Help with a surprise trip

[Daydreamer]

I'm looking for ideas on how to surprise the kids with a Disney trip. Here's the background.

A couple of days ago I decided it was time to head back to WDW. I booked the stay, tickets, DDP, made the ADR's, the whole nine yards for DW, DD's (13, 7, and 20 months), DS (6) plus my DMIL and DFIL. Anyway, with it being this short notice and most of the planning complete we thought this would be a great "surprise" trip for the kids. Now we are trying to decide if we tell them the day we leave (thinking of making a treasure hunt with the prize being a note telling them it is time to go), after we are in the car and on the way (it is a 10 hour drive), or what the best way to do this would be. I figured that surely someone has pulled off a surprise trip and am looking for suggestions to make it the most magical surprise I possibly can.

 

[Kick Save]

We pulled off the surprise trip in Aug, though DW and I had to keep our mouths shut from Feb to Aug...that was tough.

Anyway, what we did was throw in our video of the last trip, when the first disc was over, we just asked the boys (3 and 7) if they'd like to just to go Disney now rather than watch the DVD. It didn't really sink in when they said yes and we put their shoes on them. (Already in PJs, we're in OH and were driving straight through, so we were leaving 9PM-ish.) They were semi excited, then I dropped the tailgate on the truck to show the oldest that we were indeed packed to go...he couldn't get in the truck quick enough.

They fell asleep about Cincinnati and slept until well past Macon, so it was a pretty good trip for them. Mom and I...well, we struggled a bit because we got the bright idea of driving straight through AFTER working all day. Won't do that again...

 

[AllNamesTaken]

We booked our trip back in Dec. We leave in 6 days. The kids still don't know! This weekend we are going to play a game that lets them know we are going! We'll film the whole thing because their reactions will be great. They are 5, 8, 9, 9 (twins) and 9. We're letting them know a few days before we go because I think looking forward to it is part of the fun. But in kid time a few days is plenty to wait!!!

 

[garris3404]

I'm looking for ideas on how to surprise the kids with a Disney trip. Here's the background.

A couple of days ago I decided it was time to head back to WDW. I booked the stay, tickets, DDP, made the ADR's, the whole nine yards for DW, DD's (13, 7, and 20 months), DS (6) plus my DMIL and DFIL. Anyway, with it being this short notice and most of the planning complete we thought this would be a great "surprise" trip for the kids. Now we are trying to decide if we tell them the day we leave (thinking of making a treasure hunt with the prize being a note telling them it is time to go), after we are in the car and on the way (it is a 10 hour drive), or what the best way to do this would be. I figured that surely someone has pulled off a surprise trip and am looking for suggestions to make it the most magical surprise I possibly can.

I love planning surprises. A couple of questions. Are DMIL & DFIL travelling with you are meeting you there? Do they live near by (ie, can you pick them up on the way)? Do your kids like to play games, especially family game night? What time will you leave? Can you be packed without their knowledge?

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I love the idea of a suprise and I think there are many great ways that you can accomplish that. However, I wonder about your 13 year old daughter. She may have "plans" and/or the need to wrap up a few things before getting out of town. I would suggest that you bring her in on it and have her help plan the surprise for the others. This way she can be "ready" to go and share in the fun of suprising her sibs.

 

[Daydreamer]

DMIL and DFIL will be traveling with us and they live within about 15 minutes. We will be leaving around 8:00 pm as we like to travel at night and the kids typically sleep straight through, and we will be able to pack without them knowing. In fact, my DW has already started so we are well on our way there.

The do like to play games with their most favorite being to go on treasure hunts. They loved the movie National Treasure and have got to where they will make clue trails for each other to follow. That is why I was thinking of developing a set of clues to keep them searching around the house, with the final clue leading them to the "treasure" which would be a note about the trip in the loaded van.

