Christmas Surprise (suggestions?)

[philseg33]

This will be my families first trip to Disney World. Children 7, 9, 11. My wife and i decided to make this trip a surprise for Christmas, Dec 16 - 21st Contemporary. Our plan is to put a huge gift under the tree stuffed with things for the trip, plane tickets, disney tickets, MVMCP tickets (with an invitation from Mickey), autograph books, Mickey Christmas hats...etc. We will pack at night while they are alseep and on the morning of the 16th we will get them up and let them open the huge gift. Surprise! we are on our way to Disney World!

Here are my questions:

1. Has anyone ever done a surprise trip? How did the kids react?

2. What suggestions do the much more seasoned Disney travelers recommend to put in the Christmas Gift? (I am trying to pack it with fun things we would buy or need at the park.)

3. Am i evil for keeping this secret?

Thanks for your input.

 

[auroralark]

1. I haven't, but I think it's a great idea! If my parents would have done that when I was a kid I would have been overjoyed!

2. Maybe you could get them starter pin sets if you think they'll be into pin collecting.

3. No, not at all! What a great surprise!

 

[christyd2]

Actually, I was the recipient of a surprise trip by my parents for Christmas! (We were like 14 and 17) They actually told my brother and I that we couldn't afford to go to WDW, but to pack because we were going on a cruise. (Which I wouldn't recommend unless you actually are going there in addition to Disney.) They told us when we boarding the cruise that we were also going to Disney when we got back. That was the BEST surprise.

From personal experience, it was really awesome and NOT mean at all! Unless you're kids love counting down for the trip or don't like surprises, then it should be a huge hit!

 

[disneyagain]

We did

The kids were 9 and 11. This was not the 1st trip for our kids, but they love disney. We told them that we were going up to Syracuse, about 1 hr away, to visit one of my friends for dinner. It was a Wednesday night in December. We let their teachers know ahead of time so that I could get homework for while we were gone, and the teachers kept the surprise and were excited for the kids. We picked them up from school early, so that we could get to "dinner". We actually told them that we were going to a new restaurant at the Syracuse airport, you could watch the planes take off and land. They were excited for that. They did their current nights homework in the car on the way to Syracuse. The did the rest of their homework on the plane down and back. We pulled into the parking garage at the airport and told them that we had a little surprise for them, an early Christmas present. We gave them each a little gift bag with a MVMCP pin inside that I changed the 2001 to 2004. My DD (9), pulled it out and went "thanks", my DS (11) pulled it out and was so excited, still didn't realize that we were going then. He was like "we're going to disney, when?" We popped the trunk and said "NOW". Then my DD caught on. They both teared up a little and well so did I. It was the best trip.....

I didn't think we could make it the 3 months while we planned....It's so hard for me to keep disney a secret. We did it and it was GREAT!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Peaches1111_00]

For the items to pack, get a click marker for the autograph books (click instead of a cap because it's easier for the characters to operate). Also, you can get maps of the parks to stick in there so you can plan out what rides/attractions you want to do. I like the idea of getting a cheap digital or disposable camera for the kids to take their own pictures. You can also purchase Disney Dollars to put in there and tell them to budget their money!

And you might feel evil for keeping it a secret, but it'll all pay off when it's a suprise that they are going!

And just a tip a little off-topic: Buy some Kool-Aid or Crystal Light packets for the water bottles. I wouldn't put it in the present, but I'd be sure to pack it. It's hard enough to want to gulp down water to keep hydrated. Those flavored packets makes the water taste better and might get the kids to drink more.

 

[philseg33]

Wow, this board has some quick responses! Thanks!

I will definitely get the click marker and some maps to put in the gift. They can look at the maps on the plane.

I have also already talked with their teachers, and the girls scout troop leader, and all grandparents...it really is hard to keep this thing a secret. It will be a small miralce if they don't find out

We are taking Crystal and we have a Hannah Montanna digital camera we can pack in the suitcase.

Thanks again!

 

[lilsweetpea]

I'm doing a surprise gift pack for my parents for our trip in January. While they know we are going, this pack should be a cute surprise. Here's what I am including:

Disney lanyards - Pirates of the Caribbean theme, but there are lots of other themes - I found them on eBay

Disney dollars - Pirates of the Caribbean theme - buy at Disney store or you can get them on eBay but they are $$$$

Disney maps - These are special customized maps I ordered on Disney's website. I just used two different emails so I could get two sets. These are really neat because you can pick your favorite attractions to highlight on the map. Here's the link:
https://secure.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/customizedMaps/index?id=CustomizedMapsFlashPage

Rain ponchos
Stickers - Dollar Tree has lots of cool Disney stuff
Stuffed Disney Character - because it's cute!

I would put autograph books in your package and a huge marker for the characters to use.

Here's another neat idea:
Buy a pressed penny book - not sure where from but lots of others might know...
Buy a container of the mini M&Ms for each person. Dump the M&Ms (well eat them of course!) and fill the plastic container by alternating two quarters and one shiny penny. This allows you to set them up to do pressed pennies all over the World!

You can also visit www.disneyflorist.com or www.memoriesbybetsy.com
They can create welcome packages for you at the resort!

Also visit www.themouseforless.com for more neat ideas!
I am making mousekeeping envelopes for tips and luggage tags too!

