A surprise trip or not....Update: I booked it!

[ryanmilla]

Ok, I know these boards are probably not the right place to ask this question, but here goes.

JetBlue has put out some sale fares down to Orlando from my area (Northern NJ), so I was thinking of surprising my family with a quick trip in early Dec. We are DVC members, so we have the points for the trip and I am purchasing annual passes for us for another trip later, so that expense has already been budgeted. The only new (major) expense would be the airfare ($404 for a family of four, me, DW, DD4, DS1). So the money aspect is not the issue. I know there is food to think about and all the little things, but I'm not concerned with that.

My dilema is that we have already booked a trip for next March where we are bringing our best friends and their kids (same age as our kids and best friends too), so I know my DW will say, "We should save this money for xmas gifts or other trips". I want it to be a surprise for the entire family, but I don't want it ruined if she was thinking we could have put the money to better use.

We recently came back from a trip visiting relatives and our next trip will be the WDW with friends, so my wife keeps saying she would like a trip with just the four of us to relax. I was thinking that this could be it, but since we will be going 3 months later I don't know. I always thought it would be fun to surprise them. I know they would love the Xmas decorations, b/c we saw them last year during Thanksgiving, but missed the Xmas parade.

I think I need a devils advocate or just some advice. Sorry for the long post.

 

[rkandmjsmommy]

YOu could always make this an early christmas present? Then you are putting the money towards xmas gifts

I say go for it, I would be beyond Thrilled if my hubby thought of doing this but its not in his genes

Let us know what your decided

 

[AdventurerKat]

That airfare is amazing! I vote for early Xmas present too!

 

[kadaten]

No devil's advocate here....I say GO, GO, GO!!!!!!!!!!!

You just can't beat that airfare....and can't you consider that part of your Christmas? If that's what you want to give your wife and kids, there's no reason for anyone to question your gift and say you should have bought something else! I sure wouldn't!!!

Having just moved (again!) I find we have way too much stuff anyhow.....a trip is giving them the gift of time together as a family, and a lifetime of memories!

So, you booked those flights yet? Called for DVC availability???

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I think your best thing to do IS surprise them! Your wife will be thrilled, and with the element of surprise, she won't have time to think of all the other uses for the money.

This is so exciting! I am sure there are many women on these boards who would love for their Dh to do exactly what you are doing! You are very sweet!

After many, many trips to WDW, I have finally figured out a way to completely surprise my kids!

We have the DVC Member cruise booked, and the kids have NO CLUE. They know we are going to WDW, we are checking in on Saturday Sept. 3. Sunday, the day of the cruise, we are going to have a car service pick us up, and we are going to tell the kids we are going to Universal. (long drive, but they won't know any better) I CANNOT wait to see their expressions when we are on the bridge and they look out and see the ship in the port!!!!!! We did the Wonder Cruise in April of '04, and almost every other day the kids ask us when we can go again.

Will yours be a surprise right up to going to the airport? or will you have to tell them ahead of time? Can you try to figure out a way to get them to the airport and then surprise them?

 

[rifamtrav]

DO IT!!! Your DD is 4, that means next year kindergarten? This may be your last chance to take your kids on a guilt free (i.e. don't worry about missing school) trip.
HOWEVER, if you want to win really big brownie points, you must do most of the packing (or at least help as much as possible) and offer to do most of the laundry before and after the trip! THAT would be the true xmas present! Ok, I apologize, I shouldn't presume that you don't already do all that stuff.

Of course, if you're underestimating the financial stress of this trip and it would really end up causing a hardship for the holidays then, no, don't go, but if you can afford it, definitely go for it. You know your dw best, is she really one to enjoy the surprise, or would she rather be consulted? Truthfully, I'm not sure which way I would be, it sounds wonderful to be fully surprised, but then I think about all the preparation for a trip with 2 little ones.....

 

[ryanmilla]

Phew, I knew I wasn't going to get a biased answers here.

