hi guys,
I'm thinking about taking my best friend on a trip to Disney... She is very much a homebody and doesn't like to leave out of state that much,how can I get her excited for it or at least willing to go without her mom?
honestly, this sounds like a recipe for disaster. Ive done Disney holidays with friends many times and now I prefer to go solo. It sounds like her parents usually organise everything and take care of this person, are you ok stepping into this role, possibly having to compromise on things and plan the trip around her needs and wants?
You really need to talk and plan EVERY aspect and I mean every aspect. There is probably alot more but this is what first comes to mind. All of the points below are things which you and your friend should discuss BEFORE your holiday
Travel, hotel and park tickets
How much can each person afford to spend on travel and hotel? Who will do all the bookings? What are each persons expectations of hotel / motel? Is sharing a room ok, or do you expect to have separate rooms?
If one person books and pays for something for both people, how and when will the other person pay? This is important, for shared bookings, you need to set out a specific time by which the other person will pay their share. Often its easier for one person to do all the booking and paying in advance and then to split the final total. You should make sure that any paid in advance money is paid by the other person BEFORE you leave for your holiday.
Food
The basics - meal times, do you have a regular meal schedule at home that you expect to follow at Disney or does it matter what time you eat at? Breakfast, you expect each morning to have a "proper" breakfast before you go to the parks or are you a grab and go person?
Type of food - do you only eat a certain type of food, are you adventurous with food, do you expect to eat the same type of food at Disney as you do at home?
Price of food - How much would you pay for lunch / evening meal? All counter service only, all table service only, mix of both, one splurge meal and the rest counter service etc etc.
ADR and Dining packages- do you want to do these, if so who will book them?
Time to get up / Bed time
Are you an early riser or do you like to lie in? Are you a get out of bed smiling person or a morning grump? What time do you go to bed? Do you expect to follow the same getting up and going to bed routine at Disney as you do at home? What happens if one person wakes before the other?
Alcohol
Do you want to party at night, have a drink in the evening, try day drinking? What kind of person are you when you have alcohol? Do you want to go after one drink or stay for a few? What happens if one of you wants to stay out and the other wants to go back to the hotel? What happens if one of you wants to have alcohol and the other doesn't?
Rides
Whats your favourite ride, whats the ride you will never do? The other times you have been to Disney do you have a plan and schedule or do you just wander and take a more relaxed attitude?
Do you use the Fastpass system?
What happens if one person wants to go on a ride and the other doesn't?
Shopping
Do you like to wander around the shops, taking your time to look at everything? Does spending time in the shops feel like a waste of park time?
Park Time
Do you like to rope drop? Do you take afternoon breaks? Do you stay until close? What happens if one of you has enough of the parks and wants to go back to the hotel?
Afternoon Breaks
Do you want to go back to the hotel and rest in the room, or go for a swim?
Shows and Character Meets
Do you want to see shows and parades? Are meeting characters important to you?
Walking
Are you good on your feet or do you like to take frequent rest breaks?