Keeping the secret for 8 months, can it be done? Updated 1/23/07 post #17

[kkevcamsmom]

First the cast:

DH: 34 Mechanical design engineer(yes everything you have heard about engineers is true!) and my best friend Thinks Xanadu is the best movie ever, loves to tweek with the surround sound and see if the neighbors 5 blocks away can her Bono belting out the tunes before we blow a speaker

Me: 36 (gasp when did that happen? I don't recall any birthdays after 30), Stay at home mom who runs a small daycare. Sarcastic humor that sometimes needs to be explained to DH(but we love him anyway), loves Monty Python and Eddie Izzard, George Carlin, and all time FAVE Robin Williams. Converted DH to a U2 fan Mom to the next three cast members...

DD: 15, beautiful, very smart(got mad when she *only* scored a 98 on the last national tests), sarcastic, like british comedies, speaks German pretty well for a second year. Was given the status of "Girl with coolest mom" by her 4 best friends,when I not only drove her and her 4 friends to the Green Day concert but came and did not wear earplugs and knew all the songs.

DS: 6, a sweet and caring boy most times. Sometimes turns into shreek man (have you seen Parenthood? the kid named Kevin who freaks out when he looses his retainer...oh yes, our Kevin can make that same sound...) He loves his little brother, even though he can be a pain, but isn't that what little brothers are for??

DS: 4, Where to start with this one... if he'd been our first, he would have been our last....lol He's a tornado all in one little bundle but also a sweetie. He loves to buddy around with his big brother but also loves to torment him too. He's the only 4 yr old I know that has a six pack stomach. He's had it forever, we can't figure out where he got it form, we have no weights in the house.

Now on with the fun:

I started planting the idea of a trip to WDW in my DH's head oh... about...umm... 12 YEARS ago. In May of this year he said those words I had been waiting to hear "Let's take the kids to Disneyland in Florida" Ok so wrong place but at least he was willing to go

After a month we agreed on the dates Jan 27 to the 30th. Yep we thought we could do all four parks in just three days (considering the day's flying in and out would only be half days). Then someone from his work gave us this book and we realized that 3 days would not come close to cutting it. So we decided on an 8 day trip January 26th to Feb 2nd. WHHOO HOOO. Now the debate about when to tell the kids....sigh....

So we agreed not to tell the kids until: 0ne week for DD15 and the day before for the DS's. Mainly on the DS's because I didn't want 7 months of "Are we going today?" 2 hours after we decided on the offical dates DH blows it and tells our DD15....lol You should have seen her face

We start looking at resorts and waiting for the 2007 prices to be released. After much taking we decide on the ASMu family suites...

So as the weeks go on I keep bugging my DH about ADR's. He doen't see the point, silly man! I finally get him to help me decide, ADR's are finally made at the 120 day mark.

We have:

1/27 Tony's - Lunch 12:05

1/28 Hollywood and Vine - Dinner 6:20

1/29 Crystal Palace - Breakfast 10:30 (our 'slow day')

1/30 Biergarden - Lunch 1:00
1/30 Le Cellier - (just DH and I ) 7:40

1/31 Coral Reef - Dinner 6:00

The rest we plan on CS dining.... Now we just have to decide Dining plan or no dining plan.....

We are still debating the DDP but are leaning very heavily too it.

Well that's it for now, we are 109 days out and I don't know why I can't start packing yet....lol Sorry if this is boring, it's, my first attempt.

Lori

 

[dzneelvr]

The DDE (straight 20% off your dining bill) is the easiest plan to use and we save GOBS of money I think keeping a secret for even a week is grand. I can't do it the minute DH and I decide: I'm telling DS-19 and DD-16 within a day. Back for the umpteenth time in June 07

 

[tmt martins]

I've been keeping it fom DW & DD that I switched resorts on them for about a month with 18 days to go. I even hid the new ME tags that came and have the old ones sitting out.


Oh and your 30 with 6 years expeirence

Xanadu Rocks my Dad ran a roller rink when it came out and it brings back such wonderful teenage memories.

 

[kkevcamsmom]

We are 58 days out and DS 6 and 4 still have no clue! Although it's getting harder and harder to not just blow it I have ordered the new planning DVD and it should be here in time for the surprise.

Sometimes we wonder if on some level the don't know... they are always bringing it up, that is where they want to go on our next vacation, however, we have always taken our big family vacation in the summer

We do have a good cover up though, it just so happens that our DD15 is going to be in WDW in March with her school orchestra.... that is our cover if they over hear about our trip since we haven't been so secretive about the March trip.

