How are we going to tell the kids?

[mom2mjm]

We're going to WDW next month and havn't told the kids yet. I was wondering if anybody has a creative, fun way that they told their kids, or are planning to do. Maybe some kind of game or scavenger hunt. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thankyou.

 

[Daxx]

Daxx's Wife here!

Looong story short, we surprised DS w/a bday Disney trip. He had no clue about it! After work, we simply drove to the airport, unloaded the bags and said "we're going to Disney". His response? Yeah, right (very sarcastic). He did not believe us as we got our boarding passes, as we checked our luggage and even as we went through security. I told him that we couldn't go through security w/o plane tickets. Even the security people were saying "Yep, you're really going!" It wasn't until he was on the plane and in the air that he believed us! Everyone in the family, his teacher, a few family friends all knew and kept it secret! He was so stunned!

We met some people at the airport who had also surprised their kids. They had all the bags packed and in the trunk. Kids had no idea. They took the kids out to dinner. After dinner, the parents gave their children gifts to unwrap. One child received sunglasses, another an autograph book and I can't remember what the third child received. Maybe Disney Dollars or a Mickey plush? Anyway, the kids didn't get it. Then, the parents said "Well, where is your stuff from?" and they said "Disney!" and the parents said "Yep, and we're going there tonight!" The woman said they started screaming and crying and laughing in the restaurant.

Two ideas for you ... whether you use them or not. Just know that you'll absolutely blow their minds! Have fun and let us know what you're going to do!

 

[Flesner]

Just subscribing! I just posted a similar thread!

We are surprising our DD too! I can't wait to hear more stories like this!!!!

 

[Disney_1derland]

Well, last time our dd knew we were planning a trip but we only spoke in hypotheticals and as if it were a LONG way off. The morning of the trip we made mickey pancakes, she thought that was so cool, then we told her that at WDW they have mickey waffles. She thought that was even better and so we told her to get in the car. At the airport she asked who were we picking up? We told her that if she thought mickey waffles were so cool we should go get some. The next morning we had breakfast at 1900 park fare and Mickey waffles for all of us

Next week I am taking her on a VERY spur of the moment mommy and me trip. I have a phone call from Mickey scheduled for that morning where he will tell her to have fun on her trip. I expect she will then say "What trip???" And then we will leave for the airport!

 

[ajm1107]

I am suprising DS (6) We are leaving June 1 which is his last day of school. I will have packed the bags and will pick him up from school and go to the airport. He thinks that we have to wait because of how expensive it is. This is so hard

 

[MonorailPilot]

We have a very "old school" Mickey stuffed animal that plays tapes in his voice. I think its a read along type thing. But my parents made a tape saying. "Hello I'm Mickey Mouse the Sawyer Family is going to Disney World August the 3rd throught the 10. It's gonna be a lot of fun and I hope that you all have a great time. That's in 3 weeks. C-ya real soooooon! I can still hear it being played and that was 10 years ago. Then after both my sister and me got the Birnbaums Disney for kids. It was a great way to tell us.

 

[cjhinch]

We are going to surprise our kids with a trip in September........I am so excited to surprise them......I just need a good idea!!

 

[tinkssister]

I baked a Mickey Mouse cake from scratch. DH helped me find the pans for it at Walmart and we bought them Disney Princess birthday cards(the trip is a combined birthday present for the 3 of them. Their bdays all fall in the summer months). Then I made a nice dinner and we brought out the cake afterwards with candles lit, singing "happy birthday, we're going to Disney. They were surprised and excited but they thought DH and I were nuts. Teens...Gotta love em.

 

[deba]

For our first family trip to WDW, I surprised everyone with magical Disney boxes. The boxes were large and covered with Disney paper and had removable lids (like big hat boxes). Inside, everyone had been assigned a dwarf character (there were seven of us going!), accompanied by the matching beanie and pin. Everyone got their own share of Disney stock (www.frameastock.com), and a few Disney dollars. Also included were their own refillable mug from the resort that we were going to, an autograph book and 'fat' Disney pen, a book for the country stamps in Epcot, and a few other small items that I had picked up over the months of planning. These boxes were a great hit, the dwarf names were all matched to the persons personally, so not only was it very funny, but the names stuck! So my seven dwarfs had a very magical trip a few weeks later!!!

BTW, The kids still wear t-shirts with their dwarf name, and it brings back such great memories when we see them. You could match up the number in your group to the characters in any Disney movie (7=dwarfs, 2=lady & the tramp, 4 or 5=the fab 4 or 5, or the pooh characters, any number from the jungle book or toy story, 101=dalmations etc...)

