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View Full Version : Freaking Out: Husband's 1st Trip!



mkcbunny
04-17-2005, 10:14 PM
Hello All,

I have been "lurking" on the site for awhile and am a recent subscriber, and you all rock! So, here I am asking for help. And I apologize for the lengthy intro below. I just figured you all needed to know the background and the plan with which I am having troubles. :)

Back Story: I have been hitting the Disney parks once or twice each year since 1999 with a girlfriend, as a fun getaway. We started using the Unofficial Guide in each park and then after that, we just go by the "get to the park early" motto and we know where we want to hit before noon. We use FastPasses, don't wait more than 15 mins on line, and take a break after noon for a swim/nap before going back at night. We're aggressive with rides in the a.m., and mellow in the p.m. So I'm pretty comfortable with how to hit everything we want to and also relax and have fun.

Problem: Well, it's a good "problem." My husband has never been to DLR. It's our 15th anniversary, and he's not in the "cult" of Disney. Call me insane, but I'm bringing him to DLR for three days in May. [We don't have kids, FYI, so no kids in the plan.] I know what rides he will love and which ones to avoid. And I am planning to give him plenty of food and swim and nap breaks so he doesn't overload. But I am now having last-minute PANIC over "the plan" because I am planning for a different type of "Guest" and I'm feeling oodles of self-inflicted pressure over making sure he has a good time. [And I am REALLY excited!]

Our trip is Wed-Fri. [May 11-13] So we have early entry Thursday. My plan is to take him right to the "smaller" Fantasyland rides on Wed, because I think he should see the "magic" heart of the park first. We'll fit in whatever we can of the "bigger rides" that day, but I figure Indy and whatever is left of the E-ticket rides will be Thursday. On Thursday, which is an EE day, I figure we'll go in for EE just to get inside the park, but we'll have already done most of the small rides. We'll do Matterhorn [if he wants to] and anything we missed in FL, and then line up for Indy and FP Splash when they let us head to that part of the park. Afternoon will be open and spontaneous. Thursday night is Napa Rose. Friday day is DCA, and Friday night is Fantasmic!, second show if there is one [hoping for Jungle Cruise at night during first show, or maybe some other rides].

So, what I need from you all is to know whether this plan is sound. I feel like it'd be bad to plan all the Fantasyland rides on the EE Thursday. But I am freaking out about "having" to hit FL first just because it seems right for a Disney first-timer. Maybe I should take him right to the E-ticket rides Wednesday to avoid the massive 50th crowds, and hit Fantasyland on EE Thursday with everyone else?? I can't help think that it's NEVER a good idea to do anything "with everyone else" = lines. I always try to avoid the crowd and where it is going.

Help! Please tell me my plan is OK, and my gut instinct is right, and I should stop second guessing it, and we'll be fine. [P.S. I will probably get Ridemax just to track current times.]

Thanks for listening and helping!

sdfilmcritic
04-17-2005, 10:26 PM
You're plan is awesome! Pretty much taking it slow at the beginning and working him into the whole thing is a great idea. Don't forget to get constant feedback from him throughout the trip as it unfolds. Be spontaneous by making alterations here and there if necessary. If you want to get him hooked for good then make sure he is at a comfortable pace with things. Lead him along when he isn't sure what he wants by offering ideas of what the two of you can do next and then go do it. If he's not into doing a particular ride/show/idea that you thought would work then skip it and go to the next item or throw in a backup Plan B ride/show/idea for that particular item. I hope I don't sound confusing trying to explain this but I'm thinking that having a loosely based schedule without it appearing like you have a schedule may seem to make him feel more relaxed and comfortable during the trip.

