Need help planning a surprise trip.

[dmopal]

First I want to say hi. I'm sort of new here. I just officially registered but I've been lurking for years. This is such a fun board, I'm excited to finally be a part of it!

My husband and I are planning an August trip to Disney for our kids and we want to surprise them. I can't figure out how (and when) to tell them. I'm thinking of telling them the day/night before, but I'm not sure. My kids are 13,12,10,8,4,and 2.

Years ago, when we only had 4 kids we did a surprise Disney vacation and it was so much fun we wanted to do it again. The last time we made up a few rhyming clues for the oldest kids to figure out.

I know you guys will be able to help me make this trip just as magical! TIA!

Danielle

 

[TinaLala]

Danielle - welcome and OMG your family is amazing!! I give you the most amazing hugs for planning a surprise trip for your family - we're doing the same for ours in August as well!! I've got a passporter scavenger hunt that has some great clues that I'll send along to you.

Where are you staying? Have you made your ADRS?

What ideas do you have for fun for the kids?

 

[littlepeppers]

We have a suprise trip planned for Sept 29-Oct 6th. We are telling my DS(7) that we are going to his Nanny's house in TX. My DD(2) won't have a clue.

Hopefully everyone in the extended family will keep their big mouths shut. We are planning on video taping the look on his face when he sees the people waving the big mouse hands at the Orlando airport.

I don't think that I want to give him any clues.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Are you flying or driving? Some cute ideas are to make a video and tell the kids the night before that you are having movie night.... I once taped a Disney Movie and then cut in right at the middle of the movie with the announcement, then it cut back into the movie. You could also have a little gift on their pillow the night before for after the movie (the little ones may not catch on as quick).


If you are flying and really want to keep it a secret, you can tell them they have to meet an aunt or uncle at the airport. Make it sound sooo boring, then spring it to them at the security check.

Have fun!!

 

[callmeblissful]

I'm a newly registered lurker too--and a teenager with seven younger siblings, so I can appreciate the effort you're going to here! Six kids to the park, wow! I have seen some of the cutest surprise videos on YouTube, if you want to glean some ideas from there. Some others you could try:

You could have a character call and then put them on speaker phone, saying someone's on the phone to talk to all of them. If you go that route, keep in mind that some of these voices are just plain creepy! Just search for "Disney Enchanted Calls."

Something I loved when I was younger was a really good treasure hunt. There are a few ways you could go about that. You could come up with cute clues and hide them around the house, then have the kids work together to decipher them. A variation on that would be making (or buying) a puzzle of something Disney with the message on there. Then you could hide each piece of the puzzle with a clue. If you had the time and patience you could do a larger-scale hunt, in the park, in the neighborhood, etc. The "treasure" could be as simple as a note with a piece of candy, a small trinket, or a Disney pin for each child, or as elaborate as a new outfit or pair of mouse ears for everyone. Whatever works for your family.

Because you have so many young children, I'm guessing it'd be difficult to surprise them on the way (at the airport, while on the road, etc.) because you'd have to pack everything for each kid--and who isn't going to notice that? If you have the time and resources to do something like that, I say go for it. You could always have them pack for a "business trip" or something completely unexciting, but be prepared with an elaborate back story for your older kids in case they ask!

Another thing that used to really get the excitement flowing: my mom used to prepare a little goody bag for every trip, whether it be a car trip or an airplane trip, full of inexpensive little things to keep us busy. Some coloring pages and crayons, a tiny stuffed animal, action figure, or doll, maybe a new game for their consoles if they have them. You could do it all Disney themed, and before you know it, the kids would be bouncing to go.

For more ideas, just check YouTube for surprise trips to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. I'm sure there is stuff none of us have come up with. Just be creative!

 

[tnmom25]

Something I loved when I was younger was a really good treasure hunt. There are a few ways you could go about that. You could come up with cute clues and hide them around the house, then have the kids work together to decipher them. A variation on that would be making (or buying) a puzzle of something Disney with the message on there. Then you could hide each piece of the puzzle with a clue. If you had the time and patience you could do a larger-scale hunt, in the park, in the neighborhood, etc. The "treasure" could be as simple as a note with a piece of candy, a small trinket, or a Disney pin for each child, or as elaborate as a new outfit or pair of mouse ears for everyone. Whatever works for your family.

I love this idea! I'm surprising my dd4, dd8 & dd10 in September and I think I'm leaning toward a scavenger hunt. Thanks for the tips!

 

[wdw4mealso]

We surprised our three kids when they were 8,6 and 4. I packed late at night, and when my husband took them out. We took them out of school, and told them we were taking them out to lunch with grandma, who needed to go to the airport. I had packed backpacks with new little things to do on the plane. When we got to the airport we told them to grab their stuff, that we all were going with grandma. Then when grandma didn't have anything, we told them. They didn't believe it until we landed in Orlando. We have been back a half dozen times since, and they all loved the surprise trip. Yes they missed out on planning things, but they loved that they had no idea. No one leaked it to them either, and their teachers knew several weeks beforehand.

Whatever you do, it will be an amazing surprise. Have fun!

