I've never back so excited and happy about cancelling a trip!

[DisneyMomx7]

Wad two trips planned this year. DH has been running the marathon the past few years so we were booked at the Poly for 5 nights for the marathon, and then we had our annual summer trip and we were booked 10 nights at GF and 5 nights at the Poly.

Well DH has decided that its finally time to take the great big, everyone's included, everything's paid for Family Trip! Between all our children, their spouses and grandchildren there will be 15 of us!

We are cancelling the January trip and changing the July trip around. Since we are paying for 4 rooms, MYW package with dining, airfare and spending money for everyone we had to give up the GF in favor of the Poly. We are having everyone (all 15) for one week and then when they go home DH, me and the three small ones will probably stay for another 5-7 days to enjoy some alone time and rest up.

Even though we are giving up the January trip I'm so excited to be able to do this for the older kids and our grandchildren. They are not in a position to be able to do this on their own right now so that makes it even more special.

It is a big secret which we plan to let out on Christmas Eve. DH and I are racking our brains trying to find the most special way to pull this off. We are thinking of having printed invitations made on DIsney stationery and doing a grab bag with Disney guidebooks and other Disney related items. Any suggestions?

 

[susieq76]

OMG! What a great gift! Wish you were my kids Grandma!!! LOL! Have an amazing trip!

 

[StrwLady]

If you are computer savvy why not make a video/photo slid show. You can tell them you want them to watch a video slide show of your last Disney trip. Then you can start with pictures of your trip and as the slide show goes on show pictures of Disney that you edited them into. Then maybe run end credits saying something like this was a pre-show of July 2008.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I don't know if this fits what you're looking for or not, but in the past, I made everyone in our family a Disney countdown calendar. I did it sort of like an advent calendar. Actually one time I used the cardboard from a an advent calendar to make the front, but the next time I just used construction paper. I collected some photos (many off the internet. Easy to do, just do a search for "Disney images"), and arranged my printer to put about twenty on a single sheet. My family is pretty Disney savvy, so I had to pick some obscure detail photos, but you could make them more general. EAch day, the family was to open one door on the calendar, to reveal a WDW park image. Each family group them emailed me their guess as to where the image was taken. A the end we had a winner! When al the doors were opened, it was time for our trip!

 

[tripletots]

There was a thread on here last summer with a couple doing just as you are doing, taking the whole family. They had put the message in a fortune cookie. It was really sweet. I'm sure someone more experience on these threads can pull the link. I will try to search for it, but like I said, I'm not that experienced.

Anyway, what you guys are doing is a really special thing. I hope all the kids know that!

I just used the search mode and this is what I came up with. I don't know how to post the link but the title is this
The FORTUNE COOKIE SURPRISE TRIP To Disney-THE SURPRISE!
maybe you could search this title.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

Your family is gonna have a blast!
I love the grab bag/guidebook idea. Do you have any KTTW cards lying around??? You could just put one of those in everyone's stocking and see how long it takes them to figure it out!

 

[LoriZH]

Wad two trips planned this year. DH has been running the marathon the past few years so we were booked at the Poly for 5 nights for the marathon, and then we had our annual summer trip and we were booked 10 nights at GF and 5 nights at the Poly.

Well DH has decided that its finally time to take the great big, everyone's included, everything's paid for Family Trip! Between all our children, their spouses and grandchildren there will be 15 of us!

We are cancelling the January trip and changing the July trip around. Since we are paying for 4 rooms, MYW package with dining, airfare and spending money for everyone we had to give up the GF in favor of the Poly. We are having everyone (all 15) for one week and then when they go home DH, me and the three small ones will probably stay for another 5-7 days to enjoy some alone time and rest up.

Even though we are giving up the January trip I'm so excited to be able to do this for the older kids and our grandchildren. They are not in a position to be able to do this on their own right now so that makes it even more special.

It is a big secret which we plan to let out on Christmas Eve. DH and I are racking our brains trying to find the most special way to pull this off. We are thinking of having printed invitations made on DIsney stationery and doing a grab bag with Disney guidebooks and other Disney related items. Any suggestions?

umm....would you consider adopting me, not my dh & children, just me?

Have a great time!!

 

[jns]

sounds like a great idea

Can you be my granny too

Have a ball planning

 

[oliviansmom17]

My family of 4 were the recipients of two trips to WDW thanks to my in-laws. They treated us for each of our two children's "first trips", (at the Poly, too!). They were the most wonderful gifts we could ever have received, and we are forever grateful to them. Your children will be thrilled and it will make for the most amazing memories!
Enjoy the Christmas surprise!!!

