Pls help, going to DL on Friday w/ a DL HATER!

[bayareadisneyland]

My boyfriend and I are flying to LA Thurs night and will be spending Friday at DL (getting one day park hoppers) and staying at BWPPI on THurs and Friday night.

Problem is, he hates DL! He is going bc it is my 30th bday and he is being a good sport. I'm so nervous now bc I'm hearing it is sooo crowded....he will HATE that! I would never have thought a Friday in October would be slammed (the night but not the day!). Is it possible it will be less busy this week?

Any tips on how to help the situation?

I'm planning a 2 hour break around 5-7 and hopefully we will have fastpasses for the nighttime. I also made reservations at House of Blues to get out of the park. Any other tips?

THanks!

 

[godalejunior]

Leave him at home????????? Just kidding.

 

[Marciern22]

OMG!!!
You need help.
Get Fastpasses the moment you enter the park. Example: If they say 10:05-11:05 don't use them then. Get Fastpasses for another ride then. Keep going on rides with the shorter lines early in the day while compiling Fastpasses for others. Then use them all later.
That will help!

 

[Mugglemama]

my only suggestion would be to get a RideMax itinerary for the day. it's $15, but it will get you on a lot more rides and save you from spending needless time in lines.

some people understandably think it takes the fun out of DL to have an itinerary, but when it's crowded, it really can help you get the most out of your time despite the crowds.

best of luck!

 

[Marciern22]

Maybe you could just take it easy. See shows. Definitely Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at Golden Horseshoe. Just go for fun. Don't rush so he doesn't feel the stress of rushing.
Take the time to show him what you love about DL and why. The flowers, the characters, the music, the food.
That to many of us...it's not about the rides and lines at all. We just love to be there and the feelings that it brings out of us the moment we step into Walt's Park.

 

[bumbershoot]

Or a combo of the last two.

While he is sitting, eating a tasty snack and smelling the roses, you run off for a FP then come back asap. Later, show him something else while you run off for another FP then come back. And so on. You have fun, if you have fun running for FPs, he gets to relax and not fight crowds (and it's so much easier to slip through as one person than try to get two or more people through), then later on you get the FP rides!

Make sure he's wearing comfy shoes, and I would recommend bringing a change of shoes. My feet ONLY survive by changing shoes.

Hopefully he'll be a Good Man and keep a chipper attitude since it is for your b'day.

 

[Marciern22]

Thanks bumbershoot. My EX was a DL hater. I never did figure out how to make him happy there. So I stopped going for a long time. Now he's an EX!! And I practically live at DL and have never been happier!! HA HA HA!!

 

[disney-inspired]

Take advantage of FP and learn to zig when other people zag. If you get there at opening, I'd suggest going way of Adventureland, NOS, and Frontierland first. They are dead for the first hour or so in the morning. That way you can start off with Indy, POTC, HMH (before any crowds), and Splash (It's gonna be hot!). Then you can do BTMRR before heading to tomorrowland for SM.

From there you can either continue in DL or head over to DCA at opening.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Have you been able to find out what exactly it is that he hates about it? That's the first step. Is it the pricing? The lines? The crowds? The food? The hype?

My husband never saw the point until we went to WDW together a couple times. We went on some backstage tours (Keys to the Kingdom - similar to the Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour here) and all of a sudden he really started getting it. That might be a good thing to add into your day.

Maybe you could sign up for the Halloween Haunts tour! I hear it's quite the good time. It passed by us Sunday night as it was headed for HMH and everyone looked like they were really having fun! You also have priority access to HMH, TOT, and a couple other attractions with it!

As much as Molly is right, I have to disagree and would say NOT to spilt up and have him sit while you get FPs. That could cause some resentment of him feeling abandoned while you run all over the place - unless you time it where you are right next to a queue - say you're at Bengal BBQ and you're getting one for Indy. I would say to keep him close and snuggly - show him the romantic side of DL. Take him to the back of the upstairs level of the Hungry Bear and watch the Riverboat or Pirate ship glide past you on the quiet waters. Decorate a Pumpkin Sugar Cookie and pet a goat at Big Thunder Ranch. Do Innoventions. If he's a techno-geek, see the House of the Future and ride a Segway together.

