DisneyWorld as a Christmas Present??

[tigger334]

My wonderful MIL told me yesterday that she wants to take the whole family to DisneyWorld next year as your Christmas present this year. She wants me to help her plan it since I was just there last year. My immediete dilemma is how do we want to let everyone else know on Christmas? Any suggestions? My suggestion was to get everyone either the Birnbaum book or the Unofficial Guide to DisneyWorld.

Here is who would be going: Myself and dh who have been several times, recently this past November, my MIL who hasn't been in 15 years, my BIL who hasn't been in 15 years, my SIL who has never been and their two sons ages 12 and 9.

Any suggestions?

I want them to be totally surprised!

Thank you!

 

[Amii]

Maybe you could wrap a few Disney themed helium balloons?

 

[rt2dz]

I like your book idea. However, I may choose more lighthearted books than UG (a research book on Disney imo) if the others aren't going to be in on the plannning. A book on Hidden Mickey's perhaps? Also a certificate (printed on your computer) giving you one Disney vacation. Or, if not going for a package, tickets. Matching Disney t-shirts/sweatshirts. Planning videos/DVDs. Duffle bags with a disney patch ironed on. Disney themed scrapbook to be filled later. A box full of inexpensive Disney stuff, the type of thing you find for party favors (Mickey confetti for example). I'm sure others have many wonderful ideas.

 

[lmartin2711]

My wonderful MIL told me yesterday that she wants to take the whole family to DisneyWorld next year as your Christmas present this year. She wants me to help her plan it since I was just there last year. My immediete dilemma is how do we want to let everyone else know on Christmas? Any suggestions? My suggestion was to get everyone either the Birnbaum book or the Unofficial Guide to DisneyWorld.

Here is who would be going: Myself and dh who have been several times, recently this past November, my MIL who hasn't been in 15 years, my BIL who hasn't been in 15 years, my SIL who has never been and their two sons ages 12 and 9.

Any suggestions?

I want them to be totally surprised!

Thank you!

My DS's were 4 and 7 when Santa brought them Disney tickets for Christmas. I told them that if they rec'd tickets from Santa they would probably only get a couple of toys. When my 7yr old DS got up Christmas morning he came to the living room and saw what Santa brought and ran straight for the fireplace where the stockings were hanging. I asked him what he was doing and he said Santa only brought me two toys so there better be a Disney ticket in this stocking!!!!! It is a moment I will never forget.

 

[BabyBug]

My DS's were 4 and 7 when Santa brought them Disney tickets for Christmas. I told them that if they rec'd tickets from Santa they would probably only get a couple of toys. When my 7yr old DS got up Christmas morning he came to the living room and saw what Santa brought and ran straight for the fireplace where the stockings were hanging. I asked him what he was doing and he said Santa only brought me two toys so there better be a Disney ticket in this stocking!!!!! It is a moment I will never forget.

What a great idea! I might have to "borrow" that one
Our first trip is 1/7 - 1/14/06 and I've been trying to come up with ways to tell my girls (5 and 9) at Christmas. I'm going to get them each their own piece of rolling luggage...and have been racking my brain what to put in them. Maybe the tickets??? Plus, they'll be pretty surprised (or disappointed) when they see how little is under the tree since the trip is the Christmas present!

Michelle

 

[MAGICX2]

I like the idea of buying a small piece of luggage and then filling it with stuff they can use on the trip. Travel size toiletries, maybe a Disney shirt/sweatshirt and then you could get each one of them a Guest of Honor badge with their name on it. They make several different designs, 50th, villans, princesses, chip/dale, dwarfs, etc. There is a great online store that had GOH badges but I can not remember the name, The Laughing Place maybe. You can get small rolling luggage pieces fairly inexpensive at Target, Khol's, Wlamart or KMart. I wish I had your MIL!!!

 

[Zoemakes5]

Well, this wasn't for kids per se, but many years ago for an x-mas present I made all the plans, etc. for a DL trip. I bought a shirt box. In it was a disney t-shirt, a flyer from the DL hotel, the tickets and on the top was an itinerary on Disney themed paper outlining our trip.
I like the idea of bags/suitcases (and you can actually get backpacks and the like on clearance right now at the Disney Store and Disney Online). Otherwise, something also very useful is a fanny pack.

