How are we going to tell the kids?

[jenr812]

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!

What a clever kid you have

 

[hojo]

We are going in September and the origninal plan was to tell them (4 & 6) after the summer... but it was I that couldn't wait!!

We told them that they had been very good so so long and now were going to be rewarded. It actually worked out well as we made a disney bank out of an old coffee can and decorated it with disney stuff. They love finding money and working for money to stick inside the disney bank!

 

[DW2006]

till literally the last minute. With their ages it would be the whole asking ''it today the day'' ''is today the day'' if we told them this far out. Well my oldest could do a countdown calendar but the others it would be too much for. LOL So we'll tell them probably a few days before we go and then get to hear about it on the 20 hr drive. LOL

 

[GeorgePA]

We surprised our 2 children with this trip we have been telling them for thpast couple of months that we would not be going to WDW until I (daddy)
finshed gettting his Masters next year. we had them beleinveing that.
On the sly we were planning a trip to WDW we had everything planned arranged bags packed. The day before we were leaving we told them that mommy was going ona business trip the neaxt day and we would be getting up early and taking her to the airport and seeing her off we would have breakfast and watch the planes take off and land for a bit then i would take them in for the reemainder of the school day.
When we arrived at the airport we pulled right up to the terminal and and checked our bags the man asked where we were headed. MY wife and I said Orlando and then he asked how many we said four. The kids mouth droped and we went surprise your going to disney World.

My son kept saying boy dad you really got us.

 

[CndDisneyFan]

We will be going for the first time in July. Kids are 6 & 4. I made a Disney style letterhead with clipart of Mickey and the Disney font. Then I wrote them a letter from Mickey Mouse saying that he had some exciting news... and it ends with a suggestion for helping out around the house to earn extra money to spend there...etc. We are actually going with my hubby's brother and family so I made similar letters for their kids, 7 and 4. The letters were a big hit, the kids were jumping up & down as we read it to them, then we put on the planning DVD and it blew their minds!

 

[scrapperjill]

What great ideas. Were planning a trip in October and haven't told our gang yet....we have 2dd, 7&12 along with some friends and their 2 kids 6&13...and our neice 7. Were still plotting and planning how and when we will let them in on it.

I can't wait to here other ideas. We were thinking of doing a scavanger hunt...or even waiting until we actually get to Orlando (were going on a cruise also...that they do know about...so getting on the plane and staying at a hotel are already part of the plan). I'd like to let them in on it a little before we go...like two weeks...just so the older kids can read up and learn a little about what there is to do at WDW...but the rest of the pary still wants to wait until the actual morning were heading to the park.

 

[rosemaia]

I have a friend that is a disc jockey on a local radio station. We listen to him every morning on the way to school, so he is going to announce it to my daughters over the radio.

 

[scrapperjill]

I have a friend that is a disc jockey on a local radio station. We listen to him every morning on the way to school, so he is going to announce it to my daughters over the radio.

Now that's a good one.

 

[wallen]

We are taking our 3 kids, 10yo, 4yo, and 2yo leaving Christmas night. We are going to do some kind of scavenger hunt but not sure how yet. We will definately keep checking back for more ideas

 

[marcyinPA]

We are going at the end of Sept. and are traveling with friends of ours who have 3 kids. We have 2 kids. We are attempting to not tell any of them. It will be hard, because our kids are all older 13, 10, 10, 7, and 6. We are trying so hard to not let it slip. The main reason we are keeping hush is because we don't want them to lose those first 3 weeks of school. I know my own son will not be focused if he knows we're going to Disney.

We are planning on telling them the Tuesday night before we leave on Wednesday. Wish us luck!

 

[zdesiree]

Just Subscribing!! I want to know too!

 

[cour10ee]

I am trying to decide whether or not to surprise my little ones the day we leave or tell them a couple of weeks before hand... DD is going to be almost 5 when we go in late Aug and DS will be 2.5 (He is a bit clueless at this age, I talk about it all the time in front of him but he doesn't get it. DD, however, I am more careful around as she will be sooooo excited and will ask every day when are we leaving! )

Anyway, it is partly selfish for me to tell before hand -- I find it hard to control myself and want to discuss it freely and get all excited with them! We could do the postcard from Mickey inviting us (my mom lives in FL and would be able to send it) and then have a countdown to leaving. BUT BUT BUT -- how cool would it be to spring it on them on the plane!!! They already know we are going to visit grandma at the end of the summer, but are unaware that there will be a weeklong detour to Disney World prior to the grandma trip.

Which way to go? Any advice? Thanks!

 

[cour10ee]

Sorry, I am new to the boards and just realized that I might be violating ettiquite by posting my own question on this thread. Even though I believe it is appropriate to the topic, I don't want to do something irksome like hijack the discussion. I am loving the boards here -- spending many hours reading and reeeeaaallly don't want to offend. So I know for the future, should I start a new thread if I have my own question? Thanks... sorry again for my ignorance...

 

[tinkerbell60]

We did a scavenger hunt - at the end was a child size suitcase, filled with Disney t-shirt, Mickey and Minnie beanie, a fat pen and autograph book and Epcot World Showcase Passport. I had ordered the last 3 items from gifts of a lifetime. We had the suitcases near a computer and I had the Mousetyme counter set up so when they figured out we were going to Disney and asked "when" - I pointed to the computer and it gave them the days and hours count.

