Ideas for gifting a trip

[tabistar]

So, dh and I have decided to pay for my 2 sisters and their kids to go to DW with us, probably Thanksgiving week 2016. They are both single moms: one kindergarten teacher with triplets plus one (all girls), the other is a military veteran (1 year in Afghanistan) with one son. Us paying is probably the only way these kids will ever get to go to Disney and, unless we pay again, the only time they will ever go.

We plan to tell my parents soon in case they want to help with the cost, give gift cards as gifts, or even go with us. But I'm really wanting a cool way to tell my sisters and their kids! Any ideas?

 

[4under4]

Wow, this is so wonderfully generous of you!!! I don't have any great ideas right now, but I'm putting on my thinking hat. Do they live close, or are you going to have to surprise them from long distance?

 

[tabistar]

They don't live close (I'm in Georgia, they are in Kansas and Missouri), but the one with triplets plus one is planning to visit for a couple weeks this summer. Not sure when I'll see the other sister. So maybe something by mail? Or a video? I'm SO not the creative type!

 

[4under4]

I think a treasure box mailed to them with individually wrapped/numbered items for them to open in order while you're on the phone. Maybe gift #1 could be a container of sunscreen. #2, some Disney fruit snacks. Hit up the dollar store and find lots of little items that would tie to a WDW trip (ponchos, toys, hair accessories for the girls, etc.). The last package could be a "family trip" tee shirt (lots of folks on the dis that can make a design or just go to etsy if you want quick & easy), along with a letter inviting them to join you on the trip.

 

[NJlauren]

First I wanted to say this is such a generous and thoughtful thing to do for nieces and nephew and your sisters

So I am not creative at all, but maybe a puzzle type of thing (depending on the kids ages, I like puzzles). Two different ideas, a traditional jigsaw puzzle, OR you send a clue every week for say 4 weeks and they need to try and figure it out.....

Or you could do the gift basket type thing?

That's all I've got, but to put it in prospective, i am a horrible gift giver, I buy my husband gifts for whatever the holiday is, and as soon as they get here I give them to him, I never wait for the actual occasion!

 

[tabistar]

I think a treasure box mailed to them with individually wrapped/numbered items for them to open in order while you're on the phone. Maybe gift #1 could be a container of sunscreen. #2, some Disney fruit snacks. Hit up the dollar store and find lots of little items that would tie to a WDW trip (ponchos, toys, hair accessories for the girls, etc.). The last package could be a "family trip" tee shirt (lots of folks on the dis that can make a design or just go to etsy if you want quick & easy), along with a letter inviting them to join you on the trip.

The treasure box is a great idea!

That's all I've got, but to put it in prospective, i am a horrible gift giver, I buy my husband gifts for whatever the holiday is, and as soon as they get here I give them to him, I never wait for the actual occasion!

I'm also a horrible gift giver; it's so hard for me to wait without spoiling the surprise! Which is why I need to get this figured out soon before I just blab it out, haha.

The whole trip will be even more special because our kids are so close in age. My DS is 6, and so are my triplet nieces and my nephew; they were all born within 4 months of each other! My DD is 4 and my other niece is 3. I really wanted to do the trip this year, but we want to wait until the youngest is a little older since it will probably be her only trip; she'll turn 5 right before we go.

DH and I are so glad that we are in a place where we can do this trip for them!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

You mention one sister is a teacher. Will she be able to get off work? I don't know about Kansas, but most schools in Missouri do not shut down for that entire week.

 

[tabistar]

You mention one sister is a teacher. Will she be able to get off work? I don't know about Kansas, but most schools in Missouri do not shut down for that entire week.

They do go to school on Monday and Tuesday, but I did some sneaky inquiring and she can use personal days. I do plan on emailing her principal (they have a great relationship) to confirm and to let her know the reason so that she's more likely to agree to granting the time off.

 

[worm761]

I don't know your family, but will they be receptive to this? Personally, I don't like being told what to do with our vacation time. Even if someone else is paying. So I would suggest that you first discuss this with your sisters and see how they feel about it. Then, maybe do a surprise for the kids instead of the adults. And I would want to know with plenty of time to plan and save. There will be costs even if you are paying for most of it.

 

[bond24seven]

Or you could send them a Disney planning DVD and give them the dates you are going and let them accept or decline. I have been 10 times and I always get excited about a trip after watching that...I think it is great what you are willing to do.

 

[tabistar]

One sister (the one with multiple kids) will definitely be on board. The other one, I'm not sure, but I'll talk to her before saying anything to my nephew. And yes, I do plan on telling them in advance, more than a year (at least, my sisters- not so sure about the kids). I want them to have long enough to save up for any incidentals.

More often than not, our whole family gets together for Thanksgiving anyway (usually hosted at our house), so it's not a big stretch for us to go on vacation together that week.

 

[dprincessmom]

Since you said this is likely their first trip, why not pick up a guide book and mail to each of them with a note from you and hubs that says, we are hoping you could do a little research for our trip to Disney World!

The best of both worlds. You could skype as they open the books and that would give them something to look at and hold and review until it is time for the trip.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I would fish around prior to Thanksgiving 2015 and see if there is any interest. If there is, then maybe bring it up officially to the adults at Thanksgiving after the kids have gone to bed. Make sure you make it clear exactly what you will be paying for, and give them time to think about it. Don't expect an answer right on the dot. We invited my BIL's family, and it took them 2 months to decide to join us. If they accept, discuss with your sisters how best to surprise the kids.

 

[Happyjen27]

I love that you're doing this, that's so awesome!!

It might be anticlimactic, but, I would talk to my sisters first before sending any kind of gift that might be opened by her kids. They might not want to go, they might have issues around accepting a gift so generous, they might want to save face a bit about any mixture of emotions. The other parent of these kids might want the first trip to Disneyworld to be with them, not your sisters. There are a million reasons that probably never will exist, but, I would open the dialogue in the most common of ways, rather than a showy gift that might put your sisters in a tough spot.