ANyone surprise their kids with a DVC trip Christmas morn?

[joepoe]

Looking for ideas on how to spring it on them. We don't leave til NY day. My wife got custom sweatshirts for all of us and a little Mickey picture frame.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I don't know the ages of your kids, but once we got those tiny stockings, and put disney pencils, erasers, etc. inside, along with a picture of the castle, and I put "I'm going to Disneyworld on December 27!" underneath the picture, mounted inside a Merry Christmas card. When my kids were older, we just did the picture, and wrapped it inside a small box. When our kids were 7 and 4, we didn't even tell them ahead of time, we just "practiced packing our bags" to see what they thought was important for Florida. On the day of departure, we had an early flight, so we packed the car, and then I got the kids up, and in the car in their pajamas. We drove nearly a 1/2 hour before my oldest child put the clues together to figure out that we were going to Florida. We dressed the kids in the car, and got finished just as we got to the airport. It was great fun--my kids are adults now, but they still remember that surprise above all the others

 

[keenercam]

we are leaving for HH on Christmas day early evening. If I can contain myself for one more week, I will have to come up with a great way to tell them. We were there at Thanksgiving and got postcards from Shadow. I am thinking of having them show up in the mail on Christmas eve day, with a "can't wait to see you--it will be so much fun celebrating the new year together" note. or attaching them to helium-filled balloons, shoving the balloons in a box and having the kids open it on Christmas morning. any other ideas? they are 14 and 9.

 

[WDWguru]

We took two nephews this past October, but sprung it on them as one of their Christmas gifts last year. I made up little coupons on the computer with pictures of the castle, Mickey, stars, etc... one for each of them. On it, it had their name and "You're going to Disney World!" - we also put the dates on there and obviously that they were going with Aunt WDWGuru and Uncle WDWGuruDH (and grandma). We put them in envelopes and they opened them with the presents.

We were worried about them knowing so far in advance and dying of anticipation, but it was actually good. Our younger nephew, who had never been (the older one we took a few years ago on his first/only trip), talked about it daily until the day they left! It also let them do chores and save up money to take, plus we gave them Disney Dollars for other occasions in between so they had a little stash when they went. You obviously won't have long to wait!

 

[d-r]

We're planning on taking a bunch of DR's families' kids the summer after next and are planning on telling them next Christmas by giving them all theme park pass vouchers and some Disney Dollars. We're going to make little info packets with the resort information and themepark brochures for them. Mind you we live in a different state so we won't have to deal with them between Christmas and May!! But I can't wait - none of the 9 kids have ever been before and I just can't wait to take them!

Melissa

 

[joepoe]

our dd's are 8,8 and 5

thanks for the ideas!

 

[we luv dvc]

We are surprising our kids with a trip to celebrate New Years at Hilton Head. I got a bottle of sparkling grape juice and wrote a little poem about going and attached it to the bottle. I got a wine gift bag and put the bottle in and party horns and confetti for NYE.I'm putting it under the tree to unwrap on Christmas, the kids will love it!

 

[imgoingtodisney]

sorry but I really dont like surprises

 

[dianeschlicht]

Imgoingtodisney. Somehow that doesn't surprise me!

My SIL gave her kids each a small carry on bag with replicas of their airline tickets and an envelope with their WDW pass in it. The kids were first confused why they were getting suitcases, but recovered from that when they found out they were leaving for WDW in 2 days! I might also suggest Mouse ears or Disney Dollars.

 

[disneydawn]

In September we told our kids (8,6,and 4) that we were going to Ohio to visit relatives. We left early in the morning about 4:00 so they slept through the first part of the trip. When my oldest started to see Palm trees she started asking questions. When we got to the entrance to WDW the other two finally caught on. It was great. I cried!

 

[MikeScott8]

well we don't yet know what the reaction is going to be, but this year my wife and I are giving her sisters and thier sig others a trip in Jan 2004.

We had custon shirts made from the Disney Catalog. We also printed up some certifcates and A RULES SHEET (so everything is clear).

Can't wait to see thier reactions!

