How to Surprise Kids

[ronniereb]

We are leaving for the Mouse the day after Thanksgiving. My son who is 6 has been asking us every day "when are we going back" since we got home in February. We don't intend to tell him until Thanksgiving day because if we tell him now he won't stop talking about it. Anyone have any uniques ways you've used to break the exciting news to your kids.

 

[daughertyk]

We are also surprising our kids 10 and 7. They have no clue, and they won't know until my mother in law brings them to the airport to meet us. We are also going over Thanksgiving, it will be thier first time, I hope it is not to crowded.

 

[Nevergrow'nup]

We are surprising my DS12 and DS15 with a WDW trip leaving on Thanksgiving day. I am planning on getting them up early with a big wrapped box on the kitchen table and a tag, open NOW. Inside will be a toy plane, and disney figures, I'll let them figure it out!! It is harder to surprise them when they are older, lots of sneaking and deleting computer's memory so they won't find out but it is making the planning more fun!! 54 more days!!

 

[ronniereb]

What a great idea, my son is 6 so the thought of a "Thanksgiving present" will just send him over the top, we'll have to be a little less subtle he'd just start playing with the plane and toys. I remember reading once where a couple took their kids to a Chinese restaurant and had the fortune cookies rigges to say "The 'Smith' Family is going to DisneyWorld" unfortunatley my son does not read yet.

 

[luvmy2sams]

We're surprising DD6 in January, the day after her 7th birthday. We're tentatively planning a scavenger hunt with prizes at each location...Disney dollars...a pin lanyard she wanted last trip...Birnbaum's guide for kids. I don't think it'll take her too long to figure out what's up.

 

[solferino]

We're surprising DD6 in January, the day after her 7th birthday. We're tentatively planning a scavenger hunt with prizes at each location...Disney dollars...a pin lanyard she wanted last trip...Birnbaum's guide for kids. I don't think it'll take her too long to figure out what's up.

Hey! The last day of our trip in Jan is DD's 7th bday too

We're telling her on Christmas day- she'll get a gift from us and her grandparents (whom we're going with) and each one will have some sort of Disney related stuff- probably sunglasses, a map and perhaps I can get a fairygodmailer to send a postcard to include. IL's are going to wrap up the planning video for her so we can all watch it together. It probably won't take her long to figure it out either, but I'm so excited about surprising her.

The last time we went she didn't know until we were picking up gparents at ohdarkthirty in the morning and she didn't understand why we were there so early. Mwahahahahahahah! I don't think she really got it until she saw the castle for the very first time. She was absolutely mesmerized and the woman standing next to us commented on her reaction. I don't ever think I've seen her so intent and QUIET in her life. LOL, she's a talker.

 

[Ploni]

I was going to surprise my DS10, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut, *I* was too excited! I planned an early flight, on a SCHOOL day, and I was going to wake him at 5 am (he's NOT a morning person!) and when he said, "Why are you waking me up?", tell him then.

I'm actually glad that I told him in advance, because he's the kind of person for whom anticipating it is half the fun. I was also able to consult with him about what he wanted to do (we've been on several trips before) -- I thought I would know what he wanted, but he surprised me.

 

[mogulskr]

We suprised our 2 boys 3 and 5 last year. We picked them up at daycare at the normal time and told them we were going to dinner. On the way I swung into the airport and said we could watch a some planes take. When I park I asked them if they wanted to go on a plane. It took some time for them to believe they were actually going.

and keeping the secret is the hardest part...but worth it in the end

 

[geordie ric]

We are coming to wdw next year but told our dd7 we are going in 2007.On xmas morning there will be a letter on the doormat from Mickey saying he has brung the vacation forward by a year.
I agree that keeping a secret is so hard but will be worth it in the end.

 

[GrumpyCAdad]

Last Thanksgiving, my wife and I kept our trip a secret from the kids (ages 6,5,2). We told them we were going to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Virginia. They finally realized we were at DW when my 5 yr old figured it out going through the gate!

 

[princess jackson]

Great ideas.

We are leaving from the UK on DD 4 birthday, we have a 4hour drive to airport then a 9 hour flight, YES LONG TIME.

We are having a little tea party the night before to celebrate her birthday, then let her go to bed the normal time 730, then wake her up at midnight to get her ready.

I'm sooooo excited, i really want to tell her NOW!!!!!!!!

I am doing really well, keeping it a secret.

 

[girliemomx3]

we're also planning a surprise trip. They only know that we are visiting Aunt Pat for Thanksgiving. (Aunt Pat lives in North Carolina...almost exactly half way from here to Disney) On Sunday after Thanksgiving we are getting in the car and leaving. It will be fun to see how long it takes before they realize we are not going home...but instead to WDW!!! I can NOT wait to see their faces!! I plan to keep them busy reading or watching a DVD when we cross the FL border and I hope they don't figure it out till we reach orlando!!!!!

 

[jarw00]

We took our 5 year old for a suprise trip in Sept. We didn't tell her anything but that we were going to have fun. We drove for 7 1/2 hours without telling her and pulled up to CSR at 11 pm. Obviously she was groggy, and she couldn't really see anything at night. We walked in and it took her 30 minutes to figure it out. She kept asking why did this place have disney stuff in it. When she finally figured it out, her face just lit up, it was precious. I don't think we could do again driving because she is beginning to recognize landmarks now.

 

[HueyDewey&LouiesMom]

We are planning a surprise for our boys as well.

They know we are going back...but they think we are goin in November of 2006. We really are going January of 2006!

I am still researching ideas...but I don't think I am going to tell them we have booked. On Christmas we plan to do a scavenger hunt and each clue will let them know we ARE going and have booked it and all. The last one I think will include a chain or something to count the days.

What we will be waiting for is who realizes that is is counting days and not weeks!

I think this will be perfect because they will still have time to anticipate the trip...but not wait fitfully for a year!