Disney1fan2002, the cruise surprise sounds fantastic. I'm sure your kids will go crazy.

As far as when to tell the surprise, I would love to hold it right up until the airport, but don't know if I can. Once I put luggage in the car, they would know something. Also, packing for 2 small kids would be tough to do in secret, but not impossible. Luckily all of our warm weather clothes will be upstairs where I could pack in secret. Especially, since I am the only nightowl in the family.

As far as my wife, she is the type who loves spontaneous trips...as long as she can plan them in advance. She grew up in Europe, so she doesn't have the Disney vacation history that my family does, but she is quickly catching on. She loves Disney, especially now with kids, but I don't think she is as fanatical as I am. But sometimes I catch little hints.

I am leaning more and more towards it, but I will have to see. It would be a great Xmas present. So far this year we have planned to stay at home for both xmas and thanksgiving where we normally travel.

 

[babybunrab]

Hmm. I love the World, but I guess if it was me, maybe I'd prefer to be asked if finances were an issue. However, that's just me!

Have you given any thought to consulting DW and surprising the kids?

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Phew, I knew I wasn't going to get a biased answers here.

Disney1fan2002, the cruise surprise sounds fantastic. I'm sure your kids will go crazy.

As far as when to tell the surprise, I would love to hold it right up until the airport, but don't know if I can. Once I put luggage in the car, they would know something. Also, packing for 2 small kids would be tough to do in secret, but not impossible. Luckily all of our warm weather clothes will be upstairs where I could pack in secret. Especially, since I am the only nightowl in the family.

As far as my wife, she is the type who loves spontaneous trips...as long as she can plan them in advance. She grew up in Europe, so she doesn't have the Disney vacation history that my family does, but she is quickly catching on. She loves Disney, especially now with kids, but I don't think she is as fanatical as I am. But sometimes I catch little hints.

I am leaning more and more towards it, but I will have to see. It would be a great Xmas present. So far this year we have planned to stay at home for both xmas and thanksgiving where we normally travel.

I think the most challenging thing to get the surprise to last all the way up to the airport is packing for your wife! LOL if you can figure that one out, then I have a great idea on how to get them to the airport....

Do you have family around? mom, dad, brother, sister? If you do, get them to be in on it. Say your mom and dad. They can say they are going to WDW. They need a ride to the airport. (it will only work if they can actually give you a ride) If they use their car, tell your wife you are driving it back for them. or, if you use your own car (preferable, since the luggage would be in it.) tell the family gramps is going to drive the car to his house. tell you wife you should all go and see gram and gramps off, so the kids can see the big planes. Once you get there, you can pull your wife aside, and let her in on the surprise because she will have to show her ID. The kids, let them believe they are waiting around for gram and gramps to get on the plane. When they announce the boarding, tell the kids to give gram and gramps (or insert exteneded family member here) a kiss and say goodbye, because IT IS THEY that is getting on the plane, not gram and gramps!!!!!

 

[Kimkimba]

I would love to be your wife

I would definitely do it! My kids can't tell you what they got for last Christmas, but they remember all our family trips.

 

[Goofy DS]

We are doing a surprise trip for Christmas as well (12/21-12/26)!
We will be picking the kids up from school for a "doctors appointment" and heading to the airport. They will find out on the way.
This will be Christmas gifts etc... for everyone. Not sure how that will go over?

I love surprising the family as well, but the wife had to be in on this for a few reasons.
1. Hard to make the financal arrangments without her knowing about it.
2. Now she won't be expecting that 3 ct. diamond necklace for Christmas.
3. I would explode if I didn't have her to share the secret with! Six months is a long time to have the trip all booked up and not tell anyone!
4. I'm NOT packing for her!!!!!


Let her in in the "fun" and surprise the kids!!