 

[mjatgoofy]

We are also going to keep our trip a secret from our DS (3 1/2 and 5 1/2). We are going in July and have been trying to think of ways to suprise them. Our oldest made the comment the other day that he wanted to save money to go to Disney again. (Can you tell we have told him how expensive it is and that's why it takes so long between trips?) His idea was to start saving our change right now and when we have enough money we should go the very same day. Well, now we are going to start saving change and have him count it with us the day we leave. If we have enough I guess we'll just have to head to the airport!

 

[Cyndirella]

We usually travel with our friends, and we each have two kids. We have surprised them twice - but before we were actually leaving to go on the trip. First time was 2 weeks before, and to me, that was the perfect timeframe. It gave them a little time to get excited about the trip, but not too much time for them to ask "How much longer?" Mine also like to pack certain books, stuffed animals, etc. so it just worked better to tell them a little in advance. But, I would LOVE to pull one of those "Hop in the car, we're going to Disney World!" surprises...maybe next time!

First time, we did something sorta like a scavenger hunt. The "prizes" at each stop on the hunt were sealed envelopes with clues inside. Since the youngest couldn't quite read yet, they ended up with three envelopes with clues, which the three older kids read out loud. Then the last clue had the youngest go find a "special box" hidden in the house. Inside the box we had Mickey cookies and some Disney brochures. It took them a few seconds to catch on, but when they did, they were so excited!

For our trip in 2 weeks, we surprised them on Christmas Eve. (yes, it has been a LONG 5 months but they have had a great time doing a daily countdown!) They each got a large Christmas box, and we had them open them at the same time. Inside were disposable cameras, Mickey fruit snacks, the Birnbaum book for kids, and all kinds of Disney stuff. Needless to say, they thought it was the best Christmas present ever!

 

[mom2mjm]

Wow, these are great. Thankyou for the ideas, I'll let you all know what we decide....I can't wait to tell them!!

 

[wvjules]

I'm suprising my DD next month for her birthday. I was going to wait and tell her when we left for the airport but changed my mind. The weekend before we leave we're going to dinner for her birthday. When the server brings out the dessert there will be a card with it from Mickey Mouse. I found the perfect card at Hallmark the other day. On the outside is MM holding a birthday cake and on the inside it says something like "Hope your birthday is full of magical suprises" I will add a Disney dollars and her park ticket to it and write a note telling her we're leaving for WDW in 3 days. That gives us the weekend to pack and get ready. I can't wait to see her face when she opens the card. Keeping such a big secret is really, really hard.

 

[disneyfanfamily]

We are surprising our kids this July. They will not know until they get on the plane. They have only been on a plane once so they will not understand all of the things that go on at an airport. Can't wait!

 

[Christy]

We surprised our 2 DDs (5 & 8) this past Dec. We kept it a surprise until the morning we were leaving-when they woke up, their bags were packed by the front door!
We taped telling them-I had put together Disney shirts, Disney Dollars, backpacks, etc. and had written a letter for my oldest daughter to read aloud.
One other thing I did that I would suggest is I made up an itinerary that was written so my 8 yr. old could read it to her younger sister. It included where we'd be staying and the basic plans for each day (Monday-we'll go to the Magic Kingdom all day...). I left out some of the surprises like Cindy's breakfast, Cirque Du Soleil, the Princess Storybook breakfast. I left one day open for the girls to help plan.

 

[cjhinch]

These are all such great ideas!! I can't decide if I want to tell them the morning we are leaving, or the night before, or sometime later on the plane! LOL

WVJules.....where in WV do you live? I am in Huntington!

 

[wvjules]

cnhinch, I'm in Morgantown.

I can't wait to see the expression on my DD's face when I finally give her her card at her birthday dinner.

 

[Christy]

We didn't tell them the night before because we figured they wouldn't sleep. I had a hard enough time sleeping!

 

[goofyfatherof2]

One time when we surprised my 2 daughters when we drove to the airport with my mother. We told them she was going to Disney with some friends. After they started saying they wished they could be the friends we surpised them and said they were. They wouldn't believe us until they saw the luggage we hid behind them. After that they were very excited. Every time we take someone to the airport they always mention how they wish they could go back.

 

[jenr812]

We met some people at the airport who had also surprised their kids. They had all the bags packed and in the trunk. Kids had no idea. They took the kids out to dinner. After dinner, the parents gave their children gifts to unwrap. One child received sunglasses, another an autograph book and I can't remember what the third child received. Maybe Disney Dollars or a Mickey plush? Anyway, the kids didn't get it. Then, the parents said "Well, where is your stuff from?" and they said "Disney!" and the parents said "Yep, and we're going there tonight!" The woman said they started screaming and crying and laughing in the restaurant.

THis sounds like a great idea for our 6 yo DS and 2 yo DS (11yo DD already knows) THanks!