Giving a trip to Disneyland for a gift- ideas?

[rentayenta]

Just wondering everyone's thought on giving a trip to Disneyland as a Christmas gift for the kids? Here's the issue: the trip won't be until August 2013.

Too far? They're 15,14, and 11 so they can abstract think so they won't think we're going now. I hope.

And as far as what they'll open, I haven't bought or booked anything and really won't need to until January Ideally we'll stay at the GCV if we can get in at 7 months. I can print off a pic of the GCV and maybe add it to the gift?

I'm having a friend send me 3 maps of the park, I have 3 kids. I'm going to buy some pins from eBay as they love to pin trade still.

Not sure if we'll drive or fly yet.

Was thinking about using our old tickets from our recent trip to WDW for something...it's not like they to open active tickets, right?

I've got 3 bunches of Mickey suckers that DS forgot to give his soccer team when we returned from WDW last month. I could do something with those too.

I found a small bag of Mickey head confetti too. And some Mickey Home Depot paint swatches.

Any ideas on how to put it all together as a wrapped/openable gift or is the trip too far away to give as a gift? It won't be their only gifts. They're still getting a few things.

I'm open to all ideas, concerns, and comments. I'm not very creative and appreciate the help.

 

[crysmom]

Some of my children are quite a bit younger than yours, and our trip is only a month after christmas but I have ordered our park hopper passes, and one disneyland gift card each I'm going to wrap each child a box with the plane ticket, the pass and the gift card for them to open. I will make the box full of very disney I have a whole slew of pins, and a lanyard each as well as a monogrammed sweater (only for my youngest three) mickey head confetti and disney themed christmas wrapping paper.

My 5 kids range from 5 years to 16

and for our kids this is the only gift they are going to get from us so I hope they get just as excited as me. Only my two oldest kids have every been to disney before and that was 10 years ago so this is a big trip for us, two of the kids have never even been on a plane

 

[scoker]

What about a gift card for each kid that they can use on whatever they want when they are there. I'm planning to do this for DD6 for Christmas. Our trip is sooner, the beginning of February but I figure I'm going to buy her the stuff anyway so might as well give it as a gift. I thinks she will like the idea of having some of her *own* spending money.

I think it is fine as long as it isn't the only gift since they are older.

 

[SA mom]

One Christmas we gave our kids their Disney Trip by purchasing on of those Mickey Mouse inflatable yard decorations and inflated it next to the Christmas tree with a note announcing the trip.

 

[starry_solo]

Are you a DVC owner? If not, you might want to see if you can find a VGC owner to book it at 11 months so you can get the property you want

But as far as ideas for how to announce, how about a Disney card, one for each of them, that starts with We are (1st card) going too (2nd card) Disneyland August 2013 (3rd card). Opened by eldest to youngest or vice versa?

 

[danaesacto]

Just wondering everyone's thought on giving a trip to Disneyland as a Christmas gift for the kids? Here's the issue: the trip won't be until August 2013.

Too far? They're 15,14, and 11 so they can abstract think so they won't think we're going now. I hope.

And as far as what they'll open, I haven't bought or booked anything and really won't need to until January Ideally we'll stay at the GCV if we can get in at 7 months. I can print off a pic of the GCV and maybe add it to the gift?

I'm having a friend send me 3 maps of the park, I have 3 kids. I'm going to buy some pins from eBay as they love to pin trade still.

Not sure if we'll drive or fly yet.

Was thinking about using our old tickets from our recent trip to WDW for something...it's not like they to open active tickets, right?

I've got 3 bunches of Mickey suckers that DS forgot to give his soccer team when we returned from WDW last month. I could do something with those too.

I found a small bag of Mickey head confetti too. And some Mickey Home Depot paint swatches.

Any ideas on how to put it all together as a wrapped/openable gift or is the trip too far away to give as a gift? It won't be their only gifts. They're still getting a few things.

I'm open to all ideas, concerns, and comments. I'm not very creative and appreciate the help.

