Going to DL in August with apathetic friends

[xsuki000]

I've been trying to find a thread on this topic, am having trouble locating one so please direct me to the appropriate place if there is a similar thread.

My friend decided she wanted to plan a trip to disneyland for her birthday. Essentially it was my idea because I suggested we should do a road trip for her birthday and specifically brought up disneyland (mainly because I wanted to go at the time). Now I consider myself DL obsessed. I was an AP last year and I lived within 10 minutes so I visited every month, I watch WOC when I miss disneyland. Her friends (and also mine) are the kind of people who don't understand how I was able to enjoy going to disneyland once a month. They are even complaining a little about us going for more than one day (we're going 2 days) because they think it's all the same thing.

I'm just wondering if you guys have advice on how to deal with the situation and the trip. I was kind of excited because it's been about 10 months since I've been back to DL, but the more we plan it, the more I feel like my friends' bad attitudes are gonna ruin the fun. Ie. First they were complaining about the price of the tickets and then I find out they don't want to stay at the parks for most of the day. I would have thought they would want to, to get the most out of their money?

I don't get to go very often anymore so I don't want to have a bad memory of DL on my mind for however long until I go again. Any tips would be helpful.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I've been trying to find a thread on this topic, am having trouble locating one so please direct me to the appropriate place if there is a similar thread.

My friend decided she wanted to plan a trip to disneyland for her birthday. Essentially it was my idea because I suggested we should do a road trip for her birthday and specifically brought up disneyland (mainly because I wanted to go at the time). Now I consider myself DL obsessed. I was an AP last year and I lived within 10 minutes so I visited every month, I watch WOC when I miss disneyland. Her friends (and also mine) are the kind of people who don't understand how I was able to enjoy going to disneyland once a month. They are even complaining a little about us going for more than one day (we're going 2 days) because they think it's all the same thing.

I'm just wondering if you guys have advice on how to deal with the situation and the trip. I was kind of excited because it's been about 10 months since I've been back to DL, but the more we plan it, the more I feel like my friends' bad attitudes are gonna ruin the fun. Ie. First they were complaining about the price of the tickets and then I find out they don't want to stay at the parks for most of the day. I would have thought they would want to, to get the most out of their money?

I don't get to go very often anymore so I don't want to have a bad memory of DL on my mind for however long until I go again. Any tips would be helpful.

Now that the trip is planned, I wouldn't try to convince them that they'll love DL. Don't spend a lot of time talking it up. It doesn't sound like they're very open-minded about it right now. Just let the trip happen and let them decide for themselves. Be a good tour guide and help them get the most out of Fast Passes, etc. They might just have a great time in spite of themselves. If they continue with the attitudes and want to leave the parks early, just tell them you're going to stay and do a few things on your own. Don't let them dictate how you spend your time. Above all, don't be upset if they don't end up loving it as much as you do. Some people don't get as excited about DL as we do. But whatever happens, make sure you have a good time!

 

[Iceman93]

If they don't want to be at the parks for most of the day, what DO they want to do? Maybe they'll say something like, "Well, we wanted to have a great dinner with wine and everything, but we know there's no alcohol at Disneyland." To which you can offer a meal at Carthay Circle. Maybe they'll say, "We'll be bored with all those princess rides and would rather do some roller coasters." Talk about Space Mountain, Matterhorn, California Screamin'...

Or if they really want to have time away, would it be possible for you to enjoy the parks alone for a while and let them go off to do what they want?

 

[sonnyjane]

I'll go ahead and say that you can't try to fit a square peg into a round hole. Are you the one that pushed for them to spend two days? Obviously a day isn't long enough for somebody that WANTS to explore Disneyland, but it's plenty long enough for someone that DOESN'T lol!

Are the tickets already purchased then? It sounds to me like it's your friend's birthday trip, so they should be able to celebrate it however they choose, and if they only want one day, or want to leave early, I think you have to. I also wouldn't try to push too much of a touring strategy on them while they're in the park. Just kind of take it easy and go on the rides they want to go on. You can explain FP and how to make the most of it, but don't rush them from one side of the park to the other to hit everything if that's not what they want.