 

[miche61]

I have been planning a surprise trip for my family for almost two years! We leave four weeks from today. Up until a week ago, even DH didn't know about it! I finally couldn't hold it in any longer and told him.
We have DD13, DD10 (turns 11 on trip) and DS10. We are going to tell them we're going to Chicago (my sis lives there). This way they will have a little heads up, homework, good-bye to friends, etc. DD13 now has a "social life" as she often informs us, so we don't want her to be disappointed that she's going to miss something. Oh, we are taking the plane to Chicago, then we'll get onto the Orlando plane! I don't know if we'll tell them until then!

Good Luck!

 

[disneydreamer1970]

I love your idea about having a treasure hunt!! I am surprising my DD(6) with a surprise Mommy/Daughter trip next month for MVMCP!! (WOO-HOO!!), however, I have decided to let DH tell her the news once we arrive at the airport. We like to watch the planes take off and he thinks that while watching some of the planes that he might ask her if she would like to go on a ride...or ask her if she would like to go to the Disney Store (her favorite store) and when she says yes, tell her that he means the Disney Store at WDW!! I can't wait to see her expression!! I have already started packing and have made arrangements with her teacher and know that we will have a ball!!

One thing you didn't say is when is your trip??

Enjoy and let us know how the surprise goes!!

Trish

 

[CathrynRose]

I love the idea of a suprise and I think there are many great ways that you can accomplish that. However, I wonder about your 13 year old daughter. She may have "plans" and/or the need to wrap up a few things before getting out of town. I would suggest that you bring her in on it and have her help plan the surprise for the others. This way she can be "ready" to go and share in the fun of suprising her sibs.

I agree with this.

My 15 y/o totally loves when we include him the "adult' things. Like making sure his brother was in bed for when Sanat got there <nudge-nudge> and shopping for stuff, etc.

And the quickest was to get him to act like an adult, is to treat him like one.

Ill also be pullinh a "suprise" for my 11 y/o in January. I still dont know what/ how Im gonna do it - but Im 80-something days out and I feel like I want to BURST! I cant wait to read some of these replies!!!

 

[garris3404]

The do like to play games with their most favorite being to go on treasure hunts. They loved the movie National Treasure and have got to where they will make clue trails for each other to follow.

In the spirit og National Tresure might I suggest the following approach. You will need to get DMIL and DFIL to "drop by for a visit" during the treasure hunt. You can make a map or message with invisible ink on parchment paper (see link or search for other methods [be sure to test them out]). Then either use the map as the last piece in the treasure hunt or cut it into pieces that must be assembled. You will need to include the resolving instructions (in this case, the purple grape juice) in the last clues.

 

[Ariel8676]

We also have a surprise trip planned for the end of November....i can't wait, it is so hard for me not to tell my girls, they are as obsessed with WDW as myself and my dh. I am not going to tell them until we are getting on the airplane (im telling them we are visiting relatives somewhere..lol) Im going to have a goody bag for my older 2 (5,4 it is for my 4 yo b-day) and give it to them when we get on the plane (not sure what im actually going to put in there though)..it will have clues in it and ill see who figures it out first. Do you think the pilot would say Happy Birthday have fun in Disney?? Can they do that? That would be awesome to see their faces....

 

[Kelley Family]

Lot's of suprises going on! We leave in 14 days and the kids still don't know. We are flying out on an early flight and we are going to wake them up with a suprise "survivor" tree mail box. (They are big survivor fans)They will get clues the whole week about what we are doing and even get some "challenges" along the way. My husband, who whas not very excited about the trip at first, is getting very excited and into planning the suprise. I can't wait to see the kids faces when the find out where we are going! Everyone who is suprising, let us know how it went!

 

[Daydreamer]

I hadn't thought about the invisible map for some reason but that is a great idea. I'm checking right now about the supplies. I think that little bit will just set the surprise off. Thanks for the idea.

 

[donrulz]

A surprise trip to WDW is always fun. In years past when DS and DD were 8 and 10 years old, a day or two into the trip I would tell them when our last day was. Then on the night before we were supposed to leave we would pack up our things and the kids would start feeling sad and not wanting to go. The next morning we would load the car ( We drove in those days) and drive to a different resort and DW and I would say Hey! how about one more day? Man, the kids would go crazy.

