My tip for if you are going to try to surprise someone with a WDW trip....

[minniebeth]

My tip, if you are trying to do a surprise trip to WDW, is NOT to let the people who you are trying to surprise, get the mail from the mailbox.....
one day, in it, you (or the people who you are trying to surprise) will get a Walt Disney Travel Company envelope that says "Reservation Information Enclosed".......................

I realize that most people who book trips realize this. I'm being a little sarcastic and just need to vent my disappointment.......
My DS11, just got the mail, and let's just say, fellow DISers, he's a bright boy.
It will still be nice on Christmas morning to present my kids with their gift for a WDW trip in Jan., just took the wind out of the sails a little!

Thanks for listening.
The End.

 

[Kim1964]

I'm sorry that happened to you. We're giving the kids next year's trip on Christmas morning, too. My AAA travel agent has strict instructions to only leave her name and telephone number if she has to leave a message.....she wasn't terribly surprised when I made that request, so I guess it happens a lot. I also ordered a set of Disney luggage that's part of the Christmas morning surprise and it arrived today.........unbelievable, since DD#1 was home from school due to a teacher training day! The good news is that DH orders stuff online a lot and I was able to grab the box and roll my eyes at another one of "Dad's boxes of stuff" .

I have to be careful when I log in to Tour Guide Mike that DD#1 isn't anywhere near me....that first page with the # of days until the trip could blow the whole surprise!

 

[j_lehr]

I am also giving my daughter a surprise trip for Disney. The only difference is we are actually leaving 12/22 and will be at Disney over Christmas. She already knows we are traveling...we are supposed to spend Christmas in Florida with my boyfriend's family like we did last year...she just doesn't realize we are traveling somewhere difference.

I am so paranoid that she is going to find out. She is 13 and pretty smart. I hadn't even thought about the reservation info (Thanks!!!) I am afraid she already knows but then there are times when i don't think she does. We talk about our upcoming trip to visit his family all the time but...... I have had her walk in on me when my e mail is open and i get Disney newsletters...and i know that you can get those even if you don't have a trip planned but like I said i am paranoid...

Today she came to work with me and on my calendar it says X number of days til Disney and i took it down and I don't think she saw it but still there was that chance....anyway, surprises are so hard to give. It's exhausting! LOL I can't wait for Christmas to be here.

Thanks for the tip!!

 

[dianemb]

We also book thru AAA and I go get the paper work when it comes in. I Won't even start getting ready till the day we leave. ( leaving at 3 am for airport Sunday so we will be telling/surprising that Saturday morning).

 

[mdfdisney]

Minniebeth, your surprise lasted longer than mine. Shortly after we got back from our trip in September, I asked my wife "What do you think about surprising the kids with another trip to DW in January..."

She immediately runs downstairs and yells to all three girls, "Girls, girls! Guess what! Daddy is taking us to Disney in January!"

So much for the surprise But, it is hard to be mad when they were so happy to hear the news.

Since the trip is not a surprise, I am buying some pins and small Disney paraphernalia to use as stocking stuffers.

 

[Boston5602]

I asked my wife "What do you think about surprising the kids with another trip to DW in January..."

She immediately runs downstairs and yells to all three girls, "Girls, girls! Guess what! Daddy is taking us to Disney in January!"

So much for the surprise But, it is hard to be mad when they were so happy to hear the news.

 

[Our2Girls&Disney]

Good tip! Our DD8 did not catch on at all, which I was very surprised. We got the reservation package as well the planning DVD which I watched with them several times, plus I would talk about it all the time with people around me. There were so many times when I thought she know, but she really was surprised. I must have got lucky.

We plan to return 2007. We are not sure if we want to surprise or not surprise. I enjoyed surprising.

 

[rona7jim]

bummer, we are surprising my DH by making it possible to bring his DD18 with us for our DD7 make a wish trip. We didnt have money to include her but I have put it together. We cant wait to surprise him. We have never gone on vacation as a family. It will truly be magical.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Two years ago on Christmas we were successful at surprising my mother and father, my 2 sisters, brother-in-law, and our two nephews with a trip to WDW. We made up a cute little flyer informing them of their gift vacation including airfare, hotel, and park tickets using pictures of the hotel and such. We also included personalized mouse ears for each person and a guide book for each family. Well, they certainly were surprised!--more like shocked ! They didn't no how to accept such an extravagant gift and it was just kinda silent--not the response we expected! A few minutes later they warmed up to the idea and realized we weren't kidding. We all had a fantastic vacation together.

This year we're giving trips to my husband's family. He warned them in advance so we don't get the same overwhelmed response! Go figure-- I thought it would be more of an "I just won the lottery" response than the response we got.

 

[Honeymooners1021]

Everyone is so lucky! I cannot wait until DH and I can suprise our family with a top secret trip!!!! No kids yet! Waiting until after our 1st trip together in Feb and then we will think about it!!!

 

[shaws2003]

That really stinks minniebeth. My DW and I are down to 22 days until we surprise the kids. I told out AAA rep that it was a surprise and to only call my office and not to send anything to the house. We have kept the secret for around 7 months and if someone blows the surprise for us, well needless to say I will be some ugly

 

[minniebeth]

We still have lots to surprise our family about. I'm just hoping that my DS did not share the info. or his discovery with his sister. He doesn't know any of the details. Since we have done Disney often, we figured we will move on to other trips such as another Disney Cruise or I would love to try Adventures by Disney. So we are trying to make this a "big bang trip". It should still be a surprise as to where we are staying, etc.
I think the highlights of the trip are that we are staying at AKL and doing the sunrise safari. We also have tickets to the Pirate and Princess Party.

