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Do you love going to Disney World, but have a significant other who just doesn’t get it? I can totally relate! But, I’m here to tell you that it is possible to turn anyone into a Disney Parks fan. These 5 tips will transform even the biggest Disney hater into a true fan who loves being in the parks!
I have always been a huge Disney fan. My husband, however, was not. Before our first trip, he didn’t understand why I wanted to go on vacation to an amusement park. He only went to make me happy. But, I didn’t want to just drag him along. I wanted him to enjoy it as much as I did.
I used these tips to convert him to my way of thinking. And now, after 8 trips, my non-Disney-loving husband is a Disney parks fan! He now talks about how he misses Disney World and is ready to go back!
Tip #1: Plan around their interests.
Most people who are not Disney fans think that Disney World is all about characters. To convince them otherwise, you need to show them that there is something there for everyone to love: sports fans, foodies, animal lovers, Star Wars fans, sun bathers, shoppers, etc.
So, the biggest tip to convert anyone into a Disney parks fan is to plan your trip around their interests.
In the case of my husband, the key was food. He really enjoys sitting down to a nice meal. So, on each trip, I plan dinners that he will love. This instantly showed him a side of Disney World that he could appreciate.
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 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, they can enjoy the fun 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 planning trips. Allowing him to just show up and have fun is an added benefit for him. He now appreciates the work I put in to planning our trips so they go smoothly.
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 anyone into a Disney park fan.
Not only does this wow them with great moments, but it also avoids the risk of disappointing them with unrealistic expectations.
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 as possible.
Nobody likes things that are hard and involve work. So, to win over your loved ones, make your Disney trips 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 drive to Disney World on most of our trips. After a long drive to get there, my husband appreciates that he doesn’t have to drive to the parks everyday. He likes being able to leave the transportation to Disney.
He also enjoys having a reservation for dinner every night so he can have a nice sit down meal. Both 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. And 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 to turn them into fans with the above tips. Be patient and cater to their interests and you will succeed in transforming them into a fan!
For help planning a Disney World trip, see my step-by-step guide, best resources, and quick tips. And check out my post on debunking the common Disney myths.
To see the menus of all the Disney World restaurants, see allears.net.
Happy travels!
P.S. Are you planning a trip to Disney World and not sure what you need to do or when? Do you feel completely overwhelmed by it all? My Disney World Trip Planning Checklist can help! It will guide you through every step of the planning process! And it’s FREE! Grab yours in the box below!
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