My boyfriend doesn't seem interested in WDW?

[lroger01]

I suggest you DON'T try to sell him on it. Keep his expectations low - make him think it's an amusement park thats just a bit different. He'll go in expecting a typical amusement park type vacation and have room to be amazed. Over hyping anything makes the anything hard to live up to the expectations.

A way to talk to him might be getting him to tell you about vacations or even a fun day off he's had in the past that he enjoyed. Use what you find out to help tailor the trip to his idea of fun. Is he a morning person? If not, consider NOT doing rope drop. Instead wake up, eat breakfast, go for a swim, then hit the parks and stay till closing. With FP+ you'll still get to do the long-line rides and the late nights will help with the lesser attractions. Planning a vacation like this is a great way to get to know him better - especially if you can do it without directly asking him what he'd like to do, eat or where to sleep at Disney.

 

[Minniesgal]

Don't overwhelm him, Don't ask about ADRa at 180 days don't ask about fast pass. I learned the hard way

What I do is I book everything and look for things my hubby and family would love ten book them. Then the dAy before I float my plans and if they fancy it we so it if not I cancel and we wing it

Over the years some of my family has started coming and saying I want to eat here or do that.... Which helps

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

My husband was never a big Disney fan until he met me but with careful planning and smooth transitions (good touring plan, food at right times, and rest at the right moments), he has become a big Disney fan. He has even agreed to do a Disney trip every year now because he has so much fun there! It's funny now to hear him tell people about how great Disney is in terms of a vacation destination and as a cruise line.

 

[Jhondy210]

My husband is not a fan of Disney, which is the complete opposite of me. I'm constantly wearing Disney shirts, I have Disney shoes, I watch Disney movies nearly every weekend, and Disney World is my favorite place and I constantly talk about it. So, I finally convinced my husband to take a trip with me in Feb. 2013. It was our first vacation together. Luckily, my husband and I had been together for several years at this point so I knew his likes and dislikes. I knew he hated crowds, hates waiting for anything, and didn't understand why you would take a picture with someone dressed up in a costume…so not a good combination for Disney. Oh and he likes to relax on vacation and I'm more commando style.

So, I planned the vacation around him. It was probably the most stressed that I have been planning a vacation. I let him pick the hotel (thankfully, my parents were DVC at the time so we used their points) and then I picked restaurants based on what I knew he liked to eat and what I thought had a cool atmosphere. I planned to do the Wishes dessert party so that we could see the fireworks without being around crowds, I booked during a low crowd period, and I constantly monitored what parks were the best which days and planned accordingly. By the time the vacation was about to happen, I was beyond stressed worried he would not like the vacation. I knew if he did not like Disney that I would not be able to go back any time soon.

Well, the vacation started off rocky with us fighting in the car because traffic was really bad and we ended up missing our flight. So, instead of getting to WDW at noon on arrival day we arrived after midnight and missed our reservations at Sci-fi. I was bummed. We went to bed at 2am and I had us wake-up for a pre-park opening breakfast, which my husband was not excited about because of the late night. My husband also ended up sick for part of the trip. So even with all the stressing and planning that I had done, life was getting in the way. But you know what, I didn't have to do all the stress and planning because when we got to Disney…Disney did what Disney does best and he had a blast. By the end of the vacation he was pointing out where the characters were so we could take pictures with them. All that being said, my husband had fun on the vacation but he still wasn't "in love" with Disney like I am. However, he is willing to go to Disney with me every other year.

So, all that to say, relax and have fun. You having fun will make your boyfriend have fun. In the end, he may not be as crazy in love with Disney as you are but that doesn't mean your relationship won't last. Relationship is always about compromises so you may not get to go to Disney as often as you would like but I'm sure this won't be the last time you get to go either.

 

[nobellybutton]

I've been married for 26 years to a guy that doesn't get theme parks. I LOVE them. Our boys like them a lot. This is where we compromise.

I dragged him to Disney twice very early in our marriage (our honeymoon and as part of a weeklong seminar I attended). Then I made myself happy with a day at a big amusement park within driving distance, at least once a summer. When the kids came along, I waited until they were old enough to enjoy it with me, and we have gone about every 3 years since that time. Does my husband like it any more? Not really, but he knows it makes me happy so he bites the bullet every once in a while. Would I like to go a lot more? YES! But as long as we can do a full week of nothing but parks every few years, I can be happy.

