Advice please! -- Do we tell them???

[Gales4Goofy]

DW and I are struggling with a question. We're going to WDW Oct 17-23, and are thinking of trying to pull it off as a surpise. We'll be driving from Philly, and think we might not tell where we're heading until we wake them up on the second day of the trip...we'll lay out Mickey shirts for everyone to wear (except me...I'm Goofy through and through.)

We're a little worried about school, though. We want to let DD8 and DS6's teachers know ahead of time so we can schedule some school study time along the way, but concerned that will somehow ruin the surprise.

Has anyone tried to get away with keeping the kids in the dark until the last second? How's has it worked out?

 

[Barbday62]

My parents did it to me when I was a teenager. They told us at the airport as we were checking in so it wasnt a total last minute surprise. We went to Disneyland (From Washington State)

Im a lot older now and my memory is that my parents surprised us with a really cool trip. I dont even remmebr if we missed school or anything. The family is the memoriy I carry.

Hope you can work it out.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

Could you tell the teachers you will be gone, but not tell them where?

Otherwise they might let it slip.

I think it's a great idea to surprise them

 

[MATTERHORN]

I agree on surprising them! It's so close and you have held out this long already which had to be torture! If the kids are doing good in school, maybe just ask the teachers what the plans for that week may be as it gets closer. If it's not a huge test or project or something, can the kids just make it up after returning home, maybe a little each night in addition to regular stuff so it could be done in a couple days? I think a surprise is so great, and if you don't do it now in the younger grades, it will probably get harder to do as they get older. Good luck and let us know what you decide!!


Andrea

 

[miche61]

Surprise them!
In 2002, DD was in 3rd grade, DD was in K, and DS was in pre-school. I wrote all their teachers notes and explained that we were planning a surprise trip for the kids to WDW. I work at school, so I could talk to the teachers a little bit too, so the more contact the better. I also asked if they would have any homework, etc. that we could work on while we were gone. DD's 3rd grade teacher said just write a journal about our trip. They were all so wonderful about it.

The day we were leaving, DH went to lunch with 3rd grader (KDD had afternoon class, so we kept her home), handed her a little poem I had written telling her we were leaving for WDW right after her lunch. Her whole class cheered, they were so excited for her.

I still see DD's 3rd grade teacher and she tells me that's one of her happiest memories, being in on the secret, and to see how excited DD was.

On a side note, I picked DD up at school early one day last year and a friend of hers asked if she was leaving early to go to WDW again. Sadly, it was just a dr. appointment.

 

[MamaLema]

I would love to do this but I just can't! We even open Christmas gifts the night before

 

[Gales4Goofy]

Thank you all so much! These are great stories....miche61, you actually had DW tearing up!

I think we know what we need to do now.

 

[long4disney]

We surprised my ds last year with a trip to WDW during Halloween week. I just talked to his teachers about 2 weeks before and I went into school the Friday before we left and his teachers had all his homework in a sealed envelope for me and I just made sure he had his books. I snuck his books out of his locker and put them in the car while he was in P.E., since he has gym last period. All his teachers were glad to keep it a secret for us and we told him the next morning when he got up that he had to get ready because we were leaving in 3 hours to go to WDW for a week, and he did not believe us. He actually got upset with us thinking we were playing a joke on him. He told us, "Yeah right mom and dad, we are leaving for vacation in 3 hours to Disney for Halloween." When we finally convinced him after he saw the plane tickets and the tickets for MNSSHP he had tears in his eyes. He said that was the best surprise he ever had. Usually he knows when we have a trip planned and he is always so wound up in school the few days before we go, because that is all he is thinking about. So this worked out sooooo well for everyone. His teachers were so excited to talk to him about the surprise when we got back. He couldn't believe everyone knew except him!!!

 

[ncbyrne]

I am taking my 2 DGDs (8+11) and their mom to WDW Nov 3-8 as a birthday present to the girls. So far we haven't told the girls as school just started today, and we didn't want them to get side tracked from studies just as school was beginning. Now, after reading this thread, I'm thinking I might just keep it a surprise right up until the morning we head to the airport!

 

[mbb]

We don't need to be surprised!!!

 

[Gales4Goofy]

we're going to do it !! School handbook says they'll allow up to 5 days. Looks like they'll just have to be "sick" for that 6th and final day !!

 

[frstimer128]

"Yeah" to all of you who can keep such a great secret!!!
I thought about making it a surprise for about 8 seconds.....that's all I could last...lol!
The kids will remember that forever...how great!