How do we cross the border without ruining the surprise?

[mamajojo]

I had posted this on the Canadian board and someone suggested that I post it here as well. We are surprising our kids with a trip to Disney world for a week and then a Disney cruise for a second week. We are driving down. We drove down last year (they knew that they were going then) so if we tell them at the border crossing that we are heading to Florida, the kids will figure it out pretty quick (they think Florida IS Disney World!) Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[aestapa]

Sorry...no ideas...just wondering if you can adopt me. What an awesome surprise for your little ones!

Actually...if you have a DVD player in the car with headphones, could you put in something they really like right before you hit the border station? With headphones, they might not hear the conversation.

 

[mamajojo]

Sorry...no ideas...just wondering if you can adopt me. What an awesome surprise for your little ones!

Actually...if you have a DVD player in the car with headphones, could you put in something they really like right before you hit the border station? With headphones, they might not hear the conversation.

Sure I would love to !!!

We could try that but they usually want to talk to the kids. They ask them their names and if they can point to their Mommy and Daddy

 

[saratogadreamin09]

Maybe tell them your going someplace else. Since they think Florida is disney maybe you could try to explain to them something else in Florida or try to show them a new place like Georgia or Alabama.

 

[C&G'sMama]

Do you have to tell them at the border your destination is FL? Would it be possible to tell the border patrol person w/o your kids hearing? And it will depend on who you get. Assuming you can get through the border without your kids knowing. Tell them you're going on an adventure. We have told our kids about the upcoming trip to Disney but this is the first time, usually we surprise them. We went for a quick overnight on our way to Miami this year and told them at 4:00am when we left Charlotte, NC. The time before that in December 2007, DD was 7 1/2 and DS was 4 1/2, they didn't know until we told them. That was after we were already on property on the way to check when DD looked at the Disney buses and said "It's not fair, those people get to go to Disney". This was on her 5th trip to WDW. They passed under the "Welcome to Disney World" sign but were too busy on their leapsters to notice

For that trip we told them we were visiting their Aunt and Uncle. Which was true as they were meeting us at WDW along with my in-laws. The kids just assumed we were visiting them in Charlotte, NC and we never told them otherwise. Other times we have just told them we are going on an adventure.
Part of it depends on how old your kids are.

Good Luck.

 

[pigget74]

You could do what we did--well not at the border. We told our kids that we were going to go to a really cool beach in Florida--we went to Blizzard Beach at Disney instead--so technically we didn't lie. You could also use the beach idea since you will be going to Castaway Cay -- Disney's private island. That way when you tell the border people Florida the kids will think the beach!

 

[rodeo65]

Canadian also, and yes, you do have to tell them your destination, length of stay and reason for the trip when you cross. Maybe when you hand over your passports you could have a note inside explaining the surprise and what your answer will be and what the real destination and purpose is. That's the only way I can think of that you could get out of letting your kids know and it of course depends on a fun, and less than the usual all-business border guard.

 

[jessica52877]

I would think since you are dealing with crossing the border that they'll have to get the surprise then. I cannot imagine a way around it and wouldn't want to try something different at the border.