Not everyone is going to like the same things or in the same concentration. You will need to find a good compromise for the two of you going forward. And maybe he'll fall just as in love with it as you have, once he's been.

My DH is the same way. We went to WDW before we got married and had kids and he went along and did everything for me. And when DS was young I took him on mini trips while we visited my Dad in Florida. But when our DD came along he knew Princess obsessed girl needed to experience it for herself and he didn't want to miss out. I said this one has to be all of us and after that I can do solo trips with the kids. And that's what I'm doing this year with my kiddos. He'll stay home and fix things around the house and relax a little.

 

[JoeA]

Make plans but don't overwhelm him or you'll either build a wall and he'll make sure he has a bad time or you'll set unrealistic expectations.

Go easy.

When you get to Disney let it soak in and should he enjoy it -you're golden. If he doesn't - cancel his return flight and find a new beau!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Maybe, maybe not.

Op, I find that people here are really not objective when it ĉomes to Disney. They tend to take it personally if you dare to say you don't absolutely love Disney.

My Dh thought Disney was ok. He enjoyed himself when we went but he never understood going every year. it just didn't move him like it did me
Let me ask you, do you like everything your friends or boyfriend likes???

Relax and let it go. there are many people in this world, liking Disney isn't a requirement to happiness.

^^^^this. I don't love everything my wife loves. She doesn't love everything I love. And outside of AK, I had pretty much zero enthusiasm for WDW before we had kids.

 

[Candycane83]

My DH has never gone to WDW before our trip in 2012. He hasn't even watched most Disney movies. I talked to him a little about it when I couldn't help being excited about planning but he was just not excited about it. He liked it when we went but was not head over heels in love with Disney like me. Now we have a one year old baby and plan to take him for his first trip next year. He seems a little more excited because it is for our DS. I think just give your Boyfriend some time and even if he doesn't love it like you, I'm sure he would love it just because you do. And like previous posters said, plan things you know he would like and try not to talk about it too much. It's hard I know!

 

[mouseearstx]

I had a boyfriend a long time ago that I had to drag kicking and screaming to WDW! He ended up loving it! He loved it so much he told his brother about it and his brother went on his honeymoon there. Now his brother and sister-in-law are huge WDW fans! We're no longer together, but we have a son who is now 9, who benefits from both his parents being huge WDW fans and gets to go twice as much! LOL

I took DH the first time for our honeymoon, and he ended up loving it too! (He at least went willingly! LOL!) He had never been to WDW either and didn't understand what the hype was about. While he hasn't really gotten into the planning, he is excited to go! Of course our honeymoon trip was a little short because we did the DCL land/sea thing, and we were quite exhausted after having just bought a house, moved, and got married so we only spent 2 1/2 days in the park. So our next trip will be our first REAL trip!

 

[MEP2013]

My husband gets irritated when I talk about WDW. He refused to go on our honeymoon and finally gave in 6.5 later because he knew my dream was to bring my daughters when they were still little.
I learned not to talk to him about the planning but I tried to include things that he would like. Which was hard and didn't always work. He had a great time while we were there and even talked about going back.
Since then? He is irritated when I talk about it, lol! I just come on these boards and talk to my kids about it. But we will be going back when my son is 5!!!! I just won't talk about it until then
My advice is just don't bring it up. Maybe ask his advice here or there if you're really stuck in your planning but other then that just leave it alone.
Have fun on your trip! Your boyfriend will have fun, it's almost impossible not to.

 

[MsLady]

We are in a similar situation! My boyfriend will be going on his first trip in July, I am incorporating a lot of things that I think he will enjoy hotel, meals, rides, etc.. He doesn't seem to enjoy talking about or planning for the trip. I only talk about Disney every few days so that I do not overwhelm him. Hopefully this strategy will work and he will have a great trip!

 

[Megsmachine]

Hi all,

I live in the U.K and have been lucky enough to visit Walt Disney World 9 times over the past 15 years. I am obsessed with everything Disney (just like many other people on this forum probably!) I love everything about it, WDW in particular. I constantly look for new updates happening at the parks and even the wait times of rides when I'm not even there...sad I know!

