The plan to turn a Disney hater to a Disney Lover

[Forevryoung]

Disney is my happy place- just a fact that most people don't understand (such as my family...)

My boyfriend and I make the most unlikely pair in the world (19 year age difference for starters) but he would do anything (and I mean anything) to see me happy. He is 41 years old and has never been to Disney (more on why in a minute) so when I was rambling on about planning another trip, he said that he would go with me. At first i was . After talking with him this weekend I'm wondering more than ever why he is going with me.

I learned:
1) My boyfriend stated he doesn't go on any rides (I'm silently assuming he can handle Haunted Mansion and Pirates type stuff)

2) He doesn't like fireworks (that one was stated after telling him that I can't wait to see Wishes again).

So I asked him why he is even bothering to come. I have no issue going alone or finding another friend to join me but he says that he will "keep an open mind" and want this to be completely "Disney" so he can see why it's my happy place. What a task!!!!!

After moping around, I decided that if he is going to hold me back and make me unhappy, we can split up. It's my vacation as much as his. And tough about the fireworks, I will be resting my head on his shoulder during Wishes... Sorry tough guy, I'm putting my foot down somewhere

So, the beginning of January 2008 has been chosen for our trip for numerous reasons. Many of which you can probably guess (crowds, weather...)

More to come on making this the most magical trip ever- I have some ideas up my sleeve (anyone else have special ideas?)

 

[photo_chick]

I think show him it is about so much more than just the rides. My DH is reluctant to go because we live right by Six Flags and frequent ot every summer (yeah, 3 times a week is pretty frequent). DH just does not get why I want to take the kids on a 1000 mile trek just to ride rides. I keep trying to tell him but I guess I jst have to show him. I have not been to WDW, but remember my trips to DL as a kid when we lived near LA. I remember how magical the whole place seemd to me (my last trip I was 8).

Of course I also remember throwing up after the Mad Hatter's Tea Party! But we won't mention that to DH!

What are your ideas get him into the magic of WDW while there? I need some!! SO far I know that we have to stay at a Disney resort, to get the "full Disney effect" as my friend told me. (we are staying at POP) And we have character meals planned. But I am kinds stuck about how to really get DH into it. THe kids are easy (they will be 8 and 5 when we go), but how to get DH into it is tougher.

 

[Forevryoung]

The Resort Choice: 6 nights at the beginning of Jan 2008 (Any more than 5 days in the parks would kill him and I need more than one day in each park to be able to redo my favorites/things I missed )

Two things to know- value season and I have already decided on the DDP being something that he would enjoy (so swan/dolphin are out even with his gov't discount).

I was considered a value but then I realized that it would probably scare him instead

Then I thought that POR or POFQ would be perfect because he loves New Orleans and the south

Then I wondered if WL would be even BETTER because of the amazing atmosphere, the boat ride to the MK but if I am going to go to a deluxe, maybe I should do the AKL instead (stayed there Jan 06) because it was absolutely amazing and I know a savannah view WOULD wow him. But then I realized that an AKL savannah view would be more expensive then a regular room at the Contemporary... I have since decided that AKL and CR are too expensive for us at this time.

So I asked the Disney Hater if he had any opinion after showing him pictures and telling him about the differences between WL and POR/POFQ. He suggested POFQ because it's smaller than POR and he wasn't wowed by the pictures of WL.

So, I think I am going to take his advice and just go with POFQ (upgrade to king bed) and save us the $350. Never stayed there- hope it's the right choice. POFQ Disney enough??

 

[Forevryoung]

So I had an interesting idea that I will have to figure out eventually.

POFQ for 6 nights + DDP + 7 Day tickets
or
Value for the first night (I have a feeling we will have to grab a later flight and go to Ohana for dinner and can pay OOP, wont need a park ticket for the day) + WL or AKL for the other 5 nights + DDP + 6 day tickets

The split stay would be about $125-$150 more than the 6 nights at POFQ and I would save around $150 by not staying that 6th night at the deluxe.

I don't care where we stay. Just want this to be a magical trip for DBF. The surprise will definitely catch him off guard (I wouldn't tell him where we are staying).

I'm considering it would be annoying to get from a value to the deluxe early that first morning to get to the park as close to opening as possible- would need to take a cab to make it efficient because we would have to check in to get our park tickets/DDP.

Second option is to do 2 nights at the value and 4 nights at the deluxe and get 2 one day tickets to have the DDP and save the tickets for the next trip. We would come out even (no savings originally) but we would have 2 one day tickets for the next trip...

Too much to think about!

I'm going to call my best friend whose husband is a CM and see if he could help me too.

