What do you do if everyone in the family is begging for a trip to Disney World – except Dad? Maybe your little girls are dreaming about meeting princesses, and your little boys are thinking about hugging Goofy. But Dad is just thinking about the time away from work and the big bills at the end of the trip. Not to mention a full week (or more) of doing childish, well, kids stuff.
You need some help on how to convince Dad that a trip to Disney World is a good idea. Here are creative ways to show him that a wonderful time for the family at Disney World won’t put the family in the poorhouse. And, that he might even have a little fun himself.
Priceless Experiences
When Dad tells you that the house needs repairs, or the car is going to need to be replaced soon, remind him that the family has needs too. You can’t necessarily see these family needs like you can see the “check engine” light on the car, but it could well be that your family’s engine – fun time together – is starting to sputter and pop a bit for lack of a tune up.
Remind him of the joyous smile it will put on your five year old’s face – how you can’t put a price on this kind of experience. Remind him how the memories with be with you for your entire lives. And remind him how time is racing by – and sooner than any of you realize your window of opportunity for family time together will be closed.
Maybe even play that song “The Cat’s In The Cradle” by Harry Chapin. Ok, that might be overkill, but if it comes up on the radio consider it a bonus.
Build Your Own Budget
Now that you have worked on the heart strings, it’s time to work on the purse strings.
Ask him, maybe after he’s had his favorite dish for dinner, what he’d be willing to spend. If he names any amount above $1500, you are in luck.
This gives you a budget – so now it’s time to get to work. Call Disney or your travel agent and price out some options.
If you do your research, you might well find a package deal that’s too good to pass up – one that covers round-trip airfare, hotel, tickets to Disney World theme parks, and even food. These packages often save you big bucks since all your expenses are bundled together. And they are convenient for you because they put everything you need for your vacation into one organized plan and a single bill.
Vacation packages also help to remove the risk of any budgetary surprises. So the only cash you need in your wallet for your vacation is for souvenirs. And you can easily put a cap on that budget item.
Let The Negotiating Begin
Now that you are fully prepared, present Dad with an itemized budget – the brass tacks of what things are actually going to cost.
Present your list of prices and work with Dad to start paring it down until you get to a number he can feel good about. Shave a day or two off the vacation. Step down from a moderate resort to a value resort. Remove some ticket options, like the ones that provide water park access. As you make these changes, you will very likely be able to get down to a number that Dad can accept.
Throw In The Clincher
If your negotiations begin to stall, be prepared to sweeten the deal. How? With something that Dad will love at Disney. Maybe you can suggest a fabulous dinner at a romantic restaurant – and a promise that the kids will stay at a Disney childcare center so the two of you can be alone for a little while. Or, if the timing is right, suggest that he can attend an Atlanta Braves pre-season game at Disney’s ESPN Wide World Of Sports. Or, suggest that you will arrange for a fishing trip or a horseback ride. Yes, all these are possible at Disney World.
Pack Your Bags
With all these great tricks – er, ideas – you have a pretty good chance of getting Dad to agree to a trip to Disney World. And once he experiences Disney’s magic firsthand with his family, he’ll be talking about coming back next year. Watch him even brag about how HE convinced his family it was the right thing to do!
DisneyDude Herb Leibacher loves all things Disney. He runs the web site WorldOfWalt.com which has great information about all things Disney, including tips on planning great Disney World Vacations.