So between getting Christmas cards and shopping done, I have been a busy little DISser and making my lists for WDW, what needs to be done, packed.... Making my when to call and check ressie and ADR's list.... so much to do and so little time!

Lori

 

[Blaynexox]

ooh boy! Cant wait till you go on your trip so you can come back and report all about it! I am also going to be there in Feb - but its the 13th - 23rd. Cute pre-trippy!

 

[MomofCKJ]

I hear you on the keeping the secret! We booked in Feb and leave Friday (yes 3 days!!!!) and our kids still don't know. We have kept the secret for like 299 days now. We tell them on Thursday and can not wait!

Good luck keeping yours from your DSs. Your little guys sounds like a hoot, I love the line about if he was your first, he would have been your last. Made me LOL!

And I didn't know there was anyone else out there that liked Xanadu? I loved that movie when I was younger, had the soundtrack (on a record) and everything. Not often you get a movie about a rollerskating singing muse that comes to life off a mural right?

Happy planning!

Allyson

 

[kkevcamsmom]

Thanks for all your wonderful comments and thank you for reading

We decided not to tell the boys until we are on the plane. We will tell them a day or two head of time that we are taking a small vacation, but not where we are going

So after much decussion we decided we didn't want the boys up all night, like in the commerical... "Go to sleep" "We can't, we're too excited!!!" It will be bad enough for me....lol

Our flight takes off at 6:30 am and we will be in Orlando by 12:30...whhooo hooo.

Our youngest is just now thinking planes are about the coolest thing ever and wants to ride on one....perfect timing....

43 days and counting.....

Lori

 

[OhMari]

Great secret.

Are you going down in March also?

 

[kkevcamsmom]

We are almost there! Only 16 more days! While my youngest was at preschool I did up the surprise cards for them. We will give them these at the airport. I will have them all tied together like a book when they get them.

Here they are:

All Four:

Page 1:

Page 1:

Page 3:

Page 4:

 

[tubachick]

great job keeping the secret!!!

 

[kkevcamsmom]

Great secret.

Are you going down in March also?

Nope just DH and DD are going

Oh well there's always next January right....

Lori

 

[crzyred]

oh my goodness!! that book stuff is perfect!! so adorable. and your boys are so lucky, being surprised with Disney World. that's basically getting the best gift ever!! Enjoy your trip...and enjoy it for those of us stuck here in our boring lives far away from Mickey's House!

 

[kkevcamsmom]

9 days and counting



This can't be happening!! I took my DS4 to the dr yesterday since he'd been running a low grade fever for a few days and they tested him from strep just to rule it out and YEP you guessed it! He has strep! We all had it in 2005, but I think we caught this just at the start since his no where nearly as sick as he was then! I super love my dr too, he said if anyone seems like they are getting it he will call in and Rx for us too

Hopefully we will all stay healthy!

Lori

 

[KangaFan]

Yuck! Better now than in 9 days, though. Hope everyone stays healthy!

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

Oh wow, how exciting to be this close!

Strep is one of those things that, with the right medication and caught early, you can feel so much better, much quicker than say a virus. 8 days ought to give you enough time to get him better and see if anyone else is gonna get it.

I'd be confident that you can get it out of your family by WDW.

Have fun!

 

[jtopp]

Did the surprise trip a few years ago. Did not tell the kids until we were halfway to the airport, when they realized they were not going to grandmas while mom & dad went to work. I don't know who enjoyed the surprise more, me and DW or the kids! Enjoyed it so much that we are doing it again in june.
We will pick them up from the last day of school and drive south on 95 to WDW. Only hope we can keep it a secret until then. Good luck to you on your trip. Enjoy!

 

[kkevcamsmom]

Thank you to those who have been reading... I can't wait to do the actual trip report!!!

We leave in just 3 days!!!

DS4's Strep is better, he will finish his meds on Friday.

I woke up Monday with my first finger swollen from the first joint to the tip, it hurt so bad, so off to the dr I went, I have an infection in my finger where the nail comes out of my finger. So I am on anti-biotics and using a Triple antibiotic ointment. If it gets worse by ThursdayI have to go in and have it drained...whoo hooo fun...NOT!!!

Then DS6 had a weird rash on his face this morning so into the Dr. we went again. We just have to let the rash run it's course.

Oh please, please, please nothing eise!! It's almost laughable that we have all been pretty healthy until 10 days out...lol

I can't wait to go!

Lori