How to Convert a Disney Downer On Your Trip

[JJZMgailey]

We all know and (probably) love them, but vacationing with them? That’s another story! They’d probably agree that traveling with a Disney fan isn’t their ideal getaway. So how do you strike a balance on a Disney trip that ensures you both have a great time? A little preparation and plenty of patience can make all the difference.

Read this fabulous article that includes ten ways to have a great Disney vacation with someone who doesn't love the theme parks as much as you do!

How to Convert a Disney Downer On Your Trip

 

[Genie+]

That’s a great article!

 

[Chili327]

Need to save this link as "Playbook" lol
I had to just stop talking about it before a trip, unless it was necessary for planning.

 

[Jsharp13]

Those are certainly great tips!
I did take a non-Disney lover on my last trip. My advice? Don't do it.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I just don’t go to Disney with them. Everyone should know their limits.

There’s a group of girls who invited me to a 4 day birthday trip to Orlando with a day of eating and drinking around Epcot. Several of the girls dislike Disney and are only doing it for the birthday girl and are not looking forward to the Epcot day at all. I love Disney. Why would I go somewhere I love with Debbie downers? So they can tell the Disney lovers how they don’t get why we go to Disney, it’s so expensive, etc. I’ll pass.

 

[Smugpugmug]

TBH I wouldn't go with them at all. I have friends who are not Disney parks fans (they find the parks too "kiddie" focused) so why would I go on a trip with them to a place they don't like? Especially with the prices Disney charge? No thanks.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I just don’t go to Disney with them. Everyone should know their limits.

There’s a group of girls who invited me to a 4 day birthday trip to Orlando with a day of eating and drinking around Epcot. Several of the girls dislike Disney and are only doing it for the birthday girl and are not looking forward to the Epcot day at all. I love Disney. Why would I go somewhere I love with Debbie downers? So they can tell the Disney lovers how they don’t get why we go to Disney, it’s so expensive, etc. I’ll pass.

Haha, one of my friends who dislikes Disney actually likes Epcot BECAUSE of the eating and drinking around the world. She didn't ride a single ride. She just drank and ate all day. She also didn't visit any of the other Disney parks or Disney Springs and went over to Universal instead.

 

[Pyxie]

How? You don't.

 

[_19disnA]

I wouldn't take a vacation with some friend/relative who doesn't care for the same things we do. It isn't my role to make them have a good time. If someone doesn't like gambling, for example, then don't invite them to join you on your trip to Vegas. If we are talking about your spouse, I think you need to find places you both enjoy when planning a vacation.

 

[kathy884]

It took us 10 years of marriage before our figuring this out, but lol let the Disney poop stay home (DH in my case.). Everyone will be so happier! At least that was our experience. In all fairness the article might have some good advice for some, but if you are talking about a true Disney poop, I don't think so. Leave them home and life will be better for everyone involved.

I tried taking DH to Disney several times and made a major effort to try to find things he'd like. He likes Gatorland as that is the anthesis of a world class theme park. He liked Blue Man Group and the Cirque de Soleil show. He used to like Boma for food, but the last time thought they had replaced some of the better African dishes with more basic theme park fare. He liked indoor sky diving in a wind tunnel on I drive. But OMG out of tremendous effort on my part that is all he liked. SeaWorld was OK for a one time visit. The Titanic attraction was OK for a one time visit.

He hates things that are fake. He does not like theme parks at all. He hated that he couldn't even find a pebble to kick in the Magic Kingdom. They keep the streets too clean for his taste. He dislikes Florida in general. He doesn't like to go to the beach or pool. He doesn't like to golf or fish. His thoughts on Epcot are why would someone bother to go to a fake version of a country (lame). Even as a Harry Potter fan who had read all of the books and had seen the movies, he wasn't into the Harry Potter areas at Universal. He preferred his own visions of the places from reading the books rather than the movie versions and theme park versions. It amazed him that other fans would like something like that. And OMG, don't even get me started on what he thinks about what Disney and Universal prices. And that's with our staying offsite.

