Having trouble keeping the secret

[ChrisMouse]

I'm really starting to "itch" to tell my kids about the trip.

We had (and still have) great reasoning for keeping the trip a secret, but I just want to shout it to the rooftops and tell them we're going.

We aren't telling them until we get them up at the crack of dawn on the 8th to go to the airport...

I hope I can make it until then!!!! I'd better stay busy and keep my mind off of it!

Ugh!

 

[DangerMouse]

It's so hard to obsess over Disney alone!!

I love to obsess with my kids (especially my 10 year old dd). She learned to obsess from the queen!

 

[ChrisMouse]

Yeah, my husband just keeps rolling my eyes.

The surprise will be worth it, but it's killing me in the meantime!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

WOW, I'm just amazed at the iron will of parents who can keep it a secret! I'm not sure if I could do it myself; happy secrets are so hard for me to keep!

I remember another person who was keeping it a secret from her kids, and she said having the DIS to spill all the planning details was what kept her from blabbing it all to the kids. So feel free to blab here to your heart's content!

 

[abby]

I don't know how you can keep a secret, I simply cannot do it, it's too much fun to plan with my dd 6. But if you can do it they will be so surprised. Good luck.

 

[newfamilyman]

I am also of the mentality that keeping things like that a secret deprives a person of one of the best parts of a trip which is the excitement of the anticipation.

 

[Adi12982]

Hang in there!! Last year I surprised my DH with a trip (talk about TOUGH) for our anniversary! It was so worth it for the expressions of joy when he found out AND when we pulled up to the AKL (I refused to spoil the surprise of where we were staying til we got there)

 

[hlbtimes2]

I am also of the mentality that keeping things like that a secret deprives a person of one of the best parts of a trip which is the excitement of the anticipation.

Depends on the person. If my 8 year old knew we are going next week she would start throwing up today and continue until the day we left. By time we leave she would be constipated as well. I'm not making it up. We have experienced it twice. I'm not willing to do it again.

She actually told me a couple days ago to keep it a secret next time we go- it will save her a stomach ache. Little does she know............

They dont need to know they are going to talk about the parks, what they want to ride, see and do, etc. My 4 year old just came out and asked me to start the dvd in bedroom. He is watching the planning dvd.

 

[ChrisMouse]

Here was our rationale for keeping it secret:

It is our kids' first trip--our first family vacation...EVER. They have never been on a plane, stayed in a hotel, etc. My son is also having a very hard kindergarten year, and we struggle to get him to go to school each morning (very long story!) I'm terribly afraid that if he knew we were going, but couldn't exactly understand WHEN, it would be that much harder for him to go to school each day. I also think both kids would ask me ten million times a day...when??? when??? when???

That being said, my daughter (4) is DESPERATE to go to DL. It's all she talks about. I have told her she can go when she is "bigger" (17 days bigger ). Since it's all she talks about, we "play" and "pretend" a game called "Going to Disneyland" all the time. She & my DS (6) and I pretend we're flying on an airplane, staying in a hotel, and enjoying the parks. We go through the whole scenario...pretending to peek out the airplane windows...brush our teeth in the hotel bathroom...eat special treats...all pretend. In this way, we are enjoying the anticipation together, and I am preparing them for the uncertainties of travelling.

I really can't wait to wake them up that morning, however, and tell them to get up and get their Disney shirts on because we are REALLY going...

 

[dizzyami]

It sounds like you have a win-win going on then - you get to "theoretically" talk about the trip to them - and only you know that it will happen in 17 days!!! Enjoy the pretend play - since it is your 1st trip with them they should be easy to surprise, yet still have fun anticipating the trip!!! I know with my kids we have been so many times that if I tell them we are going, they grab their shoes!!!

 

[samkj]

We did a surprise trip in February. It was wonderful!! We had to gt the kids up at 4:30 to get to the airport on time. As I was getting, my 7 year old (it was her birthday too!) up with the news we had a surprise, she asked, "can I go back to bed after the surprise?" My son is NOT a morning person, it takes a lot of prodding and nagging to get him moving in the morning, was dressed ready walk out the door in less than 5 minutes after hearing the news. I don't think the smiles left their faces until we got home 6 days later!

I know its hard, but the end result is SOOOOO worth the effort!

 

[mickey-mania]

We are also doing a surprise trip this time - ever since we returned last February our kids have been begging to go back. So we decided we would take them in November/December to see the Christmas Decorations but we are not telling them until we leave for the airport after school.

 

[mundaremom]

You can do it. I held the secret for over 6 months I thought I would go insane. My brother and his family came along as well, there were so many surprises our kids didn't know about until they happened. I honestly think our kids were in shock for 24 hours but that was okay,they were quiet. Good luck keeping the secret, it will be worth it in the end.