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Gemini Cricket
11-24-2001, 01:14 PM
Have you ever had an experience of going to Disneyland with people who aren't into Disney/Dinseyland as much as you are or not at all? Please share.

Squinky's (Disneyland Alone) thread gave me this idea because there have been lots of times I've done DL w/ a group and wish I was alone...:)

I went once with my family. I was thrilled to finally take them there after all these years only to find out they didn't care for DL and were just doing it because it meant a lot to me. My dad would sit by himself when we rode rides, my mom wouldn't ride the fast rides, my older sister would frown down at the "kiddie" rides and my younger sister well she rode 'em all. It wasn't a complete loss.:)

Bill Catherall
11-24-2001, 01:47 PM
I've taken friends that have never been to Disneyland their entire lives. The grew up in Texas, but come on...that's certainly no excuse. They liked Disney stuff (movies, toys, etc.) but just never went there. They really liked it, so it wasn't a loss at all.

Then there's the in-laws...my father-in-law hates crowds, so he was on edge the entire day. Being around him in a bad mood puts my mother-in-law in a bad mood too. And when she's grumpy then everybody suffers. That was not a fun day at all.

MammaSilva
11-24-2001, 01:50 PM
as much as I hate to admit this I actually married a muggle! He went to the park when he was in the navy and stationed in SD but has only gone once as an adult/parent....he doesn't like rides, crowds, lack of fermented beverages...there wasn't a single thing positive about the experience with him.. so my solution is just to leave him HOME when we go now :)

Gemini Cricket
11-24-2001, 02:08 PM
Originally posted by mammasilva
as much as I hate to admit this I actually married a muggle!

So have I.:)

Ace
11-24-2001, 02:13 PM
ahhHH!!!! YES!!!! I've been a bunch of times with people and just wanted to throw them into the Rivers of America and run... Once, I went with people who didn't want to go on any fantasyland dark rides...I guess they were just "too cool" for those... I can't stand going with other people most of the time because no one shares my love for that place! I'm up at 4 in the morning re-reading "Disneyland--Inside Story" and no one else even cares...I have to hassle everyone into getting there on time... and even then, theyalways need to eat or use the restroom or something else... like someone in another thread said, eating is a sign of waekness! Espceially when 5 different people have 5 different opinions... it socks. It's 14 days until I go, but probably 9 or 10 until I start to vibrate uncontrollably. And I'm going on my own, so I can eat, ride, and see exactly what I want, when I want...like I sais in Disneyland Alone.... life rules.

HBTiggerFan
11-24-2001, 03:17 PM
I went with someone who refused to wait in any line longer than 45 minutes (in july/august, daytime). He insisted that we find a shorter line, but the shortest line was an hour. So by the time we got in a line we would have been on the origional ride. This was before fastpass.

I have a friend who <gasp> has NO desire to go to Disneyland. None whatsoever. Not even if its free. Shes never been to any Disney park, but claims that she went to an amusment park where she grew up (in OK) and that DL is the same thing. I know, I should be shot for having such a friend haha.

MonorailMan
11-24-2001, 04:20 PM
We'll my parents are muggles (In more than one way ;) ) to Disney. And when we go around in DL she says "Thats it no more facts, or were going home! Relax and enjoy yourself." She, she dosen't realize that having all the facts is what I enjoy, sure the rides are fun, but it's more fun to find out that your riding around a break area (Space Mountain), or that your in a totally another building (Haunted Mansion). Thats what I like, and they well, just don't get it. It's like the whole HP thing, they just don't get it, she always says "How can kids/adults be obsessed with it, it's just a book and a movie.". Oh well. :)


Ahh... but my Great-Grandpa was an old CM at Disneyland, he even says he talked with Walt several times. He was a person who went around looking for lost things, he said he had a key to every door. He's also a huge fan of HP. Well guess it skipped a generation. :D

zapppop
11-24-2001, 04:49 PM
My 3 requirements:

1) sense of humor ( they must if they're dating me :p )
2) must love Disneyland
3) must like Madonna

Nigel2
11-24-2001, 10:22 PM
Hmmm so psycho killers that want to remove you skin and make fashionable hats out of it are ok as long as they meet that criteria hmmm.:D I have friends that are semi "muggles" (Harry Potter is lame compared to discworld btw :) ) When they go with me they first act like they aren't going to have fun but then when we get to the gates they want to do everything.

