Anybody ever suprise kids w/trip?

[cortegro]

I put together a surprise trip for my family back in July. My youngest DS8 was in a youth hockey tournament in Providence,RI. The whole family (DW,DS12,DS10) drove from CT to watch the games and spend the weekend. Earlier in the month I got some good fares from SWA from Providence to MCO. At midnight the night before we left I printed the "A" boarding passes at the hotel we were staying. After checking out of the hotel and watching our son's game , we started the drive home. I started to get off the Providence Airport exit just a few miles down the road and my wife asked me what was up. I sprung the news we were to spend 3 nights at the Poly LVC and return home later that week........

Four jaws dropped and they all started talking at once.........

What about clothes?......I packed an extra suitcase before we left,but that backfired on me......We had to make a trip to the Mall and spend $200 on last second stuff!

What about pins? What about the cost? What about the weeks schedule at home?

It all didn't matter....We were going to Disney World!!!

All in all it was the best thing I had ever done! (outside of the packing snafu, and the AMEX bill at the end of the month)

I hope it works out for anyone who plans a surprise!!

 

[pigget74]

My husband and I did this a few years ago for our 2 kids who were at the time (DD-4 and DS-7). They had no clue about us going. They were used to us going to Florida so we told them that we were going to Florida, but we are going further into Florida than usual. We want to see some other beaches. Well we got up at 5 and started driving and stopped in Ocala for the night. Told them that we would be at the next hotel in a few hours so try to go back to sleep or play games. My daughter went back to sleep and my son played games. Everytime we passed a sign his head would be down just until we passed it. Then he would pop up and look around--still not having a clue. He did ask what are all these hotels for--because for hours the day before we saw none. I knew we were about to be at the Welcome to Disney sign so I told hime to wake up his sister. She awoke just as we were going under the sign. Neither of them believed us--then they say the tower with mickey. WOW!! does not begin to describe how excited theywere. My daughter replies I took a good nap so I wouldn't be grumpy for Mickey!! When we arrived at ASM the security guard was awesome--he could tell my son was excited and asked him his name--it took my son 3 tries to get his own name right. My kids were beaming the entire day. During the week we went to Blizzard Beach and my son replied--I guess this is the different beach you were talking about.
We were able to surpise them the next summer to--just for a 2 day trip--they guessed where were going about 7 hours into the drive.

Have fun with it and make sure you get it on video--it is priceless.

 

[Dave Dizney]

We've done surprise trips three times. The first time our kids were fairly young (9, 8, and 3) and we threw them into the car telling them we were going for a "picnic in the park" with grandma and grandpa. We packed for the kids and threw it all in the back of the van. Since it was really early in the morning, everyone fell asleep in the van before we got on the highway -- this helped since we were going the opposite direction from where grandma and grandpa lived. Once the kids woke up and realized we were in a different city, I had prepared a list of really obscure clues to our destination that I'd have the boys write down (like "We're going to see the bears" -- which could have hinted about a zoo, or Chicago, or in our case, the Country Bear Jamboree). Each clue I'd give and let "sit" for 10 minutes. Finally, the last clue said "Take the first letter of each clue and find our destination." The first letter of each clue spelled "Walt Disney World." We met Grandma and Grandpa in Orlando and did “picnic in the park.”

The second time we told the kids we were flying to a convention in Chicago. Ooops -- this plane is going to Orlando? Something must be wrong with our tickets!

We also surprised the kids Christmas morning by telling the kids we were going on a trip to Disneyland Paris. My DW had made these really cheap pillows with the kid’s names on them. The first letter on each pillow was super-sized. Then mom had us all pose together for a Polaroid photo with our pillows. The kids were not amused, but did it for mom. My pillow said "Papa," next to me was Andrew, then Rebekah, then "I'm Mom" (we know, it was a stretch), and then Stephen. When the photo developed, our oldest son said "Hey, look -- our pillows spell PARIS! There was a great look of disbelief and a huge celebration when they realized the pillows really were the "big" gift that year!

 

[pjlla]

Okay..... I hate to be one of the few downers here, but surprising my kids just didn't work out as well as I planned! (Maybe it's just my kids??)

