How soon do you tell the children? - Page 2 - The DIS Discussion Forums

Julie711 · 01-04-2013, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kalc12345

We always tell them as soon as it is booked. I like to include them in the planning and we go to Disney a lot so it wouldn't be a surprise to them lol

Same here!!

adventure_woman · 01-05-2013, 05:13 AM

I tell my DD's as soon as it is booked too. For us, the vacation isn't just the 11 days as are there, it is the whole 6 months before. Everyday they want to talk about Disney. I can't imagine denying them the pre-excitement. We make a countdown calendar and the oldest crosses off the days everyday. Plus, I couldn't keep it a secret either, I love to talk about it too!

Groovee · 01-05-2013, 06:31 AM

Our 2 will be 13 and 10 and won't be expecting this at all. But I want them to share in the planning. Plus they need they last day of the school term off to fly to FL.

Bkoz · 01-05-2013, 08:15 AM

Our first trip dd was only 3, but we did a countdown. She of course kept trying to take more stickers off (ie speed up the countdown) so we could go sooner.

This time we are going to do a "fake" countdown. I am planning a longer countdown so at the end she will think we are going in say about 5-7 days but we will actually be leaving earlier in the countdown. The only reason I am doing this is her inability to sleep when she is excited. The night befor Christmas she was up from 1am to 5 am bc she was so excited. Then when we booked our Disney trip she had trouble sleeping for 2-3 nights bc she thought we were going the next day.

Coconuts · 01-05-2013, 08:26 AM

We have surprised the kids in every trip, including our cruise last year, except once. And the kids told us later that they love when we surprise them with a trip and wished we would have kept that one time a secret! So secrets it is from now on.

Unfortunately my 11yo is so sharp, he now knows that if I'm on the computer a lot or if I won't let him look at the screen, he says "I know you are planning a trip to Disney!" He wants to be surprised and a know-it-all too.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

leitadisneyfan · 01-05-2013, 09:11 AM

We tell them when the trip is booked. The first two trips about 4 months before we went last time 11 months before the trip so they could help plan (they were no help) so next trip I am going to tell them the night before.

DisneyBliss7 · 01-05-2013, 09:44 AM

This is our third time going and the kids have always known the entire time we were planning it. But I want to book our next trip when we are there Sept. and I'm not going to tell them when or that we are going again. I want to suprise them the day we are leaving

I have a couple friends who have done that and it sounds so fun!

jengrabinski · 01-06-2013, 07:52 PM

We told them about maybe 2 months before. We made a countdown paper chain so they could see how many days were left.

mina576 · 01-06-2013, 08:33 PM

Since we decided a few days ago that we are going next month for 5 days we might just keep the whole thing a surprise until we get on the Magical Express. My son is 6 and is used to us just going to Florida for the weekend (not Disney though). We'll tell him we are going to Florida when he sees me packing but will keep Disney as a surprise until we get there. His second surprise is that we are meeting up with our cousins that live out of the country (they are also going to Disney).

Can't Wait!

starsweeper · 01-06-2013, 09:22 PM

I'm booking an early October trip as soon as discounts are available for my two 6-year-olds and me. I've already told them because it's our first trip in 3 years and they can ride nearly everything now. I want their input on making it as magical as possible.

01-05-2013, 05:13 AM	#17
adventure_woman DIS Veteran Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, MI Posts: 1,632	I tell my DD's as soon as it is booked too. For us, the vacation isn't just the 11 days as are there, it is the whole 6 months before. Everyday they want to talk about Disney. I can't imagine denying them the pre-excitement. We make a countdown calendar and the oldest crosses off the days everyday. Plus, I couldn't keep it a secret either, I love to talk about it too! __________________ Me (Stephanie) DH (Sam) DD6 (Elizabeth) DD3 (Natalie) WDW LOTS of trips before! CP CM - Summer 1999 FT CM - May 2000-Dec 2001 (AKL, BC, Poly) ASMo 11/03 ASMo 11/06 AS Sp/Mo 8/08 ASMo 1/9 ASMu 8/09 ASMu 8/11 ASMu 1/13 DL/DCA CM - Dec 2000-Feb 2001 (Grand Opening of DCA) Off-site 12/05 DCL Magic Eastern Caribbean 1/29/11