I've been lucky enough to be able to have saved enough money to go back again next year which is all booked and I'm so excited!! I'm taking my boyfriend this time who has never been to Disney before.

He knows how much I love it and I wanted to finally get the chance to take him and let him experience what I do when I'm there so I decided to surprise him and I'm paying for the trip myself. He seemed content about it and said he would like to go, but every time I talk about it or try to explain things about WDW he just doesn't seem too interested. I know he would like to go, he's just got no real excitement for it. I know it's not until next year but I'm really worried when we get there he's not going to 'get it' and not have the same passion for it as me.

Has anyone experienced the same issue? Or any advice if he does end up being a real Disney scrooge?! I just really don't want the trip to be a disaster!!

Break up with him. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
















J/k!!!!

 

[Davey Jones II]

Don't try to sell the parks to him -- let the parks sell themselves. Since he's agreed to go with you, there's no point trying to convince him ahead of time that he's going to love it. Concentrate on planning it as well as you can, to make it as likely as possible that he will enjoy himself. Then just go with him and let him be seduced by the magic (hopefully).

Also, if you raise his expectations sky high, he might be disappointed. Let him go in with his already low expectations, and the experience is more likely to wow him. Have a nice trip.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree with those who say to let him experience all of it for himself. He might just love it or he might not. My own DH will go from time to time but he doesn't really like themeparks. He does enjoy hotels and dining though.

 

[JZCubed]

Hi all,

I live in the U.K and have been lucky enough to visit Walt Disney World 9 times over the past 15 years. I am obsessed with everything Disney (just like many other people on this forum probably!) I love everything about it, WDW in particular. I constantly look for new updates happening at the parks and even the wait times of rides when I'm not even there...sad I know!

I've been lucky enough to be able to have saved enough money to go back again next year which is all booked and I'm so excited!! I'm taking my boyfriend this time who has never been to Disney before.

He knows how much I love it and I wanted to finally get the chance to take him and let him experience what I do when I'm there so I decided to surprise him and I'm paying for the trip myself. He seemed content about it and said he would like to go, but every time I talk about it or try to explain things about WDW he just doesn't seem too interested. I know he would like to go, he's just got no real excitement for it. I know it's not until next year but I'm really worried when we get there he's not going to 'get it' and not have the same passion for it as me.

Has anyone experienced the same issue? Or any advice if he does end up being a real Disney scrooge?! I just really don't want the trip to be a disaster!!

Leave him!

I'll take another attempt at humor - he'll be the guy who arrives as Grumpy, but leaves wearing his Mickey Ears that proudly displays his name while whistling 'it's a small world' in the back of the taxi all the way to the airport…

Remind him he can 'drink around the world' in EPCOT. Reminder to you - Be Our Guest is only place in MK that does serve beer & wine.

Meet-n-Greets - some of the Jasmine's don't use (or need) a body stocking. ;-)

If you're from the U.K., please do not eat at Rose & Crown, you'll be disappointed.

Best advice - not too many ADR's; use room service.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Quite honestly, it is highly possible he will never love Disney the way you do. I think the best thing you can do is lower your expectations and let him enjoy the trip in his own way. I first visited WDW when I was 9 and became obsessed then. My DH didn't visit until he was 39 and it's just not his thing. He comes down with me about once a year and I now know how to plan trips where we can all have a good time - he needs quiet time so he can just go to the pool, read a book, get a massage and have a good dinner. He'll come to the parks with me and DS, but he will typically leave after lunch. It's fine. He indulges my passion and I appreciate him for it. I need to give him the time and activities he needs to enjoy the trip as well. He does try to participate - He's a finance guy and even bought us some Disney stock!

 

[smiths02]

My DH is not a Disney nut, BUT he would return more than once b/c I made it a fun vacation. And I do all the planning still.

Find out what hid vacation style is, find something he might really like (nice meal, pool bar, go fishing, Star Wars, etc.), and incorporate that. For example, don't push rope drop and character meals if he'd rather sleep in.
Have a good touring plan for different scenarios, but just don't tell him.