Our first WDW in January 2002 we had told them NOTHING about it. They were 6 1/2 and "just about to turn" 4. We packed the bags and loaded the car, telling them that we were going to Boston for the weekend (something we had done once in the past). When we got to the parking garage for Logan Airport my DH pulled out the video camera and we told them the "big news". Well.... my DD was FURIOUS that I had lied to her and that we weren't going to Boston for the weekend, and she cried. DS was afraid of flying, but he did show more excitement than DD, once we convinced him that flying would be just fine. ("we're going to see Cinderella!" he said in his little boy 3 yr old voice!)

DD was mad all day. I think it was partially that she felt ill-prepared. And she has always been a person who doesn't like change.... so even though this was a good thing, it was still an unexpected change.

My DH and I were SOOOOOOO disappointed with their reaction. It truly was not exactly a magical trip. Yes, we had fun and have some great pictures, but the children were just not mentally prepared for this.

I think that neither of them understood the enormous scope of WDW. When we would tell them we had to leave one area to go do something else, they (DS especially) would get mad. I think that they just didn't realize that leaving one thing meant going on to something else that was also fun. I think that they felt that if we left an area, it meant we were done. Don't know how else to explain it, but I truly believe this is what most of the problem was. By the end of the week things were better, but DH (who is not the big Disney fan that I am) swore that he wouldn't be taking them back to WDW for YEARS!! I was so disappointed.

Fastforward two years.... kids are dying to go back to WDW, as I am. I really want to have that "MAGICAL" trip with that I didn't get the first time. I manage to talk DH into another January trip (2004). THis time we tell the kids 100 days in advance. THat way they have time to earn some spending $$ and be involved in the planning. And this time it truly was MAGICAL!!

So anyhow, the moral to the story is.... know your kids and do what would be best for them! If that is a surprise, then great.... otherwise.... tell them in advance.........HTH...............P

 

[hannahryan]

We are planning a surprise WDW trip in November for the first time! We've been to WDW several times, so I'm trying the surprise idea to make it more special. We will pick up the kids after school and tell them we are going to Providence for dinner. As we approach the airport, I'll pull out the video camera. I know they will both be screaming with excitement. I feel the surprise will make a memory they will never forget.

 

[ncbyrne]

We are giving our DGDs a birthday surprise of a trip to WDW in five weeks. They THINK we're going NEXT year during 2005 Jersey Week. We've been talking about the trip for months. Their birthday party is this Saturday. They will receive several Disney related gifts (and the free carry on from Chadwicks that I learned about on the DIS budget board!). The last package they open will have a peice of paper telling them to look in a drawer. From there they will find other papers sending them on a hunt around the house. The last will be a wrapped package with a poem about going to WDW NEXT MONTH!

 

[LisaRay]

Ok, I will tell my story and will try hard not to make it a book!

We had all 4 gone on a family trip in Jan. 2001 and we had bought AP's. Then my husband got 2 FREE roundtrip 1ST CLASS airline tickets!! (some kind of promo about fly a certain number of times and our flights in Jan. put us over the magic number to get them!! ) However as with everything there is always a catch! They expired the end of May and DH had no more vacation day left.
After waiting till only 2-3 weeks before we decided that the only way to get any use out of them were for me and DD11 to go alone. We were so affraid something would come up and we wouldn't be able to go we didn't tell DD for a week or so. Then we thought since we have held it in this long lets just NOT tell her at all!!

I made AP ressies at a value resort. and made all the plans in secret. Then on the day we are to leave we set the plan in motion! My DH travels for business alot and so I picked DD up from school and we drove 45 miles to the airport which is located in the town where DH works. I told her that DH had to fly out on another trip at the last minute so we had to take him his bags.

He met us at the very tiny airport and checked in. With this being before 9/11 she never even noticed anything. There was no major security and this airport was just our puddle jumper flight to take us to our bigger plane in St. Louis. We all went to sit in the waiting area and I told her to go to the bathroom she couldn't figure out why she should go and try to go to the bathroom since she didn't have to go! And i said cause I hate it when you have to get up on the plane to go. This took her a few minutes she actually turned to walk to the bathroom and then said WHAT!! And we told her dads not going but WE are!! But she never even asked WHERE we were going so we said aren't you wondering where we are flying to??? Well when i told her she couldn't believe it!!
Her next question was are we staying onsite?? We had just stayed onsite for the 1st time in Jan. and loved it! So her and I had a 5 day 4 nite long weekend getaway and had the best time ever!! She also really freaked when she found out it was all in 1st class!!