01-05-2013, 06:31 AM	#18
Groovee DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Posts: 1,015	Our 2 will be 13 and 10 and won't be expecting this at all. But I want them to share in the planning. Plus they need they last day of the school term off to fly to FL. __________________ 1998 WDW All Stars Sports 1999 DLRP Disneyland Castle Club 2001 WDW Port Orleans Riverside 2004 DLRP Hotel New York 2006 DLRP Disneyland Hotel (upgraded free by DLP) 2007 WDW POR 2013 June Highway 27 Villa Groovee Does Orlando Blog

01-05-2013, 08:26 AM	#20
Coconuts DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Haddonfield, NJ Posts: 2,385	We have surprised the kids in every trip, including our cruise last year, except once. And the kids told us later that they love when we surprise them with a trip and wished we would have kept that one time a secret! So secrets it is from now on. Unfortunately my 11yo is so sharp, he now knows that if I'm on the computer a lot or if I won't let him look at the screen, he says "I know you are planning a trip to Disney!" He wants to be surprised and a know-it-all too. Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards __________________ Me DH DS(12) DD(9) DD(5) DDog 2012 DCL Magic ; 2011 POR ; 2011 POP ; 2009 CBR ; 2007 POR ; 2006 Poly ; 1998 CSR ; 1993 Offsite-Royal Plaza ; 1986 Offsite-Hyatt Regency ; 1983 CR ; 1979 CR

01-05-2013, 09:44 AM	#22
DisneyBliss7 Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: NY Posts: 370	This is our third time going and the kids have always known the entire time we were planning it. But I want to book our next trip when we are there Sept. and I'm not going to tell them when or that we are going again. I want to suprise them the day we are leaving I have a couple friends who have done that and it sounds so fun! __________________ DD-12 DD-9 DS-6 DS-6 DS-2 DH- ME- ~Old Key West 5/2006~Off property Westgate Vacation Villas 4/2010

01-06-2013, 09:22 PM	#25
starsweeper Mouseketeer Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 430	I'm booking an early October trip as soon as discounts are available for my two 6-year-olds and me. I've already told them because it's our first trip in 3 years and they can ride nearly everything now. I want their input on making it as magical as possible. __________________ Me(38) DH(40) DS(6) DD(6) DS(2) DD(1) Disney Vacations: Aug79 - PR, Apr85 - Golf Resort, Apr88, Apr91, Jun97 - Off property, Nov06 - CBR w/DH, Feb09 - PCR w/kids, May10 - Mariott OWC w/Mom, The Dream Trip in Memory of Mom ~ Summer 2014 ~ 20+ family members having a once in a lifetime trip Other Vacations: Jun13 - Outer Banks NC

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01-05-2013, 08:15 AM	#19
Bkoz Earning My Ears Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 18	Our first trip dd was only 3, but we did a countdown. She of course kept trying to take more stickers off (ie speed up the countdown) so we could go sooner. This time we are going to do a "fake" countdown. I am planning a longer countdown so at the end she will think we are going in say about 5-7 days but we will actually be leaving earlier in the countdown. The only reason I am doing this is her inability to sleep when she is excited. The night befor Christmas she was up from 1am to 5 am bc she was so excited. Then when we booked our Disney trip she had trouble sleeping for 2-3 nights bc she thought we were going the next day.

01-05-2013, 09:11 AM	#21
leitadisneyfan sharon Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: phila Posts: 116	We tell them when the trip is booked. The first two trips about 4 months before we went last time 11 months before the trip so they could help plan (they were no help) so next trip I am going to tell them the night before.

01-06-2013, 07:52 PM	#23
jengrabinski Earning My Ears Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 27	We told them about maybe 2 months before. We made a countdown paper chain so they could see how many days were left.

01-06-2013, 08:33 PM	#24
mina576 Earning My Ears Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 53	Since we decided a few days ago that we are going next month for 5 days we might just keep the whole thing a surprise until we get on the Magical Express. My son is 6 and is used to us just going to Florida for the weekend (not Disney though). We'll tell him we are going to Florida when he sees me packing but will keep Disney as a surprise until we get there. His second surprise is that we are meeting up with our cousins that live out of the country (they are also going to Disney). Can't Wait!

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