My boyfriend doesn't seem interested in WDW?

[avp7neo]

Hi all,

I am obsessed with disney and

 

[NJlauren]

A few years ago my mom wanted to go to Disney wit me my sis and my husband. My husband kept saying your making me go to Disney, and your excited about EPCOT?!? He wasn't happy.

He went and had a blast! We even went back a little over a year later for our birthdays and he couldn't wait to get to EPCOT! We went back again this year with our DD.

Every time he has a blast, but I limit how much I talk about it to him, he just doesn't care that I have to get up to do ADRs or FP, he suggests restaurants but other then 1 or 2 couldn't care less. The planning and details don't excite him like they excite me. So I try to respect that.

I also found he doesn't like to be over scheduled like I do at Disney, so I found a happy medium and go with it.

I found things I knew he would like and make a point to schedule them in, make sure we hit a ride, or show, or restaurant that he loves everyday.

But he always has a good time, I'm working on a trip for next year already!

Good luck!

 

[Disneylover99]

Hang out on these boards and just stop talking about it with him. I mean, talk about it occasionally, but resist the urge to talk his ear off about it. I know it's hard, but if you talk it up too much, and then things go wrong on your trip, as things sometimes do, he'll never love Disney. Be calm and cool.

 

[Nhebron]

My husband doesn't care to talk about Disney planning but has a good time once we get there.

 

[ArmyVet80]

Let him take it all in slowly. You have a year until your trip. Only mention it a few times to him. I will be honest.. I wasn't a huge disney fan when my wife said that is where she wanted to honeymoon. I had been to WDW numerous times as a child and teen (30+ times) and figured it was the "same ol', same ol'". When we went on our honeymoon things were different. It was like the "Disney Light" turned on above my head and now we don't vacation anywhere else.

I think it can be a little overwhelming for someone that has never been. Depending on how much you discuss it it can be an overload of Disney at one time. Like many of us on here you seem very excited about the trip. I am sure once he gets to WDW he will relax a little and take it all in. Unfortunately though there are some people that are not Disney people. I am sure everything will workout for you.

 

[tsme]

Dump him! Just kidding. I'm sure once he's there he'll love it. Since he hasn't been there he probably doesn't understand the magical pull of Disney yet.

 

[kiford]

Find out what kinds of things he likes to do and see if there's a way to incorporate it into your WDW trip. But don't keep trying to shove it down his throat. The more you try to push it, the more he will probably not want to do it or will tune you out. You can't make him like it in advance. All you can do is try to balance your love of the place with things that he wants to do, make sure you set aside time to just be together, whether it's at the parks or not and create a joint vacation together that you will both enjoy. Don't think of this as a trip to try to make him like Disney but as a trip for the two of you to spend time together at a place you like and don't be upset if he never likes it as much as you. He will then have an opportunity to either find something about it that he likes or that, even if he doesn't like it as much as you, it will still have fond memories for him because you like it, he wants to make you happy and because you had fun together.

I went to WDW with someone I'd been dating for a few months and he wanted to go to WDW together as our first vacation. I'd been to DL and liked it but I was only 12 at the time. He'd been to WDW with family a few years earlier and really enjoyed it. I wanted to go on vacation with him but had little idea of WDW other than what I recalled from DL. This was in 1986 so there was only MK and Epcot at the time. I went with no expectations other than wanting to be with him. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary last year and Disney is one of our favourite vacations (WDW and DCL) partly for reasons of nostalgia and because we made it our own together rather than trying to duplicate any previous vacations before we went together.

 

[Alesia]

Stop talking to him about it. You'll make him hate it before he ever gets there. Let him take it in at his own speed.

 

[eliza61]

Dump him! Just kidding. I'm sure once he's there he'll love it. Since he hasn't been there he probably doesn't understand the magical pull of Disney yet.

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.

 

[Vernie822]

My fiance was the same way. He had been to Disneyland once when he was 6 or 7 and didn't remember much. Once I got into the planning and started asking him questions, he was into it a little more. Show him the resorts you're choosing from and maybe he'll have an interest in helping you choose. I looked at restaurants with menus of things I knew both of us would like, and showed him some menus. We each picked a couple restaurants that we really wanted to try. So maybe include him on the big things, but the little things, like others have kinda said, just keep to yourself. With my fiance, he didn't care about the Trip Report I read on Disboards lol.. but when it came to choosing things for our vacation, he got excited. Once we were there and he realized how much there was to see and do, and that it wasn't just for kids, he had a great time and loves helping me to plan to go back. Good luck!!

 

[Julylady]

Stop talking to him about it. It's hard for him to conceptualize something he has not experienced. And prepare yourself for the probability that he might get there and not like it nearly as much as you do. Some people just don't. Whatever you do, don't set yourself up to be responsible for his liking it. You will make both of you miserable.

 

[Belleandtinker]

He'll love your second trip to WDW. To most it's over whelming, plan the first trip with him (and you, of course) in mind. Then see how it goes. Hopefully he'll help plan the second trip.

Luckily, me and my DH vacation the same way - fast and furious. Theme parks, big cities, museums, etc. Our fear is if we sat on a beach for a week (even a few days) we'll end up in divorce court.

At first me and my DH weren't crazy nuts over Disney, but after a few trips - we got the bug!

Keep trying!

 

[bumbershoot]

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.

Plenty of people don't want to talk about something a year from now.

That's why we have message boards. To take the pressure OFF of our families.

 

[Kristine316]

I have the same thing with my husband. He always has a good time once we get there but, he doesn't act all that excited leading up to the vacation.
He grows tired of my talking about it all the time. And he doesn't really care if we ever go back to WDW. He has fun but, it's not somewhere he would choose to spend his vacation year after year.

Truthfully, your boyfriend sounds totally typical and maybe we on this forum are the unusual ones. I know a lot of people who have gone to WDW and its been one and done for them... In fact I know few people who go back multiple times, except on this forum.

It's very possible your boyfriend won't feel the passion you do for WDW. If he enjoys himself and appreciates the awesome gift you are giving him, try to be ok with that and realize to most people WDW is a fun vacation destination not an obsession like it is for many of us here.

 

[Hezzy04]

My husband was the same way! He finally went for the first time earlier this month and LOVED it! He wanted to start planning our next trip before we even left! He said he knew he would like it, but had no idea he would LOVE it so much!

 

[RustManFan]

My DD and DS both love WDW but they don't want to hear about it all the time and do not participate in planning any vacation. They are both in their 30s and only get excited for any vacation when it is nearing the time to go.

Just don't overwhelm him and I'm sure all will be well!

 

[IrishNYC]

DH was the same way. Neither of us had been since 1981, and he remembered nothing. He "gave in" to a trip for the sake of our Frozen-obsessed 5 year old. He wanted nothing to do with planning, rolled his eyes about everything, and was generally grumpy that we were going.

Guess who is now trying to finagle a kid-free Disney trip.

 

[Kathryn777]

My dH can't stand discussing the plans until I have them set, and even then only briefly. He loves it once we get there though!

 

[PetePanMan]

Stop talking to him about it. You'll make him hate it before he ever gets there. Let him take it in at his own speed.

what she said

 

[CyndiLooWho]

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.