MammaSilva
04-17-2005, 10:29 PM
IF this is his first time ever... I'll share a little experience with you....I got the joy of taking my adult younger brother and his family for their first ever 'family trip' his wife had been to the parks as a child but never as an adult and never with her husband and 3 kids.....I figured the boys would be the coaster/thrill seekers...so when we FIRST went in we did what I call the 'coaster/mountain' run...Matterhorn, Space, Big thunder, splash, then we hit Indy...and I noticed that my brother and family were having a good time but not 'a GREAT time' then the sun went down and the lights came up and the Castle glowed and my niece was like Auntie PLEASE can we go thru the castle now... so off across the drawbridge we went....and I watched the transformation on my adult brothers face.... as he turned to me and said NOW I feel like I"m in Disneyland...

So based on that, I would say that doing Fantasyland is the PERFECT way to start the trip!

mkcbunny
04-17-2005, 10:33 PM
Pretty much taking it slow at the beginning and working him into the whole thing is a great idea. Don't forget to get constant feedback from him throughout the trip as it unfolds. etc.

Thanks! Sounds like you have been through this before! I figure I will have to be metering him the whole way. Afterall, if he's not having fun, it's no fun. I don't want to cram in every little thing. I've cut out anything that I know he wont be really into. There's no need for him to see everything in one trip. And then if he spots something and seems interested, we can give it a shot. There are a couple of attractions on the "maybe" list. And there's no plan to hit anything more than once unless he wants to. I just have to breathe ...

sdfilmcritic
04-17-2005, 10:36 PM
Sounds like you've got yourself pretty much set. I went through this two years ago when I took a friend of mine on a week long vacation to the parks. It was his first trip to DLR and I've learned from experience during that trip.

mkcbunny
04-17-2005, 10:37 PM
So based on that, I would say that doing Fantasyland is the PERFECT way to start the trip!

Thanks. I feel MUCH better now. It seemed the right thing to do, but the 50th hysteria has me all wound up with newfound anxiety. :(

When we arrive the night before, we will just walk down from the HoJo to see how far the walk is and get some grub. I think we can catch a glimpse of the fireworks from the hotel, so that'll ease us in.

Thanks again. :)

mkcbunny
04-17-2005, 10:39 PM
I went through this two years ago when I took a friend of mine on a week long vacation to the parks. It was his first trip to DLR and I've learned from experience during that trip.
Did your trip go well?

sdfilmcritic
04-17-2005, 10:41 PM
Did your trip go well?Yes, I thought it went pretty well. A couple of the high end "scary" things he didn't want to do so we passed on them. Plus we got to do things (like visiting Golden Dreams show) that I had never done before. It was a memorable trip.

sunfun94
04-17-2005, 11:16 PM
There is really much better imho that you can do.. your plan looks awesome..just remember to relax and let yourself enjoy this time with your hubby! :)

bradk
04-18-2005, 01:30 AM
i concur on the fantasyland plan (for what it's worth). i've used ridemax to include every ride but peter pan and matterhorn during non-EE. i imagine those would eat up too much valuable time during the day and there's probably no way you'll be able to do all fantasyland rides within the EE hour anyway.

MammaSilva
04-18-2005, 05:24 AM
bradk.....while you often offer reasonable input for someone who has never set foot on property...this is one time that I'll call you on your opinion. While
mkcbunny may not 'want' to do all of FL "proper" (I don't include Matterhorn, IASW nor the show in the Fantasyland theater here even tho they ARE included as a part of FL) it is indeed totally possible to do all the rides in an hour ESPECIALLY if they are AT the gate when it opens and go do Peter Pan first followed immediately by Dumbo, doubling back to Toad then over to Snow and Pinnochio....up the path to Casey then down to the Carousel, next to Alice and then tea cups. At that point they are on the outside of FL 'proper' meaning they've left the enclosed area that folks commonly refer to as Fantasyland, although they still have Storybook Canal, It's a Small World and the Matterhorn as part of that land.

