Making a Plan
Understand your parents’ situation. Before you ask your parents about taking a family vacation to Disney World, you need to think about their situation and how best to approach it. You need to think about a number of different factors, including how much money your parents make and what their schedules are like. Understanding your family’s resources will make it much easier to develop a strong case for going to Disney World. It would probably be awkward asking your parents how much money they make, so try to subtly ask them. Ask them how much money they make in a month and then multiply that by twelve.
Determine your family’s schedule. It is important to understand when your family might be able to visit Disney world. You will need to figure out your parents’ work schedules and determine the best time to plan your trip. Ask your parents how much vacation time they get from their work and then calculate a time that would work for everyone. Find a time that works and make sure there are no conflicts. Find a time that does not conflict with any other family events like weddings or birthdays. It is unlikely that your parents would skip a family gathering over a trip to Disney World.
Research how much it will cost for your family to go to Disney World. Go online and try to figure out how much a trip to Disney World would cost. Visit the Disney World website and calculate how much it would cost to book a trip through them. You can also use other websites, like Hotels.com and Priceline, to find places that might be cheaper. Having a rough budget will make it easier for you to sell the trip to your parents. How much will it cost for everyone to travel there? How much will hotel rooms for everyone cost? How much will it cost to feed everyone each day? What is the entrance fee for Disney World and how much will that cost your family? Be sure that you do not actually book a trip to Disney World. Your parents will be very upset and it will likely end your efforts to go there.
Look for discounts. There are ways to visit Disney World that are cheaper than others. You can stay at off-site hotels that are much cheaper than those at the resort. Try to find cheap flights to Orlando and plan out meals that are not expensive. Planning a budget trip will likely impress your parents and make them more inclined to say yes to the trip. Be sure to buy your Disney World tickets before you get to the park. They are much cheaper if you buy them in advance. Look for discounted tickets online. There are many ways to buy cheap Disney World tickets.
Make a list of arguments. Lay out all of the reasons why you think your family should visit Disney World. Be specific about what attractions you want to see while you are in Orlando. Try to think about reasons for going that your parents might approve of. If you are honest with your parents about why you want to go they will be more likely to see your point of view. Think about any reasons, besides the attractions, for why you want to visit Disney World. Do you want to spend more time with your family? Include that in your list. Are your siblings interested in going to Disney World as well? Include why they might want to go. Does your family have a special attachment to a certain Disney character or film? If so, explain how important seeing a character or an attraction related to the film will be for your family.
Prepare for your parents’ responses. Mentally prepare yourself for your parents’ response and understand that there is a strong likelihood that they will say no. Disney World is extremely expense, even if you take the trip on the cheap, and their initial reaction will likely be negative. Do not let this discourage you, be positive and sell you argument positively.
Convincing Your Parents
Be on your best behavior before you ask. In the time before you decide to talk to your parents about going to Disney World, be on your absolute best behavior. Do all of your chores, get good grades, and be nice to your siblings. Do extra work around the house by helping out your parents with things like mowing the lawn and shoveling snow. When it comes time to ask about going to Disney World you want to be in your parents’ good graces. This will make them more likely to see your proposal favorably. This strategy will likely take some time. Start helping out more months before you ask. If you are only on your best behavior for one day before you talk to your parents, it is unlikely that they will be much influenced. Ask your parents how you can help out more around the house or what chores you can perform.
Be subtle. Try to indirectly let your parents know that you want to go to Disney World. Subtlety can be an excellent way to get your parents thinking about the trip. Try wearing a Disney shirt once a week or watch Disney cartoons more regularly. Play your favorite Disney music and quote lines from your favorite films. This will not only get the idea in your parents’ heads, but it will also make it easier to pitch your idea to them because they will already be thinking about it. You could also drop little comments like, “It sure would be nice to see Goofy in person” or “I wonder what it would be like to be in the Jungle Book.” Try not to overdo the Disney stuff. You do not want to burn out your parents on it.
Pick a good time to talk with them about it. Think about your parents’ schedule and find a time that they will be in a good mood to hear your vacation pitch. Catching your parents in a good mood will be key to getting them onboard with your trip. Avoid times when your parents are tired or stressed. Instead ask them when they are relaxed and in a good mood. Wait until after the next major holiday to ask your parents about the trip. They may surprise you with a trip and you will not have to ask them for one. Avoid asking them immediately before or after they get home from work. They will likely be tired and stressed out. Try asking them on the weekend when they will be relaxing and more open to your suggestion.
