help me make him a believer

[worlddreamer]

Hello everyone! This is my first post, though I've been reading them for month's, so excuse me if this is not the proper place or way to do this...

My BF and I are planning a trip for next May- it will be the first for us. I am soo excited, I've wanted to do this since I was knee high, but he is quite a bit less enthusiastic. We plan on spending 10 days in Orlando. I really want to spend all in the World, but am seriously considering going to US for a couple of days. I am afraid he will be disappointed with what he calls "the kiddie stuff". He really enjoys thrill rides (I'm talking the Cedar Point 400 foot drop type), but does not want to spend the whole time running and rushing around.

The basic plan is this (at this point): stay at POR in Magnolia Terrace (for a bit of romance). Definetly plan on doing DisneyQuest and Pleasure Island - we are just out of college so very used to staying up till very late- and golfing, his favorite.

Any other suggestions, that would make him believe in the magic, and make it fun for him? ANY idea is appreciated!

Oh, and thanks so much for all the other information I've read so far - you guys are excellent!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've got 2 sons about your age-they love MGM, Rock n Roller coaster and Tower of Terror especially. And DS #1 golfs a lot-Osprey Ridge is probably the most impressive golf course. Hope you're planning on seeing Illuminations-both sons like it far and away over the other 2 fireworks shows.

 

[KarenNY]

<b>Welcome to the DIS and Adult/Solo Board, worlddreamer</b>
He might enjoy the thrill of Mission Space. How about trying to get in the Hot Seat and win a cruise at WWTBAM. I'm sure you'll get some great suggestions here.

 

[cseca]

Hi there,
WDW is definitely not a thrill ride park.
But there are places definitely geared for adults instead of kids.
As mentioned above already, tower of terror and rockin rollercoaster.
But check out EPCOT too, they have cool rides which are not rollercoasters (dinasour,and mission space).
Of course all the educational rides are fun too (spaceship earth, the land, etc.).
oh and don't forget EPCOT has Worldshowcase, which means beer around the world... LOL!!!

Animal Kingdom has some really good rides too; kali river rapids, and safari.

Oh oh oh... don't forget to do those 3D stuff too (The Bugs Life, Honey I shrunk the audience, and Muppets).
They are just waaay too much fun.

And of course there's the ol favorites: Space Mountain, Splash mountain (and all the other mountains in Magic Kingdom).
I'm sure you two will have a blast!

If you like old ice cream shop, don't forget to hit Beaches and Cream at Beach Club Resort.
They have great food and awesome desert (check out their Kitchen Sink... ).

Also try to swing by Boardwalk Resort at night. You can have a relaxing stroll or rent a surrey bike. Plus ESPN restaurant is there too.

Have fun and don't worry... he'll be enjoying himself before you know it...

 

[EsmeraldaX]

When I went in Feb, it was my BF's first trip since he was 10.

What I did was starting a few months before the trip, every day I emailed him at work with a new "Disneyworld Item of the Day". I included pictures and descriptions of various things/shows/rides/resteraunts etc. we'd be visiting.

He loved it and now he can't wait to go back in Dec!

 

[LYNSUE]

he may just discover the child inside himself that he hasn't recognized for a while. There is plenty of "adult stuff" at all four parks, but once he gets into it, "kiddy stuff" might seem appealing also. I have seen first hand, the little boy come out in the macho man once inside WDW.

If he loves roller coasters, Universal and Islands of Adventure is a must.

Have a great time. He may just come down with the disney bug!

 

[karemore]

Make sure you read about the Fastpass system.

My Dh wasn't too sure about going to WDW either, but he LOVED that we kept walking past huge lines of people to get onto the rides, using Fastpass.

We rode all his favorite rides twice, using Fastpass, and he thought he was a VIP!

And don't overplan.

You don't know what surprises you will come across....allow yourselves plenty of time to explore at will or just sit and watch a street performance.

DH totally surprised me by being interested in the characters too, so we spent some time watching them and taking photos. The photo of us with Mickey and Minnie by Cinderellas castle was one of the highlightsof the trip for him.

You just never know what will strike him, so give him plenty of time to find his own magic.

Karen

 

[karemore]

Make sure you read about the Fastpass system.

My Dh wasn't too sure about going to WDW either, but he LOVED that we kept walking past huge lines of people to get onto the rides, using Fastpass.

