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Do you love going to Disney World, but have a significant other who just doesn’t get it? Do you have to beg and plead to get them to go with you to the parks? I can totally relate! I have always been a huge Disney fan. My husband, however, was not. Before our first trip, he didn’t understand why we were spending so much money to go to an amusement park. He only went on that first trip because I really wanted to go. But, I didn’t want to just drag him along. I wanted him to enjoy it as much as I did. Well, after 8 trips, I am happy to say that I have converted my non-Disney-loving husband into a Disney parks fan. He now comments about how much he misses Disney World and how he is ready to go back again! Here are 5 simple tips that I used to convert him. I’m confident that these same tricks will help you turn anyone into a Disney parks fan!
Tip #1: Plan around their interests.
The beauty of Disney World being so big is that there is something there for everyone: sports fans, foodies, animal lovers, Star Wars fans, sun bathers, shoppers, etc. So, the biggest tip to convert someone into a Disney parks fan is to plan your trip around their interests. Most people who are not Disney fans think that Disney World is all about characters. So, to convince them otherwise, you need to show them that there is something there for them to love.
In the case of my husband, the keys were food and sports. He really enjoys sitting down to a nice meal. So, on each trip, I plan dinners that I believe he will love. This instantly gave him an aspect of Disney World that he could appreciate. And he is a huge sports fan. So, on one trip, I booked him the VIP Experience at ESPN Zone for him to watch a big game. After that, he was sold!
Tip #2: Don’t involve them in trip planning.
Now, I know this tip sounds like the exact opposite of what you should do to convert a loved one into a Disney parks fan, but hear me out on this one. Planning a trip to Disney World can be very overwhelming, especially for people who know nothing about it. You don’t want to turn off your non-park-loving family member before they even get inside the gates. So, instead of taking the risk of confusing them with all the choices, just do the planning for them. Keep their interests in mind and plan to do things you think they will enjoy. But, let it be a surprise to them. At most, give them a little tease of what to expect but nothing more. This way, it will be fun for them without all the work of planning.
This was a big factor in convincing my husband to love the parks. In the beginning, he had no interest in planning a trip. Even now, he doesn’t like doing much of the planning. Allowing him to just show up and have fun gives the parks an added appeal. And over time, he came to appreciate the work I put in to planning our trips out so they go smoothly for him.
Tip #3: Wow them with the unexpected.
This tip goes hand in hand with #2. The Disney parks are full of wow moments. I find that letting people experience these moments without any sort of expectations is a great way to convert them into Disney park fans. Plus, you don’t want to risk disappointing your loved one by creating unrealistic expectations in their head. So, keep the planning to yourself and win them over with the jaw-dropping wow moments. You want them to walk away from your trip saying things like, “I never knew Disney could do that.”
On our first trip, the two biggest wow moments for my husband was riding Rockin’ Roller Coaster and watching Fantasmic! He expected Rockin’ Roller Coaster to be just another indoor coaster. He was amazed by the rocket launch start and the onboard audio of the ride. With Fantasmic, he thought it was simply a fireworks show, which he is not a big fan of. But he was impressed when he realized that the show is actually lasers, water projections, live actors, and fireworks combined. These two experiences made him realize there was more to the Disney parks than he thought.
Tip #4: Make it as easy and convenient on them as possible.
Nobody likes things that are hard and involve work. So, to win over your loved ones, make your Disney trips with them as easy and convenient as possible. This means making plans, minimizing waits, making necessary reservations, and anything else that can make the trip easier. When your family members see that going to Disney is fun and easy, they will naturally become Disney parks fans.
We drove to Disney World our first few trips. After a long drive to get there, my husband appreciated that he could take Disney transportation and didn’t have to drive to the parks everyday. He also enjoyed having a reservation for dinner every night for a nice sit down meal. So, Disney transportation and the dining plan really helped to win him over.
Tip #5: Take them more than once.
My final tip for turning anyone into a Disney parks fan is to take them to the parks more than once. There is so much to see and do at Disney that you will probably need more than one trip to fully convince your family to love the parks. But, each trip should bring them a little closer to loving it. Whether you make these trips long or short will depend on their interests and tolerance for experiencing the parks. But, cater to your loved ones and you will slowly win them over. Before you know it, they will be asking when the next trip is!
Conclusion
Not everyone is a Disney parks fan naturally. But, if you love Disney and want to win over your family, it is possible with the above tips. My husband went from thinking a trip to Disney World was completely unnecessary to being a fan of the parks. Be patient and cater to their interests and you will succeed in making a fan out of your loved ones! For help planning a Disney World trip, see our step-by-step guide, best resources, and quick tips. And check out our post on debunking the common Disney myths. To see the menus of all the Disney World and Disneyland restaurants, see allears.net. Happy travels!
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