How to surprise kids?

[magchavez]

We have a cruise booked for March 2011 on the Disney Dream but haven't told the kids (9 and 7) yet. We're thinking of surprising them for Christmas. Any suggestions on how to tell them? I've thought of getting a DCL ornament and wrapping it up. Anyone have any more creative ideas?

 

[wilma-bride]

We had told our kids we were going to the beach for a couple of days during our WDW trip in October 2009. On Boxing Day, when our two families were together, we did a scavenger hunt which ended with them finding a DVD I'd made - I have it in my Photobucket account I think, if you'd like to have a look.

 

[budbeerlady]

I am putting Disney cruise stuff into a HUGE box that Santa is leaving our family. (Santa leaves the good stuff at our house that Dh doesnt even know about, like the new tv or the Wii.) I have the DVD, the AAA Disney cruise book, I am looking at Ebay for some pins and lanyards. I have some mickey balloons I am going to blow up and stuff the box with.

 

[ZellyB]

We are surprising ours with a spring break trip. We are driving (a LONG drive), so we are just going to load them in the car and not tell them where we are going. I made a crossword puzzle where the clues and answers all relate to either Disney World or Harry Potter (going to US/IoA as well). If they work through that without figuring it out then I have a letter decoder and word scramble that will spell it out for them.

 

[jetskigrl]

We are cruising on the Wonder in Jan and then the Dream in April. We are also surprising the kids at Christmas. I asked one of the people on the designer board to make me two graphics that describes the trips we are taking. I will frame them and wrap one for each kid. Then we will save them for the last present and have them open them at the same time. This also works as a keepsake that they can hang in their rooms.

My kids have been talking about a Disney Cruise for a while now. They are going on flip when they find out about this.

 

[pbwhite]

While I love the idea, I'm not in the 'don't tell 'em 'til we leave' camp, as I like to keep the excitement going for a long time, with viewing the DCL DVD, grabbing some Disney pins on Ebay, to talking about what we'll be doing on the cruise, for port excursions, eating for dinner, shows, etc.

If you're planning to give the cruise as a Christmas gift, you could make an advent calendar type of clue hunt (one clue for each day in December leading up to Christmas), ending with perhaps a replica of the Magic or Wonder (we have a small 3 or 4" one from a previous cruise), or giving them the DCL DVD on Christmas day.

One year we took the kids to a local indoor water park for Christmas day/night, and I printed up a page showing the hotel/waterpark off, and put it in a very small present, and placed it at the top of the tree (a gift from Santa Mouse, if you're familiar with that book). I was amazed that my 4 year old spotted the present amongst all the ornaments in less than a day.

Unfortunately for him, he still had to wait until Christmas day to open it

 

[txsoccermom]

I am putting Disney cruise stuff into a HUGE box that Santa is leaving our family. (Santa leaves the good stuff at our house that Dh doesnt even know about, like the new tv or the Wii.) I have the DVD, the AAA Disney cruise book, I am looking at Ebay for some pins and lanyards. I have some mickey balloons I am going to blow up and stuff the box with.

OMG - too funny! Santa leaves the same "good" stuff at our house too, that DH also doesn't know about

Have to run so kids don't see me, but will be on later to tell you how I'm surprising them (and DH)!

 

[disneydreamin-gang]

We are taking our first cruise on Magic Sept 2011 and surprising the kids 15, 12 on Christmas eve with a phone call from Mickey announcing the cruise. I think I found the number on Disney's web site.

 

[FabFivePA]

we're also surprising the kids at Christmas with our Jan cruise.

someone on my cruise meet thread gave me the great idea to have a custom puzzle made...
I think I am going to do that, have them open it and put it together right then.
they're going to flip!

 

[smacky1]

I am putting Disney cruise stuff into a HUGE box that Santa is leaving our family. (Santa leaves the good stuff at our house that Dh doesnt even know about, like the new tv or the Wii.) I have the DVD, the AAA Disney cruise book, I am looking at Ebay for some pins and lanyards. I have some mickey balloons I am going to blow up and stuff the box with.

I am planning on doing a similar thing with my family. We are booked for 3 day on Dream and no one knows. Ive even booked a connecting room for my parents as a gift. Everyone will find out when the open santa's gift on xmas morning. I cant wait to finally be able to talk about it!

 

[pajl]

ohhh great idea!!!
Where would you get the puzzle idea done at?

