How to get people excited about Disneyland

[lwilkison]

This sounds like a really silly question right??? I mean who doesn't get excited for Disneyland (well apparently, not everyone loves the parks as much as we do).

A few friends are planning a trip to go to Disneyland in August, and it's not that she is not excited, but she is not sure she will have too much fun. I obviously want her to have a great time (I am sure she will), but I am wondering if you guys have any ideas of things I can do to get her really excited before we go. Just cute little things that can help make her experience magical before we even leave. She has only been to the park once as a teenager and clearly did not do it "right" because she didnt think there was much to do there (WHAT???). I told her she needs to come with a pro like me to see how it is done.

I am planning on easing her into it and not bombarding her with my own personal excitement and craziness surrounding Disneyland. Anyway any tips would be nice (and I am pretty much a broke grad student so nothing requiring lavish gifts lol).

I wouldn't push it for her. I had people try to sell me on DLR...but until I saw DLR for the first time and experienced the magic that is DLR...I HAD NO IDEA.

It's DLR magic! After the gates, Walt Disney's quote over the entrance and then all of DLR...breathtaking and overwhelming...I actually had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eyes when I first experiences after the gates with the garden and train and everything. My first characters were Chip n Dale.

We have now been 6 times, taking our DD for her second visit and she is only 4 yrs old

 

[chrissiecutie]

Yes! What they said! Let Disney work it's magic!

I'm married to the most cynical anti Disney man alive.

He went once as a teenager with his family, who also dislike Disney. Hmm...go figure he didn't like it. A group of Disney haters who spent most the time parked outside the gates in their RV instead of enjoying the magic?!?

The only way I got DH there was that he promised me when DS was old enough, we could take him. I waited 3 years people, 3 YEARS!!!

We took DS for his 1st trip ever when he was 3. It was the middle of August & my sister went with us & she's in a wheelchair. Not good...it. was. not. good.

I convinced him to go back for a solo trip 2 years later, just our family of 3 during a less busy time of the year. But before embarking...I knew this would be a "make it or break it" trip. He would either love it or just keep on hating it. So I did something this Disney freak has never done....I did research! I found out places DH would like to eat instead of my normal favs, we spent much less time inside the parks then I normally do, I cut our touring schedule in half, I avoided parades like the plague, skipped WOC opening, rode BTMR over 10 times in one day (because it's his fav), didn't spend any time shopping....in reality, I tailored this trip for HIM. And he grudgingly admitted that it was OK. Heck, I'll take an "OK" instead of a "NO WAY" any day!!!

So that's my advice....become the best Disney tour guide alive. I've done this for several friends who've never been- seems my 25 years of experience has come in handy & I've converted many a people! Don't oversell it. Find what you think your friend will really enjoy...are they more of a parade/live show person? Would they die to experience WOC? Do they hate crowds? Prefer a nice restaurant or a corn dog while walking through the castle? You get the idea....let Disney work it's magic with you adding that little extra pixie dust.