Was Your Spouse A Non-Believer?

[smkiya]

I've been planning my trip for a week now, and my husband wants little involvement. He wants to spend most of his time relaxing by the pool, and says he hates amusement parks. Can WDW really be summed up as such? Who spends a year planning to go to Six Flaggs? Even my mom says to me, "Do you have to pay even if you don't get on the rides?" Huh? Are they seriously in the dark, or am I just overly excited?

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I've been planning my trip for a week now, and my husband wants little involvement. He wants to spend most of his time relaxing by the pool, and says he hates amusement parks. Can WDW really be summed up as such? Who spends a year planning to go to Six Flaggs? Even my mom says to me, "Do you have to pay even if you don't get on the rides?" Huh? Are they seriously in the dark, or am I just overly excited?

Ooooh, just wait. I had to DRAG my dh kicking and screaming to disney in 1994. We've been DVC owners for 5 years now .

The best irony? The hotel I first dragged him to stay at was Wilderness Lodge, and that's where we ended up buying DVC, because, "It's my favorite"-DH is totally a believer.

Here's the secret; stop trying to convince him, and once you get there, you don't even have to point out how awesome it is, Disney will work its magic all on its own.

and if it doesn't, and he still hates it, then there's something wrong with him and I'm afraid you'll have to file for divorce...

 

[ckdsnynt]

My husband did this one year while we stayed at BWI. At those rates too! All he wanted to do was lay by the pool and he is usually as crazy about all the rides as I am. But he was having a really rough year at work and as long as he wasn't at work, he just wanted to lay around and enjoy the fact that he wasn't there! To make matters worse, our adult daughter that went with us wanted to lay there too, leaving me to go to the parks alone!
Oh, they would go for an hour or so - what fun is that? Then, they went back to the hotel and laid by the pool!
Seriously, if your hubby doesn't know about all the stuff to do, get him involved in the planning. He may not know that WDW is NOT just an amusement park. It truly is a WORLD of things to do and fun to be had! In fact, you can't do it all in one trip but you can sure try! If he is a part of the planning process, he will see that there is a great deal to do and won't want to just lay around, hopefully.
Happy planning!

 

[fussymonkey]

Mine is a non-believer! He's supportive and tolerant of my obsesive planning, but he's so not into Disney! He complains about "the mouse is raping my wallet again" becuase everything costs so much. He darn near ruined the last trip with his constant complaining about how expensive everything is. I'm paying for this trip myself and I'm hoping that in combination with us taking the kids (DD wen last time, but she was only 4 mo old) and seeing them LOVE it, will win him over. Good luck!

 

[smiles&grins]

We went last year and my DH didn't care one bit about planning. He said many times I was crazy for all my planning but by the end of the week I was talking him out of the bounce back trip!!! Do you have the disney planning DVD? Maybe if he sees how much more there is then rides. My DH was only excited about the swim with the sharks before we went but it was atleast one thing.

Hey there's always the beer around the world in Epcot, right??? If he doesn't get it don't let it ruin your trip. Seeing it with my DD for the 1st time was amazing!!! Can't wait to go again!! Good luck

 

[mjmoon]

I don't know if I could say he was a non-believer but he is definitely starting to show more excitement now than in the past. That's not to say he didn't enjoy our previous trips, but before this last one he would have easily picked Vegas over Disney. It's taken some time but he is definitely coming around.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Ooooh, just wait. I had to DRAG my dh kicking and screaming to disney in 1994. We've been DVC owners for 5 years now .

The best irony? The hotel I first dragged him to stay at was Wilderness Lodge, and that's where we ended up buying DVC, because, "It's my favorite"-DH is totally a believer.

Here's the secret; stop trying to convince him, and once you get there, you don't even have to point out how awesome it is, Disney will work its magic all on its own.

and if it doesn't, and he still hates it, then there's something wrong with him and I'm afraid you'll have to file for divorce...

I totally agree! It took me 2 years of marriage to convince my DH to go and finally he said he would go "for the kids." (Although mostly to shut me up I think.)

Hmmmm.....who was that man that looked just like my husband, jumping up and down in the MK with Tigger all excited that Tigger noticed the shirt he was wearing.

FWIW- He still doesn't like planning. But, he's not a planner about anything. I'm the OCD planner so he leaves it up to me.

 

[Colleen27]

Here's the secret; stop trying to convince him, and once you get there, you don't even have to point out how awesome it is, Disney will work its magic all on its own.

