Should I keep it a secret?

[agamble]

I hope you get to go. I don't think I could tell one kid and not the others. We're considering going August 7, so just after you. I told my kids we weren't going until sometime after our youngest turns 4, which isn't until Oct 1. They keep asking if we can go for her birthday. But I was considering that October has been especially busy, we could only go for a weekend, and hotel costs are higher than August. So I booked a few days in August and am tentatively planning to go. We talk about going regularly, so they have some anticipation. If we go it will be a surprise. We are getting 3 day tickets to Universal that are good for one year from first use and I suggested to DH that we could drive down to Universal and visit that park for one day and then check in to our hotel in Anaheim that night. Surprise! If they're tired enough they may not even realize where we are until morning.

 

[pixiedustedme]

I'm planning a trip to DL Aug 2-6. I had told my children we would not be going this summer with SWGE opening and also to save for a future trip. I picked up a couple of extra shifts and found cheap airline tickets so I broke down and decided to make a quick trip in Aug. I have twin daughters who are 14 and one has been discussing this possibility with me. The other has no idea. she is the biggest DL fan and I didn't want her to be disappointed if it didn't work out.
We'll be spending 2 weeks in Texas with family and then flying straight to DL and then returning to CO. DD1 wants me to keep it a secret and surprise DD2. She'll of course figure it out as soon as we check in for flights.
I'm torn. I think it would be cool to surprise her but I also know a lot of the fun is planning and anticipation.
Thoughts from the DIS???

No. Many children are uncomfortable with things being sprung on them, even if they're nice things. Plus, the anticipation is one of the best parts of a trip.

 

[bumbershoot]

I’m not a fan of surprise trips (because then I get greedy and think there’s a surprise around every corner, which makes me irritated when there is NOT a surprise), but it seems like you’ve got a useful twin there at home who might know her sister even better than you.

In the original post the OP wrote that trip was not going to happen and that money needed to be saved for future trip as the current trip is not budgeted but that she had to pick up extra works shifts, as many folks do work those extra shifts to have disposable income. She didn't pick up enough work, so she felt uncomfortable telling the one daughter that the trip may not happen, even though there was a possibility

I think that you took it a little backwards. They weren’t going to be able to go. She told them that (what your mom didn’t do). Then she found some extra money and now CAN go, and she’s wondering when she should tell them it will happen. One twin sort of knows while the other does not.

 

[3DisMunchkins]

They weren’t going to be able to go. She told them that (what your mom didn’t do). Then she found some extra money and now CAN go, and she’s wondering when she should tell them it will happen. One twin sort of knows while the other does not.[/QUOTE]

This exactly. Thanks bumbershoot!

Chickapin: I appreciate your story and feel your pain of that event. How awful for a child to think something they did or did not do was the cause of a situation completely out of their control. Although it was hard, it does sound like you gained some great insight that will serve you and your children well in life. Our situation is not exactly the same. The kids did understand that we might not be able to swing it this year. Luckily my career allows me to pick up a couple of extra weekends for what I call my "play money"! The kids have also saved their Christmas money in anticipation of our next trip. They are always required to save their own money for souvenirs and snacks. They also understand that this will be a budget trip (if you can call any DL trip that). We will be enjoying DL, but without the extras of show reservations, hoppers and possibly max pass.
We are definitely going...flights purchased last week. Now just planning a fun announcement!

I have read all the posts and realize every situation is different, but have decided that like most my DD2 will enjoy the anticipation more than a surpise. DD1 is going to help me plan an announcement for her brother and sister. DD2 loves to collect pins, so I'm sure that will be part of it! Thinking maybe an early Easter egg hunt with eggs filled with pins! DS is really excited about SWGE so maybe SW surprise for him! And of course annual family shirts!

 

[Cal-Pie]

I've surprised my kids twice, and it's flopped... twice. Currently planning for fall 2020, and I'm just going to be straight forward with my plans and let them be excited along with me.

 

[mcm574]

I've surprised my kids twice, and it's flopped... twice.

Yup. We had a surprise trip planned last month... and while the surprise and the trip did still happen, the big reveal was something of a let-down - because 5yo woke up with a terrible cough and fever, I had to tell him and his 10yo brother that we were planning to surprise them with a DLR trip that day - but that, instead of doing it as a family, 10yo and I would be going, while 5yo and my husband stayed behind. (At this point, we still thought they would join us the next day, based on 5yo's previous illnesses - we were wrong, though, this time his fever lasted FOUR DAYS!)

That said, I might do the surprise thing again - they both handled it really well, and seemed excited/entertained by the idea of how it might have gone down. (However, no one else in my family is a planner besides me - my 10yo has a habit of forgetting major outings even on the day they will occur. "Can I go to the skate park today?" "Um... no?" "Why not?" "I'm pretty sure you should know that you've got a Cub Scout field trip to the Aquarium." "Oh, yeah, cool!")

 

[agamble]

Memorial weekend 2017 we went camping outside of LA (Soledad). We got the kids up early on Saturday morning and drove to Disneyland. They did not know where we were going. We told them only that it was going to be an adventure. They were so excited when we got there. And it was a great day. That was the year of 13 month annual passes, so it just worked for us to throw in that day to start of our passes. They knew we were getting APs, they just thought our first trip was in June.
This year we're going to the same campground, but we're spending the Saturday at Universal. I want to surprise them again, but I'm thinking I might have to tell them we're going to Universal because I don't want them to be disappointed if they assume we're going to Disneyland. I did think I could just assure them we're NOT going to Disneyland but doing something else. They've never been to Universal and they want to go. They currently have no idea we're planning to go at all. I can't tell them now or they'll annoy me to no end.

 

[disneychrista]

Only you know how your daughter(s) will react to the surprise. My daughters were not good with surprises like this.

 

[javeyloveschelsi]

I’m in the don’t surprise camp, which it sounds like you are leaning towards telling her. I surprised my girls a few years ago with their first trip and one took it great (while asking me how we made it financially work) and the other hated being surprised and started sobbing because she thought we were going to the beach. She was only 4 and it is a hilariously adorable memory now and we had a great time, but I felt bad and have included them in planning trips after and they have loved planning them!