want you to get totally revved up about it? If he does, does htat make you more or less enthused for the trip?
Since he has said he wants to see the kids enjoy WDW, I would just plan a trip you knwo you and the kids will enjoy--so he will get to see them being that happy but not push him at all to look at plans or make decisions about the trip ahead of time. Even some bona fide Disney lovers do not want to deal with the planning (half the fun for me, but DH loves just showing up and having al that be done for him by his wife) and do not really get excited until the pixie dust lands on them in Oralando.

 

[edandcolleen1995]

I totally agree that you deserve your pick of vacations. There has to be give and take and sounds like he has been taking..

That said, he is going, so you got 1/2 the battle out of the way.. Now to avoid the sulking husband with $^^&Y looks while you are there and you are set..

He likes fishing, which you can do at various resorts. Take a boat over to Fort Wilderness and rent a few poles and he can fish in the canals there. If your budget can swing it, you can book a fishing boat trip via Disney also. But again, that is out of pocket and not sure if you can do that.

If nothing else, give him space and see what catches his eye. At the end of the day he has to do things for his kids and wife. My DH is much better about Disney and I know he gets most of the joy from seeing the kids laughing while on Test Track or doing a passport while touring Epcot. Those things matter to him and I am glad he takes pleasure in it.

From your accounts, it really sounds like your DH gets his time (2x a month, solo trips??) and you did not a get a night off in almost 5 years from caring for the kids.

While I say don't push it in regards to Disney, if I may go off topic, I sure suggest you push THAT issue. You deserve your time also. You deserve nights off, he can watch the kids. You deserve a nice evening if all you do is lie in the bath, read a book and nobody is yelling your name.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Add me to the list of Disney lovers with hubbies who aren't quite into it. (My hubby's an outdoorsman, too.) He's gone with us a couple times, but mostly our kids and I go by ourselves. It's not optimal -- we'd rather be with him -- but if he doesn't enjoy it, he's not one to suffer in silence exactly! I just make sure he's got enough manly food and fishing buddies lined up so he has fun while we're gone, too.

Good luck!

 

[mickimousemama]

I totally agree that you deserve your pick of vacations. There has to be give and take and sounds like he has been taking..

That said, he is going, so you got 1/2 the battle out of the way.. Now to avoid the sulking husband with $^^&Y looks while you are there and you are set..

He likes fishing, which you can do at various resorts. Take a boat over to Fort Wilderness and rent a few poles and he can fish in the canals there. If your budget can swing it, you can book a fishing boat trip via Disney also. But again, that is out of pocket and not sure if you can do that.

If nothing else, give him space and see what catches his eye. At the end of the day he has to do things for his kids and wife. My DH is much better about Disney and I know he gets most of the joy from seeing the kids laughing while on Test Track or doing a passport while touring Epcot. Those things matter to him and I am glad he takes pleasure in it.

From your accounts, it really sounds like your DH gets his time (2x a month, solo trips??) and you did not a get a night off in almost 5 years from caring for the kids.

While I say don't push it in regards to Disney, if I may go off topic, I sure suggest you push THAT issue. You deserve your time also. You deserve nights off, he can watch the kids. You deserve a nice evening if all you do is lie in the bath, read a book and nobody is yelling your name.

Thanks we have had a very rocky relationship... but we have been working on working together more, just hard to break old habbits now since I have basically been a single mom with an adult child... Anyhow, You are right in that 1/2 the battle is over with him agreeing to go at all

I'm not asking him to get involved with any of the planning at all but I do share with him when I have ideas and stuff because I want at the very least his opinion on a few things

I just want him to have a possitive attitude going into the vacation rather then him foccussing on the fact that it will suck. Starting in Janaury we will be doing family Disney nights once a month (I think I previously mentioned that the trip will be a total surprise to our kids, they know that we want to eventually go to Disney as a family but no idea when it will happen) anyhow I have made and we have a variety of Disney games and movies we will watch and play on our Disney nights, I think that will be a little bit of help to get DH in the Disney Spirit