For families whose husbands don't like disney

kandb

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 22, 2006
We have been going to Disney for the last 12 years, yearly. My husband got sick of Disney probably around 4-5 years ago but continued to come and would always not be very happy while we were there and I was making him go to the parks with us. This year we stayed at YC/GF for 9 nights (got a great special) and only got park tickets for myself and 3 children (14, 14, 8). My husband did not enter a park at all. He spent his time at the beautiful resorts, going to the gym and relaxing around the pool. We go yearly, so we are not at the parks from open to close. I spent approx. 5 hours in the parks per day with our children and then we had a nice sit down dinner nightly. We also spent time watching the fireworks together and walking around the boardwalk area. My husband played golf twice (Disney pays for the cab fare/tip for back and forth to the golf course) and it was under $100 for 18 holes which included renting the golf clubs. We also spent a lot of time swimming/relaxing at the beautiful pools at the hotels. It was the best trip we had in 12 years. Everyone was happy, my husband got to relax and get away from work and I was not resentful about him not wanting to go to the parks. I came to the realization that he didn't want to go to the parks anymore and accepted it. Just wanted to share since I see a lot of people on here that say their husbands don't like Disney.
 
We have been going to Disney for the last 12 years, yearly. My husband got sick of Disney probably around 4-5 years ago but continued to come and would always not be very happy while we were there and I was making him go to the parks with us. This year we stayed at YC/GF for 9 nights (got a great special) and only got park tickets for myself and 3 children (14, 14, 8). My husband did not enter a park at all. He spent his time at the beautiful resorts, going to the gym and relaxing around the pool. We go yearly, so we are not at the parks from open to close. I spent approx. 5 hours in the parks per day with our children and then we had a nice sit down dinner nightly. We also spent time watching the fireworks together and walking around the boardwalk area. My husband played golf twice (Disney pays for the cab fare/tip for back and forth to the golf course) and it was under $100 for 18 holes which included renting the golf clubs. We also spent a lot of time swimming/relaxing at the beautiful pools at the hotels. It was the best trip we had in 12 years. Everyone was happy, my husband got to relax and get away from work and I was not resentful about him not wanting to go to the parks. I came to the realization that he didn't want to go to the parks anymore and accepted it. Just wanted to share since I see a lot of people on here that say their husbands don't like Disney.
My S.O. has twice accompanied my son and me to WDW. He enjoyed the first trip, but not the second. He's the type who doesn't really like to travel to the same destination twice. Now he stays home when we go. It works fine for us, as the trips provide precious mom & son time now that it's just the two of us who go. I feel better about my S.O. not going than I would about him being a wet blanket on a trip that I worked so hard to plan and pay for. It's also very nice that he provides curbside drop-off and pick-up at our home airport. No parking hassles.
 
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My husband hasn't joined us on the last 3 trips. He's quite happy to send us on our own as no longer has any desire to do any Disney related holidays. I'm fine with that because if he came along he would be grumpy the whole trip anyway. We stick to beach vacations for him!
 
My last trip, it was my girlfriend and her three kids at WDW, and we had a mostly good time. The middle kid said flat out "no more Disney" after that trip. The youngest, it's hard to get a read on anything out of that face, Kristen Stewart could learn a thing or two off of that expression.

Our upcoming trip, well, the oldest already went this summer, the middle, obviously, doesn't want to go, and the youngest is stuck in school. My girlfriend and I looked at each other and went "COUPLES TRIP!"

(don't worry, they're all old enough to take care of themselves, the older two are in college)
 


It took me a while to realize that dragging my husband to the parks was just not good for anyone. I can't really blame him, because some people just don't get Disney. My children and I just LOVE it. All of the special places we eat and all of the rides that we go on and share memories, it's just a great vacation and it's hard to imagine not going every year. We have talked about skipping next summer, but every time I think about not going, I almost want to cry:confused3. I try every year to say we are going to try a different vacation but I think about it and know I am not going to enjoy anything more than Disney. I need a therapist:thumbsup2
 
DH just doesn't come. WE took 2 trips as a family and then just DS and I went. Now I take trips with my sister or cousin as DS grew up and doesn't want to go anymore either.
 
This is us. We stay on property and treat it like a more like a resort that has a theme park. The emphasis on the resort part and not the theme park part. This is still with us going only every few years. Our best trip was when my dh and son went golfing while the others and I went to the parks and met up later for a nice dinner. My dh is not a huge parks fan but does enjoy all the resorts. We don't require 5 stars so it suits us fine although he would much rather be on DCL.
 
