Shall I tell?

[loobymiss]

I've booked for us to have our 1st trip to DLP in May and am bursting to tell the girls (age 6 and 10).

My fella has told them we are going to Dorset for the week and they will probably figure it out when we go to the airport!

I want to tell them now so we can start planning and getting excited together.

What do you reckon? When did you tell your kids?

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

I told Kyra about our January trip and the september one but shes only 2. Im planning on suprising her next year.

I know what its like wanting to tell them, im useless at suprises lol

 

[A Small World]

We have always told DD (now 8) when we've booked or soon after so she can get excited as well and look at pictures with us and talk about meals to book etc.
However we had booked to go between Christmas and New Year for a few days as part of her Christmas present and didnt tell her til Christmas Day (we were setting off on boxing day to go down to Ashford). It was hard to keep the trip a secret and once or twice I nearly let it slip by saying about whne we go to DLP but because we had a trip booked for Easter which she knew about I could quickly change what I was saying to pretend I meant that trip.

Ive just asked DD what she thinks and she says dont tell them as it was brill having the surprise.

Good luck keeping it to yourself

 

[Cyrano]

We kept our Xmas season trip a surprise. The troops thought it was brilliant

 

[smoyea]

We booked our eurostar tickets in october but we managed to keep our trip a secret until christmas morning after they had opened there pressies.

My nine yr old loved this and we are going next sunday and we keep talking about it with our 3 yr old but we have managed to not get the constant when are we going yet but that may come next week

 

[britchic4]

We are going on Monday and haven't told DS (6) and DD (2) although we have said we are going on holiday to France (to explain the packing). DS was excited about getting Euros to spend, but DD keeps saying she wants to go where the princesses live, LOL! We were glad we kept it a surprise because a couple of weeks ago it looked like we might have to cancel. My disappointment would have been bad enough, I'd have hated to deal with theirs as well.

 

[poohmadmum]

I've sometimes kept a trip a surprise from DD and DH! It is tough but fun to see their faces when they realise.

 

[meeko cat]

We have always told our kids and have a wooden countdown that we turn each day to build the excitement

When we travelled Eurostar last August the family's kids opposite us in the waiting area had no idea! Next thing mum got the video camera out and gave each of the kids a Disney brochure and declared thats where we are going.
Bless the boy aged about 7 sat dumbstruck while the girl aged about 12 sobbed for a good 5 minutes. Poor mum didnt quite expect that reaction I dont think.

I personally would find it hard to keep it a secret as I get sooo excited I would find it hard not to say something and plus I get such a buzz from the expectancy Im sure the kids do too .

Each to their own though

 

[Pinkradleygirl]

When we went in October 2006 we had told DD we were going to Blackpool (that was the orginal plan and DH got the DLP bug and booked us there instead). She was so upset when we arrived at Dover to catch the ferry, as she wanted to go to Blackpool not DLP!!

She soon changed her mind when she found out she could ride Big Thunder Mountain.
Kids you just can't please them sometimes!

This trip shes done a SDD everyday this week - God only knows what she'll be like when its only 1 day to go!!!

 

[MinnieMouse73]

We've done both ways but my DD6 definitely prefers to know and help with the planning / excitment. It also means she can save up her own spending money - suddenly she becomes quite a good saver when it's 'Disney money'

 

[loobymiss]

I'm soooo excited I might have to work on my fella tonight to see if he'll relent and let me tell them!!

Any good idea's on breaking the news in an exciting way??

 

[A Small World]

We gave DD a letter from Belle her favourite Princess telling her she was going. This was inside her suitcase which we had bought her for Christmas (all packed ready to leave)

 

[hildasmuriel]

On one of the other boards there is a whole thread about people who are Keepers Of the Secret (KOTS) They also post after the holiday to say what the children thought. A surprising number have had strange reactions from their children (Like Pinkradleygirl's daughter!) - in one case the child cried because they would be missing school. I wonder in cases like that if it is a bit disappointing for the parents, after all the excitement of keeping it quiet.
The first time we went we didn't tell until 3 weeks before which was lovely - they had 3 weeks to read all the brochures, plan meals and make endless itinery plans, but not too long to wait. They were 6 and 11 at the time.

 

[Raci]

Any good idea's on breaking the news in an exciting way??

When I told my DD about our first trip I did it as a prize at the end of a treasure hunt. I made a folder with some pics from magazines about DLP and pics of our hotel and Eurostar etc inside and a big sign on the outside with the dates on for when we were going. When she found each of the clues for the treasure hunt they all had a small disney treat with them and then the folder along with a sing-along songs DLP video for the main treasure. She loved it! She still talks about her special treasure hunt.

I didn't want finding out about trip 2 to be any less fun so in Oct half term last year we planned to have a 'family fun disney day'. We played all sorts of disney themed games and baked disney buns and anything else I could think of. Even down to buying some of the choclate cereal she'd loved during her first DLP trip for breakfast. Then part way through the day she won the prize for winning the most games we were playing and it was a DLP postcard with the dates of our next trip and some disney shaped chocs. She thought it was a great way to find out and we had a really special day together.

It was definatly worth the extra effort to arrange things as she really loved it!
Have fun whatever you decide

 

[loobymiss]

When I told my DD about our first trip I did it as a prize at the end of a treasure hunt. I made a folder with some pics from magazines about DLP and pics of our hotel and Eurostar etc inside and a big sign on the outside with the dates on for when we were going. When she found each of the clues for the treasure hunt they all had a small disney treat with them and then the folder along with a sing-along songs DLP video for the main treasure. She loved it! She still talks about her special treasure hunt.

I didn't want finding out about trip 2 to be any less fun so in Oct half term last year we planned to have a 'family fun disney day'. We played all sorts of disney themed games and baked disney buns and anything else I could think of. Even down to buying some of the choclate cereal she'd loved during her first DLP trip for breakfast. Then part way through the day she won the prize for winning the most games we were playing and it was a DLP postcard with the dates of our next trip and some disney shaped chocs. She thought it was a great way to find out and we had a really special day together.

It was definatly worth the extra effort to arrange things as she really loved it!
Have fun whatever you decide

Wow that sounds fab!

I don't know if I could manage all that. For a start I've only got one disney brochure!! lol

 

[Raci]

I don't know if I could manage all that. For a start I've only got one disney brochure!! lol

Go to all the different travel agents pretending you haven't yet booked and get one of each of their DLP brochures 'to compare prices' and then you'll have lots of pics. I had quite a lot as I'd been getting brochures for a couple of years and had kept them.

I have spare maps (out of date end Mar) but if you'd like them to be able to include in whatever you decide to do then just PM me and I'll post them to you if it helps. The maps shouldn't change between now and May only dates and times so should still be usefull.