How/when to tell my kids we're getting AP's

[usschmidt]

My dh gets "applause awards" at work ... giftcard vouchers. We're redeeming all the vouchers he's been saving for the past 2 yrs and getting Disney GC's. We'll use these to purchase AP's for the family

Originally we were going to put notes in the Christmas stockings. But it looks like we won't be able to actually go to DLR until Feb break. I don't think I can handle almost 2 months of "when are we going? when are we going" when are we going?" After all, I've been asking my dh for 2 years "how many more points? how many more points? how many more points?" hahaha!

So wwyd? Would you tell them at Christmas or wait? If you waited, how would you tell them?

In the past we've lied and told them we were going just an hour away (DLR is 6 hrs away), and just kept driving. We got away with it once by going to the American Girl Doll Store...and then headed over to Hojo's. I don't think we can just start driving again.

Thanks!

 

[ConnieB]

You're going in February....so how about a Valentine's surprise? If you're going before Valentine's you could still do it early. After all Valentine's is about love and obviously this gift is filled with it! The heart shaped stuff comes out in January so you should have a good selection. A few ideas:

Do a treasure hunt.....put a card at their place at the dinner table the night before you leave that leads them to different places all around your house/neighborhood, and ending at a box in a closest or something that has a small stuffed Mickey and a note that you leave in the morning to pick up your Annual Passes.

Or...do you visit Disneyland just for a short visit and the APs are simply a bonus? If so, then I'd tell them we were going for a day or two, and when you get there get in line for the APs and let the CMs see their reaction when they figure it out, lol. You may think the CMs have seen it often enough that it's no big deal....but I've seen this several times over the years and the CMs always make a big deal out of it!

Or...give it to them at Christmas and then later that day have them create a countdown calendar....so that the "when are we going" question can be answered with "look at your calendar". It's also fun to get to remove one more date each morning and the anticipation lasts until the next morning, lol.

For our first trip, I arranged for "Cinderella" to call and invite them to come visit her and Prince Charming. The girls were just speechless! Perhaps you could arrange for Mickey or some other favorite character to call and say they were excited to hear that your family was joining the Disney family of Annual Passholders. My girls are teens now but they still talk about "when Cinderella called".

 

[BELLEDOZER]

We are also visiting the mouse in early Feb, and it will be a surprise trip. I've been plotting and scheming behind their backs for months. Basically what I've done is have a plausable cover story as to why the van is being packed and why they're being pulled from school for 2 weeks. As we leave, I've got some goodies that they have to open to find out where they are going. I've got a pirate theme going, and a awesome sign for the back of the van that a member of the DISign board created for me. Doing something like this is my way of getting back for all the grief that they cause me throughout the year. That and my older son is a worrier and it's easier for him not to know until the day of departure. Just think outside the box and get creative.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't think I can handle almost 2 months of "when are we going? when are we going" when are we going?"

If having it a surprise isn't necessary, you could just start planning a trip and get their input, and have them be involved! If they don't have a solid sense of the calendar (like my son), sure, you'll get to answer "when are we going" more than once (my son tends to think that 3 months from now is tomorrow, when it suits his purposes), but it's FUN for them. At least it is for my son.

The trip that's almost here, the one to WDW, has been planned for almost a year, and my 6 year old has known since before the decisions were made on when, where, how, etc. It's actually been a great way to teach him more about the calendar.

So I say, just tell them.


to make the actual APs a surprise, you could plan the trip TO DLR. If you buy the APs online with the giftcards, surprise them when you have to go and get pictures taken. If you buy tickets first and upgrade, again, when you go to do the upgrade is when the surprise could happen.

Of course, you'll want to have an estimated timeframe for your second trip, so that can start being planned as well! I'm excited just thinking about it for your family. I miss having an AP (all funds have gone towards WDW for the last year)!

 

[usschmidt]

I knew I wouldn't be disappointed! You all have wonderful ideas

I want/need it to be a surprise b/c we've told the girls that we can't go for at least another year due to finances.

Right now we're planting the seeds for a trip to Solvang. We'll just keep on driving and go to Anaheim instead. WDYT?