How do you tell the kids???

[cats7494]

We are going to Disney in September for the first time!!! I would love some advice on some creative and fun ways to tell my 10 year old DD!!

thanks!

Cats

 

[lc1965]

i've actually heard of people who didn't tell their kids until they woke them up on the day of the trip & said, "get dressed & eat breakfast. we're going to disneyworld today!" that cuts them out of the anticipation & planning phase, but saves parents from kids w/ poor sense of time & think "september" means "tomorrow".

 

[chenault]

We did this the first time we went - the plane we usually take home from visiting my parents goes on to Orlando after it drops us at our airport- we joke about staying on and going to Disney. My brother got married, and we actually took an earlier flight than we usually do, and walked to the parking lot and were doing our usual "too bad we couldn't take the other flight and just stay on" thing, and told the kids, what the heck, we had bathing suits in the car (we'd really packed for FL and loaded before the wedding luggage went in)- let's just get 'em and go.

Well, TOTAL anticlimax- I dont' think the kids were old enough to get it until we were actually there- I was envisioning major jumping up and down, "mom, you're awesome", etc,- they were so worn out from the weekend (the reason we planned the trip- as a reward for all the good behavior) it took a day or so before it sunk in.

We DID have fun. : )

We now go every 2 years, and part of what we do is make our own address books and passports- a great car or plane activity- the stickers are something to look for in the in interim- I get them a new guide book and we plan our what we'd like to do, too. They really enjoy the planning, and I bet your 10 would, too.


Have fun!

 

[coachYO & my 3 girls]

We told our 2 DD's when we were having our family night together to watch a movie and I slipped in the planning dvd you can order from DW. It was great! They thught we were gonna watch some Land before time movie and here comes this thing all about DW. They couldn't believe it and it took a couple minutes for them to actually ask are we going? I don't think we've had a better movie night, they must have watched it 3 or 4 times that night. Good luck, YO

 

[cats7494]

That is a cute idea too! I have the video..... I have not watched it yet..... I am sooooo excited!

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

We are going in July and I made a Disney gift basket for DD. While we are just giving it to her fpr her birthday, you could make a sort of scavenger hunt with Disney related clues leading up to the basket and maybe Disney tickets.


Have a GREAT trip!!! :thewave:

 

[Gomez Gang]

About a month before we go, I make a "Disney card" on my computer on the Disney Magic Artist online. For example, my son loves Mickey and we went for his 5th birthday so I wrote:

Dear Timmy, it will be only __ short days until I see you again! I can't wait to celebrate your birthday with you at Chef Mickey's! Be real good and I'll see ya soon!
Love,
Mickey

I put each childs card (with a personalized message in each) under their pillow about a month before we go. (Like the tooth Fairy leaves $) They wake up in the a.m. and read their cards (I help the little ones). Then we will make a paper chain of how many days are left. Then everyday after breakfast, one child will take off a link from the chain. It also nips the "when are we going" question in the bud! If they ask, I tell them to count the links in the chain. I have done this twice and it is always fun. They never know when they will get a suprise card from the Disney Fairy!!!!

 

[hhender102]

We went to WDW for the first time in Feb. This was our first real family vacation (my oldest is 15)! We did not tell the kids. We wanted it to be a total surprise. We ordered a personalized Winnie the Pooh from the Disney store. On his shirt, we had "Surprise, we're going to Mickey's House." It was quite inexpensive -- about $20 -- and it's really cute and larger than I thought it would be. I also ordered T-shirts for everyone. The morning we were leaving, the kids came down to get ready for school, etc, and instead found their wrapped presents on the table. My 9 year old opened up the Pooh box and read it and just stared. Then the screaming started! It was simply wonderful. I am really glad we got it on videotape. We were off to the airport 30 minutes later. I think they were still too shocked to know what to do 3 hours later when we arrived in Orlando.

We had packed the kids stuff and hid the suitcases in a closet, and I gave the teachers plenty of notice because they were missing a week of school. They were all more than happy to be co-conspirators with us. Two days before we left, I picked up their homework, etc after school was already out, so the kids wouldn't see me there.

It was just the best!!

 

[jajuan]

I give my children Disney Dollars. They get to use the money on souviners that I wouldn't want to spend money on (ie glow in the dark necklaces or stuffed animals). It is a nice way to teach them to budget as well.