With everything so up in the air so to speak I wouldn't give this as a Christmas gift. I would wait until things were more firm- it can be a Valentine's Day gift, they can find pieces to a puzzle you make showing Disneyland inside plastic eggs at Easter or you can treat them at the end of the school year for their amazing grades and good school work... but that's just me- my girls are about the same age as your kids and we are telling them at Christmas- but we are going mid February.

 

[rentayenta]

With everything so up in the air so to speak I wouldn't give this as a Christmas gift. I would wait until things were more firm- it can be a Valentine's Day gift, they can find pieces to a puzzle you make showing Disneyland inside plastic eggs at Easter or you can treat them at the end of the school year for their amazing grades and good school work... but that's just me- my girls are about the same age as your kids and we are telling them at Christmas- but we are going mid February.

Thank you for the insights. The trip isn't up in the air as far as going in August but booking the room and buying the hoppers is. Yeah, August might be too far. We don't do large Valentine gifts or gifts for grades. Two of them are going to Jewish summer camp again and my middle spends two weeks with her best friend in Arizona during the summer- June.

Are you a DVC owner? If not, you might want to see if you can find a VGC owner to book it at 11 months so you can get the property you want

But as far as ideas for how to announce, how about a Disney card, one for each of them, that starts with We are (1st card) going too (2nd card) Disneyland August 2013 (3rd card). Opened by eldest to youngest or vice versa?

We do own DVC. The points are high for August so I don't know how popular it will be. We've scored twice at 7 months for mid June and right after Thanksgiving. I'm hoping our continues.

Love the card idea. I was also filling a large box with red, white, and black helium balloons and on the end of the strings would have a little card that they could each read and put into a sentence.

One Christmas we gave our kids their Disney Trip by purchasing on of those Mickey Mouse inflatable yard decorations and inflated it next to the Christmas tree with a note announcing the trip.

That's a darling idea! I love it. Did they flip? When did you take the trip?

What about a gift card for each kid that they can use on whatever they want when they are there. I'm planning to do this for DD6 for Christmas. Our trip is sooner, the beginning of February but I figure I'm going to buy her the stuff anyway so might as well give it as a gift. I thinks she will like the idea of having some of her *own* spending money.

I think it is fine as long as it isn't the only gift since they are older.

Yes, a gift card- perfect! What fun for your DD!

Some of my children are quite a bit younger than yours, and our trip is only a month after christmas but I have ordered our park hopper passes, and one disneyland gift card each I'm going to wrap each child a box with the plane ticket, the pass and the gift card for them to open. I will make the box full of very disney I have a whole slew of pins, and a lanyard each as well as a monogrammed sweater (only for my youngest three) mickey head confetti and disney themed christmas wrapping paper.

My 5 kids range from 5 years to 16

and for our kids this is the only gift they are going to get from us so I hope they get just as excited as me. Only my two oldest kids have every been to disney before and that was 10 years ago so this is a big trip for us, two of the kids have never even been on a plane

You are prepared! They are going to flip. Sounds incredible- well done. And first plane rides too? What a fun trip you've got planned.

 

[dizneekrazee]

You can also do Disney Dollars, which you can order from Disneyland for a $10 fee (for the entire order). Disney Dollars are fun, especially for kids, just a pain that they have to be ordered now, unless of course, you know somebody going before Christmas that can pick them up for you.

 

[rentayenta]

You can also do Disney Dollars, which you can order from Disneyland for a $10 fee (for the entire order). Disney Dollars are fun, especially for kids, just a pain that they have to be ordered now, unless of course, you know somebody going before Christmas that can pick them up for you.

I used to give Disney Dollars from the Tooth Fairy when the kids were little. Good idea. I have a friend getting the maps for me. I wonder if the maps now will all be holiday maps? Those won't work.......

 

[rentayenta]

Just bumping for more ideas before I make my final decision. I've received some good ones too on my DVC trip report.

