***Official Surprise Trips Thread and Planning Tips!***

[MouseEarsForAll]

WE suprised DS and DD when they were 4 and 6. It was sooooo fun. We used to go every year, but had been telling them for months we couldn't afford to go that year. Hubbie got an unexpected bonus at work and we decided to suprise them. The original plan was to tell them we were taking them to school and daddy had the day off, we were just going to drive straight to the airport. Turned out that they had a snow day that day. So we loaded up the car, woke up the kids and piled up in bed. We told them they had a snow day off school and mommy and daddy had an unexpected day off work. We asked them what fun family activity we could do that day. They were suggesting playing games, going to the movies, etc. My DH said "how about if we go to Disney today". My daughter started screaming and jumping up and down on the bed. My son kept saying "we just can't afford to go this year". He didn't believe us that the car was packed and we needed to leave in a few minutes. My daughter was dressed sitting in the car and he still didn't believe us. My parents live close to Disney, so finally we had him call grandma and ask her what she was doing today. She said "I'm supposed to be at the airport in a few hours to pick you up--you better hurry or you'll miss your plane". He was in the car in 2 minutes. LOL It was a long drive to the airport--about 150 miles in the snow/ice. But thankfully we made it just in time and had a great week.

We are going Mar. 2012, this makes me wish we hadn't told the kids and suprised them again. Our cousin and her daughter are going with us for their first trip. It would have been fun to suprise her too. The kids loved the suprise but they also like to help plan the trip.

Awesome!

Reading all these great ideas is getting me so excited to surprise my kids with a trip in January. We got back last month and dd4 and ds6 have been asking daily if we can go back. We had some extra DVC points and the kids are off school the first week in January because of where Christmas falls this year, so we decided to go for it. I'm thinking of doing the balloon in the box idea as well. Can't wait to hear more stories

I second!

 

[DisMomAmy]

I just posted on my trip report about the surprise reveal for our trip! Here's a link for anyone who is interested. The two surprise posts are on page 2.

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

I just posted on my trip report about the surprise reveal for our trip! Here's a link for anyone who is interested. The two surprise posts are on page 2.

Awesome!!! Glad you had a great trip! Good job on the rhyming, too!

 

[the_green_machine]

I've spoken about this before on the boards, but I love talking about it so...

This year I am giving my wife a 7 day trip to Walt Disney World for Christmas. One of the biggest dreams my wife has had in her life is to go to Walt Disney World, and this year it's about to come true.

I always try to go a little above and beyond for my wife for Christmas and birthdays. Besides the fact that she is worth all my effort she goes above and beyond for me everyday. She has travelled across the country with me for work, moved away from our family and friends, spent countless hours, days and even months at home alone while I've been away on training or other work related duties and all the while with a smile on her face wanting nothing more in return than me coming home safe. I decided that this year she should be paid back for everything she has given me over the years (although a million trips wouldnt scratch the surface).

I decided in January that this was happening so began the research....thankfully these boards were found very early and were pivitol in making this an experience my wife will never forget.

Now how I'm going to suprise her.....

I've been given so many great ideas from people on the boards and I've decided that for this to have maximum effect less is more.

I've been playing Christmas very low key this year (nothing over the top to tip my hand...just enough). My wife, Nicole, has said that I outdid myself last year so I'm aloud to have the year "off" (Last year I commisioned a great artist to do a piece of my wife's father whom she lost to cancer 10 years ago). Little does she know that about 2 or three gifts in this year there is going to be a very un-assuming little box under the tree. When she takes the paper off of it the top of the box is going to have this quote written on it....

"The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.”

When she opens the box there is going to be a personalized pair of Mickey ears with her name on it along with a Disney World T-Shirt that say "I'm going to the Walt Disney World Resort". I'll then tell her that in three weeks (Jan. 20th) we are leaving for Florida for 7 days with the mouse.

All the ADR's are in the bag, my vacation is approved and the trip is paid in full. All thats left is the suprise. I'll be filming her reaction....keep an eye out for it.

 

[Pheran]

Green Machine, that is awesome.

This coming Friday (day after Thanksgiving) we are surprising my 6-year old daughter with a trip. We are leaving that day.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I've spoken about this before on the boards, but I love talking about it so...

This year I am giving my wife a 7 day trip to Walt Disney World for Christmas. One of the biggest dreams my wife has had in her life is to go to Walt Disney World, and this year it's about to come true.