 

[CindyBella]

I was thrilled! My DH and I (...ok it was all my idea) planned a surprise 2004 New Year's trip to WDW. We have been numerous times but NEVER during Christmas time. We told them on Christmas Day. I had the video camera on my DS6 & DD2 when I said, (with tears of joy) "Now for the big surprise, We are going to Disney World in 5 days!" My DD2 didn't really understand and DS6 just kind of said ,"Cool". They were not that impressed and I guess I was expecting more of a reaction from them. Even though they weren't exactly jumping up and down when I told them the big surprise, we had a great time. There is no place like Disney at Christmas.

Good Luck!

 

[llp479]

We just did this two weeks ago. We had a really rotten summer. Youngest DD badly broke her arm which meant the pool passes for the summer were not really used, and many other things we had planned were cancelled.

So, DH and I saw the four day weekend on the school calendar, found incredible airfare on AA and we were off to WDW.

We picked up the youngest dd from her school under the pretense of a dr's apt. We then picked up the other two dds telling them they had to go with us because we wouldn't be home in time from the dr to meet the bus. We live near Six Flags so on the way past the girls say they would like to go this weekend. DH says yes it would be fun to go to a theme park this weekend. No reaction from the girls. Then I say I'd like to see some fireworks, still no reaction. I start playing the Illuminations CD and say why don't we go to EPCOT to see fireworks. The girls STILL don't say anything. Finally, I say we're going to WDW today, we're on our way to the airport. The girls were stunned. They couldn't believe it and even started crying they were so excited!

Thankfully Ivan stayed away and we had a wonderful time. The girls commented several times on how happy they were with the surprise trip.

 

[TDERadulski]

Originally posted by Dave Dizney
Once the kids woke up and realized we were in a different city, I had prepared a list of really obscure clues to our destination that I'd have the boys write down (like "We're going to see the bears" -- which could have hinted about a zoo, or Chicago, or in our case, the Country Bear Jamboree). Each clue I'd give and let "sit" for 10 minutes. Finally, the last clue said "Take the first letter of each clue and find our destination." The first letter of each clue spelled "Walt Disney World."

Dave Dizney -
This is a great idea!! My sister and I are surprising our kids next summer with a trip! Could you PM the list you used, or email it to me at tradulski@hotmail.com ? Thanks!!

- Tara

 

[Sarahsal]

When my DD's were 3 and 5 we didn't tell them where we were going. We drove from N.J., and after lunch I put the DW vacation planning video on to play. It took a few minutes, but then the 5 yr old's eyes lit up-she was almost afraid to ask-and when we said yes they were quite excited, to say the least!

 

[JLDSMD]

We are surprising DS, 4 1/2, tomorrow (9/30/04). He has no clue that we are going. He won't even know when we go to the airport. DW doesn't think that it will kick in until he sees the slide at PO-FQ.

We've been planning this for almost 3 months.

He has been earning Disney Dollars for chores and helping around the house, but he thinks he will be using them on our Cruise in January. He wanted to have $20, so DW and I got very generous this past weekend so that he'd get to that number.

Less than a day to go. I think we'll make it.

 

[dixiegirl]

If you can keep it a secret until they are there - that would be awesome. If you can't - here's what I came up with for my friend's daughter when we wanted to surprise her on our trip - we created a letter that was from Minnie Mouse (her fave character) to her and had asked her to come down to WDW and visit because Minnie was missing her (she had been to disney before and always got pics with Minnie). We made it very personal and put pictures in it, etc. and signed it and I had a friend of mine mail it from Orlando so it looked like it really came from Minnie at Disney. Worked great!

 

[lauran cameron]

My DM & DD surprised my DB & I when we were younger with a trip to WDW.

It was in December and I was at a soccer game (indoors of course) and my DM, DD & DB were there watching and after the game my DM insited that i "go to the bathroom" before we left, and being a curious little kid i asked "why?" she said that we were going to "go and look at the leaves changing colours." so My DB & I got into the family truckster aka The van and we drove and drove and drove and drove and drove and drove to what seemed like forever, but we just sat back and enjoyed the scenery.

After about 5 hours (yea seriously ) we became a little antsy. So my DM started to play this game with us, kind of like "i Spy" guessing game sort of thing. That occupied us for a while...so finally she starts a new round of this game and she draws our Van with an arrow pointing to a mickey head. My DB & I looked puzzled, and shooks our heads. Then my DM said, "Look in the back." So I crawled to the back of the Van and BEHOLD! LUGGAGE! ALAS WE WERE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

We stayed for 2 weeks...I was in elementary school at the time so that was more than do-able. She had requested the school work from the teachers WEEKS in advance! And after we'd get back from the parks I'd sit and do a ditto or 2.

