Surprise the kids or have fun planning with them

[Mandychelle79]

Yes, you can do both. We are. The kids know we will be going back to Disney, they just dont know that we are going this December. We just keep saying the next time we go...

so far my dd(almost 6) has picked our resort

and the two of them have chosen most of our ts meals

I just say do you want to eat with this character or that character and they pic between them.

 

[jewelmicky]

My DD is 6....we went did Land/Sea last year...only spent 3 days at parks. That trip was an extended family trip...mostly for both sets of grandparents. It was NOT a vacation for ME...I was the "planner"...and really didn't enjoy it much.

In a few weeks we just me, DP, and DD are going for 10 day!!!!

My DD has been asking to go back pretty much the whole year. I have been telling her we WILL go back, just not now. Maybe, after school get out.

I am always on the DIS or reading Passporter....she is use the that. Planning for when we DO go again.

We leave May 1st....I plan to pick DD up for airport at lunchtime from school...under the pretext of taking grandparents to aiport. Once we get there, I will ask her to help with luggage....then when we open the hatch...there will be her suitcase with a sign from Mickey.

So, we get the best of both worlds...she gets to plan for a "future" trip, and the surprise of going NOW!

 

[wrconrad]

We leave May 16th and it is still a surprise to the kids. DD4 has never been and we have told her we will go when she turns 7. We can talk about the excitement of going when we see commercials and stuff, without giving up the surprise. Keeping the surprise from DS11 and DS10 have been more difficult. DQ and me often read the boards while the kids are watching tv with us. We have to IM each other to 'talk' about different Disney stuff.

We surprised both the boys 3 years ago. We drove from Delaware and they didn't know until we entered Disney property. Although the moment they found out was worth it, the journey and all the stories of how close we were to letting it slip, have been the most rewarding part of the surprise.

I will say it is almost as much work keeping up the surprise as it is to plan the trip. For our trip in May, we figured we had to make up a bogus family trip (not to Disney). We are taking the auto train down, so I think we should be able to get pretty close to Disney before they get suspicious. What that think is we will take an auto train down to northern FL and drive back, making day trips on the way home.

Maybe I'm selfish, but I enjoy the surprise. Kinda makes me feel like I'm Santa or the Easter Bunny.

 

[erika412]

Thanks everyone. Lots of food for thought.

 

[katybugsmom]

Our trip in June is a complete surprise! We just went last summer in June too! The kids helped with all the planning for that trip, so I thought it would be fun to surprise them this year! Our children, DD 10 and DS 4, think we are spending a week at Myrtle Beach this year! We only live an hour away so we can go for the day any time we want to so it won't be such a blow when they discover we are heading south on I-95! It shouldn't take my DD any time at all to figure out where we are going! My DH and I have been gathering things since Christmas to put in special cinch bags we will present them once the secret is out! I can't wait! My DH has to work until 4:00PM the day we leave, so that just helps our cause out! We usually leave early in the morning when we are going on a long trip so they don't suspect anything! I have to admit though my DH has almost given the secret away three different times!!! We have a had a good laugh about all three!

 

[PollyannaMom]

DS(8) loves the anticipation - countdown chain and all!! He also tends to be most comfortable when he knows what's coming up - even if it's just asking me if we're doing anything after school tomorrow. So I wouldn't want to rob him of either the excitement or the comfort. (Plus I would get stressed trying to get ready in secret.)

 

[angelat]

I can tell you what we did this year. For our second trip we had actually planned on going this September. But with Labor Day being late, the first day of school is much earlier for next year. So, we told the kids we would go at the end of September. Little do they know that we are actually going 22-29 August! So, they are able to plan things out decide where they want to go first etc, and then at the beginning of August we are going to suprise them. I'm still planning out how the suprise will work, but I want it to be great.
Basically, my point is, you can do a little of both if you really want to.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

You have a lot of advise, but I will add my $.02 anyway.

On one trip we decided to surprise the kids. We had surprised them with Hershey Park, Great Wolf Lodge and a few other things and they loved it, so we did it with Disney. The surprise part was awesome! But overall they were very disapointed to have lost the planning part (the part we happen to love most). They were about 10, 5 and 2 at the time. The trip felt like it was missing something (don't get me wrong, we had a great time), but without the months (or in our case years) of anticipation, it just didn't feel the same. We promised them we'd never do it again (for Disney) because they missed the planning so much.

Whatever you do, you will have a great time, but don't underestimate the power of anticipation...

 

[tinkerbells mum]

my dd really loves the planning with me and i think she's feel left out if i planned and didn't invovle her. half the fun is the planning and anticipation of a good trip

 

[scootch]

We have as much fun planning and anticipating. Our friends did not tell their son till they arrived at the airport(he was even dressed in his school uniform). The trip went by so fast, they said in hindsight they wish they would have told him sooner. To me it is a surprise whenever you find out.

 

[Mallow]

Another thing to consider is that your kids may do better with some advanced prep. My DS is the type of child that does better knowing as much as he can in advance (ex--what the hotel will be like, waiting in airports, what loveys/toys he can bring etc) but my DD is more go with the flow & could handle a suprise better. Since your kids may not remember the previous trip they may do better with some advanced noticed. Disney is a great trip, as we all know, but it can be overwhelming in so many different ways that depending, of course, where you're from: the amount of time traveling, the weather, not to mention the overstimulation, that anything you can do to prevent some of that normal vacation anxiety may be a life saver later on. Just some food for thought. Have a great trip what ever you decide.