I love to hear the surprise stories. Even if they all don't turn out the way we want, it is still special and magical!

 

[Dznypal]

surprised me with a trip to WDW and I never found out--

the first was in 1994 we were in Canada, then Cooperstown for the Baseball hall of fame then Baltimore for a game at Cmaden yards then we were

supposed to go to Virginia Beach (or so I thought we had planned )


since we drove DH went to AAA to have the trip tics made out so when he told the agent that it was a surprise he said well we'll fix her so he mapped out 2 trip tic one to virginia beach the other to auto train in lorton virginia

it was such a great surprise
DH had everything sent to my parents house disney was great keeping the surprise.

the next time was just 3 months ago since by this time our kids were moved out DH had everything sent to DD's place

I didnt know I was going till we were checking in at the airport!!!! since DD just got married 3 days before we were supposed to be taking them!!!

 

[Praise2Him]

Almost the same thing happened to us a couple of years ago. I was planning a surprise Mom/Daughter Disney cruise in January for me and DD13. A sweet DIS'er sent her a postcard from Mickey & Minnie and I planned to give it to her on her birthday in December to tell her about the cruise. But, it came before I thought it would and DD got the mail that day. She never let on that she had seen it, but of course she had. She still pretended to be surprised, though. And we had a great time on the cruise!

 

[2bearsmom]

My dh had planned the whole WD trip for Jan, and was going to surprise me and our two boys on Christmas morning. His mother is coming to and is/was in on the suprise. Well, his dad kind of mentioned it but dh covered pretty well. That same day his sister called and told me she can't wait to see us, they live in FL, in Jan! Boy was my dh very unhappy. My MIL and her were talking and she forgot to tell her it was a surprise for me and the boys. They are 5 and 17mo and thankfully my 5yr old has not figured anything out since we've been talking about it so much. How is it that nobody can keep a secret? LOL My dh is kind of glad I found out, we have changed resorts for the third time (thanks to the codes I found here!) and have found some really good ideas. I just can't wait to tell the kids! I don't know how many times I've almost said something to ds!
The less people that know the better!!!!!!!!

 

[HappyCamperToo]

I have a question for those of you who like to surprise people with WDW trips---

Is the total joy and excitement they experience when they are told the surprise really more than the joy of the months of anticipation of the trip would be?

I'm guessing it must be, since so many people surprise others with trips. I just know that I've been totally happy planning and thinking about this next trip since last February, and while I know I'd love to be surprised with a trip, I sure have loved the anticipation.

 

[swillis]

This just happened to me! I almost always get the mail everyday. If not me then my husband.

Well DH got the mail, and then left it on the counter. One of my Disney reservation envelopes was opened, but I don't honestly think my DD looked in the envelope.

I will know soon though if she did. She is one of those kids who gets terrible anxiety if she does something wrong. She has to tell me, or she gets anxiety attacks, and so far she has been fine.

We'll see..but I won't make that mistake again. And neither will DH

 

[Praise2Him]

I have a question for those of you who like to surprise people with WDW trips---

Is the total joy and excitement they experience when they are told the surprise really more than the joy of the months of anticipation of the trip would be?

I'm guessing it must be, since so many people surprise others with trips. I just know that I've been totally happy planning and thinking about this next trip since last February, and while I know I'd love to be surprised with a trip, I sure have loved the anticipation.

I wouldn't surprise someone with a first trip, probably, because the anticipation is so much fun. However, we've been many times, so occasionally we like to surprise the kids by going sooner than they think we are, or by planning a spur of the moment trip.

I'm like you and love planning ahead for our trips. But, I would totally LOVE it if my DH surprised me sometime! (Probably won't happen though)

 

[HappyCamperToo]

I'm like you and love planning ahead for our trips. But, I would totally LOVE it if my DH surprised me sometime! (Probably won't happen though)

Same scenario here!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I have a question for those of you who like to surprise people with WDW trips---

Is the total joy and excitement they experience when they are told the surprise really more than the joy of the months of anticipation of the trip would be?

I'm guessing it must be, since so many people surprise others with trips. I just know that I've been totally happy planning and thinking about this next trip since last February, and while I know I'd love to be surprised with a trip, I sure have loved the anticipation.

I think DISers in general love to plan trips to WDW. That's why we're here!
Dh, on the other hand, only says, "Just tell me when we're going and I'll be there." When I ask for his "approval" of things like "How about going down the night before instead of 1st thing in the am?" I get, "Sure whatever you want." He loves being in WDW but just doesn't get the excitement from planning like we do.

We've surprised our ds's twice. The 1st time, 2 yrs ago, I sent them to school then quick packed. We picked them up from school with the trunk loaded. They thought the early dismissal was for a dental appt. All the way to the airport they tried to guess where we were going. Finally older ds guessed as we got close to the aiport and saw planes. They were so stunned.
This last time (Sept.) dh took them to our local aquarium the weekend before we left so I could pack. I covered the suitcases with a dark sheet just in case they peeked over the back seats of the minivan. We had a late flight so after dinner dh says to them, "So which would you rather do: Go get some water ice (a Philly thing similar to sherbet) or go to Florida!!" Stunned again!