How did you tell your kids?

[dabecs]

I was watching the Disney planning DVD tonight and at the start where it has parents surprising their kids with the news they are going to Disney I felt a bit teary and it made me start thinking about how (and when!) did the Aussie's on the Dis tell their children?

 

[jacs1234]

We told our the day we were leaving. It had just been my youngest son's 5th birthday a week before. We had a huge present wrapped at the front door, it was a box full of helium balloons. Daddy did the knock and run and the kids ran to their windows to see who it was and saw the box so daddy carried it in. They opened it and the balloons shot out, they thought that was great, but there was a card inside from Mickey mouse saying he was sorry he couldn't make it to Corban's birthday but would love for us to go visit him at his home in Disneyland. The card said to go get dressed because a man will be here any minute to pick us up and take us to the airport.

I've never seen those kids get dressed so quick. They couldn't believe it.

It was so fun! We're going to surprise them again this year.

 

[dabecs]

Fantastic! That must have been an amazing moment (and I bet something they will remember forever!)

Do you think this year you will tell them on the day again?

My girls are only 4 and 5 at the moment and a week is like a year at this age! When we go they will be 5 and 6 so not sure if they would enjoy the anticipation of having a countdown - plus they could do some chores to earn some spending money!

 

[jacs1234]

We can't fully decide what to do this year. It was SOOOOOOOOOOO fun surprising them but it would be nice to share the fun and excitement of planning with them too. My kiddies were 3, 5, 7, and 9 when we surprised them last time and this year they'll be 5, 7, 9 and 11. I think it would be especially fun to plan with our 11 year old. Maybe we'll surprise them a week in advance, but I would NOT tell them any earlier than 2 weeks. I couldn't handle the constant nagging about how long there was to go

 

[battymum]

I put together a powerpoint slideshow and played it on the big screen with the surround sound on christmas eve. It was quite difficult to get them all to sit down together, DD works at Woolworths, so she had had a long day,"mum, youre not going to make us watch some lame photos are you?"

By the time we all sat down it was probably 10:00pm and we were all ready for bed.

I had downloaded Disney music and people screaming on a roller coaster and various pictures of Disney, NYC and our Cruise-it was pretty cool - A few months later my son was humming zip a dee doo da, and he thought about the slideshow and said "mum, that was really good, youre like ......God"

Although he did say to me the other day, if we ever plan another trip to not tell him until shortly before - he is sick of waiting. I could never have kept it to myself for that long though.

 

[hellosue]

We told our the day we were leaving. It had just been my youngest son's 5th birthday a week before. We had a huge present wrapped at the front door, it was a box full of helium balloons. Daddy did the knock and run and the kids ran to their windows to see who it was and saw the box so daddy carried it in. They opened it and the balloons shot out, they thought that was great, but there was a card inside from Mickey mouse saying he was sorry he couldn't make it to Corban's birthday but would love for us to go visit him at his home in Disneyland. The card said to go get dressed because a man will be here any minute to pick us up and take us to the airport.

I've never seen those kids get dressed so quick. They couldn't believe it.

It was so fun! We're going to surprise them again this year.

That is an amazing feat especially with 4 kids -

It must've been hard to keep a check on your excitement - well done !
Let us know how you tell them this time.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I love the way we told our kids about our first trip in 2009 and really wanted to share it here so I decided to go back and see where I typed it all out to share with you guys.

Do you veterans remember the original Aussies thread, before we had our own section? It was the longest thread in the word, with lover 2000 postgs .