 

[wannagoback]

If your kids are in to journaling or scrapbooking, you could give them supplies to make a trip planning guide. I am going to do something like this using a Simple Stories Snap Album, but a Smash Book would work well too. You can print out calendars, ride/attraction info, prompts for favorite memories from other trips, things to do, things to eat, wardrobe planner, packing lists. You could set up prompts on the pages or a list of ideas on the first page and then the kids add the pages. My Simple Stories materials come in the mail tomorrow and I am so excited to start putting things together. It could morph into a scrapbook of the planning and the actual trip. Give the kids some stickers, pens, and adhesive and let them go!

 

[wannagoback]

Because I am so excited about this, I have a few more ideas to add. Both simple stories snap and smash book have options for pockets that would be great to tuck a gift card or map or other "stuff" in to. If you have smart phones, you can create QR codes that have links to favorite planning websites or videos and print those out and put them in the book. Scan with your camera and view the page on a smartphone or iPad!

 

[awdsmama]

Get a few gift cards from Disney online, you can order custom ones where you upload each kids pic to be printed on the card -- that way it's easy to tell which card belongs to each of them

 

[rentayenta]

If your kids are in to journaling or scrapbooking, you could give them supplies to make a trip planning guide. I am going to do something like this using a Simple Stories Snap Album, but a Smash Book would work well too. You can print out calendars, ride/attraction info, prompts for favorite memories from other trips, things to do, things to eat, wardrobe planner, packing lists. You could set up prompts on the pages or a list of ideas on the first page and then the kids add the pages. My Simple Stories materials come in the mail tomorrow and I am so excited to start putting things together. It could morph into a scrapbook of the planning and the actual trip. Give the kids some stickers, pens, and adhesive and let them go!

This is brilliant! Tell me more....where do I get the template? I'm truly loving this. All 3 of my kids love to draw so this could be a huge it if I can do it right. I'm the least crafty person on the planet. I swear my anxiety level increases when I walk into a craft store; just so much stimuli.

 

[rentayenta]

Because I am so excited about this, I have a few more ideas to add. Both simple stories snap and smash book have options for pockets that would be great to tuck a gift card or map or other "stuff" in to. If you have smart phones, you can create QR codes that have links to favorite planning websites or videos and print those out and put them in the book. Scan with your camera and view the page on a smartphone or iPad!

I have an iPhone, the rest I don't understand but it sounds fabulous and creative! What's stories snap and smash book?

 

[rentayenta]

Get a few gift cards from Disney online, you can order custom ones where you upload each kids pic to be printed on the card -- that way it's easy to tell which card belongs to each of them

You can get their pictures on gift cards? Love it.

I'm truly out of my element and appreciate every bit of direction and advice.

 

[awdsmama]

Here you go:

https://www.disneygiftcard.com/cards/occasion/personalized

 

[rentayenta]

Here you go:

https://www.disneygiftcard.com/cards/occasion/personalized

Too fun and thank you for the link!

 

[wannagoback]

This is brilliant! Tell me more....where do I get the template? I'm truly loving this. All 3 of my kids love to draw so this could be a huge it if I can do it right. I'm the least crafty person on the planet. I swear my anxiety level increases when I walk into a craft store; just so much stimuli.

Here's the site for Smash Books. I've ordered several from Amazon but I've also seen them in several craft stores http://www.eksuccessbrands.com/kandcompany/smash/

And here's the site for the Simple Stories Snap Albums, I've only seen this sold in online scrapbook stores
http://simplestories.typepad.com/simple_stories/snap-ideas.html

And here's a youtube video that shows how you can use QR codes in scrapbooks to tie in websites and videos http://youtu.be/Z4_b3asmqSI Skip to about 7:30 to see it in action!

 

[Pinocchio #1 Fan]

You could order the planning DVD and watch it with the kids. Or if you have Netflix they have the 6 DVD Disney Parks DVDs, and you could order/stream the Disneyland one!