Need ideas to surprise DD with WDW trip under the tree

[Gretchen]

Any ideas? DD is 7, we will be staying offsite, and purchasing our passes when we get there. We're going MLK week.
Thanks,
Gretchen

 

[debster812]

Hi Gretchen,

We'll be there MLK week as well!!!! Can't wait.

Here's what we did last year:

Had some friends pick up some postcards at WDW and had my neighbor write them out. Saying things like: Can't wait for you to come visit, etc.

I also made a paper chain for the number of days between Christmas Morning and the day we left, and strung that from the top of the tree to the Bag of Disney goodies we had for him. (Disposible camera, waist pack, glo sticks, sun screen, pin lanyard, and 4 pins).

And we tucked $10 DIsney Dollars in his stocking.

Good Luck, and have fun fun fun planning the surprise!!!

 

[Jaimee]

I did this for my DS 5 last year. I had a BIG box filled with paper and there was a "clue" in there for a treasure hunt. I had him go to about 5 different places around the house to find a sucession of clues. The final one was in the mail box and it told him to go to the VCR and push play, I had the WDW planning video ready to go. After he watched the video we gave him several things I ordered from Gifts of a Lifetime. We ordered a guest of honor badge, a pressed penny book and a roll of pennies and quarters, a passport for EPCOT, a water bottle from the Disney store, a Disney tshirt....I think there were a few other things too, but I can't remember. He was completely surprised! The only thing that was hard to explain was that we weren't leaving for another week (5 year olds don't get the concept of a week This year we're surprising him for his birthday in February, I think I'm just going to wake him up the morning that we leave and act as if I'm taking him to school, hopefully I can keep my mouth shut until then I almost slipped already! Hope this helps. Have a great time!!

 

[alphaGeek]

We're going to DW in February. We plan on suprising our kids by giving them a few Disney Dollars and the planning DVD. I also like some of Jaimee's ideas, like the Epcot passport. Or, what about the countdown clocks from http://nutztogo.com/, those look cool.

jeff

 

[Gretchen]

Thanks!
It's fun reading what other people have done to surprise their kids. I think we will wrap the planning video, and I'll make a countdown chain with a disney post card at the end. At the top I'll put a sign something like "You're going to Disney World". We have all the other stuff from past trips...pins and more pins, pressed penny book, Guest of Honor Pin etc. I've been thinking not to surprise her at Christmas, just get her to the airport and let her guess. Hmmmmmm what will I do??
Thanks,
Gretchen

 

[Poohmom]

Here's what we're doing for our 3 dds....

I've bought a set of inexpensive rolling luggage (it's on sale everywhere right now). Inside we're placing the WDW planning DVD, Mickey/Minnie Holiday cookies (available at Target), a set of Mickey walkie talkies for the parks (on sale $29 a few months back), one Disney Tshirt for each of them, and the Disneyworld for kids book. We've also given a few people the idea of Disney Dollars for their Chistmas Day gifts. They already have fanny packs, but that's a good idea to pack with snacks for the parks.

I'm so excited!! I hope I can keep it a secret. I'm also going to surprise my husband with a pass for the underground tour at WDW.

Happy Holidays!!!!

 

[memymomonica]

How about a stuffed Mickey under the tree holding a sign that says "See you Soon!" If you have a Sam's Club nearby, they have huge Mickey and Minnie stuffed animals for about $30.00. They are about 3 1/2 feet tall. Just a guess. Taller than my 6 year old daughter. Got a Minnie for my daughter. She saw them while shopping a few days ago and said she would love a Mickey. So I am headed back tomorrow to hopefully exchange. Just hope there are some left after the shopping this weekend.

 

[pjlla]

We thought it would be great to surprise our kids with their first trip to WDW two years ago... at that time DD was 6 1/2 and DS was one week away from 4. We told them NOTHING until we were in the airport parking garage. Then we whipped out the camcorder and make the "big announcement". Well.... nothing could have prepared us for the reaction.... my DD cried and said I lied to her (told them we were spending the w/e in Boston to explain the ride and the luggage) and my DS said he was scared to "go up high in a plane". I guess I should have known my children (especially my DD) better and been able to gauge their reaction. My kids are creatures of habit and don't like a lot of change (without adequate preparation). I will say that they warmed up to the idea quickly enough (especially the DS), but it was such a let-down to my DH and I. We had a fine trip, all considered. But my daughter to this day is mad that we didn't tell her ahead of time. I think she felt ill-prepared. (Imagine how you would feel without any time to prepare/pack etc). ANYHOW... we told them at the 100 days away point for our upcoming January trip. It was enough of a surprise. And I am finding different ways to surprise them on this trip. We will have an "8 1/2" birthday celebration for my daughter while we are there, including breakfast with Cinderella, and a 6th birthday celebration for my son, including dinner with Mickey. SO ANYHOW.... keep your child's "type" in mind and think long and hard about any last-minute surprises!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I would also advise being careful with surprising a child and not telling them until you are there or on your way there.
We don't have any experience with doing it, but I read a post to my oldest DD about someone who had done it and asked her what she would have thought about if we had done that when she was younger. She said she would have been very mad and felt cheated. Planning and anticipating a trip is a big part of the fun and she would have been upset because we didn't include her in that fun part.
Because on all our trips, she knew when we were going, she had a chance to look thru the books and plan what she wanted to do and see. She also was able to talk to some of her friends who had been there and get their opinions. She said not knowing ahead of time would be like waking up one morning and being told it was your birthday with no warning. You might get some neat gifts, but you would not have any input into what you wanted and wouldn't have a chance to enjoy the anticipation.

