How did you tell your kids???

[Maddie2]

We are going to WDW 4/18-4/28. Knowing our kids would not concentrate in school and generally be overwhelmed if we tell them too soon, we are trying to hold out until April 1 -- April Fool's Day to tell them. They are 9 and 12. It'll be a miracle if I am able to hold it in that long! DH doesn't care to hear about it all the time (thank goodness for this board!), so I am anxious to tell the kids -- though I know it is best not to for now.

I haven't decided for sure how to fool them with it on 4/1 -- any ideas? I am trying not to overplan the announcement -- because whenever I do that and expect a big reaction, I seem to be disappointed. Know what I mean?

How did you tell your kids?

 

[Disney Spaz]

We have done it several ways. First, when my DS's were 6 & 7 we gave them luggage tags and luggage for Christmas right before our Easter trip and told them they were visiting Mickey. It was a bit early and we had to keep our DS's from packing every night so I don't necessarily think this will work. Our best was we told the boys that we were going to visit family in VA and strated driving around 10PM. The boys fell asleep and then when they woke the next morning and asked why we were still driving we told them we had gotten lost and had to back track. That worked until we hit the FL state sign and then when they questioned us we showed them the resort ressies. They freaked. Now we are planning a suprise trip for DS 16 and DD 1year old and DS thinks we are going in 2009 for DD's b-day so he is planning the whole thing but instead we are going for in Feb 2008. So the day before we need to leave we are going to start packing and tell DS to start packing cause we are going to WDW.

 

[tnmom25]

Last May was our first trip ever, so we surprised three of our kids (dd5,dd7 & dd14) on April Fool's.

I called the house from my cell and dh answered and pretended to get all excited about something. After that call he pretended to call his office. He went into the other room for a while then came back out acting disappointed. He announced to me (quite loudly, the kids were watching tv in the next room) that his friend Joey had called to invite us along on their WDW trip in May. But he called work and he couldn't get time off. Well, it took the kids about three times to actually hear our conversation DH had to act that out over and over until they heard. Anyway, we strung them along all day saying "sorry honey, but daddy can't get off work" etc.

I printed up a sign that said "April Fool's we really ARE going to Disney World in 40 days!!!" and placed it under the cupcakes I made for dessert that night. At first dd7 said "ok, we get it... we're not going to wdw" But then dd14 set her straight and explained it was a joke about "not" going.

That night we made our paper chain and they were impressed that dh and I came up with that joke, but they loved it. After all, they were going to WDW!

 

[mpbs]

We will be in WDW 4/7-12. We will be already packed with suitcases in the car. We will wake the boys up at 4:00AM (plane takes off at 7:00AM), by asking them "Does anyone want to got to Disney World?". They will be shocked, I cannot wait!

 

[WDW1st-timers]

It was my 9 year old daughters birthday and I had it announced on the radio for them to say Happy Birthday to her and to tell her that she is going to Walt Disney World again. (Our radio station has a Birthday Club) It was around 7:30 in the morning when she was getting ready for school. She was so tickled pink. That's how we told her and her 7 year old sister. There is no way I can keep a secret like that from them. That is torture on me, let alone the kids. It's hard enough that I'm TRYING to keep a secret about me taking them to Cabbage Patch Land in Georgia on the drive down.

 

[annasmama]

We told the kids that they were getting a big Christmas present from Grandma. Then we wrapped up a little box and they went crazy trying to figure out what was so wonderful about that tiny box. On Christmas they opened it and there was a slip of paper that said, "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!" They flipped.

Last year we left for Sea World/Discovery Cove on Dec27th, but didn't tell them until Christmas morning. This has been SOOO much more fun than surprising them at the last minute, imo. We've been having a blast planning for the trip.