 

[aubriee]

I gave my family a trip to WDW this past Christmas. Unfortunately my D-I-L was 8 months pregnant at the time, so they chose to wait and go in Sept. However I took my elder son and his 8 y/o GD in early January. I had a bag full of Disney stuff (pencils, coloring books, t-shirts, stickers, fanny pack, Birenbaum's for Kids, snacks, stuffed Mickey and Minnie, etc.) for her. I also had a large helium balloon I went and picked up Christmas eve, to which I attached a small wooden airplane I had painted. It said 'Aubriee's going to Walt Disney World' on the side of it and it and the balloon floated out of the large bag as soon as she opened it. I had booked the Richard Petty Driving Experince for my son, so his bag also had a small wooden car I had painted saying 'Justin's doing the RPDE at WDW'.

 

[Mic]

For my family's first trip, the Easter Bunny brought park tickets, disposable cameras,light chasers,Disney Dollars, and Disney candy, filling all 4 Easter baskets. Later that day,the kids were able to add to the excitement during the Easter egg hunt. I put special slips of paper in 6 of the eggs, that read "Good for one breakfast with Mickey Mouse", "Good for one meal with your favorite character", etc. My kids were 4,5,7, and 9 at the time. During the trip, I would lay a special treat by the bed of each sleeping child(usually a new outfit or stuffed Disney character) every night, and they kids were so excited to wake up and see what Mickey brought! That helped cut down on the need to purchase things at the park...the kids thought Mickey had brought them exactly what he wanted them to have, and they didn't even look at the toys in the parks.Two years later, we actually spent Easter at WDW, and I was able to sneak the baskets down with us, and purchased things while there to fill them(the kids were really into pin trading at the time...what a budget killer that was!) The last Easter we spent at WDW was 2 years ago, and I purchased Annual passes for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure(I know, not exactly Disney, but the kids are teens and pre-teens now). I put these in their Easter baskets. During Thanksgiving, 2003, after struggling to get together with all 3 of my siblings, I decided to treat each sibling and their families to Disney World as a Christmas gift a year later. I had 3 weeks to get something together for everyone to open. I had already purchased Christmas gifts for my younger neices and nephews(at the Disney Store, of course), so I only needed one box per family, addressed to my sibling and spouse. I started by typing up details of the trip on some Disney World Castle stationary I had purchased at Downtown Disney a few months before. I then used cardstock and a Disney print program I purchased at WalMart years ago to make a brochure-type invitation, inserting the trip detail page. It looked very nice, if I do say so myself! The trip detail page outlined what I was giving: 5 nights at Disney's Boardwalk Villas, one adult 4-day hopper plus ticket per family(I actually ended up paying for more than 1 per family, but that's another story), dinner for 3 nights, breakfast every morning(in my 2-bedroom), and at least one lunch(at Tony's Town Square...a tradition for my family on MK day). On each insert, I listed the cost for additional 4-day hoppers (and the date, 10 months later, that I would need to order them by)the approximate cost of lunch/dinner in the parks, and a suggested packing list. I also included park maps and a Disney planning video, and wrapped all this up in a Disney store box covered with Disney Christmas paper. In bold print, I asked that everyone confirm by January 20 (a month later) that they could go. I thought a year to plan was sufficient, even for my family(but I've been wrong before). I spent the next 11 months purchasing small things for my neices and nephews to give to them while we were at WDW, and I assumed my siblings were planning(and saving) as well. Anyway, to make a long story short, one sister backed out a week after Thanksgiving(3 weeks before we were to leave) because she had not met her sales quota for the year, and my other sister could not afford the tickets for her husband or two kids. My brother had a new girlfriend with a son that he wanted to bring with him, bringing his party size to 5, so I was stressing about being able to get a studio plus at the Boardwalk. I had booked a 2-bedroom for my family of 5, and I realized I could put one nephew in my room if I had to(Duh!). My brother agreed to pay for his own ticket if I wanted to give his ticket to my sister who could not afford to go, so I was able to give her 3 hoppers for herself and 2 kids(her husband stayed at home and worked). I drove down a day before my brother and sister so I could pick up some gifts at Downtown Disney for everyone before they arrived(t-shirts, christmas ornaments, etc.), and was able to check-in for all of us, and leave the gifts and an itinerary, as well as the check-in information folder in their rooms. We were able to meet them at the front of the Boardwalk when they arrived, with their room keys in hand. The trip itself was great, so I plan to do it again in a few years. Some things worked out better than others: Having an itinerary was a lifesaver(we called it "The Goofy Update"). Even though we did not make our early-entry for a park one day(I was waiting on my sister), it was nice having a plan, and we had no trouble "updating" our Goofy Update as needed. The lunch at Tony's was a big hit...that was the best $320 I ever spent. Having an "open" evening was great...we were all ready for a break. My brother went to bed early that evening, and I did his laundry We had a simple dinner in my room the day my brother and sister arrived(pizza, Olive Garden salad and breadsticks, and fruit)that I picked up while going out to Winn Dixie with my brother's girlfriend, and that was nice. We ate, laughed, and talked about the next day's plans before my brother and sister went down the hall to their rooms. Going out to dinner was harder because my brother and his girlfriend were SO strict with her son and my older nephew(both were 14 at the time), while my sister was just the opposite with her daughters, who were 4 and 8. By dinner, everyone was tired and on-edge, while lunch together had been fine. Some things I would NOT do again: Wait on people. I explained the whole early-entry concept to everyone when they arrived, and why we planned on using it for 2 parks(MGM and MK). It was the week leading up to Christmas(we checked out on Dec.24), and I had planned my park days carefully, only to have my plans blown out of the water the first day. Lucky for everyone, I had packed my Prozac. In the future, my extended family trips will take place in September or January, or I will simply leave for the park with those who are ready to go. For our next trip, I will extend our stay by a night or two, and plan an entire "free" day to go to Downtown Disney, sleep in, etc. I will not plan to have breakfast together every day. I thought this may be a problem, and I was right. The kids in my room had showered and eaten before my sister and her kids even rolled over, so we left(with my sister's blessing) on the last day for Animal Kingdom, and just met up with her there later. I found myself wishing we had just done that the whole trip. On my next trip, I will poll the group to see what character breakfast we want to do together, and maybe plan to have breakfast in my room once on a non early entry day, but that will be the extent of it. I will definitely make lunch reservations, and maybe 1 dinner reservation for the group, and plan to have pizza and salad again one night. And most importantly, I will NOT feel like a failure if everyone is not smiling the entire trip! Apparantly, the trip was more of a success than I initially thought: my younger sister is dying to go back with us at Thanksgiving, and my brother told relatives he had a great time. I rushed out to WalMart on Christmas Eve with my digital camera to get prints of all the pictures I took during the trip, and gave these to my brother and sister at my parents' house the next day as Christmas gifts. We had a good time sharing the trip with the rest of our family. Sorry for the long post...or trip report. I hope it helps avoid some of the planning pitfalls I encountered. You are so lucky to have such a wonderful MIL...you will have a great time making Disney memories together!