 

[Georgia3]

We had Milliepie create a picture of the magic that said surprise. Mickey had a scroll that said pack your bags we are heading on the Magic - with the cruise dates. We then had it made into a 100 piece puzzle. This will be the last gift they open on Christmas. We have 4 families doing this - so we were able to order the puzzle together for $8.99 for each of the puzzles - free shipping.

 

[txsoccermom]

We will be leaving for our cruise 78 days after Christmas. I don't want to hear whining for 77 days about "I wish it was here...", etc, so I'm doing my best to hold out until at least mid-Jan Also, I personally don't want them to think Santa has deep pockets b/c last year it was the Wii and then if he brought the cruise this year, who knows what they would expect next year So, I would like to time it around a special time for them (i.e. report cards, Valentine's Day, etc) and hopefully it would be when the Travel Channel is showing a new DCL show which highlights the Dream However, that's a lot of things to fall in place at one time for my plan to run smoothly, so I'm shooting for at least 2011, between mid-Jan to Valentine's Day! Here's what I'm going to do....

I will have 3 wrapped packages for them to open - box 1, box 2, box 3 (might see if I can type up Thing 1, Thing 2, Thing 3...you'll understand why in a minute)!

* Box 1 = beginning of trip (Space Shuttle Toy and constellation book for the kids b/c we're spending the day before the cruise @ KSC, compliments of our lovely TX Congressman)

* Box 2 = middle of trip (cruise Will have Disney pins, pirate stuff, sunscreen, goggles, sand shovels, some magnets I made from the DISigners on here, and a puzzle with Mickey holding a scroll infront of a Mickey boat inviting the kids and family on a 4 nt Dream cruise! All of this will be inside of a treasure chest, inside the box) I will conveniently hold back certain pieces of the puzzle until they're almost done Oh, on top of the treasure chest, will be a note on pirate paper, saying something like:
Cost of all the ice cream bars you can eat in 4 days........$0
Cost of passports......................................................$400
Your DREAMs coming true...........................................$TONS
The looks on your faces when you discover your treasure......priceless

* Box 3 = end of trip (Universal Studios....this one's for DH! Will have the brochures in there and some small trinket, maybe a tshirt).

Will have the boxes opened in the order of 1, 3, and then 2 I am going to try and post the videotape b/c there will be squeals of joy, prob tears, etc.

I can't wait! And then after the big reveal, we'll watch the DVD and hopefully travel channel show of the Dream Then the kids and I will have enough time to do a countdown chain, work on FE gifts, etc.

Have fun with whatever you decide to do - the kids will love it no matter what!

 

[budbeerlady]

We will be leaving for our cruise 78 days after Christmas. I don't want to hear whining for 77 days about "I wish it was here...", etc, so I'm doing my best to hold out until at least mid-Jan Also, I personally don't want them to think Santa has deep pockets b/c last year it was the Wii and then if he brought the cruise this year, who knows what they would expect next year So, I would like to time it around a special time for them (i.e. report cards, Valentine's Day, etc) and hopefully it would be when the Travel Channel is showing a new DCL show which highlights the Dream However, that's a lot of things to fall in place at one time for my plan to run smoothly, so I'm shooting for at least 2011, between mid-Jan to Valentine's Day! Here's what I'm going to do....

I will have 3 wrapped packages for them to open - box 1, box 2, box 3 (might see if I can type up Thing 1, Thing 2, Thing 3...you'll understand why in a minute)!

* Box 1 = beginning of trip (Space Shuttle Toy and constellation book for the kids b/c we're spending the day before the cruise @ KSC, compliments of our lovely TX Congressman)

* Box 2 = middle of trip (cruise Will have Disney pins, pirate stuff, sunscreen, goggles, sand shovels, some magnets I made from the DISigners on here, and a puzzle with Mickey holding a scroll infront of a Mickey boat inviting the kids and family on a 4 nt Dream cruise! All of this will be inside of a treasure chest, inside the box) I will conveniently hold back certain pieces of the puzzle until they're almost done Oh, on top of the treasure chest, will be a note on pirate paper, saying something like:
Cost of all the ice cream bars you can eat in 4 days........$0
Cost of passports......................................................$400
Your DREAMs coming true...........................................$TONS
The looks on your faces when you discover your treasure......priceless

* Box 3 = end of trip (Universal Studios....this one's for DH! Will have the brochures in there and some small trinket, maybe a tshirt).

