How to surprise kids the day we leave!!

[armomof3lvsdisney]

How to surprise kids the day we leave!!

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I first posted this on Family Board but I think this is where I needed to post this

We are going to Disney in March staying at POR. My DS12 knows about the trip he's not into surprises so he is helping me plan the trip. My DD9 and DD7 do not know about the trip and we are planning on telling them the morning we leave. We will be driving 18 hours form Arkansas. I plan to have them some neat goody bags for the trip, but am not sure how to tell them. So any creative ideas would be so helpful. My DD's get excited very easily, so their reaction should be priceless. I also have to say it is alot of fun planning with my DS, he's helping with every detail. Thanks in advance for any tips.

Have a Disney Day

P.S. This is not their first trip, we have not been since March 2003. My DH thinks 2 years is not a long time in between trips, but I am starting to go through Disney withdrawls.

 

[Drizzo67]

I surprised my DD(6) with a Princess wallet (Target) with Disney Dollars in it. I gave it to her in her christmas stocking to let her know we were going to WDW. She was floored. Like you, my DS (9) helped in the planning this year as he had very strong opinions about his likes and dislikes. DD loves everything Disney. Enjoy your trip.

 

[scarboroughmom]

We have taken our 3 sons to Disney 5 times since 3/01. The first time they were 3,3 and 6. They are all excitable boys. Initially, it was our plan to tell them the morning we were leaving. In the end, we decided to tell them about 10 days before left. We decided that we were depriving them of the anticipation of going. They are 7,7 and 10 now. They already know that we are going next year. They get impatient waiting, but I think they enjoy looking foward to it. Your daughters' reaction will be priceless no matter when you tell them.

 

[MariettaC]

testing counter again

 

[princess lovers mom]

we too are planning a surprise trip for April 05...we are flying and are telling the girls that we are going to Myrtle beach..this way they will help with the packing and have all of the stuff they would want on vacation...we plan on not telling them at all but just wait until they figure it out...will it be at the gate when it says Orlando...not until we arrive at MCO...or hopefully not until we pull up to the Poly....it is so much fun...

could you tell them you are going elsewhere or it is a whim trip and you are just going to drive to different places and see different things and then see there reaction when they realize they are in Disney?

 

[JCTigger]

do you have any family that lives far away? you could always tell them you are going to visit family and when you hit the florida welcome center you could tell them or even when you get to orlando if they hadnt figured it out by then... good luck in surprising them

 

[Fortuosity]

How to surprise kids the day we leave!!

Just a couple quick thoughts:

Maybe make a Disney-themed breakfast (or other meal, depending when you're leaving). (Unless this isn't an out-of-the-ordinary thing in your home. It would be in mine.)

Perhaps you and your son could create an original Choose Your Own Adventure story involving a Walt Disney World vacation as an integral part of the adventure or as the ending to whatever story you come up with. (Sorry if that doesn't make sense. I'm sleepy.)



Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[JCTigger]

i like that idea i use to love those choose your own adventure books when i was younger ill have to keep that one in mind

 

[MrsPete]

We decided that we were depriving them of the anticipation of going.


I agree. Half the fun of the trip is the planning and anticipating. Plus there are life lessons associated with budgeting and preparing for the trip. I don't "get" the idea of not telling them until "the day".

 

[simba928]

We decided that we were depriving them of the anticipation of going.


I agree. Half the fun of the trip is the planning and anticipating. Plus there are life lessons associated with budgeting and preparing for the trip. I don't "get" the idea of not telling them until "the day".

I'm 14 and I just wanted to say that I love surprise trips. Last January, my mom told us we were going to a doctor's appointment and we didn't find out that we were going away until we saw my dad sitting on the bench at the airport with all the bags. My mom told us that we were going to WDW and on a cruise. It was kind of funny though because my homeroom knew about the trip before I did. We have gone on a couple surprise trips and a couple trips that we knew about. I like the surprise trips better though, but thats just my opinion.

 

[Digger In FLA]

don't tell them a thing.

 

[fishinChip]

Our kids,10 and 12,knew about the trip so could help in planning and enjoy the anticipation.The catch was they thaught we were leaving one week later than we were!On the morning we were leaving we made them Mickey shaped pankakes.One said TO the other one said DAY written with chocolate chips.They quickly unscrambled the code and looked at us with million dollar smiles!This way we felt they could enjoy the planning and get a great surprise.Have fun!!!