 

[disneyaddicted]

Your plan to change a disney hater is not impossible, although he does seem to dislike alot of what disney is about, good luck with all of that, I am married to a disney disliker, I call him the Ogre, we went last April, he said he was done with Disney but has recently anounced that he is willing to give it another shot in a few years, in the mean time, I have an all girls trip planned December 2007. I'm keeping my magic with or without the Ogre. Your attitude towards the whole thing is great, don't let him ruin your magic! But I am sure he will like it, even if he refuses to admit it. It's such a romantic place for couples as well.

 

[Forevryoung]

Thanks Disneyaddicted for the support. I call Disney Hater an Ogre too!!! He's definitely the shape of one and Shrek is my favorite movie so it's not a completely bad thing (he has constant body noises like one too but thats a separate issue)

I think he has his opinion of Disney for a number of reasons. He isn't one of those guys who will say he will "try" and then not give his best shot so I'm willing to just go with it. Besides, I am 100% sure that he wouldn't do anything to ruin this trip for me. It means too much to me (just being there) and he knows it.

His reasons for not liking/never going to Disney (I'm making these up- I'm really not sure):

1. He's pooh sized
2. Not really the "Disney movie" type
3. His sister worked for Disney for a year and left her daughter in his care. They are both single parents. His niece hates Disney too- her mother left her for a year just to work there
4. He has difficulty walking far distances due to a knee injury from work, who knows what's going to happen on the trip but I'm prepared to leave him on a bench.
5. Fireworks have something to do with the marines??

He's adventurous- just bought a motorcycle (had one years ago), used to mountain climb, owns a sailboat, enjoys traveling, was in the Marines for a few tours... so it's not that

 

[disneyaddicted]

Hello FOREVRYOUNG,
The more you describe your guy he sounds like a big ol Teddy Bear, Disney will win him over, here's some added pixie dust though for good measure

 

[Forevryoung]

So tonight, St. Patrick's Day, we celebrated our one year anniversary. Can't believe it's been a year since we met. Exactly a year ago I was sitting in his car getting to know DBF, currently he's sleeping/snoring with his dog He's exhausted, it's ok.

So I left my resort dilemma until I can price it out with AAA packages and get the exact price difference between WL and POFQ. DBF works hard enough that we can easily stay at WL though (2 full time jobs)

That leaves where to eat, DDP

Disney hater is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. He will be happy with steak or chicken but very little else.

TS Possibilities off the top of my head:
'Ohana, Kona Cafe, Le Cellier, Tony's, Chef Mickey's (for breakfast), Trails End, Cape May, Beaches and Cream

I'll keep thinking and dreaming of this far far away trip . Time to go back to reality (aka school) tomorrow. Have a ton of work to do as always!

 

[Forevryoung]

Soooooo I started day dreaming about park days:

Disney Hater is a lazy man, he hates walking (I have no problem saying "you dont want to walk, find a bench. See you later").

To minimize walking, prevent me from going commando, and to take it nice and easy, I came up with a park plan-
5 park days technically:
1 day MK
1/2 day AK (till a little after lunch)
1/2 day DS/MGM (till a little after lunch)
2 days EPCOT (not full days, more like 3/4 days)

I need to see Illuminations once and Spectro/Wishes twice but that will be easy to accomplish. One night on the 1/2 park day we will check out the Boardwalk and Jellyrolls. The other two nights can be free to play by ear and relax. I can spend all day at AK and DS/MGM but I dont want to overwhelm the poor boy. If he can stand it we can stay later or I can go back on an EMH night without him to ride the thrill rides (aka RNR coaster over and over and over).

 

[bumbershoot]

"His reasons for not liking/never going to Disney (I'm making these up- I'm really not sure)"

Well first off, you have to find out WHY, don't you?


Fireworks/Marines, combined with his age...was he involved somehow with Desert Storm? PTSD is real, and I'd hate for someone with serious issues to freak out during a pretty fireworks show!


I'm just not hearing "disney hater" in your descriptions. I have been a Disney hater, well, maybe not HATE, but not the hugest fan. Can't stand the movies (until Pixar, that is, and even those Pixar movies I like were BEFORE Disney bought 'em), forced happiness makes me gag, etc etc etc. But then I saw bits and pieces of one too many Disney promos, and I realized that Walt was just a guy, and it's not HIS fault it became a massive corporation. That realization allowed me to like more than just Disney, by the way, but almost any huge corporation that was started by a person and a dream...

Then I went to DL as an adult, and it was fun, so now I'm cool with it. Still a bit conflicted by the resources they use, but that's another story.


So anyway, if he does think about his weight, perhaps he is thinking of midway/fair rides? Let him know the Disney rides seem to be bigger than a local fair's rides.