I always try to go a little above and beyond for my wife for Christmas and birthdays. Besides the fact that she is worth all my effort she goes above and beyond for me everyday. She has travelled across the country with me for work, moved away from our family and friends, spent countless hours, days and even months at home alone while I've been away on training or other work related duties and all the while with a smile on her face wanting nothing more in return than me coming home safe. I decided that this year she should be paid back for everything she has given me over the years (although a million trips wouldnt scratch the surface).

I decided in January that this was happening so began the research....thankfully these boards were found very early and were pivitol in making this an experience my wife will never forget.

Now how I'm going to suprise her.....

I've been given so many great ideas from people on the boards and I've decided that for this to have maximum effect less is more.

I've been playing Christmas very low key this year (nothing over the top to tip my hand...just enough). My wife, Nicole, has said that I outdid myself last year so I'm aloud to have the year "off" (Last year I commisioned a great artist to do a piece of my wife's father whom she lost to cancer 10 years ago). Little does she know that about 2 or three gifts in this year there is going to be a very un-assuming little box under the tree. When she takes the paper off of it the top of the box is going to have this quote written on it....

"The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.”

When she opens the box there is going to be a personalized pair of Mickey ears with her name on it along with a Disney World T-Shirt that say "I'm going to the Walt Disney World Resort". I'll then tell her that in three weeks (Jan. 20th) we are leaving for Florida for 7 days with the mouse.

All the ADR's are in the bag, my vacation is approved and the trip is paid in full. All thats left is the suprise. I'll be filming her reaction....keep an eye out for it.

That is wonderful! Do you have any male relatives like you that you can hook me up with?

 

[the_green_machine]

That is wonderful! Do you have any male relatives like you that you can hook me up with?

LOL Thats Awesome! You know, I do have a brother BUT besides the fact that he's married he also lives in Newfoundland, Canada. Besides the possibility of you not having any idea where that is, I think the commute would be too hard on your new relationship.

 

[the_green_machine]

Green Machine, that is awesome.

This coming Friday (day after Thanksgiving) we are surprising my 6-year old daughter with a trip. We are leaving that day.

What a great age for a suprise like that. I hope you guys have a great time!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

LOL Thats Awesome! You know, I do have a brother BUT besides the fact that he's married he also lives in Newfoundland, Canada. Besides the possibility of you not having any idea where that is, I think the commute would be too hard on your new relationship.

I do know where Newfoundland is, but I'm more considered about the fact that he is already married!

 

[the_green_machine]

I do know where Newfoundland is, but I'm more considered about the fact that he is already married!

LOL Details, details . I dont know why but I'm always suprised when people from other countries know where NL is .... Thats awesome

By the way, your PTR is great, very well written. Have a great vacation. We'll be at POP from Jan. 20th to the 27th.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

LOL Details, details . I dont know why but I'm always suprised when people from other countries know where NL is .... Thats awesome

By the way, your PTR is great, very well written. Have a great vacation. We'll be at POP from Jan. 20th to the 27th.

Thank you very much, I hope you guys have a fantastic vacation. I'm sure she will love it, and so will you! POP is a great resort, I stayed there in 2008 and it's very fun.

Since I've posted on here several times I might as well add a story in. I don't have any kids, but was surprised with a trip when I was a teenager. I have two younger sisters, and my parents didn't want to go until we were all old enough to ride everything. So my first trip was when I was 13, and that trip was even a surprise to my parents! It was August and my parents had both taken a week off work for vacation, but the one we had planned fell through. So, on the first night of their vacation they decided, why not drive to Disney World? So, they told us to pack quickly and we all got our suitcases in the minivan and left around midnight to drive down. We were all too excited to sleep and arrived in Florida that afternoon. We stayed offsite and didn't know much about what we were doing, but it was still a great trip. Now I'm planning my 5th trip, the third as an adult, and I know a lot more and stay onsite, but I'll never forget that first trip, and my parents asking us if we wanted to go to WDW instead of going to bed.

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

Thank you very much, I hope you guys have a fantastic vacation. I'm sure she will love it, and so will you! POP is a great resort, I stayed there in 2008 and it's very fun.