Ask nicely. If you want your parents to take your proposal seriously, you need to be polite when you talk to them. Do not be pushy or demanding about going on the trip. If you throw a fit and act kind of bratty it is unlikely that your parents are going to say yes. Be on your absolute best behavior when proposing you Disney World trip. Try saying things like, “can we please go to Disney World” and “I would be very grateful if we visited Disney World.” Remember the old saying that “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
Explain why you want to go. Lay out the list of reasons why you want to go to Disney World. Explain what attractions you are really interested in and why you think the family should take the trip. Be specific and try to highlight things that will appeal to the whole family and not just you. Although there are some things you are excited to see, you need to remember that this is a family trip and needs to appeal to everyone. If you have them, bring in your siblings to help you sell the trip. There people supporting the trip the better. Play to their sentimentality and talk about the priceless memories that you can make as a family. Say something like, “it has always been my dream to see Mickey Mouse and Goofy” or that you think “a family vacation would help you create memories that you would have for the rest of your life.”
Lay out your proposed budget and schedule. Demonstrate to your parents that you are responsible by laying out the research you conducted on how much a trip might cost. It does not have to be an exact budget but have something prepared that will give your parents an idea of what the expenses are of going to Disney World. Be sure to have an estimate of all of the expenses, including travel, hotel, food, and tickets.
Discuss things about Disney World that they might like. Point out attractions at Disney World that might appeal to your parents’ interests. If one of your parents is a sports fan, talk about the ESPN Wide World of Sports. Emphasize that there is Disney childcare if they would like a night to themselves. Find something to hook your parents and bring it up. Figure out your parents interests before you propose the trip. If your parents like horses, you propose a trip to Disney World by saying something like, “I know that you love horses, and guess what!? At Disney World, you can ride horses on the beach!”
Bargain with them. Offer to do more chores or improve your grades if they take you on a trip to Disney World. Your parents might more open to taking a trip to Disney World if they know that you are willing to work for it. Find out if there is something that your parents would really like you to do for the trip, and agree to do it. You can also try to do better in school. This might convince your parents that you deserve to go to Disney World. If you have not been doing well in school, you can tell your parents that you will try “especially hard” for a trip to Disney World.
Give them time to decide. It is unlikely that your parents will say yes to your proposal right away. They are going to need some time to decide whether or not they have the time and money for a trip to Disney World. Do not constantly pester your parents about their decision. If they get annoyed with you it will be easier for them to say no. Mark a date on your calendar that is a few weeks to a month after you talk to them and do not revisit the subject until then. Keep being on your best behavior in the meantime. It’s only going to help your cause.
Dealing with No
Keep your cool. If your parents shoot down your proposal try to stay calm and not get too emotional. Although it is extremely disappointing, it’s important to not get upset. Talk with your parents about why they said no and try to see things from their point of view. This will help you deal with the disappointment and move on. Keeping calm will tell your parents that you are mature enough for a trip like this in the future.
Keep working hard. Just because you are not going to Disney World does not mean you should quit doing well at school and at home. You need to understand that you are playing the long game and, by being good, you are setting yourself up for a future trip. Keep demonstrating how mature you are and your parents will reward you. Keep doing well in school. You might be able to go to Disney World as part of a school trip.
Be good. If you get upset about your parents shooting you down, it might be tempting to lash out against them and your siblings. Resist the urge to be mean to your parents and other family members. This will only show them that you are not mature enough for a trip to Disney World and shut down the possibility of a future trip. If you are mad about your parents’ decision, talk to them about it. It is important to remember that your parents are not trying to be mean. They just want to do what is best for your family.
Try a different strategy. If your strategy to convince your parents fails, try another one. If you only tried to sell them on cool attractions, mention things that they might like next time. Keep thinking of new ways to sell them on Disney World. Be persistent but do not bug your parents. If they get annoyed with your constant pestering they will keep saying no.
Accept that you might not go to Disney World. One of life’s many constants is disappointment and it is important that you learn how to deal with it. If your parents tell you that you are not going to Disney World, you need to accept that fact. Think about why you wanted to go to Disney World and what that means. You might find that you never really wanted to go to Disney World in the first place. Maybe your parents will take you to Six Flags instead!
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