Will have the boxes opened in the order of 1, 3, and then 2 I am going to try and post the videotape b/c there will be squeals of joy, prob tears, etc.

I can't wait! And then after the big reveal, we'll watch the DVD and hopefully travel channel show of the Dream Then the kids and I will have enough time to do a countdown chain, work on FE gifts, etc.

Have fun with whatever you decide to do - the kids will love it no matter what!

I love this idea!!!!! Good luck! I am keeping tight lips about our Disney trip in December and its SO HARD!!!!!! But otherwise I will have to hear "how many days???" for the next 50+ days.

 

[cathyalby]

We, too, are suprising our kids for our first Disney Cruise (and first cruise altogether). We're going Labor Day Weekend 2011 on the Dream. We talk often about taking a cruise but that we'd have to win the lottery in order to do so. We do get to go to the parks, though. My brother is also surprising his children. They live in Michigan while we live in Florida Panhandle. The plan thus far, is to tell them we're going to Key West for the weekend (we've talked about doing, that, too), and let them know that there is a surprise that awaits them. We're going to plan to go to Cape Canaveral on the way to Key West and check out Kennedy Space Station, and surprise! It's Uncle Aaron and your cousins meeting us! They will think that is the surprise, and since we're in Port Canaveral, let's go check out the cruise ships and take the free shuttle over. Prior to that, Dad and Uncle Aaron will have taken all of our luggage and begun checking in. We'll then get a picture at the terminal. As everyone likes to do, they'll want to see what the picture looks like, and instead of a picture on the camera, there will be a message that says we're going on the Disney Dream. This is still so far away that it could change by then, but this is what we're thinking so far. Can't wait!

 

[natt]

Our first DCL cruise was a 3 day Wonder many years back and it was President's Weekend. The cruiseline was still new enough that at Christmas, I made a box filled with envelopes to open... "mark the calendar".. "stay ontop of your schoolwork".. "Pack your bags"... "Turn on the vcr"....
... (the Disney info vhs)..
I had it set to the part where the ship comes sailing across the screen and the voice says "Just add Magic"...

Funny thing is, my 10y/o at the time got it... the 5y/o was confused... but I was the one standing there with tears in my eyes!!
hey, it's a 'Mom' thing!

 

[cbryteach]

Last Christmas we had a letter from Mickey and Minnie telling the girls 2/6 at the time) that they would be going on the cruise. Our cruise is the week before Christmas and we put in there that it would be after Halloween when the oldest was in 1st grade. That gave them some sort of time line to follow. It has been a lot of fun talking and planning for this trip. We often go to the the Disney site and look at the pictures. The littlest one (now 3) loves to look at Captain Hook, even though he scares her a little. She loves to look at pictures of the big boat we are going on. It has been a lot of fun, but them having a reference point of Halloween and 1st grade has helped.

 

[AverysMommy]

We are only taking 2 of our 3 kids - our 18 year old has to stay home due to being in Grade 12.....she is getting a trip as a grad gift in June.

So we dont want to tell the 11 and 8 year old in advance as thats not fair to the older one who will have to listen to them going on and on about it.

So we are literally telling them the day we leave.

They are going to go to school like normal. We will then pack and finalize details in quiet. We will then go to their classrooms just before lunch (teachers already know) and say "sorry for interrupting the class Mr Smith but I need to speak to Spencer. Spencer what are you doing here? Harry and Ron have ben calling and want you to hurry up." he will look at my with a dumb look on his face. so I will then say "Harry and Ron are expecting you at Universal tomorrow, we have to get going". He will then scream as he realizes he is heading to Universal. then we will say "Well I hope you dont keep Mickey and Minnie waiting too as they are expecting you on the ship on Saturday morning" He will then scream again. and we will head to the airport!

LMFAO

 

[txsoccermom]

These are all so great! Keep the stories/plans coming - love to hear them

 

[ladyhawk14624]

We surprised our kids years ago with a trip to WDW as a Christmas present. I made up a puzzle which said "Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off to DisneyWorld we go". I cut it up and wrapped it up in a box. When they opened it we told them that they had to put the puzzle together. They did and then they looked at us like we were goofy. C'mon, a puzzle for a shared gift?. They had to read it about 3 times before they started screaming.