Way to make this trip a 5 Star, relaxing experience?

[MagicalMomAZ]

DH will be 40 in 9/08....we were planning on leaving the kids w/ Grandma & we'd go on a week long trip somewhere we'd never seen. Dh is a loner, a man of solitude, a bit of a foody & above all else a HATER of crowds.

DS will be 4 in 7/08 -so we thought that following October (DD's Fall Break) would be the perfect time to go.

DH JUST pointed out to me that he would be spending his relaxing 40th in busy DL! I never thought it out! SO here I am trying to fix things. DH says, "There's no way you can possibly give me a good time in DL, I just go for you guys." - oh, did I forget to mention he's grumpy & feels DL is a big scam?

So I have a challenge it seems. I have a 1.5 yrs to figure this out. To make the trip cost effective, leisurely, fine dining, relaxing.

I need help. In the past DL has been (although yummy) mediocre food, crowded & tiring - there has to be a way to work around that? Say yes. Please.

If I had some tips I'm sure I could research this to death & make it happen for us.

 

[honeymom]

Hi from nearby Cave Creek.

While it costs a fortune, we stayed at the GCH on our last trip and it was relaxing. The chaise lounge chairs by the pool are thick and cushy and the overall atmosphere of the hotel was much more relaxed than I have felt elsewhere at DL. They also have a spa - your dh could get a massage. For fine dining, eat at Napa Rose at the hotel and at Ralph Brennans Jazz Kitchen (upstairs dining room). I have also read great things about Catal. For breakfast, do the character breakfast at Storytellers. It isn't as in your face as the other character breakfasts and the food is actually good.

Look into taking a VIP tour to help break away from the crowds. Don't try to do everything - take things at a more leisurely pace.

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

Hi there - lots of AZ folk on here!

If we can get that special rate mentioned on another thread $209/nt first part of Oct .... we may try & make the GCH happen. Hopefully it's around next yr as well.

If we can eat most our meals at good restaurants & just snack in the park - that may help DH's picky palate. Thanks for the tips!!

 

[honeymom]

I forgot to mention, but for inexpensive breakfasts, Whitewater Snacks is actually very good and lowkey counter service. You shouldn't feel that you always have to break the bank on your trip.

 

[Tink33]

DH will be 40 in 9/08....


DH JUST pointed out to me that he would be spending his relaxing 40th in busy DL! I never thought it out! SO here I am trying to fix things. DH says, "There's no way you can possibly give me a good time in DL, I just go for you guys. " - oh, did I forget to mention he's grumpy & feels DL is a big scam?

My DH feels the same way about Disneyland. I would skip Disneyland and let DH pick the place to celebrate his 40th birthday. Special birthdays only happen once in a lifetime. When DH turned 40 we did exactly what he wanted to do and when I turn 40 in a couple weeks we will do what I want to do. In my family, the birthday person makes the decisions.

 

[fidoprincess]

After years and years of visiting Dl, we finally figured out how to make a trip to DL relaxing-stay a long time-lol!

Your DH sounds a lot like mine and does not like DL much. We went last June and stayed 10 days at DLH. We never felt rushed to do anything and spent a lot of time just lounging at the pool which the kids loved and DH enjoyed as well. When we went to DTD, he would plant himself at the UVA bar and have a snack and a beer-lol. We always felt as though we had all the time in the world and would do Dl a few hours and then pool and then nice dinners and go back to DL for the nighttime entertainment.

People thought we were insane to stay so long but every other time we would go, it would be like running a marathon and we would all come home exhausted and cranky as if we needed a vacation from our vacation! Getting to the park at opening and staying until closing is impossible to do with little kids and everyone was stressed. True, we spent a fortune on our long trip but we all really had a great time and never ever felt rushed. It was the first time we left DL feeling as though we got to do everything we wanted to do without rushing. If DH wanted to read and relax, we were so close that I felt comfortable taking the kids to DL by myself for a few hours and then meeting him for lunch or something. If dd wanted to do something different from ds, it was fine, we had time. DH and ds went off by themselves a few times too and we would have never done that on a 3 or 4 day trip. They really enjoyed their time together and really it was just wonderful! Not one of us was ever bored once.

I am not sure that 10 days would fit your budget but 7 would be good too. GC would be wonderful and even more relaxing but the rooms are small for a long visit and my kids just love the DLH pool so we chose DLH. I used to think that several short trips each year were the best way to go, the more trips the better but now I will always pick one long long trip just to soak it all in and really relax!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I also was going to suggest staying at the GCH, or if budget doesn't permit, perhaps staying there for part of your trip. And for a relaxing day on the actual 40th birthday, would he like to be treated to a massage at the Mandara Spa? Maybe he could do that while you and the kids hit the park in the afternoon? I think dinner at Napa Rose, Granville's (DLH) or another very nice restaurant would be appreciated by your DH. (I was thinking there were 3 sort of upscale restaurants that were part of the resorts/resort hotels, but the 3rd escapes me at the moment...

 

[mikayla73]

I agree with the others that GCH would be the way to go for him. And if the budget doesn't permit to go for the entire time, you could always stay there a couple days only, making one of them his actual b-day. Another suggestion is to do something else on his b-day that he wants to do. You can go to DL every other day you are there, but you could let him decide what to do on his actual b-day. Or you could surprise him by doing something else on "his" day. Like a day trip to Catalina Island. That would get him away from the hustle and bustle of DL and he could pick what you get to do there. Their website is www.catalina.com. Just a thought.