You won't believe this is a serious question...

[4kids4karen]

But it is...

How do I make my kids like Disney again? They haven't liked Disney in years. I do feel it is my fault. When my daughter (now 9) turned 3 we got season passes and went for three days straight. Then we went at least one a month for the rest of the year. We then went to Disney probably once a quarter after that until maybe 3 years ago, then we only went when relatives visited or special occasions like my birthday. We still do go to Fort Wilderness as my kids love to camp and this isn't too Disney for them but we don't go into the parks. Did I just overkill them with Disney? I have friends who still go to Disney at least once a month and her daughter is the same age as mine and still loves it. Hmm... you would think that not going as often would put some excitement back into it but nope. The last time we went was July-2010. Four kids now ages 20, 18, 10, and 9 and all of them moan when I suggest going into a Disney park.

 

[4kids4karen]

We did return this past July from a Carnival Cruise. Well my daughter's friends all cruise Disney so she is insisting that our next cruise be Disney! Unfortunately that is not in our budget at all! The Carnival Cruise was a special occasion that most likely we will not cruise again for a long time. We live within 45 minutes of Disney World so that day trips to Disney are feasible.

 

[Marionnette]

But it is...

How do I make my kids like Disney again? They haven't liked Disney in years. I do feel it is my fault. When my daughter (now 9) turned 3 we got season passes and went for three days straight. Then we went at least one a month for the rest of the year. We then went to Disney probably once a quarter after that until maybe 3 years ago, then we only went when relatives visited or special occasions like my birthday. We still do go to Fort Wilderness as my kids love to camp and this isn't too Disney for them but we don't go into the parks. Did I just overkill them with Disney? I have friends who still go to Disney at least once a month and her daughter is the same age as mine and still loves it. Hmm... you would think that not going as often would put some excitement back into it but nope. The last time we went was July-2010. Four kids now ages 20, 18, 10, and 9 and all of them moan when I suggest going into a Disney park.

We did return this past July from a Carnival Cruise. Well my daughter's friends all cruise Disney so she is insisting that our next cruise be Disney! Unfortunately that is not in our budget at all! The Carnival Cruise was a special occasion that most likely we will not cruise again for a long time. We live within 45 minutes of Disney World so that day trips to Disney are feasible.

Remember when they were little and you couldn't make them eat something they didn't like? Or sleep when they went to bed? Or any of the other numerous things that you wanted them to do that they dug in their heels and refused to do?

Well, it's like that. You can pull rank and tell them that they're going because you said so or you can wait until they're ready to come around to your way of thinking.

There is no magic bullet that will make someone love Disney. If they don't want to go to the parks, then don't make them go. Certainly, 18 & 20 year old adults can be left home to keep an eye on their 9 & 10 year old siblings. Go without the kids and enjoy Disney on your own.

 

[RMulieri]

Short answer= YOU CAN'T ...You can't make someone like something they don't .People and kids especially, grow and change,Their likes and dislikes will change .Maybe eventually they will find their way back, maybe not.Other than forcing them to go, there is not much you can do.You can force them to go, but you can't force them to like it.There is a WHOLE WORLD out there that isn;t Disney and maybe they want to experience that awhile.Maybe you can suggest that you guys will do something,go somewhere other than Disney if they go to a Disney park with you..

 

[hoosthatmouse]

Thank you for this. My kids are 5 and 3 and this just makes me realize how special these young ages are. Makes we want to take advantage of these years whey they are young and excited about princesses and mickey mouse.

hmm, 18 and 20 is a tough age. I think you go without them until they are begging for you to take them.

 

[North of Mouse]

Why even try to *make* them go? Sounds like you live close enough that it would be easy for you to go on your own.

It's probably one of two things. They really don't, maybe never will, really enjoy Disney like some of us do - or, they enjoy you trying to *make* them enjoy it, and won't give in to your pleasure.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I'd go without them. Talk about your trips minimally. Don't make a big deal out of them. Maybe some day they'll get curious and ask to go back. If not, you can get some great solo trips in!