Since I've posted on here several times I might as well add a story in. I don't have any kids, but was surprised with a trip when I was a teenager. I have two younger sisters, and my parents didn't want to go until we were all old enough to ride everything. So my first trip was when I was 13, and that trip was even a surprise to my parents! It was August and my parents had both taken a week off work for vacation, but the one we had planned fell through. So, on the first night of their vacation they decided, why not drive to Disney World? So, they told us to pack quickly and we all got our suitcases in the minivan and left around midnight to drive down. We were all too excited to sleep and arrived in Florida that afternoon. We stayed offsite and didn't know much about what we were doing, but it was still a great trip. Now I'm planning my 5th trip, the third as an adult, and I know a lot more and stay onsite, but I'll never forget that first trip, and my parents asking us if we wanted to go to WDW instead of going to bed.

That sounds awesome! A true surprise, definitely!

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

Any others?

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

Okay, Christmas just finished, so what trips have you surpised your kiddos with???

 

[dwsandy]

Leaving in 4 days and still haven't spilled the beans. I'm so nervous and excited. I'm still not 100% sure what I'm going to do to tell them. Ahhhhhh

 

[tofubeast]

I love all the surprises on here. Some of the stories brought tears to me eyes (looking at you thegreenmachine). I so can't wait to do this for DD when she is older. I am going to have to remember all the great ideas on here!

 

[kadesha]

We surprised our girls a few years ago. We got them up in the middle of the night and told them we were going to the Waffle House. (About 30 minutes from our house) lol! We knew they'd fall asleep in the car. They did and slept about 5 hours. When they woke up they asked why we hadn't got there yet and we told them we got lost. At that point we still had 3 hours left to go. We just continued to tell them we were lost until we finally drove under the big Disney sign! They were 4 and 5 at the time so they were easy to keep distracted in the car.

 

[preschoolmom]

We've decided to surprise the kids on New Year's Eve. I can't keep the secret anymore - I'm dying to have the kids help plan, and watch ride videos on UTube, etc. Plus, they can enjoy the anticipation and countdown (we're going in March).

So, I made a cool scavenger hunt and puzzle - and I'll report back after they know!

I'm so excited!

 

[KristiKat]

We surprised the kids this past Feb. My DD was 4 at the time and it was her first visit. My step-son was 10. He had actually gotten in trouble in school the day before and DH grounded him and told him he would get him up really early the next morning and they would do yard work. So we got up like usual that morning got ready, I told my DD we were going to the store which she didn't like hearing, lol. DH was telling my step-son what all his chores were going to be in the yard and then he said to get in the car. My step-son asked why cause he was ready to start chores and get it over with, DH said "Let's go to Disney instead". My DD didn't really know what it was so we told her it was a really fun place with princesses and a castle which thrilled her. My step-son seemed to be in shock. I think he thought DH was kidding cause he was grounded and all. My DD had a wonderful trip. My step-son, well he decided to be difficult the first day or so but I won't go into all that. P.S. He was grounded when we got back home after vacation.

Ever since then my DD has asked when can we go back. I always tell her it's really expensive and we have to save a lot of money. She has started saving money in her little piggy bank. She is so funny. She'll put in a coupld cents and say "every little bit helps". They have no idea that we are going again in Feb and this time my sister and her family are going with us. More kids, more fun, lol. My DH wants to surprise them again. DD will know what it is this time so I'm sure she'll go nuts when we tell them. Not sure how my step-son will react. I kinda want to go ahead and tell them but due to my step-son's mother we can't. My DH has full custody and she has supervised visits but she likes to stir up trouble when we are planning stuff so it's best just to keep it to ourselves. I have my fingers crossed that all goes well and that they will both be very excited. We haven't really decided yet how we will tell them but I'm getting some great ideas from the thread.

 

[nannye]

Just an idea for those who are surprising the kiddos on Christmas Day with balloons, as I am, if you were worried about the balloons lasting until Christmad morning, as I am. Toys R Us has a helium tank for $20, which is cheaper than the party stores. I saw it there yesterday, so I'm going to pick it up this weekend. I figure I don't want to chance saggy balloons.

It's a good idea, but using these type of tanks, balloons typically only last 6-12 hours (in my experience) I used to do birthday parties and we would use a big helium tank and same deal. It's better to get them from the store, they put hi-float gel in the balloons, they last for days (errr weeks-depending on balloons) I had a surprise party for my moms birthday December 4th. sitting beside me is the balloon bouquet and 2 out of 6 balloons are still floating