Our family has done this on more occassions than I care to count and as long as you get Peter Pan and Dumbo in as the first 2 rides it's not "impossible" at all if you really are a ride comando.

bradk
04-18-2005, 05:59 AM
eh.. well i do appreciate your support, but you are somewhat agreeing with me by not including matterhorn. i do include matterhorn and IASW (but not the snow white musical) when i say all of fantasyland, which is why i say i would consider myself 'lucky' if i'm able to do peter pan and matterhorn twice in the EE hour. the smaller attractions are more feasible to do in an hour, but it's still technically not all of fantasyland.

kimbopotamus
04-18-2005, 06:52 AM
Hi mkcbunny! I think your plan sounds great! I can't speak from experience though, as the last time I was there was 9 years ago. I am taking my 8 year old daughter next week, with our first day being on a Thursday EE day. I purposely did it that way so that the very first experience for her would be Fantasyland.
Your husband sounds easy going from what you have said, just relax and enjoy every little moment! (I couldn't even talk my husband into going!)

sunfun94
04-18-2005, 08:03 AM
There is really much better imho that you can do.. your plan looks awesome..just remember to relax and let yourself enjoy this time with your hubby! :)


***Oooopppps!! ok, I meant NOT much better than you could do as your plan looks awesome .... hee hee sorry! ;) I gotta stop posting so late...

mkcbunny
04-18-2005, 08:14 AM
Our family has done this on more occassions than I care to count and as long as you get Peter Pan and Dumbo in as the first 2 rides it's not "impossible" at all if you really are a ride comando.

My friend and I have definitely had trips where we did everything in FL that we wanted to do in an hour. Meaning that we never "need" to do the Carousel or Dumbo, and we don't usually do the Story Boats 'til evening. We have done all the others in one early swipe though. But, yeah, technically, it's not "everything."

On this trip, I'm planning to do everything except the ones mentioned above on Day 1. We could probably do the Matterhorn, but I don't know if he's going to want to do it, so I'm not planning on it. And also, we should leave something for Thursday since we'll be in the park early. If we have time for multiples, you can probably guess what we'll be doing more than once [Alice!].

mkcbunny
04-18-2005, 08:19 AM
***Oooopppps!! ok, I meant NOT much better than you could do as your plan looks awesome .... hee hee sorry! ;) I gotta stop posting so late...

LOL. I knew what you meant somehow. Thanks. I don't know why I was "freaking out." Well, I do, but I can't control it. I needed a reality check with Padder central to calm me down.

My Disney friend and I are taking bets on what my husband's favorite ride will be. Right now, my money is on Pirates of the Caribbean. He is not into rollercoasters [he gets too queasy], but he loves special effects and cool set design.

mkcbunny
04-18-2005, 09:03 PM
(I couldn't even talk my husband into going!)
Mine's definitely got reservations, but his entire family [9 people] were semi-threatening to hold our annual family reunion at WDW, and I thought that was WAY too intense for a first visit. So this is a tester trip on a much more intimate scale. Plus, I am super-biased towards DLR anyway. :)

GeminiAngel
04-18-2005, 09:33 PM
Just be careful in your expressing your excitment. I was way pumped, and babbled on, and on, and on, did I mention on? about how great this was, and that was. Well, hubby hit burn-out on a Saturday Afternoon when the park was open till midnight. Kissed me on the forehead at 4pm!! took our daughter (who was tired, but had a stroller if she wished to nap), and Said to me " This is your thing, stay and have a great time." with that, my mouth fell open, and my happy mood crashed hard! I spent the next 8 hours by-myself
for the first time ever in DL & DCA. DH & DD back at the hotel sleeping away by 8pm. I had fun. but, I cried during the electric parade. My 3yr old DD was missing it!!!! I missed being with them so bad. :(

mkcbunny
04-18-2005, 09:48 PM
I spent the next 8 hours by-myself
for the first time ever in DL & DCA. DH & DD back at the hotel sleeping away by 8pm. I had fun. but, I cried during the electric parade. My 3yr old DD was missing it!!!! I missed being with them so bad. :(

