If I don't tell someone about this surprise.... please help me be quiet!!

[Pixieflip]

One week to go and I can't stand it!! Please help me keep my surprise a secret! Maybe if I share the fun details with you, then I won't spill the beans around here. Can you help? Just let me talk already!!


Here's the skinny: we have a fun tradition in our family that when a kid turns 13, they get a fun trip with mom or dad.

When our oldest turned 13, Dad took him to Minneapolis (we live in Omaha, it's only about a 6.5 hour drive) for a Minnesota Vikings game, a Twins game and a trip to Mall of America to the Apple store with money from his grandparents. He had a blast.

Next in line is DD who turned 13 last February. Maybe I spend too much time on the DIS but I could not plan a trip on the road in the winter. We had to go somewhere warm. We are DVC members so a trip there would only be points. Yeah, that's the ticket! Let's go to WDW! We added my mom to the agenda. She had a health scare and so I decided life is short, take your mom. Here are a couple of fun memories from last year:

The actual birthday, spent it at The Crystal Palace:

Breakfast with Grandma (I really, really wanted to post silly actions shots from BTMRR, but Mom would definitely not appreciate that!):

My singing girl:

But THIS is not her trip.

THIS, is my third child's 13th birthday! Here are both of my girls from our trip in October, 2011, younger one in front:

This birthday is coming June 10. Our last day of school is June 2. I can't leave my other kids home alone with nothing to do all day while some of us are frolicking in our family's favorite place. I'm a tough mom, but not even I could do that! Plus she knows it's probably coming. Sooooo, we booked her trip for May 14 to 18! SHE WILL NEVER SUSPECT IT!

We've got a Studio at Old Key West Resort. She hasn't stayed there since she was a baby and we haven't been there since the remodeling, so that is very exciting. I love the photos everyone has shared on the new rooms.

 

[Kat in GA]

How exciting! I LOVE surprise trips! All of our trips - except the one we are planning now have been surprises.

And I took my girls over Spring break to Sea World - and we did one day at Epcot - and I didn't tell them at all! We got in the car and drove - and I waited for them to ask questions! So, so fun.

Can't wait to hear more about your plans. You can happily blab to me - and as you can see, I can totally keep a secret!

 

[Pixieflip]

Thanks! I knew I could count on my DIS friends for sympathy and help!

Our flight leaves at 8am this Saturday, so we're going to reveal the gift after school on Friday. That way she'll have time to pack, be excited and tell her friends, too. I've done a few different reveals so it was a challenge to do this differently. She did hint that she likes the balloon floating up so we'll include that.

I've got a yellow Mickey head balloon, that's her favorite color. We're going over to my parents' house for dinner and I'm going to have my dad ding dong ditch the front door, leaving a giant Tinkerbell gift bag with glitter and Mickey confetti around it and DD's name on the tag. Once she brings it in, she'll know something's up!

She'll take out the tissue and up the yellow Mickey head balloon will float with a customized Mickey plush that says, "Happy Disney B-Day, _____!" It'll have her name and will be so special - she'll flip.

Next will be a series of tiny cards. She loves anything tiny. They each have a pink sparkly castle on the front and inside will reveal things like our resort, our dining reservations, flight info and such. It's not the blue Cinderella Castle, but she'll love it. This is it, by Meri Meri.

Side note - my girls are certainly beyond the princess thing, but when it comes to WDW, anything goes, all is beloved. KWIM? They do not feel too old to have breakfast with Pooh and friends or cheer for the parades or ride all the rides and have fun. Yes, they do love the bigger faster rides more these days, but the classics are always visited too. One thing that's different, we don't do a lot of the autographs anymore. I do miss the cute photos, but do not miss the lines.

Anyway, I took the card to the bakery and they're making a birthday cake for her that matches the castle on the card. Will pick the up Friday when I pick up her balloon.

Under that, I'll have her scrapbook and papers that match:

 

[Pixieflip]

Lastly, the big gift bag will have a couple of dweebie day shirts. You know what a dweebie day shirt is? My MIL made up that word and I've said it here before. It's when someone makes matching shirts for everyone in your party and makes you wear them, so you look like dweebs. Yep, that's how we roll.

However, with such a short trip, I might only wear them once. The others can be for fun jammies or something.

Those were both collected on the Creative DISigns forum. I'm so embarrassed to say that I did not keep the names of the DISigners so I can properly give them credit...but I'd never be able to make these trips so fun without them. It might be on my last TR, I'll have to go look it up. They are amazing people over there. We wore these shirts last year and got lots of nice comments and birthday wishes, too. Cast members never miss the chance to wish a birthday greeting.

We have a stockpile of trader pins ready for the bottom of the bag. She loves to trade pins. The real trick of the day will be to keep her brothers and sister from begging any off of her. My oldest DS16 is a real pin fanatic. I think I have a specific pin from Old Key West, that's a gift not a trader.

Hmmm, it's helping me make my to do list by thinking all this through. I need wrapping paper, glitter, and the insides done for the tiny cards.