So anyway, I knew roughly when we started to plan and I have just found where I was secretly planning a trip, the post where my husband finally agreed and then the post where we got really "cough cough" intoxicated one SAturday night and bought Springsteen tickets for New York, before we had flights, accom etc. . OMG, I have tears in my eyes, just remembering how exciting it was for me. I haven't even gotten to the bit where we told the kids yet and I feel all butterflies in my tummy. Ridiculous I know but it was the most awesome time. I'll include some funny links if you are all bored and want to trip down memory lane with me:-

This is where I gave the background on what I wanted to do:-

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32250213&postcount=859

This is where I had a surprise for all my amazing Dis pals:-

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32252315&postcount=864

This is where I tell you how hubby agrees (after months of me secretly planning it out )

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32252417&postcount=869

This is where the "big night on the champers" Springsteen tickets took place:-

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32271392&postcount=908

This is what my plan to tell the kids was:-

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32325288&postcount=946

When we told them:-
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32339828&postcount=950

Sigh, that was truly one of the most awesome experiences I've ever had and I truly felt like the holiday was only a bonus, the icing on top. That experience was the cake.

The other thing reading through that thread again reminded me, how very lucky I am to have found so many amazing friends to help me plan my holidays and share this stuff with my kids. Oh god, getting teary as I type this but it is so true. I would not have been able to plan these awesome trips without you all and I love that it extends beyond Disney stuff, it is worldwide trip planning now and we all help each other and share in each other's joys, our highs and lows, save each other money, cheer each other on, laugh and cry together. What a wonderful little place we have here, it always makes me feel good to visit the aussie disboard.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Jacs and Battymum, I adore your stories too. We are such awesome parents

 

[dabecs]

Ms Shuttergirl - thank you for sharing those posts I had a tear in my eye reading them - especially you planning the treasure hunt.

One of my favourite aspects of WDW and DL (and Disney in general) is that the enjoyment for the parents comes from watching their children's delight. The world can seem so bleak sometimes - but somewhere there is a parent planning, saving and counting down the days waiting to see their little girl meet Cinderella for the first time. That's real magic.

 

[jacs1234]

Jacs and Battymum, I adore your stories too. We are such awesome parents

We so totally ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a bit teary reading your plans about the treasure hunt. Maybe we should do that 1 week before hand. When was it that you told them?

 

[WAMUMOF4]

you guys have made awesome surprises out of your trips.

Christmas 2009 we gave our kids a treasure box each all 4 had to open them at the same time they did we know we were going but it became reality for them once they opened these each treasure box contained a scroll with vouchers to be redeemable on the 24th July 2010 for 1 return flight to LA, Disneyland passes, Knoxville National tickets and $100 US and 1 passport.
I also put in the treasure box chocolate coins and lolly necklaces etc On the top of each box in stickers we had written their names and USA 2010. Other people also gave them money for Christmas. The kids used these treasure boxes for saving there spending money.

The great thing was they were hugely involved in the planning of our trip and it was so much fun planning, researching and watching things about the USA with them.

This year DH didn't want to tell them we were going to DW but they saw what i was looking at on the computer and i asked them if we went to Disney this year would they like to do a class and that was the end of that surprise
The reality is our kids know me to well and know there is no way i would go to America and not go visit my happy place

The other thing is there is no way we could of made the sacrifices and changes we did without our kids knowing what we were saving for they were and still are amazing at keeping us on track with our no takeaway etc rules

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Ms Shuttergirl - thank you for sharing those posts I had a tear in my eye reading them - especially you planning the treasure hunt.

One of my favourite aspects of WDW and DL (and Disney in general) is that the enjoyment for the parents comes from watching their children's delight. The world can seem so bleak sometimes - but somewhere there is a parent planning, saving and counting down the days waiting to see their little girl meet Cinderella for the first time. That's real magic.

Oooh, I like that Cinderella meeting a little girl thought. That's going to be my happy thought for days.

We so totally ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a bit teary reading your plans about the treasure hunt. Maybe we should do that 1 week before hand. When was it that you told them?

We told them 100 days out, the second trip it was 80 days out. I would've burst keeping it a secret and it was lots of fun including them in the planning, most esp my oldest DD.

If you want to do something like this Jacs, I still have all of the treasure hunt clues on the Disney pages, I could email them to you and you would only have to print them out .

It really was so exciting.

you guys have made awesome surprises out of your trips.