If he has issues walking, talk about how he can take care of that. If I were having issues walking, I'd have NO problem renting a wheelchair for the day, and I'm only 37. I get tired of those with physical problems who are so egotistical about how they appear to others that they won't rent chairs and whatnot, and instead will sit out on entire activities, so if that is the issue, try to figure it out now. I can't even invite my MIL to the zoo with her grandson b/c she can't walk much and refuses to rent a wheelchair even though she needs it.


Now I will say I've never been to Disneyworld.

But I will say that, while I was a Disney-disliker, it probably wouldn't have worked for me. I *had* been to DL before as a child, and liked it as a child. So a one-day blast through DL as an adult was *perfect* for me to see the fun, and made a one-day blast the next year easier to do. Now we're planning a 4 day stay for this year. And maybe next year I'll feel up to doing WDW. But not yet, it's just too much.

So, and remember I haven't been there, maybe, just maybe, you could consider Disney Lite, AKA Disneyland, for this first trip?

 

[Forevryoung]

Bumbershoot, your concerns are real and I aprreciate your response, really.

He wasn't in desert storm. He was out of the marines by then . He considers himself a "manly man" and wont talk about his feelings beyond "I've had the opportunity to go to Disney and I never wanted to go" His sister worked there for over a year, he could easily have gone and stayed with her. I know the rest of the family visited her.

I've convinced him that it's not all "rides" that he is thinking of. He trusts me.

I've tried to talk about why he has no interest in going and he sort of blows me off. I KNOW he wants to keep me excited about the trip and he knows that if I know something "sensitive", I'll worry. I've told him that he doesn't have to go several times. He wants to see me happy, he's made that clear.

We will take care of the massive amounts of walking. Either he will rent an ECV for a long day (I cant push him) or he will rest frequently. I'm making sure that we have shorter days that are tailored to him. I have few "must do's" that are selfishly for me (like watching Spectromagic and Wishes with my head on his shoulder like in my dreams).

He doesn't give a poop what others think, that's for sure. I'm not bringing an ECV up until closer to our trip. I refuse to give us something to bicker about for the next 8 months.

Disneyland's farther and would be fewer days (less to do). It's an idea but it's not where I want to be.

 

[poohhappy1]

"The split stay would be about $125-$150 more than the 6 nights at POFQ and I would save around $150 by not staying that 6th night at the deluxe."

Save your $$...I think that POFQ is nice enough to impress your guy. It sounds like a perfect fit for you since he won't want to walk a lot. You can take the boat over to POR for the piano act in the lounge or to DD for perhaps the Comedy Club for some adult fun.

What does your boyfriend really like to do? That might help us to make some more suggestions.

I would definately rent an ECV for EPCOT. The other parks don't seem quite as overwhelming visually but the size of EPCOT is fairly obvious from many locations. It might scare him.

I'm sure you will pick great restaurants that you both can enjoy.

When I tried to convert my non-Disney family members it didn't go so well. I had a troupe of people sprawled out on a grassy patch in EPCOT, just exhausted. My advice would be to decide what you think he can handle and then cut that in half.

 

[Forevryoung]

Ok, DBF repeated "no walking 30 miles", "breakfast every day", "I don't want to switch hotels 14 times in 7 nights" and "everything is up to you, i have no input" once again this week when I brought it up

He once again said "no rides" but at least he's only saying it because it bugs the poo out of me (wonderful boyfriend!)

So, I have a list of my must do's in each park, a few of them I know I will be doing alone (rockin' roller coaster, mission space I'll send him to the easy side...) everything else I'm leaving up in the air depending on how he feels.

I think we can do 4 bigger breakfasts (Crystal Palace before opening, I think he will shoot me regarding the early time of arrival but tough!). Decided to skip Chef Mickeys although I would enjoy going I have a feeling the atmosphere won't be something he would "love" (Kona Cafe for breakfast was my second choice)

I don't know about our first night, it definitely depends on if he takes off work, works a full day or works a half day... He usually leaves at 3:30 and can possibly be either home by 4:30 or go straight to the airport (I would meet him) depending on flights. I don't think I can ask him to take the day off, he's already going to be missing 9 "days" of work for a six night trip (works 2 40 hour jobs)

I think he would enjoy an Illuminations cruise- would be a great surprise for him one of our no-park nights and the lego store at DTD would be up his ally

I just have 14 million ideas for meals and part of the problem will be that spectro is most likely not going to be every night we are there and I HAVE to see spectromagic, it's my favorite and if I miss it, the trip wouldn't be the same

So until park hours come out I cant figure out meals... must wait till JULY

(PS so I suggested we move the trip up to May and DBF was ok with it except we wont have the money together by then because he just bought a HARLEY! ohyea and he can't take off work )

 

[Forevryoung]

DBF has a connection that may get me a coveted position for a 15 week externship that I have to do to complete my masters back home instead of where school is located. This guy seems pretty willing to jump through hoops for me in the future as well.

