How to Surprise kids Christmas

[avic77]

How would you tell your kids on Christmas they will be going to Disney in a few weeks?

[wdwfamilyinIL]

Well my kids just found out today they are leaving Friday. What I did was write a letter from Mickey, and had our documents in a package and they got to open it. They think that MIckey sent it to them specially. One year I found this great poem on line too, I just changed a few things around. This year worked out really well though, they thought this was great getting a package in the mail from MIckey.

[need2go2disney]

Visit the Creative Disigns Thread and look at some of the great letters that disigners have created.

We are surprising our kids with a trip to Disney for Christmas this year. They have no idea they are going. We plan on telling them at dinner with a "magic" letter from Mickey before we head to the train station. Another first for them...traveling by train to Florida.

[Disneylush]

Someone on here did an amazing treasure hunt christmas morning. It started with a letter from santa saying there was a new elf and he loved games and played games in their house last night with all their presents. Then it lead them all over the house for odd stuff like undies, sunglasses, nail polish (for boys), the whole time mom and dad played it up that the new elf really sucked and this was the worst christmas ever then the last clue lead them to their toy box filled with helium balloons just like on the commercial and a huge sign that said your going to DISNEY! Then mom explained they were taking them to Disney and she had already told Santa so that all the presents he got them were things for their special trip. It was pretty awesome.

[gigicnm]

We're telling our kids on Christmas too. I can hardly wait.

I'm going to fill a BIG box with Disney trinkets- I bought Mickey T-shirts, glow sticks, etc. I took their autograph books from the last trip and pasted their picture with each character in there (been meaning to do that for awhile). I also bought a Disney calendar and counted down the days in sparkly pen to put in there. I plan on putting two Mickey helium balloons in there too. It will all be wrapped up in Disney Christmas paper.

I can't wait to see their reaction.

[madisonwi]

We're surprising the kids Christmas morning too! We surprised them last time too by just taking them straight to the airport and letting them figure it out (which was great!) but that won't work this time.
Thinking about getting mouse ears with their names on them and some disney dollars but so far no great ideas!

[stitchsfourkids]

surprizing our kids on xmas too! We did it 2 years ago and I was more excited than they were. I'm pretty sure that they will be more excited this time since they are older. I'm making a big box with the following things...disney planning dvd, their autograph books, their lanyards, envelope with disney gift card for each, some kind of countdown calendar, and............................................... ......... I'm looking for other ideas!

[msmith07101]

A couple years ago we were taking a trip to Disneyland and Legoland in California. Wjat I did for the boys for Christmas was wrap a couple boxes. The first box had several Scrabble tiles and a riddle. I can't remember the riddle I made up...I have it here somewhere though. So they had to take the tiles and figure out the words by using the clues in the riddle. I think I did Disneyland, California and Legoland. Then the second box had a map of each park that I had printed online, with the dates of the trip. It was a lot of fun watching them try to arrange the Scrabble tiles into different words. I don't know how old your kids are...mine were 10 and 13, so it wasn't too hard for them to figure out. This year I am planning a few days at WDW and Universal...they have no idea. I am not sure how to spring it on them, as we will be going just before Christmas. I want to keep it a secret as long as possible.

[IZHAYMAMA]

We are surprising our kids on Christmas morning too! I know for a fact that I will probably be more excited than they will be but I'm still hoping for a great reaction from them. I've bought Disney t-shirts for all of us, new autograph books, and I even ordered Mickey Santa ears through the Disney Store online. I'm planning on getting a Mickey ear balloon and put it in a big box for them to unwrap and have a sign attached to it saying that Santa is sending them to Disney.

[mackay_j]

it depends on the ages of the kids- the first time we tried it there were too young to really understand 7 & 3, I think they really didn't get it until we were actually there, the surprise was a bit of let down.

But then when they were older 11 & 7, we did a great one for lapland. They wrote letters to santa and coloured pictures on them and on Xmas eve they put them on the fire (unknown to them I had coppied the night before and the ones they burned on Xmas eve were the coppies). Beside their stockings was Xmas morning was ribbon which went all round the house and ended in the car attched to 2 suitcases, on each was their santa letters and a glass engraved cube with a raindeer picture in it. In the cases were all the things they would need for the 5 day lapland adventure along with the with the tickets - What a reaction we got, and the eldest was still baffled by the reapearance of here letter mistakes in it rubbed out lines an all that it kept her beleving until she was 12. These letters are now framed and hang on the wall along with the crossing the actric circle certificates. They are probably one of the best momentoes I will ever have of the time when Xmas was truely magical, we arrived in lappland to go a sleigh ride to santas cabin in the forest, then a husky ride back to the hotel- wow!!!. A bit sad for me, as this will be (I think, 12 yr old sitting on fence, but I am sure that now she is in high school the fence will fall over the next few weeks) the 1st xmas when santa has been replaced by mun and dad.. But we will be in orlando so that will take some of the sting away

[mackay_j]

and by the way thats the youngest who is now 12 it was all over for the eldest a while back - ie no santa required any more- sad sad day

[SweetPeasMom2]

I'm making this invite for them. They will have their tickets in it on Christmas. We are just going to MK for one day but they have never been. So this is going to be exciting for them.

[mackay_j]

nice invite hope you have a fun day,

[ryanmilla]

The way we surprised our kids (DD6 & DS3 at the time) was we had Santa write a little note for our daughter to read. She was 6 at the time and just getting comfortable reading, so we told her that Santa left something just for her and her brother. She was concentrating so hard to read each word that she didn't realize what it all said when put together. When we finally put it all together for her, her eyes light up so brightly and she ran to her brother to tell her what it said. Luckily we were spending Christmas at my parents house in Savannah, GA, so we had the note say we were leaving right away, since it was a short drive. Our bags were already packed and we all got dressed out of our PJs and got in the car and drove down right then.

It was a great trip and to this day the kids still think Santa gave that to them. They keep saying they are going to ask Santa for another trip. Santa better start saving up.

[pixarmom]

I am so excited to see this thread!!!! We're surprising our boys for Christmas, too, and I received some helpful replies on the Disney for Families board regarding scavenger hunts and puzzles.

Our boys are Disney vets, and they have Mickey suitcases, ear hats, Birnbaum's, etc. and it was getting hard to think of more ideas. They watch the planning video year-round like it's a feature film, so I'm trying to develop a scavenger hunt based on the phrases in the planning video and ending with at least a gift card. But I love the ideas here - love the invitation - and I'm hoping everyone will keep posting more ideas!

And for those of you who are also surprising Christmas morning, I'd love to hear about all the happy reactions!!