Gemini Cricket
11-24-2001, 11:01 PM
Originally posted by zapppop
My 3 requirements:

1) sense of humor ( they must if they're dating me :p )
2) must love Disneyland
3) must like Madonna

I second that. I also think they should like "The Simpsons" as well.

tabacco
11-25-2001, 12:07 AM
This past summer, I brought my father, who had never been to Disneyland (or any Disney park) in his life. He was actually not very enthusiastic about going, and kept complaining, but once we got him inside, he really started t enjoy it. He was expecting something like Six Flags, and as such, expected it to be just a cheesy front for amusement park rides. He was, needless to say, blown away, especially by the castmembers. One thing I remember him making a note of was how CMs offered assistance before he even asked (as we're trained to do ;)).

I have, hoewver, visited the park with people who didn't "get it." They expected Six Flags too, but the difference is that that's what they wanted. Sure, they enjoyed Space, Thunder, and sort of the MAtterhorn, but then they whined all through Pirates, Mansion, and especially Small World. In fact, they pretty much turned into some of the loudmouths that are always so annoying on Pirates... the ones who talk about totally unrelated things ("You're dating who?!?") through the whole ride. To be honest, I was pretty embarrassed. Needless to say, I didn't invite them again.

disneynut
11-25-2001, 06:29 PM
This thread reminds me of my father in law. He's not a Disney fan at all; thankfully my husband is much more tolerant :) He's been with us to WDW, DL and DCA. I always feel like I have to find things he'll like to do to prove to him it's not as bad as he seems to think it is. At least he doesn't voice his dislike while we're at the park, you can just see it in his eyes that he'd rather be somewhere else. Unfortunately my kids love it when grandpa gets to go with us.

MonorailMan
11-25-2001, 06:35 PM
I shall add on to my previous post:

Now let's take a peek at my parents views of Disneyland

Mom-Typical Muggle- Isn't obsessed enough to post and read every day about it, but thinks it's OK, she says any more than 2 times a year is too much. (A little blood, because her grandpa, is the one that worked at DL)

Dad-A "Don't use the D-word (Disneyland) in my house!!!" Person- He hates Disneyland :( he's 58, and said he will never go again in the rest of his life. (No Disney blood at all, maybe because he was born in Holland?)

Well, summing it up, I'm a mudblood (Thought to self: The HP gargon has to stop), that appently got more blood from mom.

The weirdest thing - I didn't realized I was obsessed with Disneyland ultil I came to MousePad.

zapppop
11-25-2001, 06:35 PM
Originally posted by DisneyLad

I also think they should like "The Simpsons" as well.

Okay, make that 4 requirements !

mad4mky
11-25-2001, 06:48 PM
Unfortunatly for me I am the child of Muggles. Hard to believe I have turned out as well as I have!! Luckily my iirst hubby and family were Disney people. So, my three children have been born of goodly "Disney" folk.

My sweet 2nd hubby here, was a Muggle....but we have adopted him anyway. And he goes along constantly and dosn't complain. He dosn't understand this "thing" I have for Disney. But, he dosn't mind, and in fact, encourages it by surprising me with great trips...like The Disney Cruise, WDW, 3 nights at The Grand Californian. Everyone should have a Muggle like mine!
(And I support him in his non-Disney activities as well. Everyone needs some kind of enjoyment somewhere).

But, I know what you mean, taking a non-Disney person is too tiring for me. I get too excited and want to explain everything...and they get burned out, I get burned out. It's a bad show all the way around!

cemeinke
11-25-2001, 09:45 PM
My theory is that those of us who were exposed at an early age to the Disney experience have grown up to love and, yes, sometimes obsess about the place (perhaps this is the psychological damage that was alluded to in another thread ;) )

On the other hand those that grew up outside the Disney sphere of influence (i.e. not near enough a theme park to visit regularly) lack that nostalgic link to childhood, and think the rest of us are just plain daft.

This seems to be the case among the people I know. Anybody have any contrary experiences?

tabacco
11-25-2001, 11:19 PM
Yeah, myself. I didn't go to DL til I was 13, and then not again 'til I was 17. Then I started working there ;)

3894
11-26-2001, 08:28 AM
cmeinke, that sounds right to me.

I grew up going to Disneyland. I love it.

My husband did not. He doesn't just hate it. He loathes it.