 

[Missy13d69]

I agree with the PP's, just go without them. They may quickly decide they don't want to be left out, or they may be so burned out that they never come around, but either way, you should still be able to enjoy it.

 

[rewardsinlife]

They have to come around in their own time. My brother hates going, but will tolerate it every once in a while( he is 23). I am 25 and just this year have gotten a 'renewed' love for it and want to go all the time. Honestly, I think a lot of has to do with wanting to escape the stressors of life and this is one place I can actually do that. If they don't want to come, don't make them. Wait for them to come back to it. In the meantime, get yourself a pass and go whenever you like!

 

[4kids4karen]

Well, maybe "make" was a strong word. I surely know I can't force my strong minded kids to like anything. Maybe, get them "excited" about it. I didn't think I would have such negative responses to a fun question to Disney lovers. I wouldn't go without the kids. Every time DH and I vacation without them I think the kids would really enjoy it and end up going back with the kids. This just happened last August at a beach resort my husband and I went to for our anniversary, we went back a few weeks ago with the kids and our friends. It's just such a shame they don't care for Disney parks, a shame for me that is. LOL. DH doesn't like to spend money so I am sure he is fine with the kids not liking Disney or we would be there more often. The older boys are left out of a lot already because of their jobs or school. I try to include them as much as possible because I know it won't be long before they move away from home all together. We have already started to change our future vacation plans to go back skiing or other extreme sports that the kids like.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I don't think there's anything you possibly could have done to make me excited about going to Disney when I was 17 (and yes, I did go at that age and hated it). I'm 45 now & went back to MK for the first time since just a few months ago, and only the 2nd time back for any Disney park (wife & I did AK in '98).

 

[mjantz]

Unfortunately kids can't manufacture excitement. We are taking our 2 to WDW & Universal next summer & the 15YO has already laid out the 'ground rules': No character meals (I'm going to request 1 & see what happens), no autograph book, and NO matching shirts. Honestly, I think he's more excited about Universal (huge HP fan).

At this point, I'm just glad he agrees to be seen in public with us!! One thing we do in general is that while we the parents pick the destination, everyone gets input on what to do there. Big brother can tolerate the art museum (his sisters favorite) if he knows there's an amusement park to visit the next day (his pick).

 

[danceintherain]

It's not your fault that they don't like it anymore than you have the capacity to make them like it again.
Some people just don't. They may never want to go to Disney ever again.

We're trying to plan a family vacation in a little over a year, and it's hard (my parents' youngest is 15). The majority of us would be perfectly happy going to Disney again, but 1/6 says that we "always do Disney" and it's entirely possible that if that's what we planned, he would either not go, or make the whole experience miserable for the rest of us. He opted out of going on the last trip we took there (he was 21 at the time).
In my Disney obsessiveness, I've had a hard time giving up on it, so my big compromise is to do Orlando, not Disney specifically. We'll set aside a few days, meals, etc that are to be spent with family, but past that point we will be left to our own devices.
That's if we decide on Orlando at all...some of us have financial concerns that may prohibit us from spending hardly any money on the gathering at all.

Ultimately, you have to decide what's most important to you, and what you're willing to tolerate. Some people are stubborn enough that they won't even participate in something even if it's being paid for by someone else. Others will go along for the ride as long as they don't have to pay for themselves.
If Disney won't give you the picture perfect vacation you're looking for, then you should probably vacation somewhere else.

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

It seems like you go to WDW a lot so maybe it would be more interesting for them to visit Disneyland in CA or one of the overseas parks. We go to Disney a few times a week since it's by the house so of course it's more exciting for ds to go other places because it's so normal for him and there is nothing wrong with that. He does get excited to visit the American parks and really enjoyed HK because it was new and we could go sightseeing outside of Disney as well though.