 

[Bunchkin]

We just recently told our DD about our suprise Christmas trip.
And she is the type you need to tell in advance. She's 6 yrs old.
She will be missing the last two days of school, before Christmas break, including her Kindergarten class Christmas party. And I knew missing out on that might blow her top if she was ill prepared.

We suprised her one night while out to dinner, at a place we let her pick.
I had wrapped one of the sturdy American Girl boxes I had saved in Mickey head paper I found at the Hallmark store.
(I wrapped the bottom of the box and the lid seperately.) I threw in some tissue paper and then put into the box the WDW for kid's book, annual passes, MVMCP tickets and a bunch of Disney Dollars. I covered all this with more tissue paper and then put a piece of paper on top of it which had a riddle I made up on it which she had to solve. I took a sticker with Santa and a Christmas tree and then wrote a big plus (+) sign and then stickers of Mickey, Ariel, Cinderlla and Goofy and the wrote a big equal (=) sign and then a huge question mark. It took her a minute to get it figured out right.
She thought it meant lots of Disney Christmas presents she would be getting.
Then it hit her....Christmas......Disney.......ahhhh CHRISTMAS AT DISNEY WORLD!!!
It was a priceless moment. And she attracted a lot of attention from other people around us when she shouted it out.

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Uh oh, I'm planning on surprising my grandkids (7&8) with a surprise trip to Disney in January ... just going to wake them up and say "Rise and shine, we're going to Disney today."

Since we conquered my g'daughter's fear of flying ... she flew for the first time last summer and after months of whining that she was afraid to fly she discovered she loved flying ... I don't forsee any problems.

Plus they've been wanting their granddad to go and he's going so they should be thrilled (I hope).

 

[myboysmom]

We are surprising our boys at Christmas too. Our trip will be for Spring Break, but just a few weeks after we tell them we will need to be making PS reservations and we would like to include them on where they want to go. If we made all the plans I think they would be very upset that they didn't help to get to make the plans.

I have ordered custom t-shirts that say Spring Break 2004 and plan to wrap the planning DVD as well. Hopefully they will be thrilled. They keep talking about going back and Christmas last year so I hope they will be surprised!

 

[Gretchen]

That is so funny, your daughter is still mad at you for surprising her with a trip to WDW! I mean that in the nicest way, LOL! We will be giving our DD the trip on Christmas day, the trip itself will be MLK week. I thought about needing time to anticipate...it would be a little unfair not to give her some of that. She would be fine if I woke her up and said let's go to WDW, but you are right about the packing etc. So....under the tree it will be. We talk all the time about what rides we will do next time we go. Gosh, she's been 3 times and once to D.land. I picked up a Hello Kitty rolling back pack, I'm going to wrap the planning video and make a count down chain and put them inside. She'll figure it out right away. Can't wait!!
Gretchen

 

[pjlla]

that she is still mad about surprising her with a trip to WDW (wish someone would make me mad like that!!)... but who know what goes on in the heart/mind of a young girl!! That said, they are fully involved in all of the planning for the next trip. Just hope when it comes time to pack that she doesn't expect to bring her WHOLE wardrobe (as well as her doll's wardrobe!).

 

[WhispyPixie]

We suprised our 4 kids with a trip once and had them pack like we were taking a vacation to another place. Just to wander around see what the town was like.....lo and behold our kids were clueless and didnt pay ANY attention to the clock and we were and hour from WDW before they realized where they were..and that was only due to a gatorland sign..lol Once they realized we were in Florida they KNEW!! Good luck..suprises are great!

Pixie

 

[CindyBella]

We are surprising our kids with a trip too. We will be there for New Year's!! I am going blow up at least 4 of the mylar balloons (with Disney characters of course) and put them in the biggest box I can find. When my kids open it I hope they will be as excited as I am!!!

 

[taylor1293]

We are surprising our girls at Christmas too. They have no idea we are planning this trip. We are leaving New Years Day.

We purchased pins at the Disney Store ($1.00 each!) for trading and they are going to be inside of their boxes, along with a note.

I hope they like it, becauase that is all mom and dad are giving them. (Santa is bringing a few things though).

Teresa

 

[Daisy64]

I went to a craft fair a couple of weeks ago and lo and behold what do I see? Hand made Mickey and Minnie dolls, they are beautiful and they will be holding little notes Christmas Morning when my 4 and 6 yr old unwrap them " See you on January 27th!"
I've also ordered name badges and have thrown a few hints like putting a string of disney character lights on the tree, hehe.
I can't wait until Christmas morning!!

Daisy