This, and his love for pickled herring, are his only weaknesses, albeit serious ones.

pacomama
11-26-2001, 11:42 AM
A few years ago, I attended a business meeting in Anaheim. Included in the meeting was lunch at Club 33 (yeah, I know, it was a pretty awesome thing.) The thing was, while I was over the moon to be going to Club 33, my co-workers were, well... muggles.

They just didn't think the experience was anything special and they looked at me funny when I started snapping pictures of the elevators and toilets. OK, I admit, that was a little strange, but it was CLUB 33!! The holy grail!

After lunch, we all wandered the park and it was my first holiday-time visit. I desperately wanted to go on it's a small world holiday, but the muggles absolutely refused... Grr. I still get mad thinking about it.

dshimel
11-26-2001, 12:36 PM
My wife likes Disney, but would rather slowly wander the park, then hit it and get some stuff done. Getting to a Disney park every half decade or so, I attack the parks. ashe really holds me back.

Ghoulish Delight
11-26-2001, 01:17 PM
My parents are an ineteresting lot. I grew up with Disneyland, thanks to them. We went once, sometimes twice a year, and when we vacationed in Florida 17 years ago, we were sure to visit WDW. They enjoyed going. My mom wouldn't go on coasters, but by dad did. We all went on the dark rides. But the older my sister and I got (specifically, when my sister was old enough that the two of us could wander a little more independently), my dad went on the rides less and less. Now, they haven't been since my sister got her driver's license (12 years ago!) and think I'm a bit weird for my obsession. I'd guess the next time they show up in the Magic Kingdom will be with grandkids when they arrive. They just aren't theme park people anymore. I guess their enjoyment of it came from watching our delight (something eluded to in the Disneyland Alone thread).

Julie
11-26-2001, 06:03 PM
Ah yes, DL muggles. My parents are a good example. My mom lived in Anaheim when the park first opened, so now she calls the park 'a shadow of its former self'. She's still mad they took out the Chicken of the Sea boat and the Flying Saucers. But I digress...

It is a pain to go with those who don't appreciate Disneyland on the same level I do. I had a friend in high school that didn't like any of the rides in Disneyland and yet another one in college who wouldn't wait in a line longer than 10 minutes. I have so much more fun going with fellow DL addicts. It's a fun challenge to see who knows the most trivia.

Lost Boy
11-26-2001, 08:19 PM
I guess I come from the pure magical world. My parents took me to Disneyland for my 13th birthday, which just happened to be opening day. And we went at least once sometimes twice every year. My dad love Disneyland. He liked the Chicken Plantation best of all. Loved sitting out on that big old porch eating his chicken dinner and watching the Mark Twain sail by. My mom always loved the Park, and Walt Disney's Animated movies. My sister and I went to the Park as kids, but as adults we had never been together until just a few weeks ago. First time since we were kids, and we had a ball. My niece came with us and she is old enough now to go off on her own, which she did and enjoyed it. I have never been to the Park with someone who didn't like it. Just doesn't work around me. I have gone with people who swore up and down they would not like. After we got there, and I start working my magic on them, and the Park and Walt start working their magic, there is just no stopping us. I have even converted people who where staunch WDW fans that said Disneyland just couln't be as good at The Magic Kingdom into staunch Disneyland lovers. They even prefer it over the Magic Kingdom. So, True Beleivers, Magic Works. Use It, if you can.

Not Afraid
11-26-2001, 09:17 PM
The only muggel we ever took to DL was a cousin of Chris' from Germany (pre-DLP). We were hurrying through the park, taking the quickest route from place to place. We'd stop and realize Marcus was not behind us. We'd backtrack and find him looking at some magical thing with eyes wide and mouth open. Marcus was 23 years old! He turned out not to be a muggel at all, just a latent Disneyland lover. The Magic (I can't read that word anymore;) ) definitely worked on him.

I'll never forget the look on his face when he saw people coming down the shoot on Splash Mt. It took some convincing to get him on that ride, but he loved it.

It was a blast. We were reminded just how magical Disneyland is by seeing it through new eyes.

Nigel2
11-26-2001, 10:12 PM
I don't think of this person as a "patrician" (Harry potter shal never overtake discworld) but this person I went with didn't want to go on any fast rides becuase of her hair getting blown arround, and then she wouldn't dump her coffee (don't get me started with her and her coffee or food in general) when we went of the first ride so she sat outside while we rode.