My husband never liked going to Disney until we stayed at the GF. It is such a relaxing resort for the family. He will go to the parks with us, but will head back earlier with our youngest child to enjoy the GF. We had been staying at the GF every year and he said that if they ever did a GF DVC that he would definitely buy into it...and that's exactly what he did. We love the villas at the GF!
 
It took me a while to realize that dragging my husband to the parks was just not good for anyone. I can't really blame him, because some people just don't get Disney. My children and I just LOVE it. All of the special places we eat and all of the rides that we go on and share memories, it's just a great vacation and it's hard to imagine not going every year. We have talked about skipping next summer, but every time I think about not going, I almost want to cry:confused3. I try every year to say we are going to try a different vacation but I think about it and know I am not going to enjoy anything more than Disney. I need a therapist:thumbsup2
We go every year on the last two weeks in August (our favorite time to go even if it's HOT). This year we decided we were going to skip Disney and do a different vacation, which we took in late June-July. Well, we couldn't keep away from Disney after all! We did a last minute trip at the end of August. My DD daughter liked our June trip, but said it didn't feel like a vacation to her. She said Disney was her vacation spot!
 
It sounds like you guys found a way to make it work for everyone. My dh would never go for that. He isn't big on Disney, and he would have no problem with me and just the kids going, but if we all went together he would not want to go off on his own while the rest of us spent the day doing something else. It's OK, he ends up enjoying himself at the parks so its not like he mopes around all day LOL.
I don't think we will be going on any more whole family trips to WDW. Dh and I are planning to go during F&W next year, something I hope to do every year but I'm not going to push my luck. I don't think that feels "Disney" to dh so he actually enjoys it.
Dd wants to go back for her 21st b-day so I'll take her for that while dh and the boys stay home or do something else. I guess that is how we will make it work for us too.
 
My DH only joins us once in a blue moon. He likes Disney, and is enthusiastic when we plan a trip, but he just does not always want to come with us. It's funny, DH is okay with it. I am okay with it, although I miss him a lot while I am away. My family is okay with it. But his family? We just found out they are furious we "use him and his money" to vacation whiel he stays home. LOL!! If they only knew how much he enjoys knowing that he has made us happy, and the folks he insists we take so they can experience a disney trip. He also will not consider a first timer who is joining us stay off the monorail ( although he has agreed that is it okay to like the BC LOL!) I am the cheapskate inteh family and would do none of this for myself.

I figure that each family needs to be comfortable with vacation plans, and we all have different preferences. There is no wrong way to have a family vacation if you all are happy.
 
I am anticipating trips with my kids without my DH. We are going for an 8 day trip next month with the whole family and my DH has already stressed he has no desire to go again for a while. I've been every year for 17ish years now, and I have no desire to stop going. I'm thinking of taking my DS on his fourth birthday, and it makes me a little sad that my DH is ok missing both his birthday and mother's day, but he knows it would make me happy and my DS. My DS is already pumped and says he wants to fight Darth Vader - he's three - and talks about all the characters he's going to meet.
 
I am anticipating trips with my kids without my DH. We are going for an 8 day trip next month with the whole family and my DH has already stressed he has no desire to go again for a while. I've been every year for 17ish years now, and I have no desire to stop going. I'm thinking of taking my DS on his fourth birthday, and it makes me a little sad that my DH is ok missing both his birthday and mother's day, but he knows it would make me happy and my DS. My DS is already pumped and says he wants to fight Darth Vader - he's three - and talks about all the characters he's going to meet.

I hope your trip goes well. Maybe have your dh have some down time that does not include the parks? I think my dh just got sick of going to the parks and said he was tired "going on the same rides". Maybe a few resort days, where your dh can just hang at the pool with a few adult beverages, might make the other days more enjoyable for him. It's important if you do this, to not be resentful towards him because not everyone loves the parks/rides and it took me a while to realize this with my dh. We really enjoyed our evenings together as a family (after 5), when we had a nice dinner and walked around the boardwalk or swam at the resort pool.
 
I'm deep in the land of Disney currently but we came to this route via various other family, couple and single vacation choices. Euro and Africa touring and living. Caribbean beach chill out time combined with meet and greet family reunions. Camping what we did every summer with our DGD for 10 solid years. Cruising. Staycations.

Life's too short to make it all about one experience for us especially if one member of the family is bored. Fortunately, Disney can fill the void for many.
 

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