What's it like for adults who aren't real into... ears?

[Holly79]

Hi all! I'm new here. Forgive me for jumping right in, but I've been wondering something.

My husband and I are both in our late twenties. He's mentioned going on some sort of 5 day getaway in late spring. I know he was thinking of Vegas but we've been there twice and I'd like to try something different.

Nobody shoot, but I've never been a real big fan of Disney cartoon characters. I mean, sure I like a lot of the movies, but I'm not like, nuts about any of the characters or anything. Never have been. My husband was born and raised in East India so it he was never even exposed to Disney stuff until adulthood. He likes theme parks in general, but he's not a big fan of Disney cartoon characters either.

However even though I'm not crazy about Disney stuff, I'm very much a kid at heart. I adore the idea of castles, princesses, haunted houses and stuff like that. My husband's much more of a dare devil/adventure person.

We're by no means anti-Disney! We're just into the more tweenage stuff like Princess Diaries and Pirates of the Caribbean as opposed to Cinderella and Mickey Mouse.

So, I guess my main question is, would Disney World still be a good place to visit even if you're not much of an "ears" person? And is it so Mickey saturated that ever single place you turn you're met with a cartoon character or illustration? Since we don't have kids, we might feel kind of funny being bombarded with cartoons all day and I'm just not sure how it's all set up over there.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Muppet_Girl]

I would recommend the parks other than MK. You would probably most enjoy these because they are not as character focused- although all parks do have characters. Of course, you should visit MK as no visit really is complete without it, but focus your time there to evenings or EMH where there are less children and less characters running about.

 

[Holly79]

ParkS? As in, more than one?

Toto, I don't think we're in Six Flags anymore...

 

[nurse.darcy]

Okay, a mini tutorial on Walt Disney World (and I might mention that "Princess Diaries" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" are both "Disney").

At Walt Disney World there are 4 theme parks. . .Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom Park. Each park has a unique theme.

At Magic Kingdom it is all about the "Magic" of Disney. . .many, many characters at the park but mainly focused around an enormous "Cinderella's Castle" and the traditional Disney Characters. . .

Fun rides for both:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean (no Mickey ears here). Jack Sparrow is now a starring atraction.
2. Space Mountain. . .sure to thrill most all. Its a dark and daring roller coaster through outer space.
3. Splash Mountain. . .A fun loving ride with just a touch of whimzy and a FABULOUS drop at the end leading in a huge splash.
4. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. . .A fun loving, high speed train through a mountainous mine. Sure to tackle the thrill issue. . .

Sidenotes:

Magic Kingdom is a "dry" park (i.e.; no alcohol is served here)
You will find LOADS of Mickey Ears but I have never felt that Mickey ears were in my face constantly.

At Epcot, its two parks in one. You get to tour some exciting countries in World Showcase. . .sample their foods and enjoy their signature drinks (that actually include the alcohol), shop in shops you might find in those countries and basically enjoy some new cultures. . .Mexico, France, Japan, China, Morocco, Italy, America, Canada, Africa, Norway, Germany, and other countries are represented at the world showcase. . .This is an area not to be missed.

The other part of Epcot is Future World. There are many rides here and some stuff just not worth missing. . .test track, Mission Space, Soarin, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Spaceship Earth. All of this stuff is just fun. . .

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, its more about entertainment. . ."Hollywood Style". . .you have shows like the "Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular", "Lights, Motors, Action", "Beauty and the Beast" and "Voyage of The Little Mermaid". Thrill rides include "Tower of Terror" and "Aerosmith's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster". For your Dining Pleasure, enjoy a meal at Hollywood's Brown Derby Restaurant, or stop off for a cocktail at the "Tune Inn Lounge. . .Just tell the bartenders that Darcy and Patty sent you.

Last but DEFINITELY not least. . .Animal Kingdom. This is like a zoo on steroids. There are some fantastic trails to view animals of all kinds. There are a few awesome thrill rides. There are a couple of great shows and there are a couple of good restaurant/bar locations.

1. Thrill Rides. . .

a. Expedition Everest. . .this is an awesome forward/backward roller coaster. . .If you ride it you become a junkie for life. . .

b. Kilimanjaro Safari. . .Think San Diego Wild Animal Park but in an open air Jeep. . .lots of fun.

c. Dinosaur. . .part simulator, part animatronics, part thrills. . .just enjoy going back in time on this spectacular journey through prehistoric life.

d. Kali River Rapids. . .a white water rapids adventure sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. . .

