Surprise the kids the day before or at the airport?

[Peachkins]

My brother and SIL are taking my niece on a surprise trip to Disney this fall. She's been three times before, and yes, she is now convinced that all planes go to Disney World since they've flown every other trip. On the times before she's always known ahead of time about the trip, and they've done homemade countdown calendars and the whole nine yards. This time they're driving, and my brother has decided that he's not going to say anything until they literally drive under the arch that says you're entering Disney World.

 

[Leeanne]

Our kids are very young- 5.5 and almost 3. We have been really talking about Disney a lot this year because they really want to go badly, but they think we are going sometime in a year or so because it is so expensive we have to save up money for it. Really we are going in 2 weeks

We have narrowed the big reveal to 2 different scenarios:

1. the day before we leave the doorbell rings and a big box is waiting for them. Open the box and out comes some mickey balloons. In the box are a few disney shirts, etc and a letter telling them that tomorrow morning they are coming to Disney.

2. Wake them up for our early flight and tell them we are going somewhere but it is a surprise. Once we get to the airport let them guess. They will guess right away because the little one associates airplanes with disney.

WWYD????

No clue as far as what to do. DH and I only have fur-babies and they don't go so......However, when I was 7 and my sister was 5 we went for one day and they didn't tell us until we were in the parking lot!! Over 20 years ago and we fell asleep in the car, they woke us up to let us see the characters on the signs. My now famous phrase (well famous in my family!!) was "are we staying or just turning around?" We spent a magical day in MK!! Good luck with your choice!!

However if you pick option 1 make sure you have a weight of some sort on the bottom of the balloon. I would probably want to keep the balloon (scrapbook) and I would hate it if it floated off!! Plus at your kids ages a balloon may be a big deal!!

 

[jennbunn]

Our trip is coming up in 3 weeks and ds 10 does not know. We are going to tell him the night before with giving him a package with a new beach towel, beach ball for the pool, his autograph book, and a "plane" ticket.

 

[pigletto]

I'm always in favor of a little time to adjust to the idea. We surprised the kids a few days before one of our trips. It worked out perfectly because they knew we were going but they though it was still months away. So they did help me do all the planning. We told them about 3 days beforehand and they were over the moon! It was the best reaction I could have hoped for. They still had time to tell their friends and pack their things etc so it worked well.

We've been many times since but we will be surprising them for a second time in December. Again, this time I am going to give them about a week to prepare and be excited before we actually leave.

 

[cheesemouse]

Our kids are very young- 5.5 and almost 3. We have been really talking about Disney a lot this year because they really want to go badly, but they think we are going sometime in a year or so because it is so expensive we have to save up money for it. Really we are going in 2 weeks

We have narrowed the big reveal to 2 different scenarios:

1. the day before we leave the doorbell rings and a big box is waiting for them. Open the box and out comes some mickey balloons. In the box are a few disney shirts, etc and a letter telling them that tomorrow morning they are coming to Disney.

2. Wake them up for our early flight and tell them we are going somewhere but it is a surprise. Once we get to the airport let them guess. They will guess right away because the little one associates airplanes with disney.

WWYD????

For sure #2. We actually pulled off a surprise just like that. Our kids didn't know until we landed in Orlando and they saw the magical express buses. They were 3 and 5 and couldn't read and didn't know what "Orlando" meant. It ranks very high on my all time memories list. You could let them just keep guessing all the way to Florida and even to WDW if you are renting a car.

 

[Snooks23]

My kids are the exact same ages as yours, both girls, and they too have been begging to go but we keep saying not yet, we haven't saved up enough money yet... They think all the piggy banks in the house have to be full first! But we're going in a month!
The last day of school is a Thursday and we leave the following Monday morning to drive down. My two surprise options are 1) wake up that Friday morning, first day of "vacation", and have a big Mickey breakfast with balloons, a sign, t shirts, etc and the planning DVD playing instead of their morning Disney Jr shows, or 2) get in the car on departure day to new princess dolls in their carseats and bag of Disney surprises for each... I'm thinking option 1 will be easier so I can have them already know while I'm scurrying around all weekend to pack and stuff. But option 2 would be so fun! They're going to be so excited no matter what!! Oh, and grandparents are meeting us there! An added surprise!