 

[scrapperjill]

Sorry, I am new to the boards and just realized that I might be violating ettiquite by posting my own question on this thread. Even though I believe it is appropriate to the topic, I don't want to do something irksome like hijack the discussion. I am loving the boards here -- spending many hours reading and reeeeaaallly don't want to offend. So I know for the future, should I start a new thread if I have my own question? Thanks... sorry again for my ignorance...

Well IMO you are not out of line...and personaly I feel this thread is a GREAT place for your question. But then again...I often post questions related to the OP topic within a thread...and haven't thought of it possably being out of line...or inappropiate to be asking in someone elses thread.

Any way...with your question...IMO with your kids ages...it would be SOOOOO wonderful to sping it on them at the LAST moment. They are not old enough to really help with the planning or to be able to say what they like the best... You could do things like watch the disney planner cd together..and talk about "wouldn't that be fun" or "that would be so cool to be able to go there"...kind of give them the idea of what WDW is and what it has to offer...but with out telling them "were going". You could even do family movie nights and watch disney movies...get them use to the characters.

Seeing that your already doing the trip to grannys and the kids know about that...you could still do a count down...as to when the family trip is.

 

[cour10ee]

Thanks for the advice... Glad to know I am not in trouble!

I think you are right, surprising them is the way to go, and will be made easier since they already know we are going to Florida on vacation. So we can discuss and have a countdown to "our trip" not mentioning the Disney part of the program.

We are actually flying to Ft. Myers and staying at my mom's the first night (flight gets in at like 6:30 PM), then driving over eeeaaarly the next morning to get a more full first day. I am thinking about having a package from Mickey already at my mother's house. I could include a letter inviting them to come visit, along with autograph books and other small Disney gifts to be used at the park -- guest of honor name badges? epcot passports? I'll come up with some stuff to put in the box. My mom would totally go along with this: "A package came to my house for you, I guess someone knew you'd be visiting Florida this week..." The only trouble I see with this plan is that they will never be able to sleep that night from the excitement!

I have seen lots of other ideas, either for surprising the kids about the trip itself or just little surprises once you are there. I love the thought of leaving little gifts on the beds at the hotel for the kids to find when coming back from the park -- I might leave a note and a little something from Pooh and Cinderella inviting DS and DD to our character meals. Also I read about people bringing glitter and sprinkling it either in the room or at the parks... "Tinkerbell was just here!" OR writing a teeny little note (printed in really small font on the computer) sprinkled with glitter and rolled up & tied with a little ribbon from Tink. If someone loved tink, that could be a great invite to come visit her. For a boy, maybe you could "find" a "Pirate map" with a big X marking the spot of Cinderella's castle or just a Mickey head -- then say, this map is leading us to the airport, let's go!

Also read about phone calls you can get from mickey or the princesses that say have a great trip! only $2.50! WAY COOL!!

Anyway, this is so much fun.

 

[cour10ee]

oh yeah, I've also been playing some "games" with them, where I ask questions like: "If you could eat lunch with pooh or mickey, who would you pick?" and "would you rather go on a pirate adventure or to a tea party?" They love imagining these scenarios and i get an insight as to which activities they will enjoy. Little do they know they are helping to plan our disney trip!

 

[showar]

My dd is 4. We went to Disneyland last September and she fell in love with the Princesses. Everyday she tells us she wants to go back to Disneyland to see the Princesses. She told my sister that the Princesses were missing her so she really needed to go back. Anyhow, we are going late September. My friend is going to mail a letter from Cinderella inviting her to WDW and also asking her to come eat lunch with her at the Castle. When she opens the oversized letter, lots of Pixie Dust and little sparkly things will come out with it. I can't wait!

 

[LvroftheWorld]

This is my first post on the board so I hope I'm doing this right. We are taking our 2nd trip to WDW in December. Our DS (3) and DD (5) do not know that we are going. We were trying to think of a creative way to surprise them. Our DD loves getting the mail. She is always wanting to know if she got any mail or not that day and is pretty bummed when she is told that nothing came for her. I am having one of my friends who is very creative design an invitation to our DD and DS from Cinderella inviting them to her Castle. We will put it in the mailbox so she will think that Cinderella really sent it to her and her brother. It is so hard to keep this a secret though. The late night planning and stuff has been fun, but I really just want to tell them what we are doing. I know that the look on their faces when they read the invitation will be worth the torture!!

Good luck with the surprise. It just adds to the magic!!

 

[scrapperjill]

I know what you mean..by them being too excited to sleep..That's what I'm afraid of. But I also figure...If we wait until we are in Flordia to spring it on them...they are going to be sooooo tird from travleing all day that maybe they will just crash. The older girls that are going with us are 13 & 12 so it's going to be HARD to keep it from them...especialy our daughter...she's cruised with us before...so she knows the ship sails on Saturday....not Wednesday or Thursday...so she'll know somethings up.

I like the fairy dust idea...we did that for the tooth fairy for our youngest dd...and she loved it.

How do you do the Mickey phone call?