Restaurants include Yak and Yeti. . .Asian cuisine with a hint of suburbian flair, Tusker House. . .an African Buffet, and Rainforest Cafe. . .A commercial restaurant specializing in really yummy food.

Well that is the parks in a nutshell. If you want more information on a Disney vacation, feel free to use the PM button to ask me any question you may have.

To my friends who know how much I love Disney. . .sorry I sound like Stacy tonight. . .lol.

 

[Muppet_Girl]

ParkS? As in, more than one?

Toto, I don't think we're in Six Flags anymore...

You are right! This is no Six Flags LOL. IMO it's way better.

The parks you will probably like (in regards to my other post) are Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom.

 

[WizardLarz]

Don't worry Holly79 you are not the first nor will you be the last to not know that there 4 theme parks at WDW. Also let us not forget 2 Water Parks and a Huge shopping District. Then of course you can to chose from over 20 ( I think it is 20? ) different Hotel Resorts on Disney property were you can stay can soak up more of the Disney fun!
Just take a deep breath and let the question fly! We here on the Dis love to Help! The simplest suggestion I can give you is to go the Disney Web site and sign up for the free Trip planning CD!

 

[Holly79]

WOW! My husband is really into movies in general so I high so a lot of this sounds right up his alley. And shopping too, score! I just spotted another thread with a Dooney & Bourke Disney purse. It's pretty cute!

I just requested the Disney Themepark info DVD from the Disney website.

I know both Princess Diaries and Pirates are Disney movies, I was attempting to demonstrate how we like some parts of Disney stuff, but not so much others. Poor illustration, sorry!.

Oh! Oh! I do love Pooh! A TON! However I wish the Pooh character was the size he is in the cartoons, which I do believe is as tall as Christopher Robin's waist. To see a huge, 6 foot tall Pooh wandering about would be a bit disheartening, but I would still love to see some kind of Pooh Corner if they have that type of thing.

There's no way I'd want to skip the Magic Kingdom altogether. That's where the castle is, right?? If so, I can definitely deal with some excess micery.

 

[Holly79]

Hmmm, I'm kind of starting to get excited. Now I just have to talk my DH into it. Vegas would no doubt be less expensive, but this sounds so much more fun!

 

[Dizmom0923]

Okay, a mini tutorial on Walt Disney World (and I might mention that "Princess Diaries" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" are both "Disney").

At Walt Disney World there are 4 theme parks. . .Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom Park. Each park has a unique theme.

At Magic Kingdom it is all about the "Magic" of Disney. . .many, many characters at the park but mainly focused around an enormous "Cinderella's Castle" and the traditional Disney Characters. . .

Fun rides for both:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean (no Mickey ears here). Jack Sparrow is now a starring atraction.
2. Space Mountain. . .sure to thrill most all. Its a dark and daring roller coaster through outer space.
3. Splash Mountain. . .A fun loving ride with just a touch of whimzy and a FABULOUS drop at the end leading in a huge splash.
4. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. . .A fun loving, high speed train through a mountainous mine. Sure to tackle the thrill issue. . .

Sidenotes:

Magic Kingdom is a "dry" park (i.e.; no alcohol is served here)
You will find LOADS of Mickey Ears but I have never felt that Mickey ears were in my face constantly.

At Epcot, its two parks in one. You get to tour some exciting countries in World Showcase. . .sample their foods and enjoy their signature drinks (that actually include the alcohol), shop in shops you might find in those countries and basically enjoy some new cultures. . .Mexico, France, Japan, China, Morocco, Italy, America, Canada, Africa, Norway, Germany, and other countries are represented at the world showcase. . .This is an area not to be missed.

The other part of Epcot is Future World. There are many rides here and some stuff just not worth missing. . .test track, Mission Space, Soarin, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Spaceship Earth. All of this stuff is just fun. . .

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, its more about entertainment. . ."Hollywood Style". . .you have shows like the "Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular", "Lights, Motors, Action", "Beauty and the Beast" and "Voyage of The Little Mermaid". Thrill rides include "Tower of Terror" and "Aerosmith's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster". For your Dining Pleasure, enjoy a meal at Hollywood's Brown Derby Restaurant, or stop off for a cocktail at the "Tune Inn Lounge. . .Just tell the bartenders that Darcy and Patty sent you.

