Surprise the kids or tell them?!

[tkoran]

Our trip in December will be our first ever and at this point I am planning on surprising the kids. I will tell them when I wake them up to go to the airport. I know I would get sick of hearing the "when are we leaving" bit over and over for the next 8 months and since our flight is at 7 am I also want to be sure they get a good nights sleep. When it gets closer to the time I may let our 11 y/o in on the secret (she already suspects anyway), but keep our 6 year old in the dark. If she was sleep deprived our first day there would be absolutely miserable.

 

[nancy drew]

a friend surprised her 3yo with a day trip to WDW and it did not go over well. her son is a huge playhouse disney fan, and in the morning she told him they were going to visit the home of one of his favorite friends. he spent half the day in kind of a quiet daze and didnt really warm up until the afternoon.

my kids wouldnt handle a surprise well right now. we are going to DLR in about a month and we are watching ridethroughs and parade videos on youtube almost every night, talking about what we want to see, how to wait patiently in line, etc. but thats my kids. i have learned from experience that if they are surprised they will meltdown and none of us will have fun. if they know what to expect they are much more likely to enjoy the experience.

but then again, they are younger than most of the kids who seem to enjoy surprises, and perhaps when they are older i will feel differently. i think its one of those "know your kids and plan accordingly" things.

 

[checkwriter]

We told ours that we were going so they could enjoy the anticipation and planning. We did build in some surprises, though. First, they were convinced we were driving all the way (about 1000 miles); instead, we flew. Second, their favorite aunt met us at the airport and joined us for the trip. Third, we spent our first night off-property and the next morning rousted them out of bed early, complaining about the rooms (which were perfectly fine, by the way) and pulled in to the Poly for the remainder of our trip.

 

[lwillcox]

For the past 4 years we have gone to Sea World. So naturally they assume that is where we are going this year. We always follow the same plan. DH and I get up early, early and load the last minute stuff in the car then we get the kids out of bed and put them in the car in thier pj's. We always stop at the same restaurant for breakfest in Columbus, Texas. We are going to drive to WDW. We are going to follow the same routine but we will be stopping for breakfast in Louisiana. They will figure out that we are not going to Sea World by then. I have a Disney surprise to give them when we are eatting breakfast.

I am so excited!!!!! They are going to be over the top!!!!!

 

[milmom6]

We just got back from a week at Disneyworld (March 23-28th at OKW) and our boys 5 and 9 loved it. This was their 3rd trip there. We have a family reunion in Daytona Beach in June for 2 days, then we decided that since we were already in Florida, let's just do our week long summer vacation so we booked an all-inclusive to Jamaica for 6 nights (great rate from Orlando). Well... our boys are thrilled, but DH and I thought, well, since we bought AP's this past trip, and we could stay DVC for free, why not come back from Jamaica and do Disney again? Only cost will be DDP and "extras".
So, when our boys think we are landing in Orlando from Jamaica to transfer planes to go home to Michigan, we will actually be going on Magical Express over to 2 nights at AKV and 3 nights at SSR, extending our trip by another 5 nights!! The great thing is both of their birthdays are that month!
I think they will love the suprise. We are staying in a studio, hope we like the two places! We're taking my parents in November for Thanksgiving to SSR in a 2BR, and then my hubby made me promise no Disney for a year, LOL. Does Vero count?????

 

[bas71873]

I am surprising my DD5 with a mommy & me trip in October for MNSSHP. She has a Friday off from school so depending on flights, I'll either pull her out 1/2 day Thursday and surprise her then, or when I wake her up to get on the plane Friday morning. We were there in February as a family and she asks me constantly if we can go live at Disney World.

She and I are both HUGE Halloween fanatics and she thinks its cool that mommy always gets a new costume too, so now my fun is trying to plan costumes for us for MNSSHP.

I don't keep secrets very well, but this one will be no problem, because I can't WAIT to see the look on my little babies face when she finds out she gets to see the castle again

 

[daisy_77]

This is a great thread!
Our next trip isn't until late next year but I have already decided to keep it a secret from our DD. She will be a few weeks from turning 5 years old when the trip finally gets here so I think it will be a fun surprise for her (and us)!

She loves WDW. We drove to Sacramento for Spring Break to visit family. We made a stop at a rest stop and she got excited and asked if we were at Disney World.

 

[higgy66]

I have to agree with the posters who say don't suprise for the 1st timers. In fairness they don't know what it's about so it's hardy supriosing they don't get as excited as people who know.

As I mentioned in an earlier post we're suprising our DDs next year as we've been to DLRP so have some idea of what Disney is and often ask if we can go back.