 

[O2BNWDW]

Tigger334 aren't you my long lost cousin from Medina??????? LOL!!!!

I like the hidden mickey guide idea!

 

[thelionqueen]

I love the ideas posted so far, especially the luggage/back pack idea. I also like the book idea you came up with.

I would like to suggest something more practical...sorry if I sound boring.

But what about buying them Disney Dollars or a Disney gift card? That way they would have souvenir money and be surprised. Since the books run about $20 a piece $20 for each in $1 dollar bills would be cute. I would combine these with the free planning video kit from WDW, that always gets my mouth salivating when I watch it.

What a great MIL, mine got me a package of straws with the clearance tag left a little on it (seriously...we don't get along too well). She got her grandson's 2 toys from the dollar store (actually they liked them so I shouldn't complain). Anyway, fell lucky, very very lucky! Maybe next year I'll get some disposable cups

 

[BabyBug]

My wonderful MIL told me yesterday that she wants to take the whole family to DisneyWorld next year as your Christmas present this year. She wants me to help her plan it since I was just there last year. My immediete dilemma is how do we want to let everyone else know on Christmas? Any suggestions? My suggestion was to get everyone either the Birnbaum book or the Unofficial Guide to DisneyWorld.

Here is who would be going: Myself and dh who have been several times, recently this past November, my MIL who hasn't been in 15 years, my BIL who hasn't been in 15 years, my SIL who has never been and their two sons ages 12 and 9.

Any suggestions?

I want them to be totally surprised!

Thank you!

Tigger334 - I didn't even realize you are from Medina!! I must of been sleeping when I replied yesterday! I grew up in Brunswick (right next door). Moved after I graduated from high school in 1985. I still have a lot of family and friends out that way, so I do visit. I'll be back there in October.

It's a small world!!! (after all)

 

[ybcart7]

We suprised our DD last year at Christmas - We bought a Minnie Mouse at Walmart and DisneyWorld for Kids by Kids as well as her autograph book & pen and a few sets of stickers. The reservation letter had come so we also put that in there.

 

[tigger334]

Thanks for all the great ideas I have printed all of them out so far and I will get with my MIL and see what she would like to do!

 

[JohnsonsRUs]

We gave a trip to DD 7 last year for Christmas. We ordered the vacation planning video and took the label off, then wrapped it, we had it ready to play at the point where we wanted on the tape and then after she unwrapped it, we put it in the VCR, so she could see what her gift was. She was so excited, she cried. It was awesome and we are ready to go back again in Feb 2006.