Last but DEFINITELY not least. . .Animal Kingdom. This is like a zoo on steroids. There are some fantastic trails to view animals of all kinds. There are a few awesome thrill rides. There are a couple of great shows and there are a couple of good restaurant/bar locations.

1. Thrill Rides. . .

a. Expedition Everest. . .this is an awesome forward/backward roller coaster. . .If you ride it you become a junkie for life. . .

b. Kilimanjaro Safari. . .Think San Diego Wild Animal Park but in an open air Jeep. . .lots of fun.

c. Dinosaur. . .part simulator, part animatronics, part thrills. . .just enjoy going back in time on this spectacular journey through prehistoric life.

d. Kali River Rapids. . .a white water rapids adventure sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. . .

Restaurants include Yak and Yeti. . .Asian cuisine with a hint of suburbian flair, Tusker House. . .an African Buffet, and Rainforest Cafe. . .A commercial restaurant specializing in really yummy food.

Well that is the parks in a nutshell. If you want more information on a Disney vacation, feel free to use the PM button to ask me any question you may have.

To my friends who know how much I love Disney. . .sorry I sound like Stacy tonight. . .lol.

Oohhhh Darcy that was good......

 

[cbg1027]

I think you should give Disney a try. It's not cartoons at every corner. Some parts are not cartoony at all. NurseDarcy gave a great Cliff Notes. :thumbsup

Most of the thrill rides rides aren't going to be as intense as stuff at Six Flags or Cedar Point, Universal Islands of Adventure, etc. But I much prefer the rides at Disney because they have an extra element the other places don't do well - theming! The attention to detail, the set-up, and premise of the attractions at Disney can't be beat. It's not about how fast you can go, how many inversions there are on a coaster, how daring can we make the ride. It's about the story around it and how that fits in to make it an 'attraction' or 'experience', not just a ride.

I would recommend going to the library and seeing if they have a somewhat recent copy of Birnbaum's Disney World guidebook. That has good overviews of the attractions and descriptions of the themed areas within each park.

If you decide to get serious about planning a trip, I would highly recommend purchasing The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It's a great book and very helpful planning tool.

 

[u2girl1966]

Chiming in on the theming throughout the parks. Disney's attention to detail is amazing, everywhere you go. When we were there in '02, we spent a full day exploring other resorts just for all the little (and big) details that were everywhere.

 

[aggielawyer]

You've gotten lots of good info, but let me tell you my experience...

I didn't go to WDW until I was 26. I actually won a trip, and since I'd never been I was just like "OK, that's nice, I'll enjoy a vacation." I grew up near a six flags, and actually worked there in my teens. I thought I hated roller coasters. Even up to the morning that we left, I just had no clue what to expect.

That trip changed things. I screwed up my courage and tried the rides, and found out that I love roller coasters with loops--the more the better--but I don't like drops. I rode Tower of Terror once and I will never do it again. I totally fell in love with WDW and wanted to go back for years after that trip. I was finally able to go back in 2008, then 2009, and it will probably be a yearly trip for me as long as I can afford it.

I really think there is something for EVERYONE at WDW. Go and have fun. If you don't love it, you don't have to go back...or you might be like most of us here and become addicted.

 

[Pam&Rich]

My first trip to Disney was when my kids were 12, 15 & 18. Needless to say I fell in love! The 12 year old , now 20, is the biggest Disney fanatic ever! For high school graduation her gift was a trip to Disney so she and her best friend could get all the princesses' autographs! The two oldest, now 23 & 26, enjoy DAK, Epcot & DHS, they tolerate MK. Last trip we took with them was the 2008 F&W at Epcot. They went to MK with us only because I told them they had to see Wishes, then we gave them their tickets for the Halloween party and they got to Trick or Treet, they had a blast. Amazing how Disney has that way of bringing the kid out of you!

 

[Holly79]

Thank you all for your experiences!

So I approached my DH today and asked him our budget for our potential late spring vacation. He asked what I had in mind. I suggested $3,500 - $4,000. (I like to start high so I can work my way down.) Much to my surprise he said $3,500 sounded fairly doable. (Trust me, this will slowly shrink over time to around $3,000.)

He asked where I wanted to go, and my heart starts pounding and I'm getting butterflies of excitement. "Disney World!!"

"Disney World!?" "That's for kids!! We don't have kids, and no way do I want to be bombarded with other people's kids. Let me know when you have a real suggestion, okay?"