How we suprise them is a different matter as this changes daily especially after reading all these replies!

 

[PollyannaMom]

...We used the summer to take "Disney training walks" The kids were excited about our family walks each evening because they were getting ready for the trip...

We did these a couple of years ago too!

We told ours that we were going so they could enjoy the anticipation and planning. We did build in some surprises, though. First, they were convinced we were driving all the way (about 1000 miles); instead, we flew. Second, their favorite aunt met us at the airport and joined us for the trip. Third, we spent our first night off-property and the next morning rousted them out of bed early, complaining about the rooms (which were perfectly fine, by the way) and pulled in to the Poly for the remainder of our trip.

I agree with this poster. We involve DS in some of the planning, so he has the whole anticipation bit, gets to tell people he's going, etc., but we always try to work in something he doesn't know about. - This last time we were visiting relatives in Florida and driving to MK for a day, which he knew and had been eagerly anticipating. What he didn't know was that I had made before-the-park-opens breakfast ADR's. Watching him when he realized he had "the whole park to myself" was priceless!

 

[GoofyGymMom]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post. I have been a lurker for a few months, but still have a lot to learn.

We decided to surprise our kids last year. After losing both my mom and mother-in-law within 6 weeks of each other last year, we were in need of a happy moment. We were also avoiding the first Christmas at home.

We started planning in August for our December trip. On the 19th of December we returned home from gymnastics classes at 8:30 pm. We sat the girls down (ages 16, 13, 11, 4), and they thought they were getting a lecture. We read them a poem that I had made...

T’was 6 days before Christmas and all through the house
The girls are returning all sweaty and gross
At the gym they were practicing so very hard,
Swinging, balancing and acting the tard.

But now my dear girls you have something to do
Because mom and dad have a surprise for all you
A shower you need as the morning comes soon
And we will all be someplace new by noon.

Christmas will be very different this year
Without those people that we hold so dear
So, now we would like to give you our little gift
In hopes that it will give us all a slight lift.

For this year our present to you is a trip
But to where we are keeping our lips tightly zipped
We will have a great time of this I am sure
Great plans we have made in love of you four.

Santa knows of our plans, so about this don’t worry
We will return to all the Christmas fun and flurry
On January 1st, back home we will be
And the presents will be under the tree.

Tons of surprises you will find on the way
You never know what will happen each day
So now you have so much to go do
These are what we have to help you

In each of the envelopes you have is enclosed
A list of what you need to pack up for clothes
You have but an hour to get this all done
For tomorrow we head out to have some great fun.

So, shower and packing is what you must now do
In bed by 11:00 because we leave here at 2:00
To the airport to check in and off to the skies
Merry Christmas our girls, we luv you guys.

The girls were ecstatic after they realized that we were not kidding. We left on the 20th and stayed through to the 1st of January. We celebrated 2 birthdays, an anniversary, Christmas and New Years there. We kept the whole trip a secret and surprised them each morning with our plans for the day. It was the trip of a life time and the most magical time!!

We are now planning on going back in Dec 2008, only earlier in the month to try to avoid the crowds and the high holiday costs. The kids know about this trip and we are enjoying the planning and anticipation together. I will enjoy doing this with them, but I very much believe that there is nothing like a good surprise!!!

 

[junebug88]

I tried to keep it a secret from my 2 boys, but after my oldest say me on the computer checking out the hotel and stuff, it was all over.
We made a countdown calendar to get them more excited, but it was originally going to be a surprise.

 

[ChrisMouse]

My best advice is to do both!!! Take two trips!!!

last year we did a surprise Disneyland trip, and it was absolutely amazing. We woke the kids up at 6am to the news that we were going...their surprise and joy was something I'll never forget.

We leave on the 10th for WDW...a trip we've been planning for 8 months. The dreams we've spun, plans we've made, and excitement we've built are again...something I'll never forget.

Bottom line? You can't go wrong!!

 

[NHDisneyMom]

We are surprising our DD6 and DS5 with a trip this Dec. They think we are planning a trip for April of 09 so when they see us planning and what not, they don't suspect we are leaving in Dec. I can keep them involved with the planning and frequently ask them questions about it. Friends just left for a Disney trip this April and we talk about how next year at this time it will be our turn. Little do they know!!

My DD will also celebrate her birthday when we are in Disney and I know she will be off the wall with excitement! We plan on telling them the day we leave - have not figured out exactly how to do it yet, but we are deffinately waiting.

