Need some input on "the surprise"

[MsPoppinsTX]

We are heading to Disney World in just a couple of weeks. It's me, my husband, my mom, my sister and my 3 kids (4 year old daughter and 9 month old twins). This will be my DD4's 4th trip to the World and we are driving this time for the first time (from Houston). (My sister is flying and meeting us there - the rest of us will be in the minivan). We are taking 2 days to drive and staying overnight in Tallahassee. We have not told her about the trip yet - even though she asks nearly every other day "when we can go back to Disney World" and I keep saying when the babies are bigger. We are going because of a conference that I have there and staying a few extra days over and running the Princess Half Marathon (yay!).

Okay - the dilema: When do we hit her with the surprise that we're going to Disney World?

Options:
(1) When we stop for breakfast.
(2) When we stop at the hotel in Tallahassee.
(3) When we get in the car in the morning in Tallahassee.
(4) When we get onto Disney property and let her see the sign herself.

Just not sure how well we'll be able to pull off the long drive without telling her exactly where we're going. My sister lives in Mississippi (she is the one meeting us there) so I thought about telling her that "we're going to see Aunt Melanie" since she doesn't really know how long that takes to get there and we technically are going to see Melanie - just in Disney World and not Mississippi.

What are your thoughts? Any suggestions for making it an awesome surprise for DD4?

 

[agavegirl1]

Not being a big fan of the "outright lie", I like the idea of telling her you are going to visit Aunt Melanie. However, if your conversations in the van are likely to revolve around WDW plans, even if you "think" she is asleep, you may want to tell her early on in the trip so you don't accidentally spill the beans.

 

[chartle]

This is one of those only you know your kid things.

But the issue I see is if you tell her say that morning in Florida when you still have 8 hours or so to drive is she going to ask you every 5 seconds "Are we there yet?"

If she is, I would say only when you see the sign.

 

[ksinniger]

We just surprised our 3 and we told them when we picked them up from school, before heading to the airport. I don't think it matters when you tell her -- she'll likely be excited at any point. That said, if you tell her she's going to a place you aren't actually going to, then be prepared for a Funny Video moment when she realizes the trip she thought she was going on isn't going to happen -- for some kids, that disappointment takes precendence over the excitement of going to the World.

 

[summermac]

My kids are 6 & 9 and we wanted to wait until we were on the way to the airport to tell them but we ended up telling them two weeks ago. Some of my reasons:
1. If school cancels or delays that day, it's a big monkey wrench in our plans of getting our dogs to the kennel.
2. The logistics of hiding all the packing was making me crazy.
3. We needed some sunshine in what has become the worst winter we've had in quite a few years.

So we wrapped up the magic bands, the maps and some gift cards and presented it to them. It was seriously a great moment!!

 

[chartle]

That said, if you tell her she's going to a place you aren't actually going to, then be prepared for a Funny Video moment when she realizes the trip she thought she was going on isn't going to happen -- for some kids, that disappointment takes precendence over the excitement of going to the World.

But I want to go to Super Walmart.

 

[cgattis]

Not being a big fan of the "outright lie", I like the idea of telling her you are going to visit Aunt Melanie. However, if your conversations in the van are likely to revolve around WDW plans, even if you "think" she is asleep, you may want to tell her early on in the trip so you don't accidentally spill the beans.

We told our kids we were going to the beach (which we did) and then drove over to Disney (prob our 3rd trip or so) past ALL the signs on I-4, through the gates (at which point my kids began to say "this looks like Disney World..."), and into the DHS parking lot before I told them where we were going. We were under the Crossroads icon (I.e. Through the turnstiles) and my son says "are we REALLY at Disney World??" LOL

So, know your kid, but also don't underestimate how used they are to just going along with whatever mom and dad say and not "overthinking it!" It was pretty funny.

 

[Huskerfan72]

We drove from Kansas, and our 2 children were a little older, but we didn't tell them until the moment we drove unto Florida. Otherwise, they might have driven us nuts.

 

[Mickfarland4]

If you have MB for her, I would wrap it up in a little box and let her open it about 1 hour from WDW. I love to surprise our kids! In Oct, we woke them up and said we were going to a water park 4 hours away for the weekend. When they got in the car they saw their brand new dvd players mounted as well! I am thinking of surprising ours next year with our trip too. I had to recently cancel our beach vacation this year and don't want to have to do that again to them.

 

[jjsmom]

I love what my co-worker did about 10years ago. They told her DGD (about 8) that granny was coming for the weekend and they would be going shopping, maybe visit the local aquarium if there was time...

Granny arrives on Friday night, sneaks her luggage into the trunk of her daughter's car and just comes in with overnight bag.

Throughout the week, the child's mother had been secretly packing warm weather clothes and storing in spare bedroom so daughter wouldn't see.

They get up Sat. morn for the "early bird admission" to aquarium. Child is none the wiser. Luggage was loaded late night before. No pets so that wasn't an issue.

Smarty pants child realizes they missed the exits for aquarium unfortunately starts to get upset. Gears are quickly switched when she realizes they're headed to airport. We're going to Disney World!!!!!!

(as a side note, I'm not sure what secret arrangements were made with school/teachers without child knowing it)

 

[wiigirl]

But I want to go to Super Walmart.

lol...

 

[MomofIndigo]

we are also Houston drivers to WDW. We stop usually at a zoo or a children's museum on the way to our hotel. And that is what we have told her we are going to that first day.

The second day we just drive and just let her see the sign. Its a pretty great experience.