I felt total joy doing a Disney vacation with just others who love Disney and leaving him at home (forget all that extra work to try to find things he liked and not finding much he was fond of and having to hear his complaining - he likes to complain about Disney). And it was such a relief for him to stay home.

Believe it or not, DH is actually a great person to be married to and a fun person to vacation with if it's somewhere out West or something like that. He loves the mountains, most national parks, and things like that. We go out west for a lot of vacations. But believe me a stay at Wilderness Lodge would in no way cut it. And the one tropical place he enjoys is Puerto Vallarta for the food in particular.

What we did when DS was growing up was do a vacation that everyone liked once a year that was not Disney for our main vacation. And then I would do a mini trip to Orlando about once a year or every other year (just four nights / three days with DS - often meeting up with other Disney loving extended family. Win Win.

 

[patty57]

Full disclosure, I didn't even read the article. My husband hates Disney. I leave him home. I don't want to spend my time trying to convince anyone how to enjoy it. Life, and Disney trips, are too short.

 

[bethy]

We are going soon with someone who is skeptical but at least doesn't hate Disney. It's our daughter's fiance and we invited them on our trip and they decided on their own to come along. So I'm just hoping that the rest of the family's bliss and enthusiasm will be something he enjoys or can even join in on. I did read the article and will take a few things to heart - esp letting them do their own thing and go at their own pace.

 

[AnnaS]

There are many people who just don't get Disney or want to sweat/wait in line for a minute ride. I get it. I am not and will not try to convince someone to come with us. If they need convincing, it's not for them. There are a ton of places in the world. We have experienced them also. I might push DCL a bit/Vero or Hilton Head in general if they have no interest in Disney.

I did take one trip with a relative and said never again. One trip was so / so. I don't want to be responsible or have to convince someone to enjoy Disney. It's their money and their time. If they are interested, great!! If not, they can stay home or we can vacation elsewhere with them. - husband/child different scenario

 

[Dug720]

I just don’t go to Disney with them. Everyone should know their limits.

This!

One of the main reasons a solo trip is the best!

 

[rdaky]

Nope. We did it a few times and we stopped doing it years ago. It makes the trip more stressful and less enjoyable for everyone. I'm not interested in dragging them there any more than I want anyone dragging me to a NASCAR race.

 

[Travelgrrl]

I had a gentleman friend who was down on Disney, though he had never been. I invited him to share our room and vacation, and as he was an artist, stressed how beautiful the parks are, and filled with amazing graphics. He wasn't interested, until a friend of his returned from a WDW trip and told him it was cool. THEN he wanted to go!

(That should have been my first clue from the Cluebox - that my recommendation wasn't enough, but when another guy said it was cool, it changed his mind!)

We arrived in Florida; somehow he thought we'd have our own room instead of sharing a (huge) Shades of Green room with my teen daughter and her friend, though I had made that eminently clear from the start. But the next morning, we were ready to go! Off to the Magic Kingdom! We walked to the Poly, took the monorail to MK, and I even got them to let us ride in the front car and got a Monorail Pilot License for him (back when they did that). So far, so good. I think Buzz Lightyear's Space Spin was our first or second ride, and I think he enjoyed it, then the ride had problems and we were stuck by Emperor Zurg shouting at us for about 20 minutes. Basically, my friend was done.

I found him softly weeping in the Shades of Green stairwell the next day, and packed him off on an airplane home, 4 days early. Never again!

 

[Chili327]

I had a gentleman friend who was down on Disney, though he had never been. I invited him to share our room and vacation, and as he was an artist, stressed how beautiful the parks are, and filled with amazing graphics. He wasn't interested, until a friend of his returned from a WDW trip and told him it was cool. THEN he wanted to go!

(That should have been my first clue from the Cluebox - that my recommendation wasn't enough, but when another guy said it was cool, it changed his mind!)

We arrived in Florida; somehow he thought we'd have our own room instead of sharing a (huge) Shades of Green room with my teen daughter and her friend, though I had made that eminently clear from the start. But the next morning, we were ready to go! Off to the Magic Kingdom! We walked to the Poly, took the monorail to MK, and I even got them to let us ride in the front car and got a Monorail Pilot License for him (back when they did that). So far, so good. I think Buzz Lightyear's Space Spin was our first or second ride, and I think he enjoyed it, then the ride had problems and we were stuck by Emperor Zurg shouting at us for about 20 minutes. Basically, my friend was done.