 

[KarmaCat]

Since he has never been to WDW and has no idea what to expect, how can he *really* get excited? I would recommend letting go of any expectations right now about what his reaction *should* be, and just focus on your own anticipation of the trip. Chances are once he gets there, he will enjoy himself. And he will probably have a better time if you can make up your mind to accept whatever his reaction is once he's there. Even if he's not laughing like a maniac and shooting rainbows out of his ears, he may still be having a great time on the inside!

My husband was very unenthusiastic the first time we went to WDW. He saw it as a corporate marketing tool and a financial drain (actually, a rip-off)! He said he was only going because of the kids. And if you were to watch him on that first trip, you would never have thought he was having a good time... Fast forward to today, and now he totally loves WDW vacation planning and really looks forward to going--even though he gladly lets me handle all the nitty-gritty details. I've discovered that he has a better time if I handle all the money-stuff, and the more we can get pre-paid so that he doesn't have to actually see any bills, the better. Not because I'm trying to hide anything from him, but because he is able to relax more if he's not constantly thinking about how much everything costs--and he totally agrees. Now, as we are getting ready for our November trip, he initiates conversations about it and is openly excited about the trip. He knows a week at WDW means a week of not thinking about work, school, or other daily life stresses--a week of focusing just on our family, being together, and enjoying ourselves, and of being allowed to act like kids again.

It took him a while to realize that, and I'm so glad that I was patient with him. I didn't try to force him to ACT like he was having a good time on that first trip. I just accepted him wherever/however he was at the time--but I still didn't let his hesitation hold me back from having a GREAT time myself. And I thanked him multiple times for being a good sport and let him know how glad I was that he was there with us--that it wouldn't be nearly as much fun without him. Lots of "I love you's" and hugs throughout the trip. And now he and I are totally on the same page.

Just be patient! All will be well!

 

[BudgieMama]

My husband and I went on our first trip last year... and he had promised me it was once and done. I knew I'd want to go back, but I didn't want to force him into it, so although I planned like crazy and racked up a lot of posts here on the DIS, I pretty much dropped it. I checked the menus at the locations I wanted to make ADRs at with him a week before the booking day, but generally, I tried not to push him too far or too fast.

Even when we got to WDW, when he wanted to go back for a swim and I wanted to do a couple more hours at MK, I let him go without a fuss and joined him at the pool when I'd finished with my rides. Although I'd planned things pretty well, and I explained how the FP+ reservations worked on the way out there, I tried not to let him feel like we were on a schedule all the time.

On the flight home, he turned to me and said "We've got to come back when they have another big hit like Frozen- that stuff was really good!" (He doesn't even like the film!!) We decided we'd return in 2018, and I wanted to do a weekend at Disneyland Paris at the end of August this year to celebrate my 30th birthday. After a lot of pricing up, and finding it a bit too expensive, I suggested we ditch the DLP plans and return to WDW for a bit longer next year. We've now booked two weeks for August 2016, and he's excited. We have a few more conversations about stuff we'd like to do, but not being too over the top about it to keep him happy, excited and not bored already!

I think trying to avoid too much pressure was key. Let him enjoy it in his own way. If he turns out to be a "once and done" kind of guy, that's OK. But so much magic happens at WDW when you're there and enjoying yourself, so let him get caught up in that when it happens!

 

[newdeal]

Hi all,

I live in the U.K and have been lucky enough to visit Walt Disney World 9 times over the past 15 years. I am obsessed with everything Disney (just like many other people on this forum probably!) I love everything about it, WDW in particular. I constantly look for new updates happening at the parks and even the wait times of rides when I'm not even there...sad I know!

I've been lucky enough to be able to have saved enough money to go back again next year which is all booked and I'm so excited!! I'm taking my boyfriend this time who has never been to Disney before.

He knows how much I love it and I wanted to finally get the chance to take him and let him experience what I do when I'm there so I decided to surprise him and I'm paying for the trip myself. He seemed content about it and said he would like to go, but every time I talk about it or try to explain things about WDW he just doesn't seem too interested. I know he would like to go, he's just got no real excitement for it. I know it's not until next year but I'm really worried when we get there he's not going to 'get it' and not have the same passion for it as me.

Has anyone experienced the same issue? Or any advice if he does end up being a real Disney scrooge?! I just really don't want the trip to be a disaster!!

Get a new boyfriend