My son doesn't wanna go :(

[Beckariah]

UPDATE 12/26 - he LOVED the surprise and is very giddy about the trip He's going to do the planning with me and said he can't wait to see his sister's face when she meets Elsa
PHEW..................
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We are surprising the kids at Christmas with a Disney trip for Oct 2015.
My son, aged 8, has guessed the surprise (although we haven't confimred it) and has expressed that he doesn't want to go.

His father and I took him for his 5th birthday, the year prior to us splitting up. I was preggo with my youngest, now 3.5, and we want to take her while she's young enough to still believe.

We have asked him why he doesn't want to go and all he says is "it'll be boring".

Any suggestions on how we can change his mind? Friends of ours, and their kids (friends with my son) were supposed to come but they have bailed. There is always the possibility that they end up coming, but I don't want to tell him in case they don't.

We plan to show him the Disney planning dvd and explain all the fun he will have that he couldn't do when he was 5. I am hoping he will change his mind.......as I'd hate to make my kid go to Disney (even saying that sounds sooooo wrong!)

We *might* throw in the Cruise option - however we think he might find that boring; compared to the parks.

UGH.....so much for Mom being awesome and choosing Disney over her own Hawaiian get-away (kid-free lol)

 

[Baldy]

I always worry about the day that MY son will say he doesn't want to go anymore. He is 14 and although he has a great time there, he no longer gets excited ahead of time and has no interest in planning.

...he does talk about how exciting it would be for his little sister to see the Princesses etc. So there is *some* excitement in the whole Disney thing still in there somewhere.

Since he already knows about it, maybe you could have him prepare a touring plan for his sister. Perhaps along the way, he will remember some of the rides he enjoyed last time. Remind him about some of the "grown up" rides that he might not have been able to ride last time, and tell him about anything new since the last time you went.

He was upset at not being able to ride/do a lot ...

If he enjoys scavenger hunts or photography, you can have a photo-scavenger hunt (e.g. at animal kingdom we had to photograph things like a flower, a carving of an insect and water). At the end of the day, we judged the pictures on creativity. My son's photo of "water", was his grandmother dripping wet after a ride on Kali.
*If you want more info on this, PM me and I can send you the lists we used last year or some of the things we have planned for this coming summer.

If he likes video games, you could visit Disney Quest.

When my son was eight, I gave him a Hidden Mickey book in his stocking. He loved searching for them all over the world (Make sure you get the newest version, since they change during renos)

Try not worry, he will probably be fine once he gets there. Please let us know how things work out.

 

[4disneylovers]

I was going to suggest Birnbaum for kids too. Help him find things he might like such as sea raycers out of the resorts. Ask him for help planning things he thinks his little sis might like.

Also try to find a way to open him up about what boreing means.

 

[mr_braver23]

Same here for my 13 year old, but he "seems" to have a Great time once we get there.... Imagine that!!

 

[Dads 2 Boys]

We are surprising the kids at Christmas with a Disney trip for Oct 2015.
My son, aged 8, has guessed the surprise (although we haven't confimred it) and has expressed that he doesn't want to go.

His father and I took him for his 5th birthday, the year prior to us splitting up. I was preggo with my youngest, now 3.5, and we want to take her while she's young enough to still believe.

We have asked him why he doesn't want to go and all he says is "it'll be boring".

Any suggestions on how we can change his mind? Friends of ours, and their kids (friends with my son) were supposed to come but they have bailed. There is always the possibility that they end up coming, but I don't want to tell him in case they don't.

We plan to show him the Disney planning dvd and explain all the fun he will have that he couldn't do when he was 5. I am hoping he will change his mind.......as I'd hate to make my kid go to Disney (even saying that sounds sooooo wrong!)

We *might* throw in the Cruise option - however we think he might find that boring; compared to the parks.

UGH.....so much for Mom being awesome and choosing Disney over her own Hawaiian get-away (kid-free lol)

I agree with most everyone else that you should still take him but I can offer a little perspective on the part of this that was touched on so well by rsox guy. He did make an excellent point while, IMO, being very tactful about it.

Bear with me with this small story.

Rsoxguy's comment is probably the case but I can tell you your son will most likely not feel that way during and after the trip. My ex and I split in 2004 when our kids were 6 & 3 before we had a chance to take them to WDW for their first trip as a "married" couple. In mid 2007, she broached the subject of wanting to take them to WDW in December of that year. I was not at all thrilled with missing their first trip so after many discussions, it was agreed upon we would take them together. Yes....as divorced parents. My current wife, who was my gf at the time, was living with me and agreed it would be the right thing to do. That way the first trip had memories of Mom and Dad although they knew we weren't getting back together.

We planned it out and in Dec 2007, we took our kids on a wonderful 10 day trip. Oddly enough, yes we stayed in the same room...one parent slept in a bed with one kid and the other parent with the other kid. It worked out great (although I was reminded multiple times during the trip why I was divorced...lol). While it was awkward at times (for us the parents, never for the kids), we did what was best for the boys.

Fast forward 7 years and we got back two months ago from my kids 3rd trip and they love it as much as ever. My current wife and I took the boys in 2011 (when they were 13 & 10) and this September (when they were 16 & 13). On their first trip back in 2011, we built new memories while telling the boys they never have to forget the old ones. The planning of the first trip back in 2011 was a little sensitive at first because my current wife and I wanted to get a feel for how they were going to react going without their Mom. Now, they love and cherish the new memories especially as they get older.

My suggestion is to let him help you "plan" the trip...get him involved. Tell him what I told my boys. You're going to create wonderful new memories on your new trip but you'll always have them from the first trip with his parents. It'll be a different experience for him...not bad...different.

When you are there, don't dwell on "we did this with Daddy remember?" but also don't shy away from something he remembers (if anything). Take tons of new pictures. It will all work out.

P.S........don't show him the planning DVD....it's kind of boring. YouTube is more an 8 yr old's style. Have the park map up to have him pick some things for him and his little sister to do. If he feels like he "has a voice"......it will be fine. I'm not saying letting him hijack your trip or let him plan it, but have him involved.

Just a thought......

 

[Beckariah]

Thank you all for your suggestions and for your story Dads 2 Boys
Knowing my son, he will have a blast, it's just getting to Oct 2015. Yes it's along ways off, however I have plans to help the time fly by (savings jars, countdown calendar, monthly letters from the characters etc)
I just felt very defeated when he said "it would suck" but now I have a re-newed excitement!

 

[Club34]

i guess i missed the part where he was actually given a choice.

parent: we are going to WDW for vacation tomorrow.

kid: that place sucks.

parent: cab for the airport leaves at 6am.

kid: oh yeah, well if you think...[parent closes door as they leave the room].

 

[Disnee4Me]

When we go next year my DSs will be 25 and 20 --- probably the last time we'll go as a family ... they have always enjoyed it, so it's strange to me that an 8 year old would not be excited. But if it helps, when we went to Italy in 2012, my then 17 year old son complained he did not want to go for months beforehand ... we got there on a Saturday afternoon and by Sunday night, he was asking if we could come back the next year ... and this was before he met the girls he is still friendly with.

 

[JillC LI]

As the parent of a 13YO girl and a 15 YO boy, dare I say that 8 years don't know what they will like on a vacation. Age 5 is very hard to remember, even for an 8 year old. I'll bet that once he's there and captivated by all that is Disney, he will have an amazing time. Don't bother trying to convince him in advance with words. Being there will turn him around.

If I had a dollar for every time one of my kids said, "I don't want to go there. I won't like it." and then afterwards said, "That was great!" then I'd have a lot of dollars!