DD disappointed in not winning trip to WDW from McDonald's. Little does she know....

[huskies90]

Well, like I said, I guess I am in the minority. We took our kids out of school last year and will again this year, so they need to understand they have a responsibility to their school work. Last year we had no problems with "loss of concentration" and in fact, we find the kids are BETTER when they know a trip is coming. They concentrate more in school and help out around the house. We have a "disney dollar program" going at home where little acts of helping and kindness bring a disney dollar to each of their Mickey banks and acts of misbahavior result in a loss of a dollar. My nine year old is already up to about $60 in disney dollars!! So, yes they have been good. On boring nights we play disney trivia games or watch ride videos again adding to the fun and getting everyone even more excited. They also love planning which restaurants, parks and resorts we'll visit this trip.

Do I think a surprise is a great thing. Absolutely!! And of course, the age of the children and the # of times they've gone to Disney is also important. If someone surprised me with a trip to Disney would I be psyched??? Absolutely!! But if I was given a choice to know in advance and get the added bonus of enjoying the planning and anticipation, I would prefer the latter.

And to those who wait until you're on the way and basically lie to your kids and then spring it on them, Once when I was a kid my parents told me we were going to my grandparents on Long Island. As we were coming over the Whitestone bridge from Connecticut, my dad "took a wrong turn" and headed toward the city instead of the Island. "We'll turn around here" he said as we pulled into Shea Stadium. Surprise we are going to a Mets game (my favorite thing in the whole world). The whole time we were there I couldn't help thinking about my poor grandparents that were waiting for us and I did not enjoy the game as much as I usually would. My parents never addressed that they "tricked" me or "lied" to me. Maybe that is why I don't do it to my kids.

Just my $0.02

 

[kristen17]

2 days til we finally get to tell our kids about our surprise trip. Leaving Friday for our first WDW trip. Booked the trip back in June totally because of the free dining. I wasn't sure we'd be able to get the $$ together and I was worried about weather, so decided not to tell them for a while. After keeping the secret for a while, we decided to surprise them. I agree that anticipation/planning is part of the fun, and I would have enjoyed sharing that with them, but I think a surprise trip will be such an incredible memory for all of us. I doubt we'll do another surprise, just because it's really been excruciating for me, especially the last few days.

That photo of the little daughter is priceless. An expression like that would make the torture of keeping the secret all worth it.

My kids have been trying to win that trip, too. Too funny.

 

[tjmw2727]

Well, like I said, I guess I am in the minority. We took our kids out of school last year and will again this year, so they need to understand they have a responsibility to their school work. Last year we had no problems with "loss of concentration" and in fact, we find the kids are BETTER when they know a trip is coming. They concentrate more in school and help out around the house. We have a "disney dollar program" going at home where little acts of helping and kindness bring a disney dollar to each of their Mickey banks and acts of misbahavior result in a loss of a dollar. My nine year old is already up to about $60 in disney dollars!! So, yes they have been good. On boring nights we play disney trivia games or watch ride videos again adding to the fun and getting everyone even more excited. They also love planning which restaurants, parks and resorts we'll visit this trip.

Do I think a surprise is a great thing. Absolutely!! And of course, the age of the children and the # of times they've gone to Disney is also important. If someone surprised me with a trip to Disney would I be psyched??? Absolutely!! But if I was given a choice to know in advance and get the added bonus of enjoying the planning and anticipation, I would prefer the latter.

And to those who wait until you're on the way and basically lie to your kids and then spring it on them, Once when I was a kid my parents told me we were going to my grandparents on Long Island. As we were coming over the Whitestone bridge from Connecticut, my dad "took a wrong turn" and headed toward the city instead of the Island. "We'll turn around here" he said as we pulled into Shea Stadium. Surprise we are going to a Mets game (my favorite thing in the whole world). The whole time we were there I couldn't help thinking about my poor grandparents that were waiting for us and I did not enjoy the game as much as I usually would. My parents never addressed that they "tricked" me or "lied" to me. Maybe that is why I don't do it to my kids.

Just my $0.02

WOW, just wow.

I respect your view and I am sorry your parents surprise turned out to be a dissapointment to you. I totally understand why doing a suprise trip won't work for your family.

Perhaps you can respect my view and realize why a surprise will be a great thing for our family. Also, while I plan to surprise my kids there will be no lie invlolved. I resent that implication in fact. They will be told the weekend prior and all the things they want to do and plan will be included.

My kids do concentrate on school work (and have in the past with trips planned) and they won't miss any days due to a teacher conference and columbus day. I have pulled them from school in the pas and I probably will in the future but it worked out for us this year that I don't have to.