 

[2goofykids]

We are surprising our kids for Christmas too. We'll be there 12/15 to 12/24 at Pop. We are doing the package as well but instead of waiting till right before the trip we are having the package "delivered" on thanksgiving. This way it is still a surprise but my ds gets to enjoy planning and counting down and I don't have to try and hide when packing. Another reason I decided to do the surprise a little early is because it is Christmas time. I read a trip report here before about a surprise trip where a little girl was upset because they were leaving and couldn't go to school the next day. It turned out one of her classmates was moving and the next day would be her last day and she wouldn't get to say goodbye. My ds can be sensitive also and I was worried he would be upset about missing all the school Christmas activites if he had been looking forward to them. This way he will already know he won't be there. I'm sure if he was disappointed he would get over it once we got to disney, but it could have made for a very bad plane trip. DS also likes to plan disney trips almost as much as I do, so I wanted him to have a little time. DD on the other had won't really understand till we get there, she's only 2.

Your gift sounds good. Maybe add a disney themed notebook that they could use on the plane to write down what they want to do after lookin at the maps. I put a planning guide for kids in my package, which could be a good idea for your kids since they have never been before. It would explain what things are a little better than the maps.

Good Luck!

 

[Peaches1111_00]

Ah, I forgot about the pressed pennies. My aunt has about 4 print-outs of locations of the pressed penny and quarter machines around the parks. My little cousin pressed a penny and he's been hooked ever since. Now he collects them in his little book that we bought him at the Ripley's Museum before we knew you could get them at WDW. It's an easy way to have cheap souvies!

 

[seas the moment]

We surprised DD (then 9) and DS (then 7). We arrived at school and got them out early. DD's reaction was priceless and caught on tape. DS came next and immediately began to melt down on tape too! He started to cry and say he didn't want to go.... We brought them home to change and get their Disney hats and backpacks and goodie bags. At that point DS started beaming. I think he thought it was a mean joke initially and felt heartbroken. DD laughed and said the kids at recess kept saying "we know something you don't know" and she thought we were getting a puppy.
As far as their surprise packages...we included candy and gum for the flight, journals, Disney pens and Disney toothbrushes along with stickers and index cards with the school's address on it. They were then able to write a postcard back to their class.
Funny, DD is graduating from high school this year and DS is a freshman. He asked to return again before DD heads to college. I refuse to deal with the crowds during vacation, so we compromised. They have a teacher in-service day on 12/5, so we're leaving the evening of 12/4 and staying until 12/10. I hope it's as magical for them now as it was 8 years ago!

 

[neworleans_ray]

I was in eight grade and just had my cast removed from foot at Christmas. My two cousins came up and spent Christmas with our family (I have two brothers). Because my Aunt/Uncle had to leave before Christmas Day we had Christmas a couple days early. My parents surprised me and brothers with a trip to Disney between Christmas and New Years and they also took my two cousins. They paid for everything for us and my cousins (my cousins never got to travel anywhere). We were seven of us in a Chevy Caprice Classic and we had soooo much fun, traveling from Louisiana.

 

[tomandrobin]

We surprised our kids 3 years ago. We had planned the trip for over the Christmas thru New Year school break. Every year for Christmas, we give each of the kids a special ornament in thier stocking. The ornament usually represnts something important that happen during the year or something special to that child for the year. We ordered Disney 2004 ornaments, Chip-n-Dale, Tink, and Jack and put them in thier stockings wrapped. They opened thier ornaments and didn't register for five minutes that it was for a trip. Finally, one of the kids said "I know what the ornaments for, we are going to Disney in the summer". My wife had been beside herself all week with trying to keep the secret. She immediately blurted out "Go pack your luggage, we are leaving in the morning". The kids flipped out, we had never gone away before over the holidays.

Needless to say, it was the best New Years Eve we have ever spent as a family. That trip pushed us to become Disney Fanatics and DVC owners! We will be there again this year. It has become our new family tradition!!

 

[vic32]

We have been several times before also, but after suprsing them with a Disney Cruise earlier this year we decided to suprise them with a trip to WDW in Jan. But instead of waiting till the day of the trip we are going to wrap up their carry on bags with goodies for the trip! It was too difficult to pack behind their back last time!
Hey Sweetpea love the idea for the pressed pennies! My son loves to do those.
Good luck with keeping the secret and have a great time!

 

[MNFootballMommy]

I'm doing a surprise gift pack for my parents for our trip in January. While they know we are going, this pack should be a cute surprise. Here's what I am including:

Disney lanyards - Pirates of the Caribbean theme, but there are lots of other themes - I found them on eBay

Disney dollars - Pirates of the Caribbean theme - buy at Disney store or you can get them on eBay but they are $$$$

Disney maps - These are special customized maps I ordered on Disney's website. I just used two different emails so I could get two sets. These are really neat because you can pick your favorite attractions to highlight on the map. Here's the link:
https://secure.disney.go.com/wdw/myVacation/customizedMaps/index?id=CustomizedMapsFlashPage

Rain ponchos
Stickers - Dollar Tree has lots of cool Disney stuff
Stuffed Disney Character - because it's cute!

I would put autograph books in your package and a huge marker for the characters to use.

Here's another neat idea:
Buy a pressed penny book - not sure where from but lots of others might know...
Buy a container of the mini M&Ms for each person. Dump the M&Ms (well eat them of course!) and fill the plastic container by alternating two quarters and one shiny penny. This allows you to set them up to do pressed pennies all over the World!

You can also visit www.disneyflorist.com or www.memoriesbybetsy.com
They can create welcome packages for you at the resort!

Also visit www.themouseforless.com for more neat ideas!
I am making mousekeeping envelopes for tips and luggage tags too!

You can also use Peggy (Feralpeg): www.peggyssweetsandmore.com
We ordered a gift basket through her from "Mickey" for DD2.75 and got the autograph book, pressed penny book, etc. taken care of through her.

Some other ideas might be the hats/gloves/scarves on Disneyshopping.com--they are very cute, would come in handy during the cold nights and some can be personalized! Or how about a "hidden Mickey" guide for the 11 year old?

Whatever you decide, have fun with it. Sounds like a blast!