How should I tell my kids we are going to WDW?

[fraservalleymom]

We are embarking on our first trip to the world in February. Our trip is our family's Christmas present. I would love to hear some ideas of how I should reveal this gift to my girls ages 9 & 7. I've bought them new disney backpacks and toiletries bags. I've also found 2 smaller stuffed Mickey and Minnie dolls that will be from Santa.

Can you help me?

Shawna

 

[csjordan]

I surprised my family with a trip to Busch Gardens Tampa a few years ago. I put together a "riddle" and told them to open that first. Then, I wrapped things that were needed to take the trip (airline tickets...although in the age of etickets, I had to clip art an airplane, hotel confirmation, etc...). By the time they opened all of the gifts, they had figured out that the trip was the present. It was fun! You can get pretty creative!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

they have a number of families who posted their *surprized* kids...One especailly good one was with 3 young boys.The mom and Dad made a treasure hunt of it with clues and stuff......AKK

 

[Lumiere Lover]

Wrap those items as Christmas gifts, and let them open them up and slowly figure it out.

The first time my husband and I took the kids to Disney, it was also in February, and I couldn't wait to tell them any later than late January.

Just as I was going too tell them, with park maps ready to spread out all over the table, my husband jokingly told them I was pregnant. They were surprised to hear that, but then were really excited when they heard the real news. Even the teachers at school hid it from them. The principal of their school informed their teachers that no homework should be assigned before or after, that they needed to enjoy their family vacation.

Enjoy the trip!!!!!

 

[IFLOSIRI]

I would wrap the gift up and place parts of the trip under the christmas tree or in thier stockings.

 

[Miss Mary Poppins]

I am trying to figure out how to tell my girls too. I am thinking I will let them wake up and get dressed for school (uniforms) and then when they get ready to get the bus tell them "Oh, wait I forgot. You're not taking the bus today because we are...." My girls are 5 and 6 so I think it will work.

 

[fraservalleymom]

Thanks for the great ideas. They sure get my juices flowing. I wish I didn't have to wait so long. That's the hard part.

 

[ashleendanny]

We are also going in February. How we told our boys was we wrapped up three balloons, one was big and round with mickey and minnie driving in a car with pluto on it and stuff, one that was red with white polka dots and one that was yellow with white polka dots. When they opened it, the balloons floated up and on the ribbon was a note that said "We are going to Disney World". I put it on some cute paper with some disney stickers, they loved it!!!

Ashlee

 

[iggler]

we too are planning a surprise trip as a christmas gift, wanted to go in Febuary, however my kids are a little older, 10 and 13 the 13 yr old will be in basketball season in Jr high and don't her to miss that so we are waiting until May. I plan on getting them a disney gift card, with funds loaded on them so they will have their own spending money on the trip.

 

[minnierocks]

Kids that age love scavenger hunts...

 

[epd0407]

We met a father on one of our flights down.. He had a 7am flight. Woke the kids up at 3am and asked them if they wanted to go to Disney World. 4 Hours later they were in the air. I cant wait to use this on mine.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

A few years ago I help one of my nephews surprise his seven year old daughter. I sent her a greeting card with no return address, but on the envelope clearly marked "Do No Open Until November 29". Because of the contents he let me know when it arrived. This was driving his daughter crazy; especially when on the 29th her mother said she would have to wait until she was home from school to open it.

Anyway, evening comes along and she finally is allowed to open the envelope. Inside she finds a generic card with Mickey on the front. When she opens it three tickets drop out. The inside of the card says: "Dear Emma, I hope you and your parents will come down to visit me" and was signed by Mickey. (It helps to know some people who have been trained to sign Mickey's name.)

And her parents told her to start reading what was on the card (3rd grade). She starts off where it says "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas" and then sees (and reads) where it also says "Valid Only November 30". She looks at her parents, and says in a very anguished tone: "But that's tomorrow!"

And the next day they flew down.

(Side note - I had recorded the numbers of the tickets in case the envelope got lost as there was no return address.)

