When Grumpy Says “No”: Winning the Disney World Argument
So you want to go to Disney World, but your chosen travel partner doesn’t. Bummer. Don’t give up yet. Today’s post covers tips on how to convince Grumpy, I mean your beloved companion, to visit Disney World.
One of my favorite classes from high school was debate. I’m normally not a confrontational type of person, but learning how to perfect a well-researched argument before it begins? That was fun for me. Many of the lessons from that class are useful here. For example, debate class taught me to anticipate the primary points to my opponents’ argument before the discussion begins and then prepare well-researched responses. That’s the strategy I’m using for this post.
Not that I’m advocating heated arguments. If you drag your companion to the Disney parks against their will they’ll probably be miserable, and you will be too. I’m simply offering tips on how to win a less-than-enthusiastic travel companion over to your let’s-go-to-Disney-World! side.
Or at least get Disney into the broader consideration set.
I’m not a miracle worker.
Let’s start with the main reasons people usually give for saying “no” to a Disney World vacation. Family Feud style seems appropriate for a post about arguments, so here’s the “top six answers on the board…”
It’s too expensive!
You’ve heard this one, right? There are certain people I dodge the topic of Disney World with because I know they will lay into me about how expensive it is. I get it. Disney World IS expensive. But (and you knew this was coming) I tend to think almost everything is these days. We shopped for new cars yesterday and I about had a coronary. The “used” lot wasn’t much better. Smaller items have skyrocketed in price too. I recently bought my son a bagel and a chocolate milk at a trendy coffee shop and I had to ask the server two times to clarify the price ($7.50!) because I thought she made a mistake.
Life is expensive.
If you anticipate cost as the primary hurdle between you and a trip to Cinderella’s castle you have a few options. First, research in advance exactly how much the trip will cost you. It’s easier to combat an argument about money if you have real numbers in mind. You may be surprised, good or bad, but at least you’ll know the facts.
Once you have an idea of how much everything will cost, look for ways to reduce it. Get quotes from multiple travel agents or travel sites. Scan my post about saving money for Disney World or look for additional tips at MouseSavers.com. The easiest ways to trim expenses are to stay off site, limit your park days and pack your own meals.
Another approach is to pick a dollar amount you’re willing to spend on Disney World, as opposed to another vacation or activity, and make your case from there. Why don’t we skip <blah blah> this year go to Disney instead? Or, if we finally cancelled <underused service> we could apply the savings to Disney. Did you know the cost for the two of us to go to the Disney parks for a day is roughly the same as that <concert, play, whatever> we’re considering? At least we’d get ten to twelve hours of entertainment instead of three!
You get the idea.
Sharing a plan for exactly how much Disney World will cost and explaining how you intend to pay for it makes a pretty compelling argument. You can make it even more so by emphasizing what you’re willing to give up in order to get it and the range of entertainment a Disney World vacation provides.
It’s not cheap, but it doesn’t have to be insane.
It’s too crowded!
I’m guessing this is the second most common argument against going to Disney World, based on my very non-scientific research. Disney World IS crowded, at least most of the time. If you have travel partners that hate being among the masses it can be a tough sell. My father is firmly parked in this camp, so I can relate. I’d love to get him to Disney World because I think he would truly enjoy it, but I worry about how he’ll feel in a swarming sea of mouse ears.
The most obvious option for combating the “it’s too crowded!” argument, is to book your trip during the least busiest times. September, January and February (except for President’s Day weekend) are all good options. You can learn more in my previous post about timing.
Another idea is to limit your park days or only tour in the mornings or late at night when the traffic is lightest. If you’re staying at a Disney resort, take advantage of the extra magic hours that provide additional access to the parks. If you think your companion can’t handle multiple days, schedule a pool day or a drive to the beach between them for a break.
Another angle is to sweeten the deal by including entertainment options that your travel partner really likes to do. Do they have a favorite type of restaurant? Enjoy golf? Water parks? Sports? Horseback riding? Photography? The options are impressive.
Work these types of activities into your travel plan so your companions realize you’ve considered their interests too. Here’s a list of activities by theme to spark additional ideas.