Show him the Toy Story Zoeotrope in the Animation Building at DCA. Act all cute and scared on the dark rides - "protect me my brave hero!" If he's a video game lover, challenge him to Toy Story MM and Buzz for high score. Take him on Star Tours, if he loved the movie. Win him a toy on the Midway Games at DCA. Get free Tortillas.

Hope some of these suggestions inspire you! Remember to make it playful for him and have fun!!!!

 

[Sherry E]

I was thinking along the same lines as Nancy - do we know WHY exactly he does not like DL? This is very important to know. I am assuming he hates it and has actually been there before, and hasn't just 'decided' that he hates it before ever even going, right? (Some people do that!) So, if he has been there before and already knows he hates it, then what are the reasons exactly? The crowds? Does he think it is 'just for kids'? The lines? What are the reasons? And was there even one single thing he enjoyed? If he has NOT been there before and just THINKS he will hate it, then his mind can be turned around. If he has experience from which to draw as to why he hates it, then there will be little you can do to change his mind. I find that, once people make up their mind, their mind is made up. BUT he is going for you, so that is a good sign that maybe he is being a little open minded. If someone were going somewhere JUST for me but I knew they HATED the place, I would rather not have them there, being miserable. So it sounds like he is willing to give it another try, which means you may be able to squeeze some fun out of him, one way or the other! If he truly, genuinely hates DL and has GOOD reason to based on his experience there, then most of the suggestions we offer will not make a difference, unfortunately.

I assume he has NOT been into DCA yet. If he likes thrill rides, there may be some hope for him there (you said you will have one-day Park Hoppers). Otherwise, all you can do is try to think of any little things he may enjoy and try to make him happy....but then, that takes away from YOU celebrating your special day, doesn't it?

 

[bumbershoot]

Even though Ponchos disagreed with me , I do agree strongly with this:

My husband never saw the point until we went to WDW together a couple times. We went on some backstage tours (Keys to the Kingdom - similar to the Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour here) and all of a sudden he really started getting it.

Though you can't tell now, I went through my 20s just really hating the whole Disney thing. Refused to see the movies, refused to go (not that anyone ever asked me, but if someone had, I wouldn't have gone), hated the Big Corporation aspect of it, and most importantly, hated what they did about the Country Walk Estates subdivision in Miami FL. For info on that read Carl Hiaasen's The Mouse That Roared, and realize that my mom and dad lived in pretty much the ONLY house that survived Hurricane Andrew, and it survived b/c they used REAL nails in the house, not finish nails, like the company Disney hired to build them used throughout the rest of the houses. My parents had only recently left Miami when Andrew blew through, and it felt really personal, and I hated that Disney managed to keep their name out of it, even though they had chosen the company.


ANYWAY. I didn't much like Disney.

And then we were visiting my brother in San Diego, and it was so close, and I had mellowed in my 30s, so we went. And while planning, I started learning more about WHY Disneyland was built, and I realized that corporations are just little companies that grew and grew. Yes they can end up too powerful and do bad things, but that doesn't mean that all corporations were bad.

As I got into the history of it I became more OK with it. Then as I dealt with the death of my mother, I realized why fairy tales almost always have a death of a parent, and most original Disney movies were based on fairy tales (and lightened up!), and stories have to have conflict and a reason for growth, etc etc, so I'm cool with their movies now.

And so on and so forth.

Now I tell people they MUST see The First 50 Years b/c it shows the history.


Seeing that movie, doing a tour, etc, could very well help him out, if he has the same sorts of feelings as I did (though it would be awfully coincidental for him to have had relatives at Country Walk as well, LOL).

 

[Hound 109]

Forward these posts to him. All written by males from a male perspective. If he is interested or asks questions about them (in other words "buys in") then you're home free.

If not, it might be a long day, but at least he'll know a few tidbits of info.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885132

This was the thread that opened my eyes on how i could enjoy DLR.



& these might be applicable & helpful:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1186052

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199856

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1491961

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Thanks for your story, Molly! It's interesting to hear other people's perspectives on how they came to like it. For me, it was my very first trip to WDW (as a paying adult - staying at the Poly). Never liked any theme parks until then and was old enough and experienced enough to know the value of good customer service at a major resort. I was just blown away. I knew about the movies and stuff, but never realized what a driving force in the tourism/service industry Disney was. It' like being fed premium ice-cream for the first time - you never go back to the really cheap store brand.