 

[TammiMcMan]

You sound a lot like me last year. Not only did I find unbelievably low airfare from Boston, but I also got a pretty good PIN code rate from Disney. We had already been in May 2004 and DH and I were booked for a 4 night Disney cruise. I just couldn't pass it up though. I booked 4 nights at the YC for the first week in December. I didn't tell DH right away, but once all the plans were finalized, I let him in on the secret. We have 3 kids, 2 are home with us and the other was away at school. I was able to keep the trip a secret from the 2 kids right up until we were inside the airplane. DH works near the airport, so it was no big deal for us to drive to that area one afternoon. We did questions when we drove into the terminal, but we told them we were going to see their college sister. They interpreted that as we were picking her up at the terminal. The next shock was when DH pulled up to departures and opened the trunk. They saw him pull out the suitcases and now they thought we were flying to Pennsylvania to meet up with their college sister. The power of suggestion is an amazing thing. They both walked onto the plane and sat down without realizing where we were going. It was only when youngest DD8 heard the flight attendant announce that the travel time to Orlando would be 2 hours 58 minutes. Then she was in a panic because she thought we had boarded the wrong plane. DS15 had no clue what she was babbling about because he had already put his headphones on and didn't hear a thing. The biggest surprise for everyone, including DH was that DD finished her finals early and met us at the resort the following day.

We've taken a lot of trips to Disney, but this one was pretty special. It did end up being a big portion of their Christmas gift, but they are all older anyway and you can only have so many MP3 players. Being there for the holiday decorations was great.

Sorry, another DIS'er telling you to go for it. As I mentioned, I did tell DH about the trip, but he had no idea about DD19 joining us and I kept a few other secrets about dining arrangements and an Illuminations cruise.

 

[WDWguru]

I say go for it - but I'd call DVC now and check on availability. As you probably know, early December fills up FAST due to the low point requirements and low crowds.

 

[jjan]

YES DO IT!!!

You could have it as a Christmas gift if you think that your wife would be worried/upset about saving for Christmas. I'm sure that Santa would be happy to bring a gift early for a special occasion like this. If you are worried about packing for your wife and/or kids, Santa could deliver a note saying to pack for 7 days for a trip in 60 to 80 degree weather and then have another note in the car or some other place with the airline tickets etc. with the destination. We surprised our DD7 just a couple months ago and it was the BEST thing that we have ever done. December is wonderful in WDW. Even if you couldn't go the DVC route you could stay at Pop (or similar) for $55 with a AP Best rate discount.

 

[Disney Ella]

Ever consider having two wives? I would love it if my husband ever did anything like this. I like your plan of going ahead and doing it so she doesn't worry about the money. I am holding you up as an example of a perfect husband to my DH!

 

[ryanmilla]

Ok, so I went ahead and booked it! I've been thinking more and more about it and I believe my wife will be very happy. I think she will really like the spontaneity and also just getting away with the family. It turns out that Continental is having a sale to FL as well out of Newark, so I was able to get more agreeable flight times for the same price ($406.25 for all 4 of us).

We will be staying at BWV right now and I have us waitlisted with an automatic change for the VWL. I also told the CM who booked us it was a surprise so she is making sure no confirmation letters get sent home. Our dates are Dec 11th to 14th.

Now the fun on how and when to spring the surprise. I am hoping I will be able to pack for everyone. Since it is a short trip and our warm weather stuff will be put away I think I can get most of it. I was then thinking of telling everyone the night before that I have a surprise for them the next morning that we have to drive to and must leave early to make our reservations. I'll have the car packed already the night before and then just drive us to the airport and when we get there, tell them we're going to WDW.

I think the hardest thing is going to be keeping my wife from booking a fall trip somewhere for a long weekend or something. This will use up the rest of my vacation (not-including what we are saving for Xmas time). If it comes to that I will just let her in on it.

I'll make sure to keep everyone informed of my planning progress.

Wish me luck!

 

[swtnikki]

Yay! Hope you have a safe & great trip when you go!