 

[deuceswild10]

Listen to your kids, and plan another type of vacation. What are they interested in? You say they like camping, maybe take them to a National Park instead. You can't make them like Disney. It's okay if they don't.

 

[4kids4karen]

Thanks. We aren't interested in the overseas parks. They don't have good ratings. My brother went to the one in Japan and didn't care for it. If we go overseas it will be to visit relatives. I just returned from a 2 year (unaccompanied) tour in Korea and already tasked to deploy again in the near future. :-( Yea, I am the mom and I am always gone because of the military. LOL. Two more years until retirement! My husband retired in 2005. I did mention taking the whole family back to Korea to visit Grandpa and see the sights as my younger two were born there during my first tour there where I was command sponsored for 3.5 years. My dad and Korean step-mom still live there. I have done everything there is to do in that country but the little ones are just now old enough to go to the DMZ and travel to see the country they were born in.

All of the kids enjoyed the ski resort in NC, but my older boys say they would rather go to Colorado or Utah. Yea.. that is out of our budget. I have been checking out Crystal Mountain in Michigan because we have my father-in-law who is less than 3 hours away in Detroit. He has stage 4 cancer so if we go it would be to visit him and then go skiing for a couple days. **Did I mention I hate cold weather?** I put up with it for the kids.

Other vacations we keep tossing around is my second son and I went to Washington DC on his high school band trip. The two other boys keep saying they want to go to DC. My husband is Mexican and we have tossed around the idea of going to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. We would love to go to the Balloon Festival in New Mexico but it's hard to make that particular time-frame. I found a closer balloon festival at Callaway Gardens but we were not able to make it this year. The "boys" want to go hike the Appalachian trail. The youngest was too young to go last time. I am not a hiker. The last time they went with the scouts, my girlfriend (her hubby and son went with scouts) and I took the girls and younger kids to the Nick Hotel! LOL.

 

[4kids4karen]

Also, we have had universal and busch gardens season passes before. My daughter is a competitive cheerleader and we stay in Orlando about 4 times a year for competitions. So I guess it's just to "normal" for them? Several years ago after returning from a deployment I treated myself with a trip to Discovery Cove. I loved it! The boys thought it was "okay" but nothing great. LOL. I left the two little ones with the nanny because at the time they were just toddlers and it is expensive to take toddlers into the park to do nothing but play in the sand and splash at the water's edge. I was planning on taking DD there for her birthday last year, but my husband said it was more my idea than hers and what if she was scared in the dophin pool. So I backed out. Twice now within the pass month my daughter has asked to go to Discovery Cove! So yippeee! A little bit of fun that *I* like! She does like seaworld. We go to Seaworld about once a year with the military free entrance. Yep, I know it seems like we practically live in Orlando, not Tampa... because we are there so often. I guess that is why the kids just find it so-so. Well, I am off to work! I am also a work-a-holic in addition to a disney fan!

 

[mjantz]

Your kids may be like me. I'm a 'been there, done that, move on' kind of person when it comes to travel. With a few exceptions, once I've been somewhere I rarely want to go back for a second visit. For me, visiting the same place year after year would be torture.

 

[badblackpug]

Maybe given your kid's ages, and the number of times you've visited your kids are burnt out. My kids still love WDW, even the teen, but for us it's a big once a year trip. I can see them becoming bored with it if we were frequent visitors, as there really aren't that many "big" rides.

We live about 45 minutes from Six Flags. My kids like going there, but to them it's nothing special because we had season passes and went often. For them WDW is a big trip, with a plane ride and a hotel and restaurant dinners. ...and no chores!

I guess familiarity does breed contempt.

We take a vacation to an all-inclusive every year. Although we go without kids, we have discussed how much the older 2 would enjoy it. There is a little something for everyone. We are also looking into cruises. My kids would love DCL, but with 4 it isn't in our budget, either.