Ideas to surprise kids

[DLovinFam]

I need some ideas on how to surprise my 3 kids who will be 16, almost 13 and 6 when we go to Disneyland next year.

We don't want them to know until the last possible moment. I think they will have to know that we are going *somewhere* since it would be hard to hide packing for 5 people for 9 days. (The teens may wonder where all of there clothes are)

Dh wants to go to Peterson's Automobile Museum in LA, so we were thinking of telling them we are going there and just saying it's down South from us (not saying it's in LA) and that we need to spend the night since it's too far for a day trip. I would still have to secretly pack a bunch of clothes though. But it would just mean a lot of last minute packing I supose.

That's all we've got so far. We need some ideas for the actual surprise part!
TIA!

 

[pixiewings71]

Last year we drove to LA and past DL, checked into our hotel and then told the kids where we were. AFTER they asked "can we go to DL, it looks like we are really close" LOL This year we did a treasure hunt.

 

[NVDisMom]

Maybe a vacation to the beach. Or San Diego? Something further south of DL. Then as you are getting close to DL, honey we need to stop, restroom time. Just a quick stop kids. Act like you are going into the hotel to use their restroom (being picky about not stopping at a gas station or fast food place) and actually checking in.

 

[trekkie2]

one of the best vacations we had as kids was a time when we went to bed as normal and my parents woke us up about 4 in the morning and told us we were going on vacation. My mom had packed after we went to sleep and had the car loaded and we took off for a 2 week vacation. Your little ones might like that but your teens might freak out.

 

[texasteacher35]

Our friends across the street DID NOT tell anything about the trip to all of their kids, when planning a surprise trip to WDW a couple of years ago...they have 5 kids...anyway, the morning they were leaving, she woke everyone up, at like, 4 am and told everyone get get their bags ready...(she had already packed underwear and essentials) all bags were laying (lying?) out in the hallway...and the limo pulled up and off they went for a surprise Christmas vacation..they did not know where they were flying off to...even in the limo, until they got to the Chicago O'Hare airport! She said that their reactions were priceless! That is such a fun way to go!!!! Ya'll will have a great time!

 

[Ooba]

We surprised our 3 DDs last summer with a trip to WDW. They were 4, 11 and 14 at the time. They knew we were going on vacation, but thought we were going to Boston for an "educational" vacation (UGH!) . We didn't tell them until we changed planes in Dallas. Thats the first time our 14 year old has EVER been speechless . Of course, the pay back for that was the nonstop blab all the way on the flight from Dallas (if you were on that flight, I apologize! ) The reaction was priceless, and we have the pictures to prove it. Oh, yes, and there is that small victory of knowing we completely fooled our DD14, who believes she has us completely figured out
I don't think we will ever be able to pull that off again. However we leave in just over a week for DL. The kids know about it, but they do not know that Grandma and Grandpa are going too (they have never been! ). I can't wait to see the looks on their faces at 5:00 in the morning when my mom comes to the door and asks if she can come too!

 

[bumbershoot]

Ooba, that's awesome.



Well, my brother and I were in between your youngest and the older two ages when my mom and then-stepdad surprised us...

We lived in northern CA, and went to visit the Grand Canyon one Fall. We drove down there, spent Thanksgiving there visiting my aunt and her family, and had a nice time.

I know that the ENTIRE time my brother and I were pestering my mom, please please please pleeeeeeeeease can we go to DL, pleeeeeeeeease. And they just kept saying that we couldn't, no money, no time, etc etc.

On our way back, the evil parents actually drove on the highway that would go past it, and I have a vague memory of it being nighttime. I remember seeing the sign for Disneyland (is my memory faulty, or did there used to be big huge signs visible from the highway back in the late 70s?), and it revved us up just enough to start begging again.

I don't remember what my mom and Joe said, but suddenly we were turning off at the exit, and the stinkers had reservations at the Disneyland Hotel the whole time!!!!!!!

It was grand. First room service (scrambled eggs), stayed in adjoining rooms, had a good time until my silly mom went on the teacups and spun her way into a migraine .....


But that was all part of a trip that we were already on. And it was a longer trip, so we were all packed. I know my brother wouldnt' have cared, but even at whatever age I was I was very aware of clothes and what I didn't like to wear, and it would have bugged me to NO end to have someone else pack for me...so with teens, I might concoct another trip that you guys are going on. Just so they have SOME say into what goes into their suitcases (unless you absolutely know what clothes they love and feel good in) for this long trip.