They are also earning money by doing not only their weekly chores but extra chores for spending money. My 8yo has been saving for a long time to purchase a specialty doll in the Germany Pavilion at Epcot and she will be thrilled when I tell her we are going. Even though she dosen't know we have a trip planned, she will have saved enough money to buy the doll. She saw them being made last December and since then she has saved over $100.00 to buy one. I will be very proud when she picks out her doll's face, hair and clothing and pays with her own hard earned $$.

Another difference is my kids are getting "regular" dollars instead of disney dollars. I am sure that if my kids knew about the trip they would continue to do well in school but honestly my 8yo does better without the distraction, its just her personality. If she knew about the trip she would also do fine but I know it would be hard for her, so why put her through that? Hey, I am having trouble concentrating with 11 days left and I am sooo old enough to know better.

So lets agree that for some families surprises are not ideal and for others they are. I hope we can do this without calling each other cruel or accusing each other of lying.

OK?

TJ

 

[huskies90]

TJ - I am not sure how or why you took this as a personal attack on you. First, this is only my opinion. Second, I specifically said I thought it was cool to make it a surprise when you tell them in advance like you are doing and like the person did that posted the cute picture. I don't think there was a situation on this thread where someone "tricked" their kids (maybe there was, I didn't re-read the whole thread) but some people do it. Some folks think that is OK. I don't. Like I said, just my opinion. This is a discussion board, we are suppose to discuss our opinion. Once we get to disney, we all will have a great time I am sure. We just take different paths to get there. Kinda like driving instead of flying...Right???

 

[Pinnochio]

I have no idea how you keep a trip like that a surprise. The anticipation of the trip is half the fun for the kids. Oh, who I am kidding, for the adults too!!

I almost think it is cruel to not involve the kids in the fun of planning and then springing the trip on them. Yes, that "kodak moment" is awesome, but don't they miss out on so much more?? I am sure I am in the minority here...

I kind of always wanted my parents to do something like this for me when I was a kid but they never had the oppportunity because we would always leave at the same time. I think cruel is a bad word choice but I understand that planing is half the fun. Everytime I have a bad day I keep thinking only 5 more weeks!

 

[eelderm1]

My DS is 11, and he loves it when I suprise him. We also love planning together! A couple of years ago my best friend and I suprised our kids with a trip. We packed all our stuff. We picked up our kids early from school on day and she came to my house with her kids where I had set up a "treasure hunt". We had bought different things for the scavenger hunt for months. They were so excited just to do the scavenger hunt . They had no clue. We led them to a disney box with a camera in it. A suitcase with sunglasses in it. I think we put a bottle of sunscreen in the fridge. The next to last clue was actual park maps, they still didnt get it. The last clue led them into the backyard to a box that when opened three red balloons came out that said YOU ARE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD! They asked when? We said NOW, get in the car. They went crazy! They have never forgotton that. He still asks me somtimes to suprise him for our next trip. I will one day!

 

[heaven2dc]

I think it's really sweet you are surprising her - I've been buying Happy Meals in hopes of winning myself! Please let all of us know how the trip went and if she liked being surprised.

 

[heaven2dc]

I just posted this and see my ticker is messed up - Help anybody!!!

 

[Twinks]

We didn't tell our girls 4 years ago. Although we usually go at Christmas, we booked to go the day after our daughter got her GCSE results as she had worked so hard.

We thought of the most obscure country around the World Showcase and chose Norway and that's where we told them we were going LOL

Well they were not very impressed I can tell you and we couldnt get them out of bed at the hotel at Gatwick, it was so funny!

I didn't put luggage labels on until we got to check in (not unusual for me) and my husband told us to sort that out whilst he found check in. He tipped off the check in staff and they were fab.

We got our daughter to hand over the passports and tickets on the basis that as she was nearly 17 she should learn how it was done. The staff kept a very professional straight face and the man asked her if she could confirm her destination. She said 'Norway'. He replied 'I think there must be some confusion here, these are return tickets to Orlando'. In what seemed slow motion she turned to my husband who was nodding yes that's right. She promptly burst into tears threw herself into my arm, I cried, my youngest then started and my hubby trying to hold it all together. It was great, something we will never forget!

We then checked in went for breakfast and they got more and more excited as they relived all the things they would be going back to do.

And of course they did get to go to Norway

Good luck - however you do it they will love it.

Twinks

 

[SueOKW]

Twinks - that's awesome!! And a well done to the Gatwick staff!!!!

 

[GoofyGirlnPrincessV]

how cool!! I am sure she is going to have a magical time!!!

 

[heaven2dc]

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[heaven2dc]

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