Best way to tell the kids

[Disneyvirg]

Man, this is a tough one for me! I have been planning our first trip to WDW forever it seems. Our girls don't know yet about it.

At first I thought I should tell them a couple weeks before our trip to prep our DD6. She's slow to warm up to new situations, so I thought this could give us time to prep her with YouTube videos and Travel Channel Disney programs on our DVR. Then I changed my mind to telling her in the wee hours when we wake up to catch our plane. She has never been on a plane before, so I thought this might keep her from freaking herself out about riding a plane.

My friend suggested today that it may be good for DD6 to know a few days before we leave since the anticipation of the trip is so much fun. She suggested having a note or something from Mickey telling her that he's arranging a trip for us to go to WDW to see him and his friends. Then the ideas started to flow...we would have him say he's got everything under control and he'll let us know when we need to do something...that way we wouldn't have to tell DD6 about the plane until closer to the day.

Has anyone tried anything like this and have any other suggestions? How did your kids react with time to digest? How about the ones that were surprised the morning of the trip?

We're planning on driving to KC the night before we fly out and will be staying in a hotel. I figure we can tell the girls we're going to KC for a little vacation if we don't tell them about the trip ahead of time.

TIA

 

[crisi]

We've always told our kids far in advance - planning is half the fun. We went with people who told their kids, but did very little prep work with their kids in terms of explaining what would happen. Their kids, like yours, are slow to warm up to new situations.

Disaster. They didn't have enough time during the trip to warm up. They were frightened of everything, didn't enjoy themselves - and their mother had too much invested in it.

 

[spicemom]

We're also keeping trip a surprise We'll be getting up early for 7am flight on a Mon morn and I don't want to tell them then (i don't think they'll react badly). I'm thinking the morning the day before or maybe even the sat. morn. I don't know how we'll do it yet. When we went last year the kids had 4 months to think/plan and that was a lot of fun for them, especially ds who was 5 at the time. I would like to give them time to get excited and "plan".

 

[JJZMgailey]

OMG! We are the family of surprises & it's just awesome! Our kids are 11 & 7 now so they LOVE to help plan these days but when they were young like your kids, we always did a surprise!

On the morning we were leaving, we got up for school just like usual (I already had everything packed already) & they were sitting on the couch eating breakfast. I poked my head out of the bathroom & asked them if they wanted to skip school today & go on an adventure! It was unbelievable! They had the time of their lives & will remember it forever!

You could always just watch the shows on DVR & get a reaction from your 6 year old & see what the kids think about the whole idea without telling them you're planning on going!

Super fun!!! Can't wait to hear what you decide & how it goes!

 

[goofy4mykids]

We have surprised the kids, but I enjoy the planning so much more!! We made a countdown paper chain, everyday DS 9 and DD 4 take a loop off!(44 days to go) All of us luv it! Except for DH...he likes to be surprised

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I would LOVE to surprise my kids but I could never do it. I just get so excited myself and I have to tell them. I also really enjoy the planning process and I love to get help from them. That to me is just as much fun as going. Well close anyway.

 

[Laura.bora]

Ok - I have 2 stories - One when my parents surprised me, and the other when my husband and I surprised our kids. I personally think it was worth it, and we are planning on doing it again next Christmas, but you know your child best, so...

I'm taking these straight from my trip report.

was 12, and my 2 sisters were 9 and turning 5. I know from the kids perspective, we were ....I'm not even sure of the word....shocked is way too mild of a word for what we were feeling! Our parents had told us we were going to Myrtle Beach. I was an OCD planner back then too, so I had gone to the library and checked out books on Myrtle beach, had of list of things I wanted to see and do down there etc. I used to get very car sick (still do if I'm sitting in the back), so I always took draumamin (sp?) which of course leaves me feeling very with. That was perfect for my parents because they knew I'd figure it out eventually if I wasn't drugged. So we get down into the Carolina's, I'm looking foward to finally getting out of the car, and my Mom say "We're so close to Georgia, and I've always wanted to see Georgia. Let's just keep driving and see what Georgia looks like." My Dad thinks this is a great idea, and suggest that we stay over night in Georgia, and then in the morning we'll turn around and go back to Myrtle Beach. I'm thinking this is the craziest idea I've ever heard, I'm mean we're here right? Who cares what Georgia looks like! But on we drive into Georgia. Silly me assumed we were going to stop and DO something in Georgia. When I asked hwat we were going to do in Georgia, the answer was "Just drive and see what Georgia looks like." We stayed overnight at a nights in, and my parents were afraid I was getting too suspicious. (I was more wondering what was WRONG with my parents that this was their idea of a vacation). So the next morning, we have breakfast at the adjacent waffle house and my parents give me a whole draunamine pill. I was supposed to take a half I remind them. They assure me I'll be fine. I remind them that we won't be getting in the car for like an hour, they assure me it'll be fine. By the time we left the pancake house, I could barely walk the world is SPINNING and I'm crying because I am NOT fine! My parents get us in the car, I'm barely able to keep my eyes open, but I'm still slightly coherent as we make a right hand turn out of the parking lot. and I think "Wait, that's not right, we're going further into georgia going this way......I'm probally to drugged to be right."

