Surprise Suggestions

[KimBean]

So we've booked CSR for 12/12-12/21 FD. First time 3 out of 4 of us will be staying on site or having dining plan or staying more than 7 nights. This trip is to celebrate our 20th Anniversary (following month in jan) but FD was in December.... Our two girls 6 & 14 will not know and think we are just going to Florida to rent a condo and hang out at the pool. Which they don't even know that yet!

We've actually rented a condo and just hung out at the pool a few times in the last few years so this will not be suspicious.

What DH and I can't think of is what would be a good way to let the cat out of the bag? My husband thinks just driving under the WDW will let them know. But, I think my 14 year old will still be confused, like dad just took a wrong turn and NOT be wanting to get her hopes up. And I hate for him to miss the reveal while he is driving. I have two completely worry wart daughters so it is going to be awesome to do this for them and (the little one is a tad OCD, and I don't use the term lightly, so she gets very wrapped up in "the plan" and do you know where you are going, and will we be late, and did you forget the tickets....) So, my plan is to not tell them anything about the trip EVEN once they know we are going to WDW and just let each and every thing be a happy reveal (staying on-site, eating DDP - which my 14 year old will love getting to pick whatever she wants and getting dessert with every meal which WE NEVER DO!!! at home or at disney.)

So anyway - long winded that I am... the running idea is to be like, huh Why are we going under this sign??? Are we going to DW?? Maybe that is why we have these and hold up the Magic Bands where they can see them.

Anyone got anything else??

 

[Dsny4fun]

Actually...I think that is a great idea....handing them their magic bands after passing under the WDW sign.

Hope you have a fantastic vacation....just got back 2 weeks ago and I'm already missing Disney !!

 

[scoker]

Your plan sounds good just don't get your hopes set on a particular response. Some kids will definitely resist getting their hopes up if they have been lead astray.

We wanted to surprise my DD7 with a long weekend trip to a large water park and Seaworld that was about a 3 hour drive from home. She knew we were going away and we told her that we were going to a military museum that she had heard about from her grandparents that was in the same general direction. As we pulled into the parking lot for the waterpark and she could see the huge water slides she was still looking around for the museum and really didn't have any reaction until we were actually inside the park for fear that the museum really was just across the parking lot or something.

We also surprised her with DLR for her 4th birthday. We were at my brother's house in San Diego at her party when we told her and we got zero reaction. Hard for me since I had a custom made pink Cinderella dress made for her which she did love but I didn't get the enthusiastic response I was expecting.

So anyhow the surprise sounds great but be ready for any or no reaction.

 

[magentarhps93]

One of my favorite vacation memories happened when I was 7 years old. We were leaving a non Disney California road trip that day and while my Dad was driving he said "Oh I forgot I need to get gas! I just passed a gas station, let me turn around!" Well he turned into the Disneyland parking lot and my Mom (who didn't know what was going on) said "you have to pay to go in there" and my Dad was all "I'll tell the guy I'm just turning around." Well my Dad paid the parking fee and my mother said "Why did you do that?" And my Dad told us he was extending our trip by a day and we were going to Disneyland! I told my Dad I loved him like a kajillion times that day and it was wonderful!

I don't know if you could do a variation on this theme "accidentally" showing up on the Disney property, but I thought I'd share because they are similar experiences! I'm sure they'll love whatever you come up with!

 

[Malibustyle23]

We surprised our kids last year. I never told them because I didn't want anyone else to know (long story) I knew they couldn't keep the secret and I didn't want to hear when are we going, are there yet, I wanna take my whole bedroom, etc. I would suggest telling them before you get there only because it is nice to see the expression instead of having to try to time it perfectly through the rearview mirror.

This is what we did although we did not receive the over the moon response I was hoping for. We packed them in the car before bed and we had to go to the store. Oops we forgot to get toilet paper and had to go to another store to get it before heading home. But we went a different direction than normal and drove all night. They fell asleep in the car and when they woke up the next morning we were stopping in Georgia for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we were coming from MD. After we got done eating we went outside to the car with the video camera and gave them each a gift card to Disney and told them we were going there. My dd5 was disappointed she was missing school. I think DS9 was just in disbelief and still sleepy. Once we arrived at the resort I think it really sank in.

Good luck!!! Enjoy the trip!!

 

[rainwatter]

We also surprised DD with a WDW trip when she was 7, and while I don't remember where we told her we were going or how she discovered the truth, I DO remember how angry she was that we changed the plan. In all the first day photos she is pouting with her hands on her hips. After that, she loosened up and had fun but boy was she cranky at first! (Since then she has gotten a lot better with surprises.)

Edit to add: is there a way you can distract them until you get to the resort? I think that a face-to-face would be really fun.

 

[Chumpson]

You could tell them you wanted to check out the hotel because you were thinking of taking a vacation to there some time in the future. We did this with our kids at Great Wolf Lodge, though they were younger. After a bit of looking around I said, "Hey why don't we just stay here now!" The two youngest were jumping up and down, like YES, Can we? The oldest was worried about grandma because that is where we said we were going. Grandma didn't even know we were in the state. Once we cleared that up we were good to go.

 

[KimBean]

Your plan sounds good just don't get your hopes set on a particular response. Some kids will definitely resist getting their hopes up if they have been lead astray. We wanted to surprise my DD7 with a long weekend trip to a large water park and Seaworld that was about a 3 hour drive from home. She knew we were going away and we told her that we were going to a military museum that she had heard about from her grandparents that was in the same general direction. As we pulled into the parking lot for the waterpark and she could see the huge water slides she was still looking around for the museum and really didn't have any reaction until we were actually inside the park for fear that the museum really was just across the parking lot or something. We also surprised her with DLR for her 4th birthday. We were at my brother's house in San Diego at her party when we told her and we got zero reaction. Hard for me since I had a custom made pink Cinderella dress made for her which she did love but I didn't get the enthusiastic response I was expecting. So anyhow the surprise sounds great but be ready for any or no reaction.

Yeah. I get this. They are good girls who won't want to assume anything...

That is kind of why I'm thinking let cat out of bag quickly!!!

 

[KimBean]

We also surprised DD with a WDW trip when she was 7, and while I don't remember where we told her we were going or how she discovered the truth, I DO remember how angry she was that we changed the plan. In all the first day photos she is pouting with her hands on her hips. After that, she loosened up and had fun but boy was she cranky at first! (Since then she has gotten a lot better with surprises.) Edit to add: is there a way you can distract them until you get to the resort? I think that a face-to-face would be really fun.

Might be able to. See this is my concerns especially with little one. Change of plans is hard on her even if it is better. Lol. My oldest really likes the expectation of things but i asked her about a year ago if we were ever to surprise them with Disney would it take some of the fun of it, and she was like NOPE bring it on.

 

[KimBean]

You could tell them you wanted to check out the hotel because you were thinking of taking a vacation to there some time in the future. We did this with our kids at Great Wolf Lodge, though they were younger. After a bit of looking around I said, "Hey why don't we just stay here now!" The two youngest were jumping up and down, like YES, Can we? The oldest was worried about grandma because that is where we said we were going. Grandma didn't even know we were in the state. Once we cleared that up we were good to go.

Kids are awesome. Worried about grandma....