Good or Bad Idea?

[Gitts2008]

Hello !

I think that that is the best place to ask this question:

Have you ever NOT told your child that you were going to WDW and just woke them up the morning of the trip to SURPRISE them?
I am thinking of not telling DD (7) that we are going back in March.

To make a long sad story short:
DH lost his job 2 years in a row, I had a medical crisis a few years back, and I am the sole caregiver of my ailing parents. DD has been through a great deal of stress in the last few years. I try to protect her from what I can but it has run over into her life. (ie Poppy (my dad) has Alzheimer’s and had told DD that he can not wait for the B*tch (my mom) to die so he can marry his high school girlfriend). My mom is sick with Lupus and cancer. She tells DD "I do not know how much longer I will be here....Why the heck does she say that to a 7yo DD has come to the hospital with me to visit my parents or the nursing home too many times. I also just went back to work full-time and I have guilt about that.

We were at WDW from 10/19-10/23. On 10/20 DD got sick, then on 10/22 HD got sick and we had to leave. DD had coxsakie virus and DH had a stomach virus. DD only got to enjoy WDW for 1 day. I so want to go back but am not sure if we can afford it (Property Tax bill comes due in January and I do not know if we owe federal or state taxes this year.)

So, I have planned a trip (3/6-3/11), mostly because we got 20% PIN code, but I do know if we can afford it, yet.

So, for now it is hush hush, until I see if we can afford it. But....I want this trip to be GRAND and MAGICAL and wonderful because I feel so guilty about having to take DD with me to hospital/nursing home visits, going back to work...I had wanted the last trip to be a family reconnecting trip. We need to be a family again (game night or local outings are not like they used to be).

I am not writing this to get sympathy. I am just so tired and stressed and would love hear some ideas on how to make the pre-trip time and the trip time magical, because DD deserves it. Also, a part of me does not want to tell DD about the trip, just incase it does not happen for various reason.

So, please tell me how you made the pre-trip time magical or how you made the trip magical.

Thanks for reading my post.

 

[budbeerlady]

I wouldnt say a word. Wake her up and go!

We did that with DD, she thought we were staying in a hotel for a few days for vacation. We have to drive 3 hours to the airport and spend the night before our flights. We woke her at 4:45 am and she was so not awake she didnt get it for half an hour that she was going to WDW. Once she woke up she was so excited and telling everyone at the airport.

Good luck and I hope you can make it work!

 

[Darcy03231]

I began planning a trip in March 2008 for travel in October 2008 with my niece. We didn't tell her until a week before we left. This way it wasn't too far out into the future and it still gave her some anticipation time.

From March - October I planned our days/activities and got everything ready for our trip. We have a Disney Store nearby (actually we have 3) so I kept checking clearance and bought stuff to take with me so "Tinkerbelle" could leave a gift each day. My niece loved it and it really helped with her wanting stuff in the gift shops. Tink brought trading pins, t-shirts, light up spinner, magic facecloths, Snowglobe cup, sunglasses, jewelry, etc.

 

[Astro Orbiter]

We're lucky enough to live in Florida and have gone lots of times. I've done it both ways. DD's happy either way...and while I think she gets a longer 'high' after the surprise trips, I think she enjoys the countdown trips just as much because she can plan and discuss with us, we can talk about whether she's going on the mountains this time, where Daddy's going to sit while the girls are on Astro Orbiter, what she wants to do this time that we skipped last time. Important stuff!

If you've had such a tough time the past few years, I'd want to start the magic as soon as possible. Which means telling her, once you're 100% sure you're going. Trip paid for and arrangements made for both your parents.

 

[dawnbu40]

If I were you I'd wait to tell her. It sounds like your family has been through a great deal and I'm sure it would disappoint her a great deal if something happened to postpone the trip.

 

[pjm-guy]

We're doing exactly that tomorrow, waking the kids up early and leaving!

 

[4lilpoohs]

I would wake her up and surprise her. We are taking our kids on a surprise trip this December. We will pick them up from school and head to WDW!!!!

 

[Nie0214]

I think part of the fun is getting them anxious and excited to go, maybe help them "plan" some of the trip.

 

[JulieEck]

We surprised DD in August for a Birthday trip. She didn't know where we were going until she saw the big main gate! She knew we were headed South and after stopping at the Florida welcome center, she knew we were in FL because of the palm trees. She thought we were going to Marco Island because that's what she associates with palm trees.
She was so excited when she found out and we were able to get it on tape too. Then she was even more excited after she foind out we were staying the night (actually 4) there.
We had a rental car so we told her we were just going to get in the car and drive and see where the car took us. Worked great.
We were still able to discuss things like what she wanted to do on her next trip because we generally go every year - lately in Dec/Jan.

Good luck with deciding!

 

[Gitts2008]

Thank you all so much

I will wake DD up on march 6 and tell her that we are going to WDW!
I hope that it all goes well.
I will tape her being told so this will be a good memory for all of us.
She knows that we wil go back, so I will play everything as if we will not but do not know when.
I made an appt for her princess makeover and all of the ADR's that I had to cancel on our last trip, with some new ones added.
I am so excited

Thank you all again! You have put my mind at ease.