I agree. My inlaws took my kids on their first Disney trip, well before we could afford to go as a family, and my DH's initial reaction was "Good, now we don't have to take them." He went to Disney once as a kid, the year EPCOT opened, and saw it as a once-and-done childhood rite of passage. A few months later we got a small inheritance from a Disney loving relative and decided it would be a fitting tribute to her for us to use it to take the kids to Disney. DH was not all that excited, but the kids had been asking when we were going to take them back and he knew I wanted to go. That was 2005, our 4th trip as a family is coming up in May, and we're planning on a DVC purchase just as soon as we have the money saved. I didn't have to do any convincing... The magic of watching our then 4 & 7yos when we first walked through the gates of the Magic Kingdom won him over all on its own.

ETA: He's still not into the planning, but that's fine by my. My Disney OCD wouldn't appreciate a co-planner anyway! LOL

 

[F16_mama]

I could have written OPs post. It rings too true. We leave in less than 3 weeks, and he is not into it at all. He thinks I'm too excited and although he hasn't said it, I know he wishes I'd just shut up about it until we get there. I can't help it, I'm excited. It's our first trip to the world, but we've been to Disneyland many times, as we grew up nearby. It's not the same! Maybe he'll change his tune when we get there. He's also seeing only dollar signs, even though we're saving beaucoup bucks by taking advantage of the military offers right now. Oh well, that's just his nature. We'll have fun, he just doesn't know it yet! So will you!

 

[brockash]

Mine is a non-believer! He's supportive and tolerant of my obsesive planning, but he's so not into Disney! He complains about "the mouse is raping my wallet again" becuase everything costs so much. He darn near ruined the last trip with his constant complaining about how expensive everything is. I'm paying for this trip myself and I'm hoping that in combination with us taking the kids (DD wen last time, but she was only 4 mo old) and seeing them LOVE it, will win him over. Good luck!

Oh, this is sooo my DH. He and I went to WDW once for like 2 days (only time he had ever gone or probably ever saw anything Disney,) and honestly he wasn't horrible about it. We went to DL for 4 days and well it didn't go all that well, but then again DL isn't the same for me as WDW. Every other time we've gone, he's been deployed. Well this Sept. we'll be going and I'm really really hoping he gets it. We'll have our kiddos and I'm really hoping him seeing them there will do it, but we'll see. I finally had to have a heart to heart with him, that disney just isn't really an option, I'm going with my kids multiple times in our lives, and so now I think I've got him convinced to go at least every 2-3 years, but I'm really working on once a year, -I think I"ll get there by next Sept.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Does your husband work (I don't mean that in a rude way)? Is his job stressful? Especially right now? Does he act this way on other vacations?

When we went to OBX a few years ago, my suggestion was that we didn't need to "DO" anything, we had a whole beach to relax on. Now, in the end, I didn't really win that argument (we went to an aquarium one day and toured lighthouses another). This has also been my point of view when we would go to upstate New York to visit in-laws (I'm happy on the couch with the tv .. I mean a book).

It sounds like he wants time to relax and not run around like a maniac with a strict schedule. I felt this way when MouseEarsJenny and I were planning our trip in 2002, but got into it by the time we were there.

I suggest not to push him. Suggest going to the park with the family in the morning and then coming back for a nap or swim after lunch. If he wants to relax, go back to the park with the kids and leave him be. Sure, I know you don't want him to miss family time at WDW, but is it worth arguing over?

 

[ScrapperBelle]

I wouldn't say my DH was a non-believer, but he definitely wasn't as "into it" as I was. 1st trip...I did all the planning. He wanted to wait until all the kids were old enough to remember the trip because he was pretty sure it would be the only one. We stayed offsite because he didn't think a WDW resort was really worth it. (to be fair about this one, we also did SW/US/IOA/BG on that trip..so offsite worked well for us).

Well, about 3 days into that trip, I caught him saying things like, "well, we can always do that next trip." He began picking out hotels he thought looked nice for the next trip.

Today, WDW is the 1st place he wants to go. This year our 16 y/o is staying home because he's "tired of Disney" and DH tries to convince him everyday to go. Now I'm the one who says to just let him be and DH keeps saying, "but he's going to miss a really good time!" and "I can't believe anyone could get tired of WDW!"

I can't really say I did anything to make him change his mind. I just planned a nice 1st trip. We were lucky with crowds and weather and the kids were extremely well behaved. I've always believed it was a magical place and I just have to believe that some of that rubbed off on practical, reliable DH.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

DH made his first trip to WDW at age 32. After his 2nd trip we had a DCL Panama canal cruise and Disneyland trip planned. During the 3rd trip we had a belated wedding reception at the Living Seas. On his 4th trip we bought into DVC. Before the 5th trip we bought a 2nd DVC contract. On his 5th trip he bought the kids and I APs. On his 6th trip he got his own AP. All this happened in 3 years!

We will be moving to Orlando (Army willing) next summer. He's as excited as the kids and I are!