That was the last thing I remembered until my dad woke me up. Their plan had worked. I missed the Welcome to Florida sign, all the Disney billboards, everything that may have clued me in. My dad tells me to wake up and get into the back seat with Vicki and Zay - he wants to take a picture of us. I start freaking that I can't take my seatbelt off in the car - that's dangerous - my dad's yelling just do it. I grumble and get back in the backseat. He pull's out the camera and says "Smile. We're going to Disney World" click. click. The 1st picture we're all smiling, not really processing what he just said, the next picture is my youngest sister still completly oblivious, but Zay and me with our mouths agape our eyes wide.

He then pulled out the tickets, assured us he wasn't teasing, and then took another picture of us smiling ear to ear. This surprise was what inspired us to surprise our kids! Definitly the best!


So that was in 1994, and in September 2008 we surprised our kids with a trip to Disney for their birthdays.

Nathaniel figured out his birthday present....or so he thinks. We were buying sunglasses and I mis spoke, so I said "you can't have these now. They are for your birthday" I was supposed to say "You can't have these UNTIL your birthday." Nathaniel eyes got wide and he asked "Why? Where are we going?" I crack a HUGE smile and Ken proceedes to kick me and distract Nathaniel so I can run to the next isle and compose myself. Then at home, Nathaniel catches me packing his bathing suit and the sunscreen and swimmies. So he comes up to me later that night to let me know the news. He has figured out where we are going for his birthday. "What makes you think we're going anywhere?" I ask. "I just know" says my too smart for his own good son. "And I know where we are going too......TO THE BEACH!!!!" I can't help but to start giggling outloud. I am giddy with anticipation as it is, and then he springs this on me!!! He took my giggling to mean that he is correct. So I've unintentially completly thrown him off track!! Even with ALL the disney stuff around here, me on the Dis and TGM constantly, asking him questions about Disney, he still has no inkling of a clue. In his wildest dreams, he doesn't even think this is a possibility. I cannot wait to tell them! And I'll have the video up before I leave! I promise!

Ken woke me up at 7 this morning to let me know it was time to surprise the kids!! I got up, got dressed, and walked into the computer room to let Ken know I was ready. He was in the middle of an email to work, so he asked me to hold on a minute. Then suddenly from the kitchen there arose a SCREEETCH of JOY and the words "Ohhhhhh Happy Birthday. La La! I LOVE this Ariel table!!" Ainsley had beat us to it!! So we scurried her back into her bedroom so we could wake them up with a Happy Birthday song as planned. Well, our little mouse went SCREAMING into the bedroom "NONO (Nathaniel in Ainsley language) WAKE UP!! IT'S A BIRTHDAY!!" NAthaniel was a little groggy at first, but quickly woke up!




I'll let the video do the talking!
The "Guess where we are going tomorrow?" present Part 1:









So, we left off it was September 15th, we had just told the kids and it is begining to sink in that we are going to Disney. Nathaniel still doesn't really believe us. We proceed to eat our birthday breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes when the phone rings. We hand the phone to Nathaniel and who is it but Mickey Mouse wishing Nathaniel a happy birthday, letting him know that he heard he's going on a special trip and he can't wait to see him real soon.

(don't bother clicking this link - the video was suppossed to be a pic - don't you love the surprise on Nathaniel's face when he realizes who's on the phone?)



Here us the video of Nathaniel talking to Mickey (this one is supposed to be a video! )





As you can see, Nathaniel was very excited that Mickey had called him. 15 minutes later the phone rings again and who is it but the beloved "Lala!" (Cinderella)



As you can see - the surprise was a BIG hit in 1994 and 2008! I know I've seen some horror stories before, but for our family - SO WORTH IT!!!