How to surprise my girls???

[jennypetal]

We are leaving in 3 weeks for WDW and my two daughters don't know about the trip yet (it is KILLING me not to tell them!!) We are telling them a few nights before we leave where we are going. They are 7 and 4 yrs old. Any ideas on how to tell them????

Jennypetal

1990 offsite
2001 PO Riversideinkbounc

 

[CapeCod53]

How about a little gift bag with some Disney Dollars, a Disney beanie baby or a character tee-shirt & perhaps some trip supplies such as new sunglasses & travel game, coloring book & crayons, Disney tape to listen to. Have fun!

 

[Lorix2]

the gift bag is a great idea!

also - what about a treasure hunt of sorts. maybe making up some index cards with clues leading up to where you'll be going, using stickers or cut out pictures from brochures, etc...they'll eventually figure it out and have a blast trying!

have a great time!

 

[sshd]

We have twin daughters that are 6 now. We have taken them to WDW quite a few times and each time they don't find out we are going until we get there. We just don't tell them. That way the surprise when they get to the gate is so cool.
Telling your children a few days before may be good for you though. A little gift bag or a present wrapped up with something mickey inside would be a neat surprise too but don't think you have to tell them before you get there. That is a great surprise too.

 

[fostrmom2mny]

I agree with the others. Perhaps a gift bag with a beanie baby and some Disney Dollars. I also plan on not telling my kids. Mine is for the simple fact that my foster daughter would drive everyone crazy from anxiety and anxiousness!! They do know that we are planning the trip, but I'm not telling them when till the morning that we get up and leave for the airport. This way they will have a good night's sleep to help them make it thru the travel day. Otherwise, I know that my youngest DD wouldn't sleep at all. Have fun. Gerri

 

[pouncingpluto]

You people are making me anxious for when my nephew is old enough to go, so I can surprise him. He's only a year old now! I want to wait until he's at least 4 or 5!

All of my Disney trips these days are all-adult, and I like it that way for a lot of reasons (and don't plan to have kids anytime soon!), but I cannot wait to share the joy with a child I love!

 

[Micca]

My wife's cousin did the coolest thing with their kids during the school year which could be adapted to summer. They got their boys up for breakfast just as if it were any other school day. Mom. Dad, and two boys were sitting around the table when Dad says " You know I just don't wanna go to work today, do you Mom?" Mom says, " funny, I'm just not in the mood either". Mom and Dad then ask the boys if they'd like to skip school today(it was all arranged with their school) to which the boys reply" Whoo Hoo". Then the conversation turned to what they might all do with their day off. Each person at the table took a turn telling their favorite thing. Dad says he'd like to go to WDW, and Mom agrees. One boy says that sounds cool, while the other says he has plans with his friends that afternoon. They eventually convince the dissenting boy that WDW is the way to go, but they'll have to take more than one day to do it. The next thing you know a
limo is pulling up outside the house ready to take them to the airport. The boys had about an hour to prepare(Mom, of course, had all the essentials already packed.
The boys needed to decide which Gameboy to take). Later that afternoon they were at WDW. I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever heard. I'm 46, and if anyone wants to surprise me with a WDW trip one morning as I'm showering and getting ready for work, I'm down with that. Have a good time.

 

[PlutoPal]

This is what I would say.

" Hey girls how would you like to go to WDW?
Good cause we're going in 3 days!!!!"

 

[mygood4tune]

We're heading to WDW on 6/28 and haven't told our girls yet either. (age 8 and 3 1/2) I've been stockpiling Disney "treasures" to surprise them with. If you have a Disney Store nearby, they've had a great sale going the past couple of weeks--it's certainly worth checking out.
I picked up Pooh and Tigger waterbottles (with straps for easy carrying) and Mickey/Minnie photo albums from the 35% off rack and a plush Goofy photo frame for each of them from the 75% off rack. Still not sure how/when we're going to tell them. At this point they don't have a clue! I'm dying to tell them, but I think we'll try and hold off a while longer!

 

[kathfish]

Ooooh all great ideas! We too are going in Sept and have not yet told the kiddies! 10, 7 and w/b 8 mo's! Actually I have told the baby
I really like the idea of telling them the morning we leave, SUCH a great surprise! I just hope I can hold off till then.... Mama is THE WORST secret keeper!
I'll probaly do the same as you guys.... disney dollars and perhaps a really neatly packed "plane bag".

 

[Dolizza]

One spring break we surprised our girls in a similar way. We like to drive at night so they sleep. We were getting them ready for bed one night and after their bath my husband and I said Hey, if you could go anywhere in the whole world where would you go? Duh MOM! Disney of course. We said ok then. We'll leave in an hour or so. It was so great to see their faces, they were so shocked. I already had everything done and the car packed and they never new anything. I think is was one of our best trips.



44 Days to go!! WOOHOO

 

[Snow Wight]

These are all GREAT ideas. We are going to DW for my DD's 8th birthday. We are leaving the morning of her birthday and she doesn't know it yet. I am still trying to decide how I will tell her.

I can't wait!!!

I am terrible for keeping secrets, but I have managed to keep this one (SO FAR!)

 

[JAYNED]

My friend is going on 6/16 and she has not yet told her two DSs - one age 8 1/2 and one age 3 and a bit.

She has not told them - she has bought them WDW Autograph books and mickey mouse pens and disney hats

She is travelling from Birmingham in the UK (9 hour flight) with her Mom and Dad (nan and grandad) and at the airport she plans on taking out the books, pens and hats and saying "you are going to need these where you are going" (they think they are going to Ireland).

I would just love to see their faces when she tells them - she has kept this secret for the last 14mths...

inkbounc inkbounc inkbounc

 

[bres@westernMA]

Our travel agent has WDW trip planning videos. I might borrow one and show it to the kids at an appropriate time.

 

[Orky15]

I'm 19, and I still remember when I was about 12 and my parents pulled a suprise trip to Disney. About a week before we were scheduled to go, we were having dinner at a neighbors house. My parents (who had always assured us that we would never be able to go to WDW because it was sooo expensive) casually mentioned that they were taking us to Disney World next week, and would they mind getting our mail for us?

Needless to say, my sister and I were thrilled, astonished, and every other energetic positive emotion we could feel coursed through us. But because it was such a low key intro to the idea, we also managed to keep our cool and bear the excitement of waiting a FULL week before driving to the place of all our childhood fantasies!!!!

Since it was so close to departure, though, my 8 year old sister and I had little chance to earn any spending money. She was given $8 by my parents, and I managed to earn $12 babysitting-I gave her $2 so we each had $10. We would have liked to have had more souvenier money for the highlight of our young lives!

Keep this in mind... perhaps encourage saving in an abstract fashion, or ask relatives to give any gifts in the form of money or Disney gift certificates. If the kids like Disney, it shouldn't be impossible to convince them the certificates are for use at the local Disney Store.

 

[dmslush]

We are surprising our daughter with a trip to disney for her 10th birthday. Sadly though, the trip won't happen until a couple of weeks before her birthday. So, on her birthday we are going to do the "treasure hunt" thing. At the end, she will find a little "chest" that is full of Mickey ears, autograph book, pins, etc. As far as having her save money for the trip, I have her putting half of her allowance back each week because she wants a color gameboy (which will be great for the ride down and back), but we are going to buy her the gameboy ourselves and let her spend the money at disney on herself.