 

[darph nader]

Years ago we told my sons and one of their friends,we were going fishing and camping. The morning we leaving I gave them the Tickets to DL.My oldest sons friend 'freaked out' (he'd never been).My youngest son was....upset,he wanted to go fishing.

 

[DLovinFam]

Thank you so much for all of your stories and ideas! It really helps! I'm sure dh and I will have the prefect plan when the time comes thanks to all of you. Goodness knows we have PLENTY of time to plan and scheme!

Keep the stories and ideas coming! I love reading them!

 

[bumbershoot]

.My youngest son was....upset,he wanted to go fishing.

That's where I got stuck while replying last night...I couldn't come up with a good "cover" trip where they wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't happen! I don't know of any places boring enough that they would be happy it was not true, but with enough to do where they would actually believe you could spend more than a week there.

Ooh wait, I know! Death Valley. A long trip to Death Valley, so they need lots of layered clothes, good walking shoes, cameras, etc. Very few people (my Dad being one) would be disappointed they did NOT go there...

 

[COlandlocked]

We are planning our first trip to DL in October. We told our 8 year old that we were going to go to CA to see someplace new and go to the beach. We plan NOT to tell him we are really going to DL until we drive up and he figures it out himself. Have res at GC.

Can't wait to see his face.

 

[Mr_UCLA]

We are also planning on surprising our kids (ages 9 & 4). They think my wife and I are going to Mexico and that they are going to stay at grandma & grandpa's house. We are telling them that grandma & grandpa will meet us at the airport. Their luggage will be carry on, so we won't tell them until just before we board the plane. We'll keep playing it off like, "where's grandma?" "She better hurry up and get here." Then BAM!!! We're going to video record the whole thing. As an added bonus, we are staying at the Disneyland Hotel for the first time.

So, you might be able to use the same method as us. Tell your kids that you and your spouse are going somewhere for grown ups and that they will stay with a relative/friend, that way, they can pack whatever they want to wear and you won't have to "sneak" and then BOOM!!

 

[BraMax]

We just did this, this past July. We planned a last minute surprise trip (3 weeks of keeping a secret). Our problem was we had to drive 3 hours to the airport because that is where the deal was. So we told our boys 4.5 & 7 that we were going to Drumheller to see the dinosaurs and that it was too long of a drive to make it in one day so we had to drive part of the way then get up really early to drive there the next morning (our flight was for 7:00 am which meant we had to be at the airport at 5:30 am because it's an international flight). My husband started telling him that he wanted to go on a roller coaster, then to the beach the night before. Well we got them up at 5:00 am and they were excited to head to see the dinosaurs. My oldest can read and was very confused when we pulled into the airport that he said "Mom I didn't know we had to take a plane there?" Well my dh says we thought we would go someplace else. Remember I said I wanted to go to the beach and ride a roller coaster. Well where can we find those things? He asked them. We gave them a few more hints as we were walking into the airport because as soon as we go to the ticketing agent we knew they would know. Well my older one looks at me and says "Are we going to Disneyland?" All I could do was smile at him. And believe it or not he was ticked right off that we weren't going to see the dinosaurs lol. But once it sunk in where we were going they were both excited.

Good luck planning your surprise. Having teenagers makes it a little tough but I'm sure you can do it!

 

[Tink_Or_Belle]

our last trip to Disneyworld was a surprise we told the kids we were going to Texas we had to fly to Dallas to connect to Orlando so we just didn't mention the 2nd part of the trip we told them it was a work trip for DH and we were just going along and hanging out at the hotel and swimming that way they wouldn't be set on staying in Texas the announcment on the plane even said Dallas... so it would have worked perfectly if I hadn;t decided I could not wait and told them 2 weeks early... I had to tell the school ahead of time and didn;t want the school to think I was lying about the trip to them (the school) by saying Texas rather than Disney so the day after we told teh school I told the kids

 

[DLovinFam]

So, you might be able to use the same method as us. Tell your kids that you and your spouse are going somewhere for grown ups and that they will stay with a relative/friend, that way, they can pack whatever they want to wear and you won't have to "sneak" and then BOOM!![/QUOTE]


That would make it so much easier! Let them pack for a week at "Grandma's"
I'll have my mom in on it and everything! How fun and sneaky!

Have a great trip, and be sure to let us know how the surprise went!