 

[minkydog]

We surprised the kids one time by telling them we were going to visit relatives in Alabama. They were 20,14 & 12 at the time. We live in Georgia. Thankfully, none of them paid attention to *where* we were driving. They were less than enthused--until we pulled onto the WDW property. I told them we needed to "pick up our tickets" at the Poly. I went inside with the big kids and told the checkin person we came for our tickets. She picked up on it right away and said,"Oh, look! You can stay right here for a week if you like!" I thought my kids were going to wet their pants. Being upgraded to concierge just made the whole thing sweeter.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

We hope to take DD next year after she turns 3 and we want to surprise her. We are going to keep it hidden as long as possible. I am sure she will bug us the morning we wake up super early to leave for the airport so we will probably tell her then.

 

[bjeannep]

We are surpising our DD8 and DS5 with a trip on Sept 26. We won't be telling them until we get to Magical Express. My SIL lives in Jacksonville and last year we drove from the Orlando Airport to JAX so we are telling them we are going to visit their cousins!

Have Fun!!!!

 

[littlepeppers]

I'm really enjoying this secretive stuff.

I have to magically make online ADRs Wed morning. Thank God we are in the Central time zone, so I can get it hopefully done while they sleep.

DS still doesn't even know that there is a fake trip to his Nanny's house. I have to make all of his shirts at night or when he goes camping w/ his dad. The girls offer to stay behind (too hot).

 

[MagicPrincess]

omgosh, how exciting!
We're going to surprise our kids on Christmas morning to let them know we're going next summer. I don't know if I would have been able to keep it a secret for a whole year! LOL I'm thinking of getting them Mickey ears or something and that will be the last present they open that morning! eek!

Have a great time!

 

[Pixieflip]

I've said this before, but back in February, we announced to our kids that we are going for Christmas this year. I found the Mickey shaped balloons just like in the tv commercials at a party store and tied them to an envelope with an invitation to WDW inside. I put the ballons in a box and wrapped them up, one for each kid. When they opend the boxes, with some coaching to wait for each other so it would be the same time...it was an amazing moment!

When we surprised them with a Disney Cruise a few Christmases ago, we wrapped up a stuffed mickey with a note in his lap. That was a great video as the oldest read it out loud!!

How very exciting for you!!! I'll tell ya, it's REALLY hard to keep this a secret! There's so much fun in the planning and to keep that from the older kids will be hard. They'll be shocked and surprised and amazed no matter if you tell them the morning you leave or months in advance, right? So you have to decide when you want or can wait to make the big announcement. If you gave it to them a week in advance, they'd have time to help pack, plan, research all the great places they want to go, etc.

 

[littlepeppers]

I have to secretly work on their outfits. My DH & DS (7) are camping, so I have to get as much of my DS outfits done as possible. If not, then it is back to the night time grind.

I can make my DD stuff w/ him around. He knows she loves Minnie & I told him it is the only applique that is easly enough for me to make.

I have someone looking into iron transfers for tshirts for the MNSSHP. DD is getting a dress. That will be a night sewing adventure. He would question that one.


OHHHHHHHHHHHH, the waiting & secrets can kill you. But I must stay strong, make my secret ADRs in the morning & wait to see my DS face at the Orlando airport.

 

[Gretchen3ajoshmom]

How wonderful!! I could never keep a secret like that from my 4.....I have TOO much fun getting ready for the trip!!

 

[MagicPrincess]

How wonderful!! I could never keep a secret like that from my 4.....I have TOO much fun getting ready for the trip!!

Funny you should say that...Everytime DD walks into the room when I'm on DIS, I hurry and hide the computer screen and my portfolio with all our Disney notes so she can't see.

I think she's on to me!

 

[reservations4five]

I am planning a suprise trip for my DD's as their Chirstmas presents this year. I am so excited. it is awful!!

I am leaning towards a scavenger hunt - there used to be a poem on here - but darned if I can find it now!

 

[bear74]

last year when DD woke up right before I was going to wake her up. I asked her if she wanted to do something fun that day. She said yes. So I said how about we go see Mickey Mouse. She was 5 and started Jumping up and down. This year we got a great deal so we are going again. I am making a scavenger hunt for her and her cousin. She is having a Tinkerbell birthday party so I will have Peter Pan hide one of her presents and send her on this scavenger hunt. Her party is the day before we leave on her birthday,

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

this thread is fun!

I tried to surprize mine (10 and 15 at the time), but DD 15 put it together a month or so beforehand when she saw how often I was on Disney site and did a little digging online...

It was actually great to do the rest of the planning with them, and it gave them time to prepare mentally a little for the trip (our 1st time!). It was also nice to have them to be excited with and count down.

It's no secret we're going again this xmas. We started that plan in the way home in the car. So fun to have something to look forward to! DD is researching ADRs already.

I do wish I could have some element of surprize tho...will watch for neat ideas

 

[santa's surpriz]

Surprise trips are so much fun! I usually do not tell my dd6. I tell her we are going on a road trip when we end up at the airport she knows where we are going. She has only flown to WDW, so she thinks planes only fly to there! The first trip, I said nothing...I wrote a Santa Letter and the flight attendant gave it to her and the pilot was nice enough to announce that we were landing close to WDW, he even mentioned her name and a message from santa to her which made extra special.