Need advice about my husband's first trip

[acename]

Ok, it's not really his first trip, but he hasn't been since he was about 3 so he doesn't remember anything at all. He's pretty much only agreeing to go because I want to so bad. He really thinks we should wait until we have children to go.

So here's my question:

Should I plan several adult activities (like nice dining, tours etc) or should I focus on the parks since he doesn't remember anything at all? I can't decide which would be better.

We're going in May for 6 nights and we'll be there on his birthday if that helps. Thanks!

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

May's a great time to go as far as I am concerned. You'll probably be there for the Flower and Garden show at Epcot, and that may be the park to take your husband to first, to ease him into the Disney experience, if he's starting out with the attitude that WDW is just for kids. Then if he gets into the rides (try Test Track, and definitely Soarin' if it's open), you can introduce him to the Safari at AK, maybe the Lion King show, and pretty soon he may be screaming his head off on the RocknRoller coaster.

We like to make a priority seating for lunch every day for an adult break. Try the Brown Derby at MGM, or any of the World Showcase restaurants at Epcot that appeal to you. And/or you may want to eat dinner at one of the fancier resorts. Allearsnet.com has a great section with all the menus and prices of all the Disney restaurants, and this board has a lot plenty of people's evaluations of them all.

Then, after Disney has begun to work it's magic, take him over to the MK for the Spectromagic parade and fireworks. He may be really surprised at how much he likes Disney without kids!

 

[djm99]

The best advice I can give you is to leave him home, take the cash and credit cards!!!!

The humor in it all....................

 

[travelin' tigger]

When I took my DBF for his first time to WDW, we dabbled in a little of everything - rode some rides, saw some shows, did the KTTK tour and ate in some different restaurants. Just don't plan out too much and wear yourselves out - that's no fun!!! Also allow for some spur-of-the-moment things!!!

Have fun!!!

 

[kilee]

Plan together. See what sort of things he has the most interest in. Then plan based on that. I'd also throw a few other activities in there, as sometimes it's the things we didn't think we'd like- that we love the most.

 

[kfeuer]

There are several guides out there about going to Disney without children. I'd suggest reading one of those and getting some ideas. There's lots of romantic things you can do at Disney

 

[acename]

i like the idea of him helping me plan...unfortunately he told me..."You plan, I'll pay." I'll work on him though thanks for all the replies.

 

[dgaston]

We love Pleasure Island (especially Adventurer's Club and Comedy Club). Jellyrolls is great and consider a behind the scenes tour at a park. He probably will also like touring the parks.

Try Restaurants for lunch. We split a lot of meals and use Lunch vouchers from Hotwiresavings.com (thread at top of budget board). We have enjoyed LeCellier, Brown Derby, 50's Prime Time, and RFC at AK. We split the "French Lunch" at Chefs de France too.

We also love character breakfasts--especially Crystal Palace and Donald's Breakfastosaurus.

 

[goofyernmost]

I have gone my last 10 trips without children and I do exactly the same things I did when they were with me. I sometimes wonder what others may think, here's a 280 pound, 57 year old man riding by himself on Peter Pan or asking to just stay on Spaceship Earth for another circle. I must be a sight, but I am also happy.

I mistakenly thought that WDW was for kids myself but it didn't take me long to realize that it really was designed for families, for everyone to enjoy. I enjoyed everything that my kids liked and vise versa.

Just go, see everything and just give him this advise. Relax, let yourself be a kid again. Nobody's watching and if they are they are doing the same thing. Obviously, there are things that, as an adult, I enjoy more than the kiddy things. It isn't tough to figure out what those are and you can make the choice at the time.

Sometimes the thing that hooks one person doesn't move another. There is also the chance that he won't like it no matter what you do. That's known as a mixed marriage and can't possibly survive.

Of course, I'm kidding with that last statement but I don't think you can force an acceptance. If he really doesn't know what to expect than leave it at that and just let him be sold. If Disney is doing thier job it will happen. Sometimes the child within the adult is just hidden and it takes some encouragement to bring it out.