Christmas 2009 we gave our kids a treasure box each all 4 had to open them at the same time they did we know we were going but it became reality for them once they opened these each treasure box contained a scroll with vouchers to be redeemable on the 24th July 2010 for 1 return flight to LA, Disneyland passes, Knoxville National tickets and $100 US and 1 passport.
I also put in the treasure box chocolate coins and lolly necklaces etc On the top of each box in stickers we had written their names and USA 2010. Other people also gave them money for Christmas. The kids used these treasure boxes for saving there spending money.

The great thing was they were hugely involved in the planning of our trip and it was so much fun planning, researching and watching things about the USA with them.

This year DH didn't want to tell them we were going to DW but they saw what i was looking at on the computer and i asked them if we went to Disney this year would they like to do a class and that was the end of that surprise
The reality is our kids know me to well and know there is no way i would go to America and not go visit my happy place

The other thing is there is no way we could of made the sacrifices and changes we did without our kids knowing what we were saving for they were and still are amazing at keeping us on track with our no takeaway etc rules

I think that is a great idea, those treasure boxes were perfect. And I love how you are including the kids in the saving, we did that too.

We still have a "holiday" tin but we aren't as obsessed with it as we used to be. I was thinking I might print out some cute Disney picture and pop it on the front and rattle the tin every Sunday night to see if the kids and DH could cough up some extra money .

 

[kylieh]

I completely fall into the not-exciting category.

For this upcoming trip (we kind of knew we were planning another trip, but not when, but it was DL not DW..)

We were at my parent's place on the Gold Coast back in January, a friend rang to let us know that Qantas was about $1000 into Dallas. DH and I had to run a small favour for my mum (DD stayed with my mum) so we did some quick math in the car, rang SIL to check it was ok with her as they we taking her and DNeice with us on the next trip. When we got back I said to DD "flights are on special, Daddy and I are going to book DW."

She said - "DW, no way, I want to go to DL."

And we still hear that line every few nights now.... but that's another story.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

She'll get over the DL thing once she sees WDW, I guarantee it

 

[emum]

We told our kids like this in 2008 (same day as DD1's 11th birthday)....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z9pKKT6Ko0

Then, for our 2010/2011 trip, we set up a treasure hunt with different clues located throughout the house. At each clue was a different "prize" to help reveal what was going to happen (eg. pirate dress up gear, Snow Dogs Disney DVD, Toy Story Pez). It was a hoot. Here's a photo with one of the clues (forgot to take a video this time).

A huge portion of the fun of each trip is both the planning and the revealing of the suprise to the kids.

Cheers,
Sally

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Omgoodness, their reactions are so sweet. I've got tears in my eyes. Love it.

 

[5ofus]

We told our kids like this in 2008 (same day as DD1's 11th birthday)....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z9pKKT6Ko0

Cheers,
Sally

OMG, I have tears streaming down my face! How awesome was their reaction?!?!

My kids know they are going when they are 8, 6 and 4. DS1 doesn't do excitement, DS2 will love helping me plan over the next four years and DS3 is too little to even know what Disney is yet

 

[BigDisneyOE]

We fell in the non-exciting department too. We booked the cruise last month and told the kids the next morning. Now we have constant YouTube streams of Disney Wonder, Disneyland and Legoland. They've become authorities on all things Wonder and give everyone details such as how many public toilets the ship has. They'll be nearly five when we go so it's a pre-big school treat.

 

[dabecs]

We told our kids like this in 2008 (same day as DD1's 11th birthday)....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z9pKKT6Ko0

A huge portion of the fun of each trip is both the planning and the revealing of the suprise to the kids.

Cheers,
Sally

Thank you so much for sharing the video, this thread is a good one for the tears!

How gorgeous was your youngest? She was just jumping around - she had no idea what it all meant! I bet it took a while for it to really sink in for the kids

 

[emum]

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone. It really was magical (forgot to add that it was straight after Disney on Ice, too).

Poor DD3 didn't really have a clue what the excitement was for, but that's part of the fun of being 3yo

Cheers,
Sally