Water boarding/electroshock therapy followed by positive reinforcement (think peanut butter cups) while watching one of the Disney vacation DVD's that features the 4 different people (you know, the ones with Dave, "the bench guy"). The new videos aren't near as effective.
My absolute favorite advice...thanks for making me laugh! That's hard to do these days... the "believers" was tongue-in-cheek, of course, but seriously, I am getting fed up with people's disbelief that I enjoy visiting DL and WDW so much. It's just pure joy for me, one of the few places that make me relax and relive childhood memories of growing up with Disney in the 70s/80s.
I so appreciate everyone's comments, I didn't expect so many responses. Thank you!
Yes, my husband is getting tired of the repeat trips and wants to try more national parks and the like, but in all honesty, he is in la-la land, because neither of our kiddos like the outdoors in the least, nor has my husband ever camped in his entire life or spent much time outdoors. Honestly, I grew up outdoors, camping and hiking, climbing trees and catching bugs and frogs and I am not stupid or being selfish here, I'm being realistic. Hawaii cost twice as much as a Disney vacation and was not worth the expense given how much our autistic son was willing to do. I was very disappointed, in all likelihood, I will never be able to go to Hawaii again. Disney is easier on the budget and gives the most bang for the buck. The kids are happy and I am happy because I am the vacation planner and tour guide. I need to have fun, too. When we want a family vacation, it is the easiest and most satisfying place to go. My husband wants variety, but guess what? He does zero research and I create the itinerary and am in charge as we go. Hawaii was so stressful for me. We have food restrictions to plan around. I have severe food allergies (that would be me, I usually lose 2-3 pounds on a 5-7 day vacation because I cannot find enough safe foods to eat on a limited menu/time constraints), plus 2 vegetarians, let alone a teen with autism. Vacations take a great deal of planning, flexibility and creativity to make them work. After Hawaii, I had to go to WDW less than two months later for a long weekend to unwind. I've traveled solo I think 4 times to WDW over the years for minibreaks.
So, yes, we've traveled quite a bit with our family, the kids have grown up accustomed to airplanes and travel. And yes, I take separate vacations, but these have decreased since the recession. Also, my kids don't like me to travel without them anymore. The best family vacations have consistently been DL or WDW. Our autistic teen LOVES the parks and is not overly anxious. He doesn't shut down and refuse to do anything, leaving one adult to sit while the other takes the other child to explore a new place. This makes me so sad. We have nobody to leave our children with anymore so we can go on vacations as a couple, that ended 4 years ago. We are gearing up for a family European trip within the next few years, but oh my goodness, all the planning and responsibility is in my lap. I'm not ready for that yet given that 2 years ago, Hawaii was such a disappointment and so stressful.
I know how lucky I am to be able to share such wonderful vacations with my family. We need these times to bond and have fun together. My husband works 60+ hours a week, the boys hardly ever spend any time with him. Neither do I, for that matter... Our family life is hard. In all likelihood, despite all the interventions, therapies and services he has received, our son may not ever be able to have a full time job or live independently. Living with that reality is hard. I don't think it is much to ask for a week long vacation once every 18-24 months to a place that works for the boys and for me. Plus, this time around I have planned for new experiences, like a boat ride near Cape Canaveral and our first DisneyQuest visit.
So, it's not a matter of wanting to force my husband, it's more of trying to understand why he has changed his tune recently, even though we did try a non-Disney vacation. I cannot possibly take the two boys by myself. I want to spend time with both of them. Taking just one, which I have done before, isn't as much fun since we always miss the others.
Thanks again for all your input. I'm looking forward to our next vacation this summer, and hoping for the best!