 

[Orelover]

WOW your a wonderful Grandma!!! Here's a possible: Put on the words, We are all going to Disney on peices of paper written backwards and have the kids hold them face down in front of mirror, the have them pick them up all at the same time and read the message. It took a couple of minutes before our oldest figured out what was going on, but after that OMG, the excitement!! Try to have a camera or video going to capture those faces once they realize, WERE ALL GOING TO DISNEY!!

Good luck and ENJOY ENJOY!!!

 

[jwwi]

We gave our children a trip to Las Vegas last year for Christmas. We bought 3 copies of National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation on DVD, they seemed a little confused at first. We then explained that we would be going for Spring Break, DDs are teacher. We also were celebrating of our DS 21st birthday.

So long story short; you could give them Disney movies and related gifts. Slowly, as everyone opens their gifts they may realize this theme, then let them know the Big Gift.

I want to join the list of becoming a family member too!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Thank you all for your great ideas and keep them coming. I know that they'll be thrilled but probably not nearly as DH and I are at being able to give them this special gift.

Our youngest children and our grandchildren are so close in age its not funny.

We had five children and thought we were done. I had chemo (11 years ago - I'm cured!) and was told we wouldn't be able to have anymore. Surprise - DD! We didn't want her to feel like an only child with the other children being so much older so here we go again!

This year is my 50th birthday and I couldn't wish for a better present from DH than being able to make this dream come true. It is definitely our Year of a Million Dreams!

BTW - I'm NEVER granny or grandma - (too young IMHO for that)I'm Me-Mom!

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Aww.....how wonderful! Thanks for sharing I am so excited for all of you! I have a 19 yr old and a 1 yr old!

 

[MeMom]

Guess what my grandma name is? Hint:Look at my Dis name. I treated my whole bunch to Disney World this summer, too. Rooms, tickets, and food. Of course, it wasn't as luxurious as yours. We stayed at Pop for ten days and had a BLAST!!! You will, too. We already have our dates ready to book for next summer to do it all again, and my daughter, granddaughter, and I will be making three trips between now and then for just us girls to do it our way. We'll be at MNSSHP in a little over three weeks, we're arriving Christmas night for a holiday trip, and we're going for Spring Break. Your family is very blessed to have you guys, and you have so much, much, much fun to look forward to together. Let us know about the big reveal.

 

[parmtoo]

We are doing the same thing in Dec. 08! I can't wait! There will be 10 of us, including the 3 grandchildren. We haven't decided where to stay yet, I thought I would look around on Dec. 07 trip, (just me, DS & DM). Have fun planning!

 

[Sazzo'sMommy]

Good for you ALL!

How about a scavenger hunt around the house, giving them little things necessary for the trip? Autograph books, pens, sunscreen, toilet seat covers , anything fun and exciting, and then, like someone suggested earlier...a photo movie explaining the trip, the resort, all of you ADR's, etc!

HAVE FUN!

 

[MPHARJ]

A few years ago we all went as a family there were 13 of us we had a great time. If you are doing this on Christmas Eve, why not plan a Disney dinner around it. You can make Disney inspired food. I think the idea you have is great tor you can send the younger kids on a scavenger hunt for clues.

 

[njbeachbum]

Here is an idea, make a big picture like 3 feet by 3 feet of the whole family with the "invitation" on it, then have it made into a puzzle. (There are places on the web that you can have stuff made into a puzzle.

Then give that as a gift and have everyone put it together.

 

[LilGMom]

What a wonderful present you are giving everyone!!! And congratulations on your cancer-free status!!

You could always send off for one of the planning DVDs, find (or make) Disney themed luggage tags, put the luggage tags in small gift bags, pass them out but don't let anyone open them, start watching the video, find a stopping point on the video that you like, tell everyone to open the bags and after the bags are open hold up a posterboard that says something about everyone going to WDW together. Or something like that.....

Be prepared for a lot of hooting and hollering!

 

[LilGMom]

Here is an idea, make a big picture like 3 feet by 3 feet of the whole family with the "invitation" on it, then have it made into a puzzle. (There are places on the web that you can have stuff made into a puzzle.

Then give that as a gift and have everyone put it together.

That is a really cute idea!