Mike

 

[Dancind]

We did this last year. We were leaving on Dec. 29, and my DD (then 10) didn't know. I wrapped up some Disney dollars and a couple of small Disney items, and a certificate I made on the computer. It said something about a WDW trip "for superior performance"or some such, and "redeemable in 4 days!" It was perfect because I made sure that the Christmas parade at WDW was on TV while we opened presents. She kept saying "I wish we were there"! I'm afraid this Christmas will be a let down, no trip until March! Diana

 

[Cora]

A few years ago, we surprised our son with a trip on his birthday. I had ordered a Mickey Gram from the Disney Catalogue and had the card printed with "Happy Birthday...We're going to Disneyworld!" We brought the box to school and the secretary called him out of class to dismiss him (we had told him we had to take Daddy to the airport for a business trip...good excuse for suitcases in the hall). She then gave him the box asking why was he now receiving mail at school. It was great, he opened it and was able to read the card himself!

Cora

 

[BeckyV]

We had a short trip planned for the first of December that was cancelled because of my dh's sudden back surgery. Since then, my kids have been begging to go, saving their allowance, tooth fairy money, and money for good grades. My nine year old is wishing upon a star that we can go soon. I keep saying that Daddy has to see about his back and his medical bills and we will see. I booked CBR for $85 a night waterview and we are going 12/25 for three nights. Could not get DVC. They think we are going to HH which is only about 2 hours from us. I can't wait to see how long it takes my 9 year old to figure out where we are really going! I am not certain how long I will be able to keep it from them once we are on the way.
Happy Holidays to all!

 

[The LK 4]

We are not leaving until mid-January, but the trip is their Christmas present. I have a bunch of things to wrap and put in a big box, such as t-shirts, autograph books, photo albums, rolls of quarters and pennies for the pressed penny machines, etc. Santa is going to write a letter telling them about a special surprise, and in his letter will be a bunch of letters that they have to unscramble to spell out "Epcot" "Magic Kingdom" "Animal Kingdom" and "MGM Studios". Each place will be printed in a different color - don't want to spend all Christmas Day figuring out how to unscramble everything! I know they will be thrilled to go - they are always asking for a trip!

 

[BeckyV]

We had a short trip planned for the first of December that was cancelled because of my dh's sudden back surgery. Since then, my kids have been begging to go, saving their allowance, tooth fairy money, and money for good grades. My nine year old is wishing upon a star that we can go soon. I keep saying that Daddy has to see about his back and his medical bills and we will see. I booked CBR for $85 a night waterview and we are going 12/25 for three nights. Could not get DVC. They think we are going to HH which is only about 2 hours from us. I can't wait to see how long it takes my 9 year old to figure out where we are really going! I am not certain how long I will be able to keep it from them once we are on the way.
Happy Holidays to all!

 

[yesdisneyfool]

These are great surprises, but I get so excited about going that I end of telling. Ears off to those who can pull it off.

Less than 4 days til the magic begins.

 

[bres@westernMA]

For one of our surprise trips, I got a copy of the Disney tour video and spliced in the announcement that we were going there on such and such a date.
Had the kids been younger, I would have made up airplane tickets and park passes on the PC and packed them in a large box under the tree. Have a great trip.

 

[joepoe]

Well, we decided on a "treasure hunt" format, where the girls have to find clues around the house that led them to their "treasure". The clues involved swimming, jet-lag, warm weather, roller coasters and fireworks, but they were so excited about the Mickey Treasure Hunt, they didn't stop to think about what it all meant. Then they opened their picture frames which said "This space reserved for a picture from DOnald's Breakfastasauros , Jan 4 2003." One DD said, "But we aren't going to be there!" Then they opened the boxes with the sweatshirts we had made up from the Disney catalog that said "Family Trip Dec 30 - Jan 6 2003" and man did their eyes light up then!

 

[SimplyMagical]

We were scheduled to spend a week at HH at the end of August 2002. We had planned to drive from upstate NY. At the last minute SWA came out with some fantastic rates to Florida. We booked a flight to Jacksonville because HH was only 2+ hours away. My teenage DD had invited a friend. At the last minute we decided to split the trip between HH and Disney. We were able to get accommodations at BCV for three nights. Once we landed in Jacksonville, we had a van reserved and told the kids that we would be in HH within a few hours. The kids were tired and slept some of the way. After an hour +, my younger dd awoke and saw signs that said Orlando, next right. She said, hey Mom, why didn't we just fly to Orlando. I told her - we are not close to Orlando, you would still need to go a few hours if you took that exit -- she disappointly said OH. I can't explain the excitement in the van when we approached the Welcome to WDW signs. My husband and I then yelled out "Who wants to go to WDW". The kids were so surprised!!!!!! It was very hard to keep the side trip to WDW a secret - but alot of fun!!