 

[DISshopkeeper]

We booked our trip back in Dec. We leave in 6 days. The kids still don't know! This weekend we are going to play a game that lets them know we are going! We'll film the whole thing because their reactions will be great. They are 5, 8, 9, 9 (twins) and 9. We're letting them know a few days before we go because I think looking forward to it is part of the fun. But in kid time a few days is plenty to wait!!!

OOOOO!! THIS weekend!!?? Yippeee! Have fun with the surprise!

 

[tinker-belle]

We love surprising the kids!!! Two trips ago we told them TWO WEEKS in advance. I drew "we are going to disneyworld" on a poster surrounded by disney characters & cut it into a puzzle. They got one piece a day (the harder pieces came first). They flipped out!!!

last January they had NO inkling. We pulled the boys out of school 2 days before their winter vacation. I even made my son do his homework the day before, so he'd be clueless... Then I staged a phone call. I had a friend call me up & I had a 'one sided conversation' about how our good friends had a baby and the party is down in Baltimore (we were taking the auto train which was near baltimore- 4 hours from us). I quickly got a "baby gift". But in reality it was two pal Mickeys wrapped in baby paper. The car was packed that night while they were sleeping- with them thinking we were driving down to baltimore for a baby's party...

When we got to the auto train- we were STILL tricking them. My 9 year old said, "what's this line?" and I said, "traffic." He said, "as long as we are by a station can I pee". He did his business & came out & we told him the car had been loaded onto the train... he still was not processing He was saying, 'we need to get the car back, we're going to be so late to the baby's party.' We actually had the kiddies on the train, pulled out the camcorder- and said, "GUESS WHAT...." Their reaction, "WE DONT BELIEVE YOU... YEAH RIGHT." I pulled out our train tickets & park tickets & they FLIPPED OUT!!! NONE of us will forget that moment.

I say go for the surprise!!!

 

[demac9196]

We are surprising my DDs (7 & 8) on Wednesday. They know we are going but don't know when. We told them we have to save, which they have been doing. Every penny they find. It has been a great learning experience especially when the "Can I have this question comes up while shopping?". I remind them that we are saving for Disney and it would take us longer if we bought that (usually useless item that they forget the next day in the toy room abyss.

My husband and I are picking up our girls at school in a limo. They think only celebs like Ashley Tisdale ride in limos. My husband is going to tell the girls he is going into work late. I am going to have my minnie ears on and the camcorder going when they walk out of school. I have told all the teachers it was a secret (although the tutor has managed to slip up - I recovered it though). Because they know someday we are going, we packed our bags when we put all the summer clothes away.

Have you thought about Disney dollars being your treasure? Kids love them and all Disney stores have them. The drugstores have all the glow stuff marked down after halloween and the glitter hairspray too, which is always festive.

 

[micki1]

One year when our children were young we surpirsed them with a two days after Christmas trip. We did the treasure hunt through the house on Christmas morning after they had opened all of what they thought they got from Santa. The second to the last item was a large wooden Christmas tree ornatment of a plane with Mickey sitting as the pilot. It lead to a desktop picture my husband spent all of the Christmas eve drawing of a plane and Mickey and assorted Christmasy things and in big scroll letters that we would be leaving the day after tomorrow. The ornatment was on our Disney tree and we bought Mickey stockings and their plane tickets and disney money were in them. Shame we didn't have a video camera at the time. They will love it and it will take a minute to sink in. Have a wonderful time.

 

[garris3404]

I hadn't thought about the invisible map for some reason but that is a great idea. I'm checking right now about the supplies. I think that little bit will just set the surprise off. Thanks for the idea.

You're welcome! Have a great time! Let me know how it works out.

 

[clutter]

I played the meanest trick on my dd, then in kindergarten, when I surprised her. Since she had to leave early to catch the plane, I told her that I was picking her up early for a dentist appointment! Then I said to her (this is our running joke that we say in the car on the way to the airport on every trip) "Hey, sweetie, I have a great idea!" "Let's go to DisneyWorld!" She was like... after the dentist??? I'm not sure that not going to the dentist wasn't the better surprise.