Adults & Disney

[WLF219]

I am going to Disney in a week with my husband. I have been there several times - 3 times as a child, once for a quick trip when I was older. My husband has NEVER been. He is 36. I keep telling him he will love it. Then i got to thinking ....

do you think adults like me LOVE Disney so much because of memories we have from childhood? Or do you think that an adult going for the first time as an adult can really fall in love with it? I hope my husband loves it!!! I wonder if most adults love it partly for the nostalgia factor?

 

[hcswingfield]

With the incredible variety of things to experience in the 4 parks at WDW, I'm sure your husband will find plenty of things to love about WDW, whether it's nostalgia driven or not. And even if someone never went to WDW as a child, if they ever saw a Disney movie or watched "Wonderful World of Color" on Sunday nights, there will be some nostalgia going on. Rides, shows, food, parades, shopping, animals, interactive entertainment, educational opportunities, and on and on. It's a great place for any age vacationer!

 

[New2WDW]

I (mid thirties male) went with my wife and two little girls back in August of 2003 for the first time and now I am the one planning the trips every year!
I love the family atmosphere and we hope to make it an annual vacation from here on out!

Also, I am not a die hard Disney fan as far as Mickey and the gang, I just love going down to WDW with the Family and enjoying the parks, restaurants, sites, etc.

That's why I titled my name New2WDW (new to all this Disney Stuff!)

 

[P-3 FE]

I think your husband will be very happy. Are you going with kids?? If not, be sure to explore alot of the older based attractions and all of the firework shows. Also, spend some time at Epcot enjoying a french pastry while watching Illuminations. A great way to end an evening.
Maybe set him up with a special gift in your room when you arrive to set the theme????
Use your "Disney Imagination"---anything is possible!!

Remember the magic!!!!:wave:

 

[wdwsog]

Epcot will be one of the best places, you can really take your time there without kids and see th amazing things it has to offer!

 

[eroyee]

:wave: I never went there as a child and I love love love Disney. went first time as an adult. I am HOOKED. yaaayyy!!!! Plan some special things for your DH. you know whats there. go on the websites and look for things other people do. have a magical vacation. :sohappy:

 

[mrtoad]

For me it was a love from childhood. My wife who did goes once as a kid but was like a year old and did not remember and once in High School and could have cared less at the time loves it now as an adult. We went on our Honeymoon and have been coming back ever since.

All that said, some people do not "get it". It depends on the person.

 

[Teenchy]

My wife and I are DVC members and have no kids and we visit about twice a year. We just got married at WDW this past December.:sohappy:
If you like to travel and like, beautiful resorts, great restaurants, good entertainment, nice pools and areas to get sun, good shopping, niteclubs, etc.,etc. then WDW is great.
Most people that dont go to WDW think its just the Magic Kingdom, there is so much more. We have been probably 15 times in the past 4 years and have only scratched the surface.
I would suggest this book as it will help you come up with great ideas for couples.
http://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-W..._bbs_sr_1/104-0143977-8630351?ie=UTF8&s=books

 

[westie]

Its all about the WOW factor. I'm sure he'll be wowed!

 

[MainSt1993]

I took two different 30-somethings on two separate trips last year, and neither had ever been to a Disney resort nor were they Disney fans going into it.

Trip 1 - A 30-something guy who loves extreme roller coasters, and was apprehensive about a day at Disney. He was immediately enthralled, and legitimately had fun on everything from dark rides to Space and Thunder. Absent in all his previous theme park visits were the intricate attention to detail and strong story line of the attractions themselves. Because seriously, when you boil down most "theme park" rides, that's all they are are rides. The fireworks floored him.

Trip 2 - An almost 30-something girl who was more excited about meeting Mickey than being at Disney for 3 days. She too is a thrill-seeker, and not sure what to expect of our Disney trip. We went on Soarin' as our very first adventure in the parks. She was speechless. Actually, she was sold at check in at the hotel, but Soarin' sealed the deal. The fireworks made her cry. Five months later, she still talks frequently about our trip.

I just don't see how you couldn't love a trip to WDW or DLR...

 

[cptwife80]

I think your husband will love it. My husband went every three months when he was a kid because his dad was always in the pro am golf tournaments, so he really got sick of it. It took me 6 years to get him to take me and the kids for my 25th and now we are DVC members and have gone for the past two years and one is now planned for may for just the two of us. He just told me last night while i was in the hospital to make the arrangements!!! I'm so happy to be going and finally home and healthy.:sohappy:

 

[MickeyKimmy]

My husband went to WDW for the first time on our honeymoon (I had been 3 times before) when he was 25. He completely fell in love with Disney and now we go multiple times a year. I think Disney can be special for the first time at any age. Hope you have a great trip! :wave:

 

[adventurelander]

Yes, your Husband will love it! My Husband's first time was on our Honeymoon in 2004. During the planning of the trip, he wasn't really into it, but I kept telling him, you won't understand it until your there. When we got there he was blown away! He kept saying as the days went on "There's more to this place?!" Then he called him family from his phone and kept telling them how unbelieveable it is. Those memories I won't ever forget and they are some of my best memories of our Honeymoon.

 

[justducky78]

Unless he's a total bore (j/k!) he'll have a great time. How can you not with everything there is to do. The great thing is you can customize your vacation to be more adult or more "kiddie" depending on who you're going with.