GRRR! I tried to explain that it's not just for kids but he brushed it off. However he can fairly easily be talked into things, I just need to present my case bit by bit over the next month or so. I hope the information DVD will help, but I'll probably watch it first to see if there are any kid heavy sections I should slide past when showing it to him.

Yes, true, there would be kids, but the good news is, we're not allergic. I'm sure if we chose the right resort and activities, it would be fine. Oh yeah, speaking of resorts, he did utter one scary comment and that was, "Besides, if we did ever go, we'd obviously want to stay off site to save money and avoid so many rugrats."

Um, yeah... so I'm new here, but I've already read enough threads to know that I'd totally want to stay on-site! I'm almost thinking I'm going to have to put together a power point presentation to convince him of all this.

 

[cbg1027]

Thank you all for your experiences!

So I approached my DH today and asked him our budget for our potential late spring vacation. He asked what I had in mind. I suggested $3,500 - $4,000. (I like to start high so I can work my way down.) Much to my surprise he said $3,500 sounded fairly doable. (Trust me, this will slowly shrink over time to around $3,000.)

He asked where I wanted to go, and my heart starts pounding and I'm getting butterflies of excitement. "Disney World!!"

"Disney World!?" "That's for kids!! We don't have kids, and no way do I want to be bombarded with other people's kids. Let me know when you have a real suggestion, okay?"



GRRR! I tried to explain that it's not just for kids but he brushed it off. However he can fairly easily be talked into things, I just need to present my case bit by bit over the next month or so. I hope the information DVD will help, but I'll probably watch it first to see if there are any kid heavy sections I should slide past when showing it to him.

Yes, true, there would be kids, but the good news is, we're not allergic. I'm sure if we chose the right resort and activities, it would be fine. Oh yeah, speaking of resorts, he did utter one scary comment and that was, "Besides, if we did ever go, we'd obviously want to stay off site to save money and avoid so many rugrats."

Um, yeah... so I'm new here, but I've already read enough threads to know that I'd totally want to stay on-site! I'm almost thinking I'm going to have to put together a power point presentation to convince him of all this.

You know what? I'm not a big fan of kids. But I love Disney World, and when I'm there, the children almost never bother me. In fact, they become cuter to me and I find myself smiling at them more.

Definitely watch the planning DVD by yourself first! I think if he sees it, it will enforce the cartoony/kids running amok idea. I think there is a small section in it about activities for adults though.

I would tell your DH that if you stay offsite, you pretty much HAVE to rent or have a car. If you stay onsite, you can use Disney transportation. Renting a car certainly isn't cheap anymore, so staying offsite won't save much money, if any.

Power point presentation? I love it! Let us know how it goes!

 

[nurse.darcy]

This is how I convinced my ex to go. . .

First I showed him pictures of the Boardwalk Inn the Beach Club and the Yacht Club and their amenities and all the fun stuff to do in that area. Then I told him about Atlantic Dance Hall, Jellyrolls and ESPN Zone and how close they were to our resort. Next I "introduced" him to a park by showing him the World Showcase at Epcot and providing him a list of countries and the specialty drinks available at each country. Then I introduced the Future World side of Epcot by presenting him with Test Track and Mission: Space. I then presented Animal Kingdom cause he loved going to San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. I took him on the trails and walked him through Kilimanjaro Safari and Expedition Everest. Then I presented Hollywood Studios to him by pointing out the Lights, Motors, Action stunt show and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (he likes this kind of stuff). Then presented the rides. . .Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. Mentioned lunch at Tune Inn Lounge sitting at the bar and I had him hooked.

We lived 20 minutes from Disneyland most of our lives and I could never get him to go cause he hated Disney. He was, however, hooked after this trip to WDW. Its all in the presentation. . .and leave the word Disney out of it (notice that Magic Kingdom never entered my presentation).

Also. . .I would recommend pitching a variety of hotels. . .Animal Kingdom Lodge is full service yet remote enough to not be IN YOUR FACE Disney style. I love just lounging at this hotel, enjoying the pool, the restaurants, the bar and the relaxation. The Polynesian might appeal more cause there is a beach area, a great pool, a great bar and nice yummy restaurants. Go with a resort that has theming that he likes. . .

Incidentally, even though I presented deluxe hotels, we ended up at a value that trip cause he couldn't wrap his mind around the prices of the deluxe hotels. . .We ended up at All Star Music and he loved it.

