How to surprise DD

[princess jackson]

Has anyone kept their holiday a secret.

Travelling on her birthday, Saturday.

So far our plan is to collect DD from nursery on Friday morning, DH taking a half day from work, have a surprise tea party, let her open her pressies, so she can have a play.

Normal bedtime 730, then!!!!!!!!
Wake her up at midnight, and surprise her. THIS SOUNDS SO CRUEL.

It will be hard to keep my mouth shut.

I might end up telling her at tea, and hopefully she will go to sleep.

Has anyone surprised a 4 year old.

 

[jonkatony]

We did not tell our kids we were staying at the Akl until we were outside the hotel on the bus.

 

[carolfoy]

What a fantastic idea Princess J I'd love to do that but I could never keep that sort of secret from my son! I don't think its too bad to wake her up and tell her or wake her and get her into the car all bleary eyed and complaining before telling her! I'm sure my son would leap up crying with delight, let us know what you decide, fingers crossed it goes to plan

 

[mandymouse]

I managed to get my girls (age 6 & 4 at the time) all the way to the Holiday Inn at Manchester Airport and then we woke them up at 4am to get up for check-in. It was a lovely surprise, but after that they always enjoyed the whole 'planning thing'.

We only managed to get away with it because it was our wedding anniversary at the time, so we said it was an Anniversary weekend away, and although it was nice for them, it was horrendous trying to keep everyone quiet.

 

[wicket2005]

I have not surprised the kids, just cannot keep Orlando a secret. I would suggest you don't tell her till after she has had a good sleep because she may just get too excited to sleep if you tell her before and that is no good. Travelling to Orlando is tiring. I still have trouble sleeping on Christmas Eve because I am excited for the kids so I would imagine your little one would feel the same amount of excitement for a trip to Orlando.

 

[Mr-D]

What if she already has plans to go clubbing or shopping with her mates this weekend. 4 yr olds are very advanced these days

 

[princess jackson]

I've told her to keep the weekend free.

She is a Diva, loves shopping, especially when in children's clothes shops.

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

I must admit I could never keep a secret like that from our DS's!!!! I'm always bursting to tell them we're going to WDW!!!!!

 

[mushumadness]

when we met she looked like a little sweety, I bet if you tell her before bed she wont sleep, wake her up put her in the car surely she will fall asleep then tell her at the airport

 

[rosiejo]

If you could get her to the airport that would be great - otherwise definitely let her sleep first. Why not wake her up and give her a letter from her favourite character saying how much they would love to see her and they have decided to invite her to WDW for her birthday?

 

[squitty]

We've been very tempted to try and keep holidays a secret from our DD's but we can never do it. They loved to get involved with all the planning.
I think I would probably let it slip anyway as I am rubbish at keeping things like that.

 

[arieliwish]

Relatives of mine kept their first Disney holiday a secret from their DD then 7 and DS then 4, they told them they were flying from Manchester to Blackpool for the weekend (driving from Cumbria - thank God kids have no sense of direction!). They finally told them at the airport when the flights were called - their DS took it all very calmly, but their DD had a hissy fit about not getting to Blackpool - I think the WDW bit had gone over her head momentarily! Anyway, they're now 19 and 16 and have gone back every year since, though none have been surprises!! LOL!

 

[Cyrano]

Managed to keep our visit last year to DLP during Christmas season a secret until we travelled.
Kids thought we were heading to the local aquarium for a day trip.
The look on their faces when we got to London and told them where we were going was magical

Reid

 

[Shooby doo]

We tried last year,the plan was to say that we were going on holiday to Greece & only tell him when we got to check in BUT 2 days before we cracked & had to let the cat out of the bag!
SD aw:

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

We've managed to "surprise" DD twice. Once, which would have been our second trip to Florida, was a holiday I had booked as a 40th birthday surprise for both my DH and DD (only DH found out ), but for Katie we didn't tell her until 1 month before we went (she would have been nearly 7 at the time me thinks) I gave her a bag with "clues" as to where we were going. She loved this, but said afterwards she did miss doing her holiday countdown calendar in her bedroom.

The other time was a couple of years ago when we stayed at the Poly. I made out that it was somewhere I'd always wanted to stay, but couldn't this trip but I'd asked if we could have a look around. Darryl kept her occupied whilst I checked in (and arranged with the bellhop to get our luggage from the car), then I said I'd asked if we could have a look around a room for our next trip when we might stay there. We wandered over to the longhouse we were staying in (she kept worrying someone else might be staying in the room, bless her ), then we had a look around the room, she kept saying how cool it would be to stay there . . . then there was a knock on the door and our luggage arrived

Her face was worth all the $$$$ it cost, worth every single cent

 

[fizz13]

Oh I wish I could do something like this but I just can't keep disney holidays to myself. Everybody has to know every detail, neighbours, mums at school, shop assistants...you get the idea

At least this way my kids are involved in planning, although I have to say i tend to overide any decisions I don't like anyway. Good luck with the suprise, and I think I would try and get her to the airport before you tell her too.

Cliare xx

 

[princess jackson]

Well our DD told DH, that she was going to stay at woody hotel (asm) on her birthday, and said I told her. Now she told me her Daddy told her.

We just laughed and said, not until next year.

So she has told us her friends are coming around for a party

 

[rosiejo]

The other time was a couple of years ago when we stayed at the Poly. I made out that it was somewhere I'd always wanted to stay, but couldn't this trip but I'd asked if we could have a look around. Darryl kept her occupied whilst I checked in (and arranged with the bellhop to get our luggage from the car), then I said I'd asked if we could have a look around a room for our next trip when we might stay there. We wandered over to the longhouse we were staying in (she kept worrying someone else might be staying in the room, bless her ), then we had a look around the room, she kept saying how cool it would be to stay there . . . then there was a knock on the door and our luggage arrived

Her face was worth all the $$$$ it cost, worth every single cent

That's a cool idea - DD gets to join in the planning and count down (half the fun after all) but still gets a massive surprise