Shhhhhhh, It's a SECRET......... (still)

[JimB.]

My DW & I, (otherwise known as the cunning, sneaky old people) booked a 7 day western cruise last summer.

We leave in a week & still have not told the offspring about it!

They think we are "just" going to WDW for a few days. We are leaving next friday morning, spending the day at the MK, spending the night at SSR, & driving over to the Magic on saturday morning.

What's gonna' make it more fun is that my DW's stepmother & sister (otherwise known as my DD's Auntie 'Becca) are flying down from Chicago on friday afternoon & going with us!

We are hoping they don't figure anything out until we are on the way to the airport to pick them up.

We have come close to letting it slip out in recent weeks, but our kids either a.) have not picked up on the "near misses" or b.) HAVE picked up on it & are smart enough to not let on they suspect.

The only hard part was when my DS & I went to rent Tuxedo's. I told him we were going to eat dinner one night at Victoria & Alberts.

My kids are going to go



Sometimes being a parent is such fun!!!!

(And my children actually think they are sneakier that WE are.....)

(sillly young people)

 

[figment52]

you MUST be sure and report in as to how it all unfolds - this sounds like so much fun...

have a great time!!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Wow, JimB! You are VERY GOOD at keeping a secret! I'm definitely impressed. You and your wife are very cool parents -- your kids are super lucky!

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Az Pirates]

Wow

I am impressed!
I don't know how you did it - but I think it is great!
What fun for 'the offspring'

 

[Olsons]

We did this for our kids ages 6 and 10 in 2003. Tickets in there Easter baskets and left 4 days later. They still talk about it. Good luck with your secret, you'll be king and queen of the world (for a day or two...).

 

[webray]

OMG..how fun.

We surprised our daughter with a quickie..3 day wonder cruise when she came home on leave.

She was thrilled and can't wait to get back on the ship again.
She couldn't believe it. It was hard...I had to make sure she had appropriate clothing..and help her pack..not too much luggage..lol.

She said, where are we going..aren't we going to disney and universal..lol. I said..well, we decided to take you to a really nice beach resort..for a surprise..lol.

 

[christinou]

We did it with our kids last year, told them we would go to the ocean for 1 day while at Disney, drove to Port Canaveral, they looked at the ship, and thought that it was neat, we went there, got out of the car, and they were speechless, they still did not get that we actually were going on a cruise.
It was fun...... The girls were 6 and 8 at the time.

 

[PPFQP]

We are going to try and surprise our kids with a cruise in March 2005. I don't know how we will keep from slipping up for 9 months, though!

 

[JimB.]

T -5 days to go. They still think they are going to WDW on friday. I even showed them the confirmation letter for the friday night stay @ SSR (only friday night).

They are still in the dark................... so far.

In fact, I have had them planning out which parks are we are visiting on each day.

Like fish on the hook.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Count us in on surprising the kids! We haven't told them we are going to WDW or The Wonder OR Universal! We told them that we will go "sometime this year" but haven't told them that everything is booked and all the tickets are bought..oh well, except MVMCP. Since we will be at WDW for a full week before the cruise, we plan to tell them that we have some time before our flight, so we are going to go to Coco Beach for a few hours. Little do they know..... I can't wait to see their faces!!

 

[EmmasGrammy]

Jim B,

If I may ask... how old are the kids? I can't believe you are able to pull this off. What a neat surprise!! I know I would never be able to do that! I would burst trying to keep the cruise a secret! Please write us a trip report and let us all know how it goes!!

Have a ball!!! This week is gonna fly by!!! Don't let it slip!!!

 

[Masonpips]

JimB you are killing me, I am sitting here laughing enjoying your ~cackling~ with glee.

We have New Year's booked and it's a surprise (kids are 5 and 6). We are still debating how to tell them. I'm now leaning towards their Christmas present just being a trip to Florida and the beach and then driving up Saturday morning to the port. My son is sharp and will remember the location and that we're near the Mickey Boat, but I can probably use the old "we'll just drive by" trick and could pretty much get them to the ship and then shock their socks off.

We're meeting our friends in 11 days in the panhandle for a week on the beach and they're going with us and have a 3 and 6 year old. We'll make our final surprise plans during that week. My kids will be excited enough to think we're going to the beach to meet up with S&S (our friend's children).

The only downside (potentially): part of the fun for me is the total anticipation. I'm freaking out just letting them find out on Christmas (we depart on 12/28) - I usually do a 3-4 month calendar with Mickey stickers and a count-down.

Would the total shock/surprise be worth the lack of counting down? Any opinions? At 5 and 7 (by cruising time) I can't imagine that anticipation is the same big deal as it is at 38?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Please share the details with us--by the time we are prepared financially to go on a cruise--the children will be in the mid to upper single digits--I'm guessing, old enough to do this trick.

Let us know--I am excited for your family!

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Wow!! Sounds like you and your family are going to have a great time!!

 

[courtney]

When we booked last spring, We kept our April 15 vacation a secret as well... till Christmas of 03. The kids were kinda excited, and it took a while for it to really sink in. They opened up a big box from "Santa" that had in it a picture of Mickey, then a picture of a beach, a guide to WDW, then finally the DCL brochures.

I think amongst all the material gifts being opened and charged through at the time, it didn't hit them very hard right away. But within a month, they were psyched.

 

[Ratt45]

Even though DW and I don't have kids of our own, DW watches children in our home. Two of them and their parents are going on a Wonder cruise in October. Their parents haven't told them and made us swear we wouldn't say anything. We, too, have nearly let it slip out several times. We are busting all over wanting to tell them. This past weekend, we took them to the port to watch the Magic take off. Neither of the boys made the connection.

 

[JimB.]

Emmasgrammy -

FYI, our DD is 15 and DS is 11. They are both pretty sharp about these things, but with this being the last week of school & the kids having finals, we are able to keep them distracted pretty well.

My wife & I have decided to let them in on the plan in stages. We are going to the AK friday morning, and are going to go to the airport in the afternoon to pick up the incoming family. We're not telling them where we are going until we get there, but are just going to let them think the family is going to spend the week with us at WDW. (BTW, the incoming family has been fully briefed, and are fully involved with the torture.............. er, suprise)

If all goes according to plan, we probably will spring the cruise on them at dinner friday.

We'll see how it goes..........................................

Hopefully they will be

 

[LAMPSKIES]

How are you getting them to bring their passports and birth certificates........ Just wondering.....I was going to try that with my parents.....just didn't know how to pull that off.

 

[jgalecpa]

JimB

Like fish on the hook.

Reel 'em baby! Reel 'em in!


If you can pull this off, you are King of The Dis Boards!

Good luck and enjoy.

Jim

 

[ohiominnie]

last September we surprised our kids with a Wonder cruise. Their reactions were priceless. They didn't know until the car ride to the airport. They thought we were taking their grandma and grandpa to the airport for THEIR Disney cruise....little did they know we were ALL going!

Still waiting for ohiomickey to do the same for me!