That is such a sad story. I feel bad for you. :(

I was/am pretty concerned about over-hyping and overdoing it all. At the moment, I try not to talk about it more than every three or four days. [Hence being here on MP forums all the time! I can barely contain it.] Will take your words of wisdom on the over-exposure while there. I figure we'll break after noon and go back to the hotel for a rest/swim. And if he doesn't want to go back at night, that's OK. He's pretty energetic, and there are lots of things he will like, but I need to get him out before the heat/crowds/lines get bad and start to bother him. We'll be all about doing things early, when there's more magic and fewer Guests. I think your experience is the kind of thing that I am kind of afraid of, and hence my little panic here. :)

MsYumiBr
04-18-2005, 09:55 PM
Just be careful in your expressing your excitment. I was way pumped, and babbled on, and on, and on, did I mention on? about how great this was, and that was. Well, hubby hit burn-out on a Saturday Afternoon when the park was open till midnight. Kissed me on the forehead at 4pm!! took our daughter (who was tired, but had a stroller if she wished to nap), and Said to me " This is your thing, stay and have a great time." with that, my mouth fell open, and my happy mood crashed hard! I spent the next 8 hours by-myself
for the first time ever in DL & DCA. DH & DD back at the hotel sleeping away by 8pm. I had fun. but, I cried during the electric parade. My 3yr old DD was missing it!!!! I missed being with them so bad. :(

If it makes you feel any better, my youngest is now 9 and has finally, finally, for the very first time, stayed up late enough to see Fantasmic! Hotels are for taking early afternoon naps. It certainly helped us be able to see Fantasmic!. It also helped us enjoy some down time in the hotel, watch a DVD and snuggle. I've learned from our last trip that marathon Disney is for day trips only where you can recover the next day. Take heart. My DH was not much into DL either at first. DLH concierge changed all that :)

mkcbunny
04-18-2005, 10:21 PM
Hotels are for taking early afternoon naps. I've learned from our last trip that marathon Disney is for day trips only where you can recover the next day. Take heart. My DH was not much into DL either at first.

Sounds like he came around? ...

NAPS! Always a good thing! I know my husband will need a good long one if we even want to think about Fantasmic! Under normal circumstances, I would never put him into a crowd like that, but he's seen my video and pictures and thought it seemed pretty cool. And it's a pretty long show, so it's worth it. That said, I'm not getting my hopes up that we will make it that far. He could easily crash at dinner, and that will be just fine.

It should be pretty relaxed. On this trip, there's no need to ride things twice [unless he wants to!], and there's so much to see that doesn't involve lines rides, as well. As long as we are getting onto attractions with little wait, he'll be fine. Once the lines build, then it's all about taking him on a train ride to see prehistoric dinosaurs and finding him a turkey leg. :)

Gee, I sound better, don't I? I am still freaking out, but I feel better about it.

mkcbunny
05-15-2005, 01:17 PM
By the way, the Wednesday Fantasyland plan worked exceptionally well. I have yet to write up our trip report [got back yesterday, 5/14], but we got into the park at 9:30 for 10 am rope-drop and headed to Fantasyland, where we rode everything except the carousel and canal boats. My husband even wanted to ride the teacups AND spin them. Got a great movie of that.

Next day [Thursday, May 12], we did early entry and rode the Matterhorn twice, canal boats, and Buzz Lightyear [awful scores!], plus took a stroll through a nice, empty Tomorrowland and scoped out a present for our niece before official park opening. I am so glad we did the bulk of Fantasyland on Wednesday, because it was jam-packed for early entry on Thursday and also very busy on Friday at opening. I highly recommend that plan of attack to anyone with a Monday or a Wednesday as their first day. Then you can target just a couple of rides for early entry on the Tuesday or Thursday.

sjcivilady
05-15-2005, 01:35 PM
Cool! Can't wait to hear your trip report! :)