Christmas in the World

[paper1225]

I think this might be the best board to ask for advice. We are going to Disney on 12/22 and staying until 12/29 this year. Our children are 12,11,5. The oldest two do not believe in Santa, but the youngest does-I am lost as to what to do for Christmas. DH does not want to take presents to Disney and I think it would be too much hassle also. We are going to surprise them with the trip the 15th, which is a week before we go-should we just have Santa come that night and not let them know until they wake on the 16th?
thank you!

 

[cap'njacksgirl18]

I would just buy them something in disney and say Santa came there. We have been there for easter before and the years my mom brought our baskets it was harder to pack, but when we juss bought stuff down there it was much better. They can even see santa in a parade down mainstreet so the little one will believe santa came to disney.

 

[PrincessMommy2]

Paper1225, I saw this the other day and meant to respond. We will be there from 12/19-12/28 with our three (DDs3 & 6 and DS1) This is our first time not being home for Christmas and the kids don't know we are going yet. One of the main reasons for going away was the holidays with DH's family is totally focused on the gifts. Briefly, SIL#1 has 3 boys(11,9,7) and SIL#2 has 2 boys(3 & 6) and 1 girl(2). We all gather at my MIL midafternoon on Christmas day. SIL#1's kids want to open gifts as soon as they get there. It has been this way since the oldest was old enough to open presents. When we and SIL#2 started having our own kids and they got old enough, we did not like that they were starting to mimic this behavior. Keep in mind SIL#1 has so many gifts under her Christmas tree, you literally cannot walk into the room. So, this greedy behavior just made us crazy!! The years we have protested that we not do gifts until after dinner, these boys will inhale their food and then ask every five minutes if it's time. This is just not what we want our kids to think the holiday is about.

Anyway, back on subject. So, I would like Santa to leave a few presents for the kids, but not defeat our purpose for going away. I think I am going to either buy a small tree and ship it to the hotel for when we arrive or order one from the florist. I am taking the two girls to Sleeping Beauty's Tea Party in the GF on Christmas Eve. I'll bring small things to put under the tree for Christmas morning that are easy to transport there and back. I am trying to keep the cost low since the Tea Party costs so much. I am thinking a couple of games for their GameBoys, and a couple of DVDs they've been wanting. They are on sale on Black Friday, so I won't be spending a lot. I've got tickets to the High School Musical concert and Dancing With the Stars show that just happen to be in January and February so I'm going to give them the tickets from Santa. I'm not sure what I'm doing about my DS yet.

Have a great time.

 

[paper1225]

Princessmommy- I am sooo glad you found this thread! I have so many questions to ask you! How will you tell them? I have an idea for ours, and I think we will tell them one week before. We were going to surprise them on the day we were leaving, but we think they may want some time. We did get a few presents, but nothing like we usually do for them at Christmas since Disney is the ONLY present we(mom&dad) are getting them. We have a few from Santa though. DH does not want to send the presents to disney and no way can we bring them in the car-oldes DD is getting a keyboard(I got a GREAT deal on this through Ebay). I am just so confused as to handle it all, but am also so excited we are going!!

 

[newman7501]

We too will be in Disney for Christmas with my Mom, Dad, sister and BIL. My mom and dad (who buy so many presents for the kids normally, many of their presents are labeled from Santa) are mailing presents to my MIL for the kids. While we are gone MIL will go to our house and place presents under tree. Then when we get home fro WDW, the kids will see that Santa visited their house while we were gone. It saves us the hassle of having to ship or pack hidden presents in our luggage and the kids will think Santa still remembered them even though they were out of town. Hope this idea helps.

 

[taterbaby]

I am so glad that someone else is excited about surprising thier fhildren as I am. My husband thinks I am nuts and if it were up to him-he would say-hey kids guess what? we're going to Disney-get in the car!!!!!!!!!! no way!! I gotta have drama!!!!!!!!!!!! heheheh We will be there from January 1-7 and we too are giving this trip to our kids for Christmas from my husband and I. Santa is only bringing 2 things each. Here is what I have planned so far. I have bought fanny packs for each child-inside will be a card reading "Survival Kit" with no mention of Disney. it will have inside a water bottle, small amount of cash, tiny flashlight (for dark rides), pack of gum, and some kind of snacks.This will be the first present that they open from us. The next one will be a book that I am making for them-the first page tells how excited we are to be giving them something special-then after a few pages of clues-I let the cat out of the bag and tell them that they are going to DisneyWorld. The book will also include an itenerary, hotel information, maps of Disney, etc. The last present will be a disposable Disney camera and their own personal journal with pages to document each day at Disney. hahah Can you tell that I taught school for 14 years!!! lololololol I love surprizes!!!!!!!!!!! If anyone else has any ideas -plese let me know!!!!! Tahnks- Taterbaby