As for our disagreement -
You can't deny that men can get all cranky and pouty when you abandon them for your own glorious fun.... Especially when they feel that they are bending over backwards for you! Then they are just no fun for the rest of the time - until you feed them something they like, give them a beer, or take them home and promise them the moon!

That was all I was saying.......

 

[Corpsebride]

There always seems to be 2 camps. Us, the 24/7 Disney lovers and the other camp. Who HATE Disneyland. Now, hate is such a strong word but I have never encountered anyone who is "eh" about Dl. It is either a true love or HATE.
Now ,we all know that there seems to be an endless list of the LOVE of Disney.
The way a child lights up at a character greeting, falling in love on a date, the teenager who gets to experience the first steps of independence to run free unfettered with parental supervision, but still gets to stay in touch with their childhood by wearing Ears , the food, the changing of the seasons, the RIDES!!
And so many other things, but to HATE Disney. Hmmmm. What is it about Dl that is "hateable"?
I have to join in on the agreement of another poster. I had a friend who and I quote "Truly despises Disneyland and all things Disney". We are no longer friends.
So just curious, what is the beef?
To the Original poster, good luck.
I hope your Bf gets a big dose of the magic and learns to love it as much as you do.

 

[disney-inspired]

There always seems to be 2 camps. Us, the 24/7 Disney lovers and the other camp. Who HATE Disneyland. Now, hate is such a strong word but I have never encountered anyone who is "eh" about Dl. It is either a true love or HATE.

My mom is "eh" about DL, she'll go only because I want to go and that's only when the whole family is coming. She doesn't get my love for it but she doesn't hate it.

 

[Gisele]

Or if all else fails, I live in Ca. so you can take me instead, and leave dbf at home.

 

[Gisele]

Now he's an EX!! And I practically live at DL and have never been happier!! HA HA HA!!

Good for you! Marciern22!

I was wondering, are you a nurse? Seeing the rn in your name.

 

[Corpsebride]

My mom is "eh" about DL, she'll go only because I want to go and that's only when the whole family is coming. She doesn't get my love for it but she doesn't hate it.

Now ,see that is interesting. Does she warm to the idea once she is there and enjoys it or is she "eh" the whole trip? I suppose that I am just curious about this. I guess its because I have been psycho in love with Disney and all things Disney since I knew what Disney was. So , yes it is hard to imagine anyone denying themselves the joy I get out of it.
Not only have I been drinking the punch, I am swimming it in!

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

There are lots of reasons people don't like it - same as with malls and shopping at Christmas time.

I've seen on other threads folks that have issues with crowds - mildly xenophobic, if you will. One DISer's hubby is a cop who gets antsy when he is crowded. Another worried about her ex-military hubby who has Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Others don't like the "childishness" for whatever reason. They never learned how to play (it really is a learned skill). They have control issues and can't let go. Their humor is different. They don't feel that overwhelming joy - they are just overwhelmed.

They've never had "it" explained to them. They just see the mega monster corporation.

The list goes on. I don't blame folks. If there weren't folks that didn't like it, the place would be packed all the time.

I can't find any redeeming values in Six Flags, or Knotts, or other theme parks. That's just me. Lots of folks who have never really been to Disney lump it in with the ones I mentioned and don't like it for the same reasons.

 

[Gisele]

A former boyfriend,stated while we were dating, that Disneyland is for children. OMG! that was but one part of the writing on the wall, for me! I would always say to him, that Disneyland is for children of all ages, and he would always be silent after that. I suppose he did not want to argue the point. I could have lived with that, but when he said to me one day, that he hoped that I one day, would not want my horse and my cats, well believe it or not, I was actually dumbfounded by that commentary, not to mention speechless! Imagine that! Me, speechless! he he! Seriously though, this is someone that did not have so much as a chia pet! So when we began to date, and he told me that he likes cats, and does not have a problem with them, well what a stinking hypocritical liar, he turned out to be! Needless to say, we are not married! Ha Ha! Thank God!
I have news for you men, I love horses, cats, dogs, Halloween, and I like to eat in bed! I have many other interests as well! Deal with it!