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

[meryll83]

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.....

I ordered a Christmas pressie from Amazon the other day for my bf, signed out afterwards and everything.
Next time he visits Amazon main front page on our computer it shows up recently views items and he's like "Did you get me this for Christmas?"
So much for the element of surprise

 

[dr&momto2boys]

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.

We like the surprise and anticipation. When we surprised my parents and sisters and their families with trips for Christmas a couple years ago, the trip was actually 6 months later at a date we all agreed upon after the surprise. So we surprised them with announcing the trip we were going to take them on by giving them mouse ears hats and an appropriate guide book so we could all plan and anticipate together. We're doing the same thing this year for my husband's side of the family.

 

[MomofCKJ]

Bummer that your suprise got ruined.

Our trip is also a suprise and fortunately no one ever gets the mail but me. I scooped up the packet from the TA a few weeks ago and no one saw it. The TGM thing that someone mentioned, that is where I sometimes think I will get ruined. I always have to have another window opened to click over to!

This trip is the first trip for our 3 kids. I have debated the whole time to anticipate vs total suprise many times in my head. For us we felt the suprise of being told they are going to WDW the next morning will be utterly priceless and memorable for them. We talk Disney all the time, talk about when we go "someday", watch the planning DVD, etc. So in a way they are anticipating going someday, they just don't know that someday is in 21 more days!

Allyson

 

[mom0299]

Sorry about the spoiled surprise. We are surprising our kids with a trip in December. We were just there in June so I don't think they suspect anything. They haven't seen any of the mail that we've received. Several people know about our trip so I hope they don't spill the beans. The kids have 1/2 day of school on Dec. 19. I am going to bring them home from school and DH will have the car packed when we get home. I think I'm looking forward to telling them almost as much as I am about going to see the World at Christmas.

 

[haley's mom]

I am trying to surprise dd3 for a trip in January. We will be at the P&P party on January 29th, her 4-th birthday. She has overheard me taking to dh and my parents. When I was trying to tell my parents about the P&P party. I said I was not planning on going until one of the dates is Jan 29th. DD was in the next room watching tv, and she ran in saying January 29th? That's my birthday! I hope we are able to keep the surprise! It is soooo very hard.

 

[minniebeth]

Ok, I have a cute update since I started this thread...
My DS of course, figured out we would be going to WDW, but we just kept on with pretending he didn't know. Yesterday in the car, my DH and DS were in the car alone and talking about Christmas and surprises, etc. My DS leaned over to my DH and whispered (again, no one else in the car) "Dad, mom is surprising you with a trip to Disney World!" As sad as I am about him finding out about the trip ahead of the surprise, that makes up for it!

 

[mom0299]

Ok, I have a cute update since I started this thread...
My DS of course, figured out we would be going to WDW, but we just kept on with pretending he didn't know. Yesterday in the car, my DH and DS were in the car alone and talking about Christmas and surprises, etc. My DS leaned over to my DH and whispered (again, no one else in the car) "Dad, mom is surprising you with a trip to Disney World!" As sad as I am about him finding out about the trip ahead of the surprise, that makes up for it!

Very cute!
My DH and I just couldn't stand it any longer. We leave in a week and a half and we just had to tell the kids. Now we all get to sit and watch the Food Network and Travel Channel Disney Holiday specials and get excited together.

 

[j_lehr]

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 love the planning but I would love to be surprised too!! We are suprising my 13 DD with a trip for Christmas. Sometimes I think she knows...sometimes I think she is still in the dark. We didn't have reservation info mailed here because of some miscommunication about my address (we moved after the reservation was made) so if she does know, if would be an assumption on her part, maybe after accidently hearing something one of us has said. But we have been trying to be so careful!!

Even if she did know, she wouldn't help plan....so, it's still fun at her age to do a surprise. If she was older, than I would think she might have more fun planning too...

 

[Arielle22]

DH and I have surprised our dds twice.

The first time they were 4 and 6. We woke them up abut 4am and told them we were going to the airport. We videoed it and they were so confused!

The second time was in 10/01. MIL wanted to take us for 4 days. So we told dds that we were driving Nana to the airport. When we got there we told them the truth. They were over the moon happy.

I would love to be surprised with a trip. While I love to plan, the waiting kills me. To be told that tomorrow we are going to Disney would be fabulous. Of course I would need the day's notice to pack.

 

[vassello]

We are giving the kids (DD12 & DS10) a Disney wrapped (of course) box filled with Disney planning guides, the Disney planning DVD and a tshirt that says "We are going to WDW in May" for their big present at Christmas. Since we don't go until the end of May, there is still plenty of time for our family to plan our trip, where to eat, etc. We already have a room booked.

I didn't want to leave them out of the planning all together so this way they will get the best of both worlds! Also, great incentive to keep those grades up!

 

[mandy200587]

We're suprising my nephew. My SIL is on it since she's going. We've been giving him clues everyweek so far he think it's just him going and we've repeatedly told him that's not it. Well somehow by per luck we were able to get a connecting flight from Altanta to Orlando. We arrive before them and plan to meet them at the gate. He thinks he's heading to see his Grandma and Grandpa in Florida. So excited about seeing his face in June.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

I surprised both my kids last year with a Christmas trip and they were hoodwinked right up until I told them. My son, 14 at the time, didn't believe me and had to call his dad to confirm that I was telling the truth.

 

[Queen2]

i'm going to WDW with my 35 son. I'm surprising him, his sister 37 from Maine will be joining us. We have different flights as we will be leaving from Phila. Well 2 nights ago I was packing my luggage& I had present for my daughter & it wouldn't fit in my luggage. He said WOW is Sister coming. I had to think fast. I told him we were going to mail it to her from WDW. He seemed to buy it. He is mentally Challenged, he is pretty high functioning. I hope I didn't blow it. We have been planning this since June