 

[JCTigger]

Our kids,10 and 12,knew about the trip so could help in planning and enjoy the anticipation.The catch was they thaught we were leaving one week later than we were!On the morning we were leaving we made them Mickey shaped pankakes.One said TO the other one said DAY written with chocolate chips.They quickly unscrambled the code and looked at us with million dollar smiles!This way we felt they could enjoy the planning and get a great surprise.Have fun!!!

I like that idea thats really cool...
how about this idea ( i dont have kids yet so i dont know how they would react to it) from your vacation before (im guilty of doing this and i know you all are as well) take the soaps and shampoos.. and the day before you go switch out the soaps with the mickey ones as a little hint that the trip is coming up...or i think i might have read this in another thread so excuse me if i stole the idea it wasnt my intention... mail a letter to your kids from Mickey or who ever their favorite character is saying how they cant wait to see them and how much fun they are going to have and give it to them the night before or day of saying that a letter had come for them and read it together or if your child is able to read have them read you the letter...
just a thought

 

[MagicKingdom05]

I like the letter idea. You could always pull clothes and things that are clean and tell them that you are doing laundry and really be packing. Then the next day pack the car and when they get up for breakfast had them the letters with the park tickets in them and tell them that these came yesterday and you forgot.

 

[roadtripper]

We did this with our kids and it was priceless. They thought we were flying to a conference in Chicago-- had to give them lots of plane info because they had never flown before. DH made a CD with Chicago songs on it, which we played as we drove to the airport. Then "You can Fly" came on, and he said--"Well, I put this on because you're flying for the first time." Then came MORE Disney songs, and a gift bag with Disney dollars and the reservation info. It STILL took my daughter almost the whole drive into Boston for it to sink in. What a marvelous thing! Have fun!

 

[smoochie]

That is how we surprised our daughters. We took the train last time. NEVER AGAIN. 24 hrs of hell. Anyway when we got to the train station we asked her that question. Her reply of course Disney. She cried, I cried, it was great.

 

[momshark]

We are surprising our DS7 and DD14 w/ a trip in April. Our plan so far is to cook up some Mickey pasta for dinner the night before (b/c we leave at 4 a.m.) we leave and go from there. I will start packing during our Feb. school break and just leave everything in the suitcases in the storage room. As for the rest of the clothes, I know we could pack for Disney in about 30 minutes, maybe sooner!!

JCTigger I love the idea of the letter. May be adding that to that day's mail to be opened at dinner.

princess lovers mom sounds like we will be there at the same time. I am also hoping to stay at the Poly. Will you be wearing lime green? How old are your children?

 

[hegs65]

Here's what we did, for Christmas, we wrapped up a huge box that contained a bunch of Disney Balloons with a note attached saying we are going to WDW for Feb vacation. They were exstatic! The real surprise is that we are actually going in January not February. On the 13th we will be picking them up in a limo from school and going directly to the airport. I can't wait to see their faces! Patty

Ps. I know that the anticipation and planning are a blast, but we chose not to tell them because it is just that anticipation and excitement that would keep them up the night before we leave and make them want to miss school the next day. Our flight isn't until late afternoon so there is no need to take an extra day off.

 

[mommyrom]

DH and I are doing our best to keep our secret from kiddos, aged 6, 3 and 16 months (...not that the little one knows the difference!) for our early May trip. I have thought of a few ideas on surprising the kids, but we are leaving at 7am on a direct flight and need to leave our house by 3 am at the latest. And I don't think the kids will get to sleep if we tell them the night before...So, I am going to have special shirts made up for them to put on that morning and we are going to place Mickey and Minnie beanies (already bought at DS for $1.29 today!!! ) in their car seats with special messages attached. I am thinking of something along the lines of "Would you like to come with me on a trip to Disneyworld today?". A Disney lullabies will be in our CD player for the ride to the airport, seeing as it will be their sleeping time still...AS IF they will want to be sleeping, right?!?!?!? This will be more like it: :jumping4: :: :: (...AND, then for me and DH in front seat - )

 

[Tinker_]

I love these ideas you guys!! The limo at school... can you imagine being a kid and have that? It would be great. Hubby and I dont have kids (yet) but we have already planned a surprise trip to WDW when we have them (okay, so we are dorks, what can I say?) Here's our plan-

We will tell the kids that we are going to be going on a trip to meet thier aunt and uncle. We will make it sound like it is going to be pretty boring, and get them lots of stuff to keep them busy since they will be SO bored. My husband is going to even whine and say "why do we have to go see your boring relatives??" We will be flying, and have Quicksilver pick us up at the airport. We we go under "the arch" I am going to say, "Aunt Minnie and Uncle Mickey are going to be SO GLAD to see you guys!!" LOL... I cant wait!
Cass