Let Disney work its magic. Some people get it and some don't. I am SO glad that my DH gets it.

 

[DISNEYNV]

DH took his first trip to Disney World with me when we were dating and he was not a fan of the mouse back then. We did drive from PA with a five year old ( now my 14yo DSD), stayed in a friends trailer with no AC and it was August... Hot and crowded!!!! It was only my second time too and it was not as enjoyable as the first. The magic really did not hit him until we went back in 2006 with my parents and our DD who was two at the time. We stayed onsite in May at POFQ and had the best time! We returned again the following year and stayed at AKL and this past year at OKW with two kiddos. We are returning again in May to AKL and can't wait! We would buy DVC if we could but I just think it is funny how much DH has changed his oppinion on Disney over the years... He even loves planning too and has planned our last two trips. Listening to the DIS podcast has helped as well as staying onside and watching our kids have the time of their lives!

 

[Darcy03231]

DH hates WDW. He went the first time when the oldest was 5 (he'll be 25 in July) and has never been back. I'm the Disney nut in my family and took the kids (4) on multiple trips and left him home. It worked well for all of us! He hates theme parks, rides, heat, lines, etc. His idea of a vacation is a cruise, an all inclusive resort or camping/fishing/kayaking (which I don't go on).

 

[DISNEYNV]

DH hates WDW. He went the first time when the oldest was 5 (he'll be 25 in July) and has never been back. I'm the Disney nut in my family and took the kids (4) on multiple trips and left him home. It worked well for all of us! He hates theme parks, rides, heat, lines, etc. His idea of a vacation is a cruise, an all inclusive resort or camping/fishing/kayaking (which I don't go on).

Wow! You take seperate vacations? I guess not everyone is a Disney fan but he could go and just hang at the hotel or pool or go fishing etc! There is so much more to do at Disney and Central Florida than just the parks.... Oh well, his loss!!!!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I should add that DH leaves all the planning to me and just occasionally mentions what he'd like to see and I incorporate that into our itinerary (laugh at me if you will, I never stand in lines with my itinerary )

Also, we *always* build in one day in the itinerary that involves doing absolutely nothing but goofing off at the resort and napping. Usually right in the middle of the vacation.

 

[nessz79]

It wasn't until we took the kids that my DH started to get into Disney. Before that, he thought it was too expensive and for kids. But the look on his kids' faces made him a little kid, too. It's like those Orlando commercials where the mom and dad take their kids and you see them turn into little kids, too. Not sure if anyone knows the one I'm talking about, but anyway...I think it's just different with the kids. Now DH is more excited about our next trip and I'm hoping each trip makes him more into it.

 

[missfigment]

maybe it's just a guy thing.....my husband goes cause he knows I love it. But he'd be totally fine never going again. Thats just not an option!

We leave for our 5 day vacation in a little less than 10 days with our 18 month old son, my mom, grandmother, brother, sister-n-law. And he doesnt see why I am doing the very little planning I am. (I am trying to keep the planning low key because then I'm labeled as "worrisome and obbsessive." You know, just cause I like to make lists (I really do! It gets me excited about our trip! And I dont forget anything, which relieves me of stress!) doesnt make me obbsessive.

As far as our trip goes....the planning I have done so far is:
1) Made a ressie for a character breakfast
2) Made a ressie for a date night for just him and I at Nine Dragons
3) made our packing list, which HAS to be done seeing how we are traveling with a toodler here!
4) Forwarded all info to my family through email
5) Gotten the number to rainforest cafe to make a ressie the day of
6) Started throwing odds and ends in "the disney box" so i dont forget

I think I'm being tame! He's happy to go, but he doesnt have that disney "high" that I have.

 

[luna99]

My DH is okay with going to disney once in a while but he is not the nut about it like I am and he definitely gets tired of me talking about it all the time. If he never went again in his life I think he would be okay with that and he once told me he could MAYBE go every other year. He asked me the other day "ok, so we were in disney in december.. if we went again this october, wouldn't you feel like "I did that not too long ago" and be bored?" haha...... he just does not know!

I also hope once we have kids and he sees how much fun it is with them and how much they enjoy it he will come around and want to go much more often.

Right now though, I try to think of ways to make it fun for him .... I suggested the food and wine festival because he loves trying new and unique food .. I have thought about suprising him by going to a game at disney's wide world of sports or having him take a fishing trip..

he is also of the mindset that he wants to relax on vacation... swim, lay out by the pool.. eat good meals.. and he doesn't want to go, go, go! which is fine by me since I've been to disney so many times I don't mind if I miss out on some of the attractions that I've seen 100 times.

good luck everyone! My dream is to someday own DVC and take our family there at least once a year!