My husband (34) grew up with Disney and obviously loves it. He took me to WDW in 1996 (I was 18) and I fell in love with it. Partly because it's so great, but mostly because he loved it so much. Now, he laughs at me because I'm just as big of a Disney-nut as he is.

I agree - a lot of it is nostalgia, but that doesn't mean a newbie (adult) can't fall in love with WDW. I did!

 

[doop]

Anybody can love Disney, it is a family oriented park!! He just needs to have an open mind. If he goes there with the mindset that he's going to not like it, he probably won't and will mock it the whole time he's there. So keep telling him he'll have a good time and to have an open mind and I'm sure all will go well.

 

[sbkline]

do you think adults like me LOVE Disney so much because of memories we have from childhood? Or do you think that an adult going for the first time as an adult can really fall in love with it? I hope my husband loves it!!! I wonder if most adults love it partly for the nostalgia factor?

I can only speak for myself and my wife (who never went to Disney prior to our honeymoon) by telling you that the answer is no.

I went as an adolescent in 1987 and thought MK was awesome and thought that EPCOT was boring as heck. That was my first and only time going as a child.

I visited MK again in 2000 with some friends and had a great time, but it didn't seem quite as magical as I remembered it.

But then, we went on our honeymoon and not only was the magic back for me in MK, but I had a blast at EPCOT as well. I went there thinking it was going to be boring as heck like I remembered it, but I loved it. Loved Magic Kingdom. I wasn't quite as impressed with the other two, but I still had a blast. And so did my wife.

Then we went back in 2004, and visited EPCOT again in 2005 and plan to go this April, and we totally love it. So again...no, at least in our case, our love of the joint has nothing to do with nostalgia from our childhoods. :wave:

 

[righttrack]

do you think adults like me LOVE Disney so much because of memories we have from childhood? Or do you think that an adult going for the first time as an adult can really fall in love with it? I hope my husband loves it!!! I wonder if most adults love it partly for the nostalgia factor?

My wife never went until we did a few years ago. Instantly, she caught the fever. He will fall in love with it. No question.

 

[Monty]

I went for the first time in my 40's. I've been to WDW 5 times and DLR once. Within the next 13 months I'll go another 4 times...

He'll love it

 

[Figments Friend]

I agree that having a open mind is important. I really do. Too many adults who go to the Parks have this mindset that "it's just for kids"...or worse, "just for people with kids". ARGH!! Nothing could be further from the truth in my mind!

I go alone to WDW yearly, and i'm 35. I have a absolute BALL on my own and love every second of my expereinces there....even when i have to walk back to my hotel! I have been told that i am "not your average Guest" in that i am so totally into the fantasty and magic of it all....and i suppose this is true in a way...but i think anyone who loves make believe worlds will enjoy there time there. It has something for everyone and i find it to be a BETTER expereince for adults when they DON'T bring any kids with them.

Here's a example:

My best friend recently moved to live in Orlando to live with her boyfriend who is a resident there. She is 27 and has never been to WDW. Of course i have always told her that she should go, as i really figured it was up her alley. When she finally moved down i told her to go as she would then be able to get resident discounts, etc.

Well they finally got around to going this past November. They drove down with his RV and stayed at Fort Wilderness. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, awaiting her return from the trip to hear all about what she thought of the place.

It turned out that they ended up going with some of his reletives, and they brought two small children with them. In a nutshell, this was unfortunate as they spent all their time catering to them and never had the chance to expereince any of the "real" WDW attracion experiences that i had been raving about for ages and saying they should definately check out.

When she finally came back and we talked, she seem less then enthused about WDW. I was shocked. She was very mellow about it. She told me what they went on for rides, and what shows they saw ( not many) and it became clear they did nothing but FantasyLand with the kiddies that were with them. Peter Pan, Small World, Pooh, and Snow White were really the only attractions they did. They also did SGE...and that was about it! So her opinion of the place is based solely on those rides....they missed out on everything else! I was SO disapointed for her...as now she has the mentality that WDW is ONLY for kids. ARGH! :hammer:

I have told her that the next time i'm down, i will personally take her around the Parks and show her what she missed. Hopefully then she will realize that WDW IS for adults.

So long story short: Your pre-concieved opinions of the place can definately determine the outcome. Here my friend is living right next door to WDW, is now a resident, and could CARE LESS about the place! Yikes! I am so envious! :lol:

 

[VT GAL]

Everyone is different, but I would agree that there is something there for everyone. But my DH was 27 the first time he went to WDW, and I went in with a little bit of strategy to try my best for him to catch the magic...

He LOVES thrill rides and is a big movie buff, so we started at MGM. Which was great, because it had all of the things he loves and wasn't too overwhelming.

He is also a huge fan of the discovery channel and shows like Mythbusters, so EPCOT was an obvious choice for day 2. He says that is is favorite park, which is awesome because that is my favorite.

And finally we went to MK, because he said "I'm not into Disney Movies"...well after a trip on POTC that didn't matter at all...I don't think anything mattered to him, because he was having such a good time.

Unfortunately we were rushed on the last day, and didn't have time for AK...but there is always next time.

I think that WDW on the whole is a special place, and it is one of the only places where you can feel free to let go of any real stress and have a good time.