I'll never forget that trip to WDW

 

[4forDis]

Lauran, That's a cute story...but don't mention "dittos" you are dating yourself. Our kids are so lucky they never have to smell that "fresh off the ditto machine" smell.

 

[Disney Spaz]

To give you a little background first my DH, 2 DS then 9 & 11, DF, and myself planned a Christmas 2000 trip. We had to cancel because I lost my job. THe kids were good about but obviously disappiontred. The day we told them I swore I was going to make it up to them. Fats forward to Christmas of 2002. DH and I told the boys that we were going to drive down and visit family for the holidays in VA. We left our MD home around 10PM and started driving. At about 3AM we were right at the border of VA & NC and stopped for potty breaks and gas. Both DS's woke up and asked what was going on we should have been there by then. We explained that DM got lost and we were back tracking to 95 and we would be there soon. DS's then fell asleep until the GA boarder. When they woke up they freaked as we past the welcome to GA sign. My youngest looked at me and said "wow mom you really got us lost didn't you." That is when we told them. They were so excited but the next morning both DS's, who are very close to DGF were talking about how much they wished he could have come too. Little did they know. THe second morning of our trip we told DS's that we were called to the lobby to pick up a package that had been sent to us. When we arrived DGF was waiting in the lobby. In all my years I have never seen my DS's so excited. And this year we are doing it againonly this time DS know about the trip. Nothing like WDW and family.

 

[kellia215]

We're surprisng our 8 year old daughter with a trip next week. We've been planning it for months, and I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to blurt out "We're going to Disney World!" Our flight leaves from PHL at 7am on 10/13, so we're planning on waking her at around 4:30am. We'll have the video camera ready as we wake her and tell her where we're going. I'm sure she's going to freak out!
Packing will not be an issue at all. Since the weather is changing here, I just took all of her summer clothes out of her drawers this weekend. I left them folded in a laundry basket in my room, saying that I had to go through them and pick out the things she won't fit into next summer before putting the rest away. I do this every season, and give away the hand-me-downs, so she's none the wiser. With all of her summer things clean, folded, and ready to go, packing should be a snap. I'm planning on packing the night before the trip as soon as she goes to bed. We want to wake her early enough before we have to leave, so that she'll have 45 minutes or so to process what's going on and pack a few special things.
I'll let you know how it all works out!

 

[clkelley]

I pulled off the ultimate. I surprised my 17 yo with a trip in May for his graduation!! This was no easy task because at the time he had a job, was playing baseball, and had some graduation parties planned.

We managed to tell his ball coaches, his boss, his girlfriend, and his party buddies what we were doing, and he never had a clue! In addition to the trip, we had purchased the Dive Quest experience for him. Well about 3 weeks before the trip his wallet came up missing and his Scuba Certification card was in there! Boy I was panicking. I had to figure out a way to get him to get a quick replacement card before our trip without cluing him in. Fortunately, the wallet showed up a couple of days later, so we avoided that bullet.

Early graduation morning while he was at rehearsal, I packed his bag and put it in the back of my truck that has a cover.

At his graduation dinner, I had made up this little booklet.

Now that you've graduated high school, what are you going to do......

Then I made up some boring pages, like cut the grass, get a job, go to college, etc....

Then on the last page, there was a Graduation Mickey and it said "Your Going to Disney World" Then I handed him his airline confirmation for the next morning and his eyes just bugged out!!

Then he stammered, but what about....... and I said it was all taken care of!!!

He went to a party after our family dinner with his ball team, and he was just flabbergasted that they all knew!!

Carol

 

[WiscMomof2]

We did this last October with our girls (ages 6 and 8) and if you can pull it off it is so worth it. We kept them in the dark until about 30 minutes before we left fo the airport. Their teachers were great about it and worked with us to help keep it a surprise. We had laid the groundwork the night before and made up a story that we were going to the zoo the next day. (That way the little packing of our travel bag and stuff wasn't suspicious) When we woke them up that day we told them that the weather wasn't going to cooperate with us for the zoo but that we had something else planned that might make up for it. I had found these Disney Princess disposable cameras and wrapped them them up for them to open with a cute little poem inside that told them that we were going to Disney World. We have it all on video and it is just priceless. They still talk about it.