I used to have an AP and would go to the parks alone a lot. When alone, I could do whatever I wanted. When I would go with my other SoCal friends for a day visit, I had to learn to really slow down and that it wasn't about the rides. We did a few things here and there, but it was more about general fun. I know you aren't sure when you'll be going again, but you have at least gone many times before, so just let your friend(s) have the trip that *they* want. It will be best for everyone in the long run!

 

[Gisele]

Is it too late to change your plans and just go alone?

 

[halfwaynowhere]

Have any of them been to DL? At least, have they been since childhood? A lot of people don't fully understand what they're missing until they get there. They think its just another amusement park, it's too childish, etc. In this case, I'd just wait until you get there and see how things go. They may realize they don't want to leave early, they want to stay the full day. Maybe they'll want to see WOC or Fantasmic!, or stay for the fireworks. I wouldn't try to change their minds at this point if they've already committed to making the trip, even if they aren't thrilled about it. I doubt that once they get there, they'll be complaining.

 

[Plaid Princess]

I agree with those that say: don't try to force it! Every time I've been to Disney with someone who "doesn't like it", or thinks "that's for kids", they've ended up loving it. A lot of it is the stigma that it's for kids, and a large part of it I've found is bad memories from previous trips with family who did no planning.

You have to learn how to do Disney properly. If you're lost, and out of your element, it can be a very overwhelming place.

 

[pennyring]

I wouldn't try to get apathetic people excited. Just go and do your best to show them a great time. You know stuff they don't know. Use it to your advantage and have a fabulous trip.

 

[xsuki000]

Thanks for all of the great advice! I agree with everything that was said so I"ll be following all of it

I never pushed my friend to go to disneyland. I was just talking to her one day and told her we should go somewhere for her birthday, Vegas, Tahoe or Disneyland. And she told me a couple months later that she wanted to go to Disneyland for two days. It's just the rest of the group that's been iffy about going for more than one day. Nothing's been purchased yet so we're still discussing everything but she's pretty set about wanting to be there for two days.

Would it be rude to stay at Disneyland if the rest of them wanted to go back to the hotel to rest? And I"ve also been wondering if it was rude to do this. On the last day, she decided she wanted to go to the San Diego zoo. My friend lives in San Diego and I only get to see her once or twice a year when I"m in the area. Would it be rude to detach from the group on that last day and have dinner with her?

 

[larina]

If it were me, I'd ask the birthday girl. If its okay with her, go for it. My friends and/or I would totally go meet up with the friend and the rest of us would be good with that.

 

[goooof1]

Agreed! the birthday girl should be able to do what she wants and others can do what they would like. In other words.....no one is attached at the hip and it is easy to go off or split up for a while and meet up again later.

 

[Jaina]

Chin up. Like they said, try not to be too pushy, but be a good tour guide. I took two girlfriends once several years ago, (both from CA, I'm from AZ) neither of which understood the Disneyland hype. One had never been, one hadn't been since she was a child. I made sure we went in the off season (early November), and we only did DL for one day, but they actually had a really good time! We had done everything we wanted to by 7 PM and ended up leaving then (which wouldn't have been my choice, of course) but it was a good experience for -them- over all, so I called it a win! Showing them some of the magic made it a good experience for me, even if I would have done the day a little differently.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Why are they coming? If they knew this was a trip to Disneyland and are complaining anyway, it sounds to me what they really want is a road trip. I'd leave them behind. There's nothing worse than being in Disneyland with someone who won't stop complaining about Disneyland.

 

[larina]

Why are they coming? If they knew this was a trip to Disneyland and are complaining anyway, it sounds to me what they really want is a road trip. I'd leave them behind. There's nothing worse than being in Disneyland with someone who won't stop complaining about Disneyland.

This is very true!!! It is HORRIBLE!