 

[paper1225]

thanks for all the responses-I am getting the help I need! I want to surprise them, but am so stressed out about all of it!
question newman- do you think the kids will be upset that there are no presents at Disney on christmas.....DH says they will not care, do you think that is true? If so I kinda like that idea, we could call a neighbor and have them put them out for us.
Today my SIL & brother said surprise them on the day we leave, that was the original idea. Does anyone think they will get mad? ages are DS5,DD11,& DD12. We would give them about an hour to pack themselves some stuff for the drive, but other than that everything they will need will be in the car....One of us would pick them up from school at 11am. SIL gave the idea of making a puzzle out of previous pic at Disney, then have them pick piece by piece from a grab bag.......that would work!?

Taterbaby-I am right there with you-this is driving me crazy! I am going to explode before Christmas this year!! I am so excited about all of this, it is all I can talk about-I mean I am always this way about Disney, then add the surprise!WOW. DH does want to surprise them, but hates to constantly talk about it!

 

[cap'njacksgirl18]

I am 18 now but when my mom took us for easter a few years ago I wasn't upset that I didn't get presents. When I was in third grade my mom surprised us with mickey mouse ears on xmas morning. She said we are going to disney in march! I love wdw. I am going for my tenth time in April.

 

[PrincessMommy2]

Hi, Amy......I have not decided when to tell them yet. I have some ideas on how to tell them....I requested those personalized maps off the Disney World website. My girls love maps..I was going to have them receive one of the personalized phone calls you can order. There is one about going on a trip. After they listen to the call, I was going to give them the maps to open. I would love to wait until the morning we leave, but they will have to be getting up at 4:30 am in order to get to the airport in time. I think they'll be too sleepy to appreciate any grand presentation I'd love to give them. I'm afraid if we tell them the night before the two older ones will be too excited to go to sleep. Maybe I'll do it on the way to the airport or at the airport?? As you can see, I'm still trying to figure it out. But hey, that's half the fun, right?

 

[paper1225]

hey princessmommy2-I ordered the maps too, just waiting for them to come. I am going to give them out on the drive down. I wrapped three presents from mom and dad and put them under the tree, which are the disney boxes. Movies, shirts, pens, etc. They will get to open these after we give them the picture puzzle. I am trying not to tell anyone other than the family that I needed too so it does not get back to my kids! We will tell the neighbors the night before so they will keep an eye on our house. We decided to take a few presents with us, and leave the big ones at home under the tree from Santa-one of us will do this really quick on our last walk through before we leave-after the excited kids are in the car I still worry about my dd12-she seems to be a little uh hormonal and we do not know what is going on from one minute to the next.........afraid she may get upset and make the drive very interesting for a while! But oh well-we will be going to disney-who cares!!!

 

[IDoBelieveinFairies!]

I told my girls that Santa was on a budget, and since we are so blessed and going to be away from home this year, he was only going to give them one present while they were at Disney!

There are several reasons I decided to take my girls to Disney for Christmas and one was to break the cycle of so many presents. It just got away from the true meaning in my family. Plus my husband is deployed and this gets girls mind off of that fact.

We are going December 15-27th! Oh yea

Another reason I am going is I decided my Mother needed a break from my siblings expecting her to provide them CHristmas dinner. SHe has cooked dinner for them for over 40 years, time she had a break! Sister is so mad at me but my mom truly deserves a break from the holiday bustle of staying at home.

Having a mini family reunion, should be wonderful

 

[newman7501]

thanks for all the responses-I am getting the help I need! I want to surprise them, but am so stressed out about all of it!
question newman- do you think the kids will be upset that there are no presents at Disney on christmas.....DH says they will not care, do you think that is true? If so I kinda like that idea, we could call a neighbor and have them put them out for us.

I actually told the kids that Santa wasn't going to come to visit Disney World, they completely understand. I also explained that he might visit while our home while we are gone, they have let their Grandpa Ron (he and Santa are best friends) know that they want him to tell Santa they will be at Disney and that he doesn't have to try to find them there, there are just way too many hotel rooms. If you explain it to the kids, they will not be upset. Of course if you are surprising your kids with the trip you can't really do that. What I would do then, is when you get down there, tell them you contacted Santa and told him you'd be gone and that there are way too many hotel rooms for him and he might leave them a surprise while they are gone. I also think coming home to presents will help them get over the end of their disney trip easier.