My theory - when they get older it will be harder to hide the planning as they will be able to read over my shoulder. If they are anything like me, I ALWAYS figure out surprises - makes my husband nuts! By telling them we are going in April 09, I get all their input. Now I plan for Dec. and hopefully I will not give it away because I can't sleep I'm so excited!

 

[sunnyday123]

I am having such a hard time not telling my daughter. She see's me online all the time ( I really need to do some laundry!) and I told her we can't afford to go this year, but we are planning a trip for april of 2009. I keep talking about "next year". Disney has a t-shirt you can make with whatever words and characters you want, I may make her one to wear on the way down.

This is really really hard!

 

[Zoebear]

We're doing this 4 weeks from today !

I know the anticipation and planning is fun for the children, but we figure that once in their lives a surprise like this would make some magical memories.

I am a little worried about DS 3, but he'll be really excited by the airplane anyway.

DDs 7 and 8 will be out of their minds!

I hope it all works - wishing for some pixie dust for us!

 

[dananbethany]

I don't know...I never could keep it a secret!

 

[MomofKatie]

I am planning a surprise "mother/daughter" trip for DD and I on Mother's Day weekend. This will be DD9's 5th trip, so she has done the whole planning thing with us enough. The whole family just returned from a 8 night trip last fall, but we still had 1 day left on our Hoppers- I decided to look into a short trip for the 2 of us. I found a major deal on a hotel on Hotwire, and I put a little $$ onto Disney GCs each week or so for food and souvenirs. We even got tickets for a P&PP that will be held that weekend.

I am not 100% sure how I am going to "spill the beans"- we have an 8 1/2 hour car ride to FL. I am picking her up from school early on Thursday, and I am going to explain it by telling her I have an appointment that is pretty far away and I won't be home in time to meet her at the bus after school.

I think I will drive for about an hour or so, then pull off the road for gas and tell her then- I was thinking of doing the Disney Phonecall from Mickey, telling her she's going on a trip and he'll see her real soon. Either that, or have her open a Mother's Day card from her very favorite stuffed animal (she's her "Mommy") telling her she's been such a good girl, she is going to WDW.

Either way, I'll need to be stopped so I can take pics of the moment (I'll probably be crying over her reaction). It has been hard not to tell her, but I know the payoff will be great!!

 

[Russian-in-Kansas]

I was thinking of surprising my kids with our upcoming trip because it seems like such a cool idea..But neither of them have an idea of what DW is or even upon my mentioning it have they expressed the desire to go there. So I think I will tell them, but a short time in advance, at most three weeks, so plenty of time for teaching them about where we are going, what to expect, and just get them in the mood. I doubt they would be happy with it all being a surprise.

 

[pajules]

Yesterday was a big day in our house as I told our DS (8) we were going to WDW. We only decided to do the trip in February so I didn't have to keep it a secret for long, but after seeing his response yesterday, it was worth all of the sneaking around.


I agree that it helps if they've been there before. DS has only been there 1 day....yes just one day 2 years ago when we were in Orlando. We spent most of the day at AK and then went to MK to ride SM and see Wishes, so he knows what DW is but will still have that newbie first timer feeling for the majority of the trip.


We're leaving tomorrow and I was going to wait until after school to tell him, but yesterday he wasn't feeling well so I decided to spring the news. I had put together a little box filled with 2 Disney t-shirts, some pins, and 2 candy bars with Disney Wrappers from the DISigns page. I wrapped the box in red paper and covered it with Disney stickers.

He was laying in my bed in the am and I brought the box in and told him I had a surprise. Inside the box was a card I had made on the DISigns page that said, "Surpise, We're Going to Walt Disney World!" He looked at me and said, "This summer?" and I said, "No, Friday after school!"

He was shocked and couldn't believe what I was saying. He started jumping up and down and gave me a huge . I started to tear up and he was all, "Why are you crying?" I said, "It's just because I love to see you so happy."


Needless to say, it's all he talked about all day and which of his "Favorite" rides he wants to go on. I figured 2 days was enough notice to get him excited but not so much notice when he would be asking me everyday, "When are we going?"

This will probably be the only time I do a "surprise" trip, but it was definitly worth it. He was at just the right age to "get it."

 

[Elaine R]

Our kids (DS 6and DS4) know that we are planning a trip in the future, but they don't know when . That way we have lots of time to prepare for the trip and plan. Because it's their first time we wanted them to be familiar with the different rides and shows so that they weren't scared. We've spent lots of time letting them check things out online and looking at books. When it gets to be time to go we plan on surprising them by telling them we are going to see their grandparents (who are meeting us there, so its not even a lie.)