I found him softly weeping in the Shades of Green stairwell the next day, and packed him off on an airplane home, 4 days early. Never again!

Should have sent him to roam Epcot by himself. He might have at least found some art to enjoy.

 

[AussieFan8]

It took us 10 years of marriage before our figuring this out, but lol let the Disney poop stay home (DH in my case.). Everyone will be so happier! At least that was our experience. In all fairness the article might have some good advice for some, but if you are talking about a true Disney poop, I don't think so. Leave them home and life will be better for everyone involved.

I tried taking DH to Disney several times and made a major effort to try to find things he'd like. He likes Gatorland as that is the anthesis of a world class theme park. He liked Blue Man Group and the Cirque de Soleil show. He used to like Boma for food, but the last time thought they had replaced some of the better African dishes with more basic theme park fare. He liked indoor sky diving in a wind tunnel on I drive. But OMG out of tremendous effort on my part that is all he liked. SeaWorld was OK for a one time visit. The Titanic attraction was OK for a one time visit.

He hates things that are fake. He does not like theme parks at all. He hated that he couldn't even find a pebble to kick in the Magic Kingdom. They keep the streets too clean for his taste. He dislikes Florida in general. He doesn't like to go to the beach or pool. He doesn't like to golf or fish. His thoughts on Epcot are why would someone bother to go to a fake version of a country (lame). Even as a Harry Potter fan who had read all of the books and had seen the movies, he wasn't into the Harry Potter areas at Universal. He preferred his own visions of the places from reading the books rather than the movie versions and theme park versions. It amazed him that other fans would like something like that. And OMG, don't even get me started on what he thinks about what Disney and Universal prices. And that's with our staying offsite.

I felt total joy doing a Disney vacation with just others who love Disney and leaving him at home (forget all that extra work to try to find things he liked and not finding much he was fond of and having to hear his complaining - he likes to complain about Disney). And it was such a relief for him to stay home.

Believe it or not, DH is actually a great person to be married to and a fun person to vacation with if it's somewhere out West or something like that. He loves the mountains, most national parks, and things like that. We go out west for a lot of vacations. But believe me a stay at Wilderness Lodge would in no way cut it. And the one tropical place he enjoys is Puerto Vallarta for the food in particular.

What we did when DS was growing up was do a vacation that everyone liked once a year that was not Disney for our main vacation. And then I would do a mini trip to Orlando about once a year or every other year (just four nights / three days with DS - often meeting up with other Disney loving extended family. Win Win.

Are we married to the same person? LOL!

 

[FreeTime]

Before I open the article I had my
Opinion. I read half of it. Have the same opinion. Like many others have said, no need to try and please them. Leave them at home.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I appreciate the article's angle but personally don't think the perspective is one I would share.

1) Does someone enjoy theme parks is the number one question to ask. No point going with someone who doesn't like the ambience of one much less it being Disney if they are not into theme parks and all that comes with that (lines, weather, crowds, expenses, etc).

2) Does someone enjoy Disney even just a little bit? Disney in the brand is what I mean. You don't have to really be into Disney the brand to enjoy Disney parks but if your opinion is more jaded of the types of movies (especially animated) and merch then will someone even be able to set that aside to even want to be in a park surrounded by it.

I do like some of the comments about learning their interest. Usually I'm all about compromising but I don't think adding in a golf day or a pool day when you're not the person who likes to do those really is in the spirit of compromise, it would if you actually wouldn't mind doing those. I feel like if someone wants to do those types of activities but you don't that would be good for solo time. Back in 2017 my sister-in-law had originally planned to join us (though this was 2015 that she was saying this) until she found out that we were not going to Orlando to then go to the beach for a day or two. Of course she was free to go to the beach but it would be on her own. We were in Orlando for WDW and Universal only. We would have planned a beach trip solely that instead if we were wanting to go to FL for that. So I think learning their interests can be good for finding out do you have mismatched vacation intents.