We rode all his favorite rides twice, using Fastpass, and he thought he was a VIP!

And don't overplan.

You don't know what surprises you will come across....allow yourselves plenty of time to explore at will or just sit and watch a street performance.

DH totally surprised me by being interested in the characters too, so we spent some time watching them and taking photos. The photo of us with Mickey and Minnie by Cinderellas castle was one of the highlightsof the trip for him.

You just never know what will strike him, so give him plenty of time to find his own magic.

Karen

 

[gjw007]

worlddreamer:

I believe that your boyfriend will enjoy Disney World. I have not brought myself to go to DisneyQuest yet but I may someday. If you boyfriend is a speed freak, have him go on the race track. I'm sure he'll get kick out of going 140 MPH around the oval. Here is information on the Richard Petty experience http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wd...erRecRichardPettyDrivingExperienceDetailPage.

You might also be interested in Discovery Cove if you would like to swim with a dolphin. It is a little expensive but I really enjoyed my time there (it also is good for 7 days before or after your dolphin experience to SeaWorld - you can get a week's parking ticket when you make reservations for $15 which saves money if you were to go daily where it is $7 or $8 to park).

Disney World is geared toward families and children but there are plenty of things for adults as well. I think he will be surprised if he keeps an open mind. Oh, there's plenty of golfing at Disney and around the area.

 

[Belle041281]

If I can offer any advice it would be to stayed very tuned into him. I am a Disney nut but my DH far from it. It's not that he minds Disney but he doesn't get as much enjoyment as me. Anyway his first trip there I was with my family and of course my DSis's and DM and I were bouncing from shop to shop and all of the characters. I was involved with Disney I "forgot" my DH. Well not Forgot but basically left him standing there with my DBIL. No need to say DH was very very bored . That was one mistake I made. Ask your boyfriend what he wants to do and DO it. Once they think you will desert them to look in the shops for hours on end-forget getting them to go back without a struggle.

Good Luck and have a great trip.

 

[worlddreamer]

Just wanted to say "thanks" for all the tips. I have bought him a couple of guide books, and keep telling him about all the things there are to do that I think he would like.

Great idea about the Richard Petty thing: "you mean I can really drive a race car?" that was exciting to him.

Also, I have him interested in AK- "we get to get close to the lions and tigers?" and of course "drinking around the world" and pleasure island. Oh, and the fact that we can go to an actual "ESPN Club" really gets him going.

Thanks again, all!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I would suggest 2-3 days at Universal. If you go there, stay at one of their onsite resorts. You'll get the front-of-the line privledges, they are beautiful resorts, and they are close enough to the parks to easily go back to the hotel for a swim and then back to the parks.

My DH and I have been to both Universal and WDW and he prefers Universal hands down over WDW. I currently have a WDW AP and we hope to go down to Orlando, just the two of us. I know that he'd like to go to Universal, but we were just there in April , he hasn't been to WDW in 3 years, and we will only be in Orlando 3-4 days. My compromise will be hopefully going to the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal.

The funny thing is that my DH used to like thrill rides, but gets motion sickness much easier now and I think he'd really enjoy the calmer rides at WDW.

T&B

 

[bethzfl]

How about the Segway tour in Ecpot? My bf is looking forward to it so much. Good luck

PS: I had the same worries.. but you'd never know it once we got there. He turned into a nut! We had to go on every ride (even the "kiddie" ones!) and have our picture taken with every single character we saw. We're 20 years old.. I never expected this from him.

 

[scrump]

This is my concern as well. It's not that DB is a "thrill ride guy" because he isn't - he's just not the Disney freak that I am. He's open to things, but won't suggest them himself. We haven't gone yet, but I'd love to go with him one day.

One thing that I am learning is to not push him. Obviously, that's a very individual strategy, and may not work for him, but give him plenty of room and let him find his inner child on his own timeline. As another poster mentioned, stay attuned to him - if he wants rides, then know which rides are his style in each park. He may be more into ambience at some points, so keep in mind certain restaurants or scenic spots to just wind down.

I envy you! I daydream about when I can go with my DB!!

 

[worlddreamer]

Well, it looks like we will be going in October now, instead of May. His brother decided to get married when we were supposed to be on vacation - which is exciting also.