 

[Holly79]

Great news!! My DH agreed to go already! I just have to meet two goals (my idea) but they're very reasonable. I don't want to clutter the board by posting the details all over, but for anyone interested, a summary of the agreement is in Post 33 of the following thread:
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?p=35042475&posted=1#post35042475

So... YEA! Now I just have to get cracking I guess!

 

[lojikal1]

Thank you all for your experiences!

So I approached my DH today and asked him our budget for our potential late spring vacation. He asked what I had in mind. I suggested $3,500 - $4,000. (I like to start high so I can work my way down.) Much to my surprise he said $3,500 sounded fairly doable. (Trust me, this will slowly shrink over time to around $3,000.)

He asked where I wanted to go, and my heart starts pounding and I'm getting butterflies of excitement. "Disney World!!"

"Disney World!?" "That's for kids!! We don't have kids, and no way do I want to be bombarded with other people's kids. Let me know when you have a real suggestion, okay?"



GRRR! I tried to explain that it's not just for kids but he brushed it off. However he can fairly easily be talked into things, I just need to present my case bit by bit over the next month or so. I hope the information DVD will help, but I'll probably watch it first to see if there are any kid heavy sections I should slide past when showing it to him.

Yes, true, there would be kids, but the good news is, we're not allergic. I'm sure if we chose the right resort and activities, it would be fine. Oh yeah, speaking of resorts, he did utter one scary comment and that was, "Besides, if we did ever go, we'd obviously want to stay off site to save money and avoid so many rugrats."

Um, yeah... so I'm new here, but I've already read enough threads to know that I'd totally want to stay on-site! I'm almost thinking I'm going to have to put together a power point presentation to convince him of all this.

Ok, Ok... you mentioned Vegas in your original post... I am truly a fan of Vegas. I play in poker tournaments, hold VIP cards for ALL the casinos and I only stay in 4 and 5 star suites on the strip... and I must say that I LOVE WDW MORE!!!

If your husband is the type to enjoy shopping, fine dining, and spectacular scenery then he will love Disney just for that. Disney is home to some of the finest restaurants in the US with over TWO HUNDRED to choose from... wine lists have bottles that top $500 and there are dining experiences (Victoria and Albert's specifically) that are top rated in the WORLD.

If you hang out in Epcot you will find plenty of adults there with no children... many of them quite inebriated because of the awesome watering holes scattered throughout the World Showcase!

If you like nightlife, you can party at Downtown Disney until very late in the morning...

If you like golf there are two courses to choose from...

The Deluxe hotels and villas rival the Bellagio and the Wynn in amenities, service, and decor...

if you like Vegas then consider WDW to be all that Vegas has to offer minus the gambling but with more coasters than Circus Circus and NYNY...

 

[daybreaker]

Great news!! My DH agreed to go already! I just have to meet two goals (my idea) but they're very reasonable. I don't want to clutter the board by posting the details all over, but for anyone interested, a summary of the agreement is in Post 33 of the following thread:

So... YEA! Now I just have to get cracking I guess!

I had never been to Disney World until my honeymoon. I didnt even like "Disney stuff". I dont really like crowds, much less crowds full of kids. But my wife *loves* Disney, and she showed me enough about Disney World to get me excited about it... and *she* was super-excited about it, so I agreed that we could go there for the honeymoon.

Well, it's pretty much the most awesome place ever.

Darcy gives a pretty good summation of it. As someone who wasnt into Disney before, the Magic Kingdom was my least favorite park (out of MK, Epcot, and DHS), but I still enjoy it immensely, with the three mountains (splash, space, and thunder), pirates of the carribbean, laugh floor, carousel of progress...

So when my least favorite park is still loads of fun, you can imagine how fun the other two parks are for a non-Disney fanatic!

Magic Kingdom is basically the park to "re-live" your childhood and see the real Disney stuff, Epcot has the technology and futuristic stuff, along with the different countries of World Showcase, and then Hollywood Studios has all the cool "Movie Magic" stuff.

Its very easy for a non-Disney fanatic to have a great time at the different Disney World parks.

We've already been back for our 1st anniversary, and are planning another trip this December.

I started out as someone who didnt know anything about Disney, but I have been captured by the magic ever since my first trip. So, this is just to give you some reassurance that even though your husband doesnt know much about Disney due to his upbringing, he might still have a great time. Because it happened to me.

 

[Metsoskil]

If you like golf there are two courses to choose from...

Actually, there are 5 courses on property (although 1 is a 9 hole course, and not in the same league as the others)