 

[At World's End]

Our trip is in January, and I want to tell the kids on Christmas. DH wants to surprise them by waking them at 3 am on the morning of our flight. I think that would drive me crazy! They know we are going back "someday" but they are hoping it will be within the next two years. I'm thinking of doing a countdown of Mickey head's going down the stairway on Christmas morning. Most of their Christmas gifts will be stuff for the trip (clothes, Disney blankets, etc). I'm thinking of having balloons that float out of a big box with a card attached that says "You're going to Disney World... in 28 days!" I know DH really wants to surprise them the morning of the trip, but I think I would be a nervous wreck!

 

[bean24]

We are going with my brother and sister in law and their 2 kids who have wanted to go to DW forever. We are right now debating telling them or doing the day of surprise, thanks for the great ideas.

 

[amy-momofthree]

Our kids are also getting disney for Christmas. We've never been. They don't have a clue. We leave Jan 2nd but will have a disney themed christmas complete with tickets.

So far I have, disney pj's, disney hoodies, autograph book and pen, and luggage. I don't know how I am going to wrap the actual tickets. I have seen the disney tshirts that say "I'm going to Walt Disney World" and thought about wrapping that up for them or writing it on a huge piece of poster board and wrapping it up in a box for them to open.

Also, dd 6 will get a "certificate" for a BBB makeover and breakfast with Cinderella and dd 8 will get a "certificate" for dinner at Trex cafe in their stockings.

I have also told family to get them Disney gift cards for Christmas so they can use them on vacation

I can't wait to hear some other ideas


I also wanted to add that we have been watching disney theme park videos, you can get them off of netflix and I ordered the vacation planning dvd and we have watched that twice. It helps if they know what there is at Disney world since we have never been and they are excited and are begging to go but we keep telling them "someday".

 

[lnh'smom]

We met a father on one of our flights down.. He had a 7am flight. Woke the kids up at 3am and asked them if they wanted to go to Disney World. 4 Hours later they were in the air. I cant wait to use this on mine.

This is our EXACT plan in Dec!

 

[cindyland]

We have three kids we are planning to surprise on Christmas with the news of our trip.

My 16-year-old son will get the box with the airplane (my kids have never been on a plane!)

My 13-year old daughter will get the Bonnet Creek Resort details (need to find a brochure or print something out).

My 9-year old daughter will get the planning DVD and Disneyworld for kids book.

I found a bathing suit for my youngest, can't do that with the older kids so I'll have to start thinking of stuff.

It is actually our 20th anniversary gift to ourselves, but we're taking the kids along. Right now they have no idea, they think I'm planning another DL trip (we live in No. California).

I'll wait a week before I tell my son that he'll be missing his band concert, he's not going to be happy about that, but the plane tickets are non-refundable and purchased before we got the concert date. The kids are only missing the two days of school before spring break.

Very excited!

 

[CandyHead09]

We are embarking on our first trip to the world in February. Our trip is our family's Christmas present. I would love to hear some ideas of how I should reveal this gift to my girls ages 9 & 7. I've bought them new disney backpacks and toiletries bags. I've also found 2 smaller stuffed Mickey and Minnie dolls that will be from Santa.

Can you help me?

Shawna

I'd put all the stuff in the backpacks and hide them somwhere then get post it notes and decorate them with disney stickers put a clue on each note like "check the oven" "check under your bed" "check in the hall closet" stuff like that until the last clue finally leads them to their backpacks have each minnie and mickey doll hold a sign that says WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

My parents always did this on christmas morning only we had clues that led us to our stockings it was ALWAYS my favorite part of christmas morning! If I had found that kind of a suprise I would have freaked out!

 

[Carri]

We gave our kids a trip last year for Christmas, too! We ended up giving it to them on Christmas Even morning though. I went to The Home Depot and got a stack of different color Mickey Head Paint Sample's for each kid and had a "trail" of colored Mickey Head's leading from each of my kids bedrooms. DD 9 got green, DS got orange ... The trail lead to a single present under the tree. A giant box filled with Disney Stuff. New Princess Dresses for the girls, Autograph Books, Tshirts, and stuff for the airplane (all wrapped individually in Disney wrapping paper!). At the bottom was a Gold Box labeled for all of them which had an invitation from Mickey "inviting" them back to Disney World in April! They were so excited and really had no idea what was going on until they opened the Gold Box! It was the best gift we've ever given!

 

[fraservalleymom]

You all have such great ideas! Thanks so much.