Also need to decide if we're using party goods like plates, napkins and decorations, for dinner that night. We did last year, but it was the week of the birthday, not a whole month early. What do you think? Her actual birthday is not till June 10, surely we'll be low key, the trip is her gift, but will still celebrate. Do we do it twice? What would you do?

 

[Kat in GA]

I love the whole reveal - from the balloon to the tiny stuff (can't wait to see that cake!) to the dweebie day shirts. I love that word! My mom is a huge fan of the dweebie shirt. I ought to look over at the disign boards - so at least I have some control over the outcome

The surprise trip we took over Spring break was the birthday gift for my youngest. However, we did a mini "party" for her actual birthday. She had two friends sleep over, she got to pick what I made for dinner, I made cupcakes and she and her friends decorated them - and that was about it. Kinda low key - but still something she could do with her friends.

Do you think your daughter suspects??

 

[Pixieflip]

I love the whole reveal - from the balloon to the tiny stuff (can't wait to see that cake!) to the dweebie day shirts. I love that word! My mom is a huge fan of the dweebie shirt. I ought to look over at the disign boards - so at least I have some control over the outcome

The surprise trip we took over Spring break was the birthday gift for my youngest. However, we did a mini "party" for her actual birthday. She had two friends sleep over, she got to pick what I made for dinner, I made cupcakes and she and her friends decorated them - and that was about it. Kinda low key - but still something she could do with her friends.

Do you think your daughter suspects??

Oh, I will definitely post photos!

She knows to some extent. She knows of the tradition. And last year after my other DD's trip, I floated some hypothetical questions to see if she had any strong likes or dislikes that might surprise me. Then I said okay, we'll see what happens! We have teased her a bit here and there about what could possibly be coming this birthday. All in good fun and she's eating it up. She has no idea how early it will be compared to her actual birthday. And I did float the possibility that we might not be able to go ON HER ACTUAL birthday because what would the other kids do, etc. She was fine with that.

I like the mini party idea. I could handle that. Thanks!

 

[Pixieflip]

Our ADR's have changed here and there over the past few months, but here's the plan as of right now:

Arrival Day, Saturday:

Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern

Sunday:

Lunch at Rose and Crown

Monday:

Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Tea Room
Dinner at Coral Reef

Tuesday:

Lunch at th 50's Prime Time Cafe
Dinner at Le Chefs

Wednesday, departure day:

Breakfast at the Crystal Palace


Some are family favorites like 50's PTC and CP and some are new like LC and CR. She loves anything to do with Paris, so I'm sure she will be so excited.

I'm hoping we won't regret all these TS meals on such a short trip. Sometimes it's hard to be somewhere at a very specific time. We'll see!

What do you all think?

 

[Pixieflip]

Only 4 more days till we leave!! And only 3 more days till we tell the birthday girl!!

Today I got my pedicure - first one of the summer season and wow, that was great. Winter is tough on a girl, it was my birthday present from December and who can go to Florida without pretty toes? Also went shopping for a few new clothes for DD for the trip. A couple of skirts and sweaters and tanks. She's going to be so excited. She gets so many hand-me-downs as the 2nd daughter, I love it when we can pick up a few new things for her.

Also picked up some travel sized Bath and Body Works items. I'm sad to hear they are discontinuing Coconut Lime Verbena! I bought that before our Christmas 2005 trip and used the lotion every day and the hand sanitizer any chance I could, making that my WDW scent. I can wear it other times, but it makes me remember WDW. Actually, I specifically remember the moment I shared it with all the nieces and nephews and my kids while we were gathering back up outside the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Play Set at DHS. Sigh. I picked up a brand new scent, Into the Wild, but alas, it does not come with a hand sanitizer. Oh, well. How can it be bad? I'm going to Disney World!!

The 10 day forecast is now being checked daily. You know you're getting close then. Looks to be 90 on Saturday and upper 80's the rest of the trip with 40 to 60 % chance of thunderstorms most days. That's your garden variety Florida weather. Love it.

Tomorrow I need to make her dweebie day shirts. And do laundry. My DH is actually heading to CA for a few days to attend a conference for our church's new Sunday school curriculum. So he won't be home for the big reveal. But you can bet I'll be taking photos.

That's all for now. Thanks for listening. So far my plan has worked! Writing it here keeps me from spilling the beans at home!

 

[roxannensteve]

You have a wonderful plan!! I absolutely love the idea of the whole 13h bday celebration!! I love the idea of the balloon coming out the bag! I love everything about this!! I kinda have been considering doing a pre-trip report so I can actually get myself moving along....Cannot wait to hear more............

 

[Pixieflip]

My husband almost spilled the beans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's so hard to keep this kind of secret! We have some logistics to plan regarding him being out of town when we leave and what we're doing with the other kids for that one day. Our flight is at 8am on Saturday morning and he's returning home from California at about 8pm on Saturday night. The kids will go spend the day with Grandpa. But my DH needs a ride home from the airport and when he asked my DS16 if he could pick him up, they started to go into this discussion about why Mom can't do it and HELLLLOOOOOO!!! She's right in the other room on the computer!

But we covered and I don't think she noticed. It was about one sentence away from disaster. But we're good. Whew!