 

[shatzjsl]

I had my daughter convinced we were going to Sea World San Antionio for vacation this year. I got Disney Dollars and gave them to DH to put in his Valentine day card to her. He handed it to her and told her that her spending money for vacation was in it. She opened it and it took about 30 seconds for the light to go on! She was so happy!!

I wasn't going to tell her until the morning before we were leaving but then I decided that I needed her input on the planning so told her early.

 

[Jana49]

When kids reach the age to know October is October and not "tomorrow", it's fun to let them know about the trip well in advance. Planning is so much fun! We talk about our upcoming Disney trip every day, no joke. My 17 yo DD has a list going for favorites and other things she doesn't want to miss. Also, it will give her something to look forward to this fall when homework and other stressors invade.

 

[lazarru]

We are going this weekend, taking the autotrain down. We have not yet told them, and in fact we're not going to tell them. I guess we'll just say we're going to see family in MD. We want to see when they realize we're going. Wife thinks as soon as we pull in the train station my son will know, he's 4 1/2 now, went down the same way when he was 3 and talks about it all the time, so should be interesting to see when he knows.

 

[jerseyjohn]

This is also our first real family vacation. My wife and I and three boys, 8, 9, 13 and we decided the "wake up, eat breakfast and tell them we are leaving in an hour" routine would be the most exciting for them. I'll have the video camera on the counter partially hidden to capture the moment.
John

 

[jerseyjohn]

This is also our first real family vacation. My wife and I and three boys, 8, 9, 13 and we decided the "wake up, eat breakfast and tell them we are leaving in an hour" routine would be the most exciting for them. I'll have the video camera on the counter partially hidden to capture the moment.
John

 

[TinknBoys]

Your daughter sounds old enough to enjoy being part of the planning process. There used to be a cd that you could get that was interactive and all about each park, my kids got familiar with the rides and attractions by playing that before our first trip. Also, there is a guide book, Walt Disneyworld for Kids, by Kids by Birnbaum's. You could get that for her, $11.95, maybe with some Disney Dollars(from Disney Store) stuck in it. It is a great introduction about all of the attractions from kids point of view, ie . scare factor, fun factor etc.
Once, we didn't tell our kids we were going, it was September, first trip after joining the Disney Vacation Club, we usually went in December so they didn't expect it. We drive from N.C., told them we were going to see one of "Dad's clients" in Florence,S.C., would be sorta fun, maybe a pool at hotel. As we were passing the Florence exit, my husband put in his Disney cd, the one with all the music from the parks on it and turned it way up. They shouted, we passed the exit, he said I know, we are going to Disneyworld. They were shocked. The next twenty minutes passed as they first were disbelieving, then began to ask, did you bring our pin straps, did you bring enough clothes, did you bring our disney water straps??? I only wish I had been videotaping their reaction, so if you do suprise her, get it on tape.
Have a wonderful time going to my favorite place on earth!

 

[Ladyslug]

I still remember (even though it's been years) when my family was on the way back from visiting friends in San Bernardino. As we were leaving their house in the morning and getting on the freeway, my parents turned around and told my sister and I that we were going to Disneyland on the way home and we would get to stay all the way until it closed (midnight - very late for us young kids)! It was the best surprise ever!

 

[tiggerfan58]

I gave my daughter the Disney Book we just got in the mail along with a print out from the computer showing our airplane reservations.....she is 14. :thewave:

 

[SuzieQMomof3]

Gomez Gang, I love the idea about leaving notes under the pillow. I'm definitely going to do that.

We surprized the kids once "the morning of" and although i'm glad I did it, I don't think I would do it again. They were too shocked to really get excited until we were in the car for a couple of hours.

This time we're surprizing them a month before we leave by giving the baby Mickey ears and an autograph book for her 1st birthday.

I think I may be more excited about the surprize-telling than the actual trip! Well, no, not really.

 

[Pixie1]

We have had to cancel a cruise this summer. My husband was suppose to come home from Iraq in May and we were all going on a cruise but he was extended. So I cancelled the trip. But I forgot that I was on a waiting list at SOG for July 1 - 6. They called a few weeks ago and said my dates were open. I booked the trip but didn't tell my daughter. She thinks we are going camping with my parents for the 4th of July. I'm just going to start driving and see how far we get before she realizes we aren't going camping. She had ask in May if we could take a short trip this summer and the June dates weren't available. This will be quite a surprise!