I need help with everything!

[jodeja]

First and foremost, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope this vacation is a wonderful and uplifting experience for all of you.

I am by no means an expert on travel, but I have planned 2 trips to DLR by myself for my boys and me so I just thought I would share some planning resources that I enjoyed (I didn't find Disboards until AFTER our trips, but thankfully I have them for our next one!).

Since you have several months before your adventure you and the kids might enjoy some Disneyland planning books. You can get these pretty cheap on Amazon.
I found the Unofficial Guide to be the most thorough. Since you have little ones it may be important to know which rides might be scary. The Unofficial Guide has detailed ride information (including if the ride is dark, bumpy, loud, etc).
Zagat's guide is not nearly as comprehensive, but has glossy pictures which the kids will love and it really gets them excited for what's ahead. (You did mention it was a surprise, so I guess you'd give them the book right before, they could look at it on the plane as well.)
We plan to use the Hidden Mickey's book on our next trip to make waiting in line a little more fun. The older kids might enjoy being in charge of that.

You would also have plenty of time to order the free Disney DVD. Maybe you could all watch it together after you tell them about the trip.

Another good resource for information is mousesavers.com I like that they send a monthly newsletter with ride closures. Of course, you can find that information on here too. I used mousesavers to plan our other trips, since I wasn't aware of Disboards yet.

I am happy for you and your kids that you are able to take this vacation of a lifetime and I am sure that it will be fabulous and will create happy memories that will last for years and years to come.

 

[sierranevada]

You would also have plenty of time to order the free Disney DVD. Maybe you could all watch it together after you tell them about the trip.

My friend and I took a family last year with a 7 yr old boy to DL for their first time ever - it was a Christmas present. To tell them about the present, we wrapped up the Disney plannning DVD and a bunch of pins and luggage tags that I had from prior trips. The little boy was so excited - he watched that DVD for months and apparently thought that was his present - not understanding that the trip was! It was so cute and touching! It might be a fun way to tell the kids where you are going (if they don't already know).

 

[KrustyTheCat]

Thank you everyone for all the responses! I really really appreciate it. I was chatting today with a friend of mine, and she's a HUGE Disney fan, and actually has me almost convinced to go to WDW instead of DLR. I'm not sure yet, but I'm seriously considering it. I have to see if I really want to travel that far with my kids! LOL