The good news is, I think I can afford an extra few days by then and then we will have plenty of time to do US also. Does anyone know a good spot to look for info on the Halloween thing at US? What about MNSSHP?

I agree that not "pushing" him is the best way to go. I bought some books that I always "leave lying around" and everytime he mentions things that correlate to something in Orlando, I point it out. The other day he was watching something about sharks with his nephew, and I said something like "you know, SeaWorld is right around the corner from WDW, and they have an awesome shark exhibit". So now he kind of wants to do that too...

I think that he will come around once we get there.. and if not, Mickey's always been my real hero!

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

For thrill rides, spend a day at Islands of Adventure too. I LOVE that place! The Hulk is my favorite coaster.

 

[DoomBuggyBabe]

Well, I'd say you're better off going in October! The temps are better, and so are the crowds. That's always been my chosen time of year to go down.
As for the Halloween parties, if your DSO is seriously into thrill stuff, DEFINITELY do the Halloween Horror nights as US. Just seeing them SET UP for one three years ago left me freaked out. From everything I've heard, they're scary, scary, scary. On the flip side, if he's into that side of things, my advice would be to stay away from the Mouse's Halloween party. Many children. Many. Although it did work out that while everyone else was at the parade, my buddy and I rode Big Thunder Mountain eight times in rapid succession...
In terms of other thrill-seeking Disney adventures, at EPCOT, definitely hit the Mission Space/Test Track corner. If there are even moderate lines, consider going the single-rider route. That way you can get in multiple rides with relative ease. If you hit the park later in the evening, you can catch Illuminations, which will satisfy your romantic inclinations, and then just walk over to the Boardwalk for its myriad entertainment opportunities, which will satisfy his barhopping inclinations (as will sipping his way around the World Showcase during October's International Food and Wine Festival). Just remember, pace yourselves.
And certainly he'll enjoy MGM. Between the Rock-N-Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, he can't miss. And also take the time to do the Indiana Jones stunt show. There are things exploding all over the place. Very much guy stuff. And if you get there early for the show, sit down front and make enough noise when they ask for volunteers, you may even get to be part of the show. On that same note, when you do the backlot tour, do your best to be in the very front of the line for a new tour -- when you get to the turnstiles, even if there are still people behind you, ask the CM is you can volunteer for the next show. It's worth waiting the extra few minutes to be part of the water-cannon-and-high-explosives brigade. My DH-to-be (who classifies himself as a thrill-ride junkie) and I (the certified coaster chicken) have both done this. I highly recommend the experience.
Above all else, just go with the flow and enjoy!

 

[tiggerrifficheidi]

Just wanted to encourage you! My DH was in Iraq during the war last year, and when I found out he was coming home (and WDW was offering so many perks to the military), I said "we're going to WDW!" He was skeptical. I got comments like: "I've been in the desert and I want my wife...not a 10 year old." So I didn't budget for any souvenirs or things like that, since he didn't want a 10 year old.

Well...I think we bought out every shop we went into...he totally caught the bug. I think the atmosphere did it for him, so staying on the resort is a big plus (we were at FW). Plus, we ate at ALOT of nice restaurants, and there is something incredibly romantic and relaxing about eating at great places day after day without ever getting in your car.

I have not been to any of the other Orlando parks, so I can't advise you there, but my DH is a helicopter pilot, so he likes things a little more exciting than most, and he LOVED Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Dinosaur (that one is really a new favorite!), Tower of Terror and Aerosmith RocknRollercoaster! Just don't pack it in too much. He enjoyed having a say in what we were going to do everyday, but at the same time, he liked that all our PSs were made, so we weren't scrambling for a nice place to eat.

October should be a nice, quiet time. Best of Luck!

Heidi

 

[maureen4200040]

hi ya

I had the same problem with a bf a couple of years ago, but in my case he absolutely did'nt want to go. To get around it I booked 3 days in las vegas before we travelled to Orlando.

I booked golf lessons for him in orlando on the days I wanted to go to the parks. As it turn out after spending the few days in las vegas he was really happy and relaxed. Once we got to Orlando he was quite happy to come the parks (he loved epcot and universal), so he got the best of both worlds golf and the joy of seeing disney for the first time through his not so young eyes.

Unfortunately, he did'nt win big on the slot machines in las vegas so it was back to work 2 weeks later.