Good luck and have a good time. It is wonderful to be able to share an obsession so here's hoping he can see what you already do.

 

[Alaska Catdog]

My dh and I just returned from a dream trip to WDW. My dh hadn't been since the year it opened. We have no children but there was no lack of things for us to do. One thing that I would highly reccommend is renting water sprites at the Contemporary Resort and racing around the lake. We really enjoyed this as we got to see all the monorail resorts and the magic kingdom from the water. It's a nice break and there were no lines. Also, a dinner at the Yachtsmens Steakhouse was excellent for my husbands birthday, they gave him a small birthday cake even though his birthday was the next day. The food was excellent too. If you can try to do a tour, we really enjoyed Dolphins In Depth at Epcot and the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. Lastly, try a spa treatment. We had swedish massages at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Tired leg treatment at the Grand Floridian Spa. The Grand Floridian has many treatment choices specifically for men (there were more men checking in than women when we were there). My DH has not been receptive to the idea of getting spa treatments but after several days in the parks, a tired leg treatment was pure heaven for him as well as me.

 

[tjkraz]

I wouldn't book a tour unless he really warms-up to the experience. Most tours can be booked on short notice (the Segway tour is the most notable exception), so I'd wait until a few days into your trip to decide if it's something he would enjoy. KttK is a 5+ hour walking tour, and could be a real bore if he's not into it.

I'd look for activities that you know he would enjoy. Does he like to swim? Pick a resort with a great pool or visit one of the water parks.

Is he into home improvements or gardening? If so, hit the Flower and Garden festival early.

Does he like video games? Check out DisneyQuest.

Does he like sports? Plan a meal at the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk. (Note they have live guest athletes / coaches / commentators many nights.)

Does he like fancy meals? Plan a meal at the Yachtsman or California Grill.

Does he like comedy clubs? Go to the one at Pleasure Island.

Does he like to work out / spa treatments / massages? Book a treatment at the Grand Floridian or Saratoga Springs spa.

Is he a movie buff? If so, try to hit MGM Studios first.

Speaking as a guy, I'd try to avoid making your first park visit at the Magic Kingdom. Your husband probably has this image of WDW that includes a lot of kiddie rides and performers roaming about in fuzzy costumes. IMO, if his first visit is to the MK, it will probably only reinforce that impression. If you start at one of the other three parks, he's likely to have a much more adult experience.

In this case, first impressions may be everything. Hit a home run on that first day and it will be smooth sailing the rest of the trip.

 

[Chicago526]

Originally posted by acename
i like the idea of him helping me plan...unfortunately he told me..."You plan, I'll pay." I'll work on him though thanks for all the replies.

You just described my BF! "Just tell me how much money it costs and what day and time we leave for the airport!" and then complains about the plans I've made.

He mentioned once he doesn't like water parks. So I bought a plain hopper and didn't plan on a water park day. He found out about the Disney water parks and asked what day we are going (after I bought the tickets and locked our day to day schedule). I said to him that he doesn't like water parks so we aren't going. He said "I never said that, what makes you think I don't like water parks?" Ummm the fact that you didn't want to go to Magic Waters (local water park) this past summer cuz you 'hate water parks!' maybe?

Anyway, I did ask him if he wanted to do a park tour (Keys at MK) and he said yes, he also agreed to HDDR and horseback riding at Ft. W. So he has helped, a little. But I've picked all the restaurants, picked what parks for what days, what night time shows and parades we'll see, and most of the other "little details" that he doesn't want to be bothered with.

What I have done is really not tell him much about WDW at all. You can't picture it unless you've been there, anyway, and just knowing my BF I know he'll be blown away by it all. And if he doesn't know anything about it, he won't know what he's missing if I elect not to do something. Then once he gets there and realizes there is more to do than what we've got planned, he'll be much more agreeable to a second (third, fourth...) trip so we can "do it all!".

I've also paid a small fortune for him to do the Richard Petty Experiance. He loves NASCAR, so even if he hates the rest of the trip (unlikely) he'll still have a fantastic time, just for doing that. It's a surprise for him, he doesn't know he's doing this!