Must do's for turning the 'un-Disney' person into a Disney Fanatic!

[TFrauts]

I was just reading the thread about the 'un-Disney' mate, and I am in the same boat!! We are going on our honeymoon in late July...I chose a week at Disney, and he chose a carnival cruise(couldn't afford DCL:o)...we are doing both!!
So...he has never been to Disney before, and my goal is to turn him into a Disney fanatic!! (Maybe he will even open up an intercot account when we return...haha)
What would you guys suggest as a definit 'do not miss' to give him the Disney bug, so we can go year after year, and it is not always my idea?? :thumbsup:
I am looking for any suggestions as to how you guys turned your 'un-disney' mates, into Disneyholics!!
THanks for your help!! :mickey:

[CaptainDisney]

I just converted my significant other to the dark side last summer with his first trip to the world.

In my opinion, it worked becuase I kind of tailored the trip to his interests (at least when I wasn't suiting it to mine ;) )

His big concern was with spending so much money only to spend a week in an amusement park (his words). I wanted to convince him there was a lot more to do there than just the amusement park kind of rides he was thinking of.

This included a lot of out-of-park stuff. For instance, he really likes fine dining. I booked Cali Grill as our first night meal. I think he was hooked from there.

What is your fiancé into? There are so many different things to do in WDW that I'm sure you can surprise him in at least a few ways. You'll have to get creative. That pleasant surprise is the seed for a Disneyholic, I think. Good luck!

[MsMin]

I agree with tuning into his interests. My dd brought her bf in Dec. 04. He was a "Disney hater" but had never been. Needless to say he can't wait to go back. He thought it was just for kids and actually said his family didn't need to go b/c they were "happy" He is an architect student (graduating this week with my other dd :grad:) so I focused on the structures when I tried to entice him. It didn't take long. He loves Disney now.
There is something for everyone, culture, history, structure, fantasy, art, food, My son loves the IT, facts like the grasshopper in ITTBAB has a full time tech to maintain it and the movement of the "masses" their queuing systems. Best of luck!!

[tinkerbell37]

deffently have him watch the fireworks and look around at all the kids faces. it will bring tears to his eyes:blush:

[GrumpyFan]

I agree with what's already been said, try to do things that will satisfy his interests. Take him to some of the better restaurants, maybe encourage him to go play golf one day. Show him that Disney is more than just a "theme park".

Looking back, there were several things that prompted my "conversion". I've always enjoyed "theme parks", roller coasters, thrill rides and good food. But, a few years before my first trip to WDW, I had been working on a long and demanding project. At the end, I had my wife come down for a few days and we did nothing but lie on the beach or by the pool, dine and shop (her mostly). I had to train myself or force myself to relax and not think about work. It was kind of an awakening for me where I learned how to really enjoy being on vacation. A couple of years later, my wife convinced me that the two of us needed to go to WDW. I was reluctant at first because of the cost. But, upon investigation, I learned how much there was to see and do at WDW, and when compared to other vacations, it just made complete sense. Once we got there, we just enjoyed being together, playing, resting, eating, etc.

Now, that I've been "converted", I'm on here and other Disney-related sites constantly, and trying to find ways wing another trip.

[TFrauts]

Thanks for all of your ideas so far!! I actually was thinking along the same lines!! My fiance is also into fine dining....so I have already booked our first meal at Cal Grill...at 9pm...so we will be there during the fireworks!! And MK just happens to be open until 3am that night, so I thought we could go and experience that first!! We will arrive in Orlando around 9:30am, so should be at our resort by 12...but we will probably be exhausted, as we will not have slept yet from our wedding the night before, so I though we could have a nap, relax for the afternoon, and go to cal grill for dinner and fireworks!! HE is also interested in wolfgang puck, so that will be our second night....
thanks again....if you have anymore ideas...keep them coming!! :thumbsup:

[McLiberal8]

I brought my DH on our honeymoon to the World a few months ago, and I was as scared as you are. He tends to be a bit cynical, and was grumbly about going.. I kept telling him it was like nowhere else on earth, but he didn;t know until he got there :)

Find out what his fave Disney characters as a kid was. I was super weary about pushing the character stuff on my hubby, but when he saw the 100-Acre Woods characters in Epcot on day 2, it was all over for him.

Also, grab up a book on the secrets of WDW. Some of the best stuff about Disney is what sets it apart; the historical accuracy, the hidden touches.. show him that compared to 6 Flags or Busch Gardens, there IS NO comparison!

The best part of Disney World is the stuff you don't notice as much; the superior customer service, the lengths the CMs go to keep things as magical as possible. He won't understand this until he goes there.. and I am sure he will enjoy it as much as my husband did.

Now, I have him defending WDW more than I do when we hear nay-sayers! :D

[BRJARE3]

I can honestly tell you that I was not a Disney person. My husband is a huge Disney fan and wanted to go there for our honeymoon. I did not, so we agreed to go for our one year anniversary. I can tell you what not to do. Do not tell him that you do not want to do a ride or attraction because you do not like it. Do not do everything that you usually do on your timeline. My husband did that at Universal and I hated it. I had never been and wanted to experience it my own way. We had to do Terminator first because he loves it. I hated it! We were not going to do a show (forget the name) because he did not enjoy it. I need to form my own opinions on things. If you hate it, and he wants to do it, do not complain. Go with it and you might get a different perspective of the show/attraction/food. Even when we went to Disney, we had to eat at his special restaurants and we had scheduled 2 sit-downs every day. It was aweful. No one needs to eat that much. It was what my husband grew up with and was used to. I was ready to leave and never return. He finally agreed to skip a restaurant and I think that is when it dawned on him that we need to come up with our traditions and not do what his family did. It was much more pleasant. I like Disney now and we are planning this trip together, for our three children and us to enjoy and experience the magic of Disney!