A final and more expensive option is to book additional experiences that will get you away from the crowds. Disney offers multiple tours throughout the parks that offer a chance to experience attractions and enjoy a meal without waiting in lines. The unDiscovered Future World tour at Epcot is one example we thoroughly enjoyed. There are additional options available at the other parks too, as well as fireworks cruises or even personalized transportation options (the new Minnie Van Service) to give your beloved a break from the crowds.
It’s too hot, humid and rainy!
Ah yes. The lovely Florida weather. Hot one day. Hotter the next. Add the never ending threat of rain and you understand why people questioned Walt Disney’s original decision to build his second theme park in the Sunshine State.
If your companion hates hot weather, consider booking a trip in the milder months of January, February, October or November. Crowds and prices are slightly lower during these time periods too.
Another approach is to emphasize all of the indoor activity that is available if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Most of the parks have several indoor attractions, especially Magic Kingdom. Disney Springs offers Cirque du Soleil, movies, bowling and live musical entertainment… all indoors. You could also tour the big, air-conditioned resorts. At a minimum, you could agree to head back to your hotel during the hottest hours of the day.
Disney World is for kids!
Another argument from the Disney-adverse that I’ve encountered with regularity is that Disney World focuses exclusively on kids. In other words, thrill-seekers view the rides at Disney as a little too tame for their liking.
This one is a little tricky, because in a lot of cases the thrill seeker is correct. The vast majority of experiences at Disney World are designed to be enjoyed by kids AND adults TOGETHER. That means there are fewer pure thrill rides here then you would find at a traditional amusement park like Six Flags or Cedar Fair.
It’s not to say there aren’t fast, fun rides here though. The new Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom, for example, is pretty much awesome! Other adventure rides include Mission: Space, Expedition Everest, The Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Dinosaur! and Splash Mountain (well, at least that last hill!). You may not win the argument by number of rides, but you can emphasize everything else you’re getting in the parks too (shows, parades, fireworks, snacks!). You could also consider splitting your Orlando vacation time between Disney and Universal Studios (if you must!).
To combat the larger argument that there are only activities for kids at Disney World, you could also mention the numerous activities available for adults. There are spas, adult-only tours, high end dining and more lounges (bars!) than you might expect. If you partake in that last option, you can rely on Disney transportation to get you back to your hotel too!
Disney World is too commercial!
So this one is less popular than the other reasons I typically encounter from individuals not wanting to go to Disney World, but it still exists. I’ve heard people complaining that Disney is “too big” and “too corporate” and some just don’t want to contribute to the empire. I understand. Disney corporate is large and growing larger by the day. They do charge a lot of money for a growing list of services, so it can feel like a “cash grab” at times. Of course these individuals typically don’t seem to have a problem with the size or “cash grab” tendencies of Amazon, but I wouldn’t recommend pointing that out to them!
The response here should probably focus on the fun over the commercialism. The parks offer more than shopping and movie-based rides (although most of them are awesome!). For example, you can tour the wildlife at Animal Kingdom or take in the international museums and street shows at Epcot.
Disney World isn’t perfect. But if you’re looking for an entertainment-packed vacation with the best odds of getting great service and unexpected “wow!” you really can’t beat it.
If that doesn’t work, you could always buy some Disney stock and claim your vacation is helping your investment!
You have to plan way too much for a vacation!
This argument is also true, at least in part. You can spend a lot of time planning for Disney World with advanced dining reservations, FastPass+ and additional entertainment options.
It can get overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to.
In fact, I wrote an entire separate post on how to wing it and still have fun. Planning in advance will enable you to dine at certain restaurants that may not otherwise be available and save time waiting in line. It will not, however, make or break your vacation! Unexpected magic is fun too!
Plus, you can always use a helpful travel agent or offer to take over all planning responsibilities so your beloved doesn’t have to worry about it.
Sounds good. Let’s go!
Hopefully that’s the response you’ll hear the next time you bring up the Disney discussion with your chosen companion. I hope these ideas help you build your case or at least inspire other angles you can try.
Even if you don’t make it to Disney World the way you want to, you can still add magic to your every day life through movies, books, crafts, food or really just the right mindset. It’s kind of why I started this blog in the first place! You can be creative, dream big and have fun anywhere, not just Orlando.
Add some argument-proof magic to your world!