Need some help coming up with surprises!!

[davis65]

Ok, now that I know that everything is ago with my trip I need a little bit of help. I work with adults that have disabilities. They are very excited because they printed out autograph cards and my family are going to get autographs and bring back for them. It's funny because I was posting on another thread and realized that I would like to do something more and surprise them with it. These people are like a second family to me. I am the program director for their day training center, so I get to have contact with all the individuals in our program. It breaks my heart because I know that this is something that they will probably never get to do themselves. They do enjoy it when someone else brings them something from their vacation. They tend to live out their dreams through others. Last week I gave each of them a Disney pin from a lot that I bought to do pin trading with. They were very excited to have the pin plus know that they were getting autographs, but I want to do something more and make it a surprise. However, I don't have a whole lot of money that I can use to get everyone something. What are some ideas of things that I could do that would be inexpensive, but could come back with and surprise them?

 

[Joy]

The cast members hand out mickey stickers to children. I bet if you ask at the hotel they will give you a bunch! Some hotel food courts (not AKL) sell mickey straws - for $0.50 or $1. Those are great to bring back.

Mickey rice crispie treats. (might be too much $$) You can get bunches of disney lollypops for not too much money too.

 

[dizneechic]

Maybe ask Guest Relations if they would give you some Disney Celebrate Pins while your there. They are the big round ones, they hand them out to anyone who is celebrating something, so it's possible they would be willing to fork over a handful to you.

We just did my dd's 5th birthday yesterday and had a Tinkerbell/Disney theme to it since we just got back a few days ago. In her goody bags we made chocolate covered pretzels just like you would buy at Disney and on the bags we placed Tinkerbell stickers to go with her theme. So even though they weren't purchased there, they are just like them, MUCH cheaper and delicious!
Directions:
2 Bags of Snyders Pretzel Rods
1 Bag of Chocolate Discs (buy at AC Moore / Michaels)
Items to sprinkle on (colorful sprinkles, chopped up heath bar or chopped up nuts)
Pretzel bags, & twist ties (get them at the craft store too, where the candy making items are)
Melt the Chocolate in a double boiler, or if you don't have one, a glass bowl sitting on top of a pan with simmering water below (my make shift double boiler ). Using a spoon cover all but 2" of a pretzel rod in chocolate, shake to drip off excess, place on a plate to let sit while you make 3 more. Then take those 4, sprinkle goodies all over and set on wax paper until cooled. Repeat until you have as many as needed. I found 2 bags of rods needed 1 bag of chocolate, and made 24 bags of 2 coated pretzels in each. Decorate the finished bag in ribbon or stickers if desired.

 

[Perditamarie]

Here is an idea:

* pressed pennies - cost .51 and have characters/rides/themes imprinted on them

* not from Disney, but still along the idea....a disney "magic" washcloth from the Dollar Store

I will try to think of more!

 

[monkey30]

We loved the rice krispie treats fro WDW and so when I got home as a special treat I used my egg shapers and pressed freshly made rice krispies into them! Something like that would be a cool treat and make them feel like they got to share your vacation. I could always show the a pic of u eating them there!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Have you ever made tshirts with a design made on the design boards here, you could even have their names added to them? Or you could just use a Disney iron on transfer from Michaels or AC moore! Make them each a tshirt or tank top. That won't cost much at all. I make them for all of my trips! I'm actually making some tonight.

AND HAVE THE CHARACTERS SIGN THEM!!

I also like the Disney buttons as an idea, we got first trip ones, they are very nice. But others say "we're celebrating"

And we bought the Disney straws from the All star movies food court when we were there in May and my kids loved them!

That is very nice of you to want to bring them back a surprise!

 

[budbeerlady]

Would they enjoy a flat stanley book, like they took the trip?

Dh couldnt come on a trip with Dd and I. So we secretly took 2 pictures I had of Dh. I of him sitting and I of him standing, along on our trip. Dd had a riot placing "flat Daddy" all around Disney and taking his picture like he was there. (Hold up flat person and take a picture of the castle, etc.)

He visited the rock n roll rollercoaster, and all the good rides! We had more fun putting that together for him and Dd wasnt bummed out that dh wasnt with us.

If you are on the dining plan the Mickey rice crispies are a snack. I think we have taken as many as 11 home from a trip.

 

[melifeld]

The Target dollar aisle often has Disney themed items. I recently saw a small notebook with Tinkerbell on the cover. It would make a really great autograph book. And for only $1 each, you could probably afford to get several. Then just have the characters sign the books.

Good luck, have a great time.

 

[PixiePlanner]

Would they enjoy a flat stanley book, like they took the trip?

Dh couldnt come on a trip with Dd and I. So we secretly took 2 pictures I had of Dh. I of him sitting and I of him standing, along on our trip. Dd had a riot placing "flat Daddy" all around Disney and taking his picture like he was there. (Hold up flat person and take a picture of the castle, etc.)

He visited the rock n roll rollercoaster, and all the good rides! We had more fun putting that together for him and Dd wasnt bummed out that dh wasnt with us.

I love this idea! I may have to borrow it!

 

[budbeerlady]

I love this idea! I may have to borrow it!

I didn't cut the pic out very neat, I should have cut it out before we left home with a smaller scissors but you get the idea.

 

[dizneechic]

I didn't cut the pic out very neat, I should have cut it out before we left home with a smaller scissors but you get the idea.

OMG This is awesome!!!! I may have to borrow it to!

 

[budbeerlady]

OMG This is awesome!!!! I may have to borrow it to!

We had some fun with it! I had one of Dh standing normal I would hold up with Dd and a princess. So I would space it out so it looked like Dh was on the other side of Mulan, something he would never do! At the end some of them were very silly. He also took some lovely photos in the lobby of the Poly, rode small world and seemed to love it (he refuses to ride it) And one of the tree of life animals tried to eat him, it was close... And another good one was he was part of the show during Indy Jones, looked like the fire was going to get him!

 

[v.t.]

We made a sign on a 8x10 piece of paper that said Hi Grady! for Pooh to hold up for a picture while at CP. Our DN loved that picture. You could make signs with everyone's names on them, that way they would each have something special. Or, if taking a video camera you could have the different speaking characters tell everyone hello and do a video for the group.
What a great thing you are doing!