If I am able to live at home and get rid of my apartment for the rest of the lease (putting my stuff in storage) would mean that my stipend will go into my pocket instead of toward rent

If this is the case, I'm going to splurge and surprise DBF with a stay at the AKL instead of POFQ

He would never spend that much money on a hotel room but it was his first thought when asked where he would like to stay "how about that hotel with the animals?" He likes the idea of POFQ and that's where I will tell him we are staying. He will have no clue till we check in.

I think he would love to be pampered, love the atmosphere, we are spending a lot of time at the resort and while I understand POFQ is great and quaint, I'm worried about the weather and such (January)

I'm psyched! (PS we ironed out his cranky-ness)

 

[Forevryoung]

I'm glad the trip is so far away- I'm soooooo stuck.

Decided against AKL (uhhhh for now) for WL. It's going to bug me that we wont have a savannah view and DBF is such a picky eater that Boma and Jiko are completely out. So it's silly to stay somewhere where food is going to be an issue.

And then I got idea number 78,695,048

January = AP discounts

What if staying at WL with an AP discount and DDE saves us money over AAA/DDP I priced it out and if we can get an $80 discount off standard room at WL it's worth it (total cost for AP, DDE, and food out of pocket will only be around $60 more than AAA/DDP ). If I can get a $100 discount, it's going to save us money to do it that way.

But this isn't REALLY going to save me money because of course I'm going to have to take a solo trip after graduation I have a feeling family will help pay for a solo trip as a graduation present.

Soooooooooo any idea what I should do? I have to wait to book POFQ with DDP anyway because it has to go through AAA and their system isn't set up for 2008 yet.

Can I go through my AAA travel agent for the AP/DDE plan? That way I can book POFQ/DDP and then switch it over if the AP discount comes out.

 

[medicgirl911]

Wow girly, you are making my head swim!! You are thinking of staying everywhere! LOL!!! The preplanning is one of the funnest parts for me as well though. Your pretrip report actually caught my eye, cuz my DH is also a "disney hater" I am winning the battle though.....today he bought 2 Disney shirts all on his own!!!! I hope you have success as well. can't wait to see what you finally decide on.

Oh and one thing I am doing to "win" him over to my side....Richard Petty Driving Experience....if your guy is any type of racing fan, I would consider it! Heck even if he isn't a racing fan, what guy wouldn't want to drive an actual nascar at 150mph?!?!? He may be more impressed with something like that than teh resort you pick Also if he enjoys fishing or golf you may want to look into those type of activities as well. Heck he could even do something like that while you are off enjoying the park alsone for a while.
Ok sorry I was beginning to ramble.. lol keep us posted!

 

[Forevryoung]

Medicgirl911- DBF is a medic (I'm just a lowly emt) He does both 911 (nights) and works for Medcorp on a construction site during the day (building the new baseball stadium for the Mets). You might understand his personality a little better now

I have nothing to do but think about Disney and do my grad school work- I have no friends where I live and no place to go so until I get out of here, I have time to obsess

He wouldn't enjoy the driving experience- not a big NASCAR/racing fan at all (thinks driving in circles is "dumb" when I probed it). No golf... potential for fishing.

There is no battle here- DBF got a motorcycle 2 weeks ago, I went to visit him, was scared out of my mind, got on the back of the bike and loved it. He knows it works both ways (he got me into sailing too)

Sorry for making everyone's head spin

 

[Forevryoung]

Well I thought that I needed to revive my pre-trip report/plan because of a few expected/unexpected surprises.

After making me promise that the Swan was my final decision, I was offered to use a CM discount by a good friend who is a seasonal CM. So I had to go back to the drawing board of course.

Decided that the WL is a good bet for us and I once again promised the boyfriend that I would not change my mind again. So once you can book 2008 dates online, I can have my friend reserve my room.

Then I had to figure out ADR's because my boyfriend is picky but likes good food. Add to that the fact that he wants breakfast every day- I'm just going to want to get to the parks!

So here are my tentative ADR's:

1st night dinner: Kona Cafe
late epcot night: WCC for breakfast (potentially Trails End instead), Le Cellier for dinner
Early epcot night: lunch at Coral Reef
MK day: breakfast at Crystal Palace
DS/MGM: Lunch at 50's Prime Time Cafe
AK: House of Blues for dinner
Last Morning: Boma for brunch

Any suggestions?

PS we are going to purchase our park tickets next week and get that out of the way! This is becoming real yay