Option 2 sounds super cute!

 

[Snooks23]

We are surprising my DD. at first my plans were to surprise her at the Air Port. I was going to put balloons in the trunk & open it when we get there. Have her carry on luggage in front. The reason I decided to tell her the day before is because we are throwing her Bday party the day before we leave. Almost all of my family is giving her gifts she can use on her trip, or gift cards. So I plan to tell her the day before.

 

[Kat016]

We are surprising my DD. at first my plans were to surprise her at the Air Port. I was going to put balloons in the trunk & open it when we get there. Have her carry on luggage in front. The reason I decided to tell her the day before is because we are throwing her Bday party the day before we leave. Almost all of my family is giving her gifts she can use on her trip, or gift cards. So I plan to tell her the day before.

That's was another reason we told our kids. Everyone was giving them GC's for their bdays to spend in Disney. How would I explain it if they didnt know? And last year we did the sane thing. So they would have figured it out.

 

[Kae]

At the airport. When surprised our kids we were already in FL(Naples) told them we where driving to see some relatives in another part of the state. Then DS saw the Disney gates, DD had not been to WDW befor DS had. DS could barely speak he was so excited!

Kae

 

[LCoulter]

The first time we surprised DD4 was when we were leaving WDW and the surprise was a Disney cruise…it did NOT go well. She didn’t want to leave WDW to begin with but she got in the car without too much trouble but when we saw the ship in the distance and asked her if she wanted to sail on Mickey’s ship, she said “No, I want to go back to Disney.” By the next day, she warmed up to the cruise and we had trouble getting her out of the kids club.

The second time we surprised her (now 5 years old), was the morning of our flight to WDW which we knew was risky so we were expecting the worst. She is not good with being awakened and regardless of when she gets up, it is a challenge to get her dressed. We woke her at 5am, a half hour before we left and I bought her a new Disney outfit to wear but if she didn’t want to get dressed, we would just pick her up in her jammies. We woke her and told her we were going to WDW…right NOW. She perked right up with excitement and dressed quickly without complaint.

She has been asking to go to WDW for her birthday so we are hoping to take her a few weeks before her actual birthday next year. We will be driving and leaving right after work and school on Thursday night so I’m trying to decide when the best time to tell her will be. DH and DD6 will be picking me up at work and heading out from there. I’m afraid that if we tell her Wednesday night, that she won’t be able to sleep but maybe if we tell her at dinner time she will have time to calm down before bedtime. Or DH could tell her right after school on Thursday but I won’t be there. I don’t think he could hide the packed car when the two of them get in and come pick me up at work.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I would read this blog before you decide to surprise them the day of:

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2013/04/how-should-i-tell-my-kids-were-going-to.html

I have a daughter who gets a very nervous stomach - she would be too sick with excitement. My son would need to make sure he has what he wants so I would never surprise at the airport!

 

[firsttimer4]

We are taking our first disney trip in 3 weeks. We have decided to tell the kids once we get to the airport. My kids are almost 6 and 3. I'm going to tell them in the car once we park. I have them each a disney backpark with stuff for the plane and a mickey and minnie stuffed animal. We're picking them up early from school that day. I'm going to tell them that I have something to do for work and that I wasn't going to make it back in time to get them. Once we are at the airport I'm going to tell them that we're getting on a plane and give them the stuffed animals. We've been talking about Disney alot so I'm confident they'll figure it out pretty quickly. I can't wait to see their excitement!!

 

[jrtoastyman]

very timely thread. We just decided last night to take a quick trip to WDW starting next Sunday, and since it is so close in time, we're thinking of not telling DD4 until some point much closer to the trip -- she already knows we're going to Florida to see the grandparents, but the fact that at some point we'll be leaving them and going to WDW will be a surprise. Still trying to figure out the best point to spring it on her. I'm actually contemplating not telling her at all and just letting her figure it out as we pass through the main gate, because up until that point, there will be nothing to tip her off as to where we're going.

 

[Gamegrl1]

Wah...this thread is making me sad because I have no kids to surprise. But I have a brand-new niece and twins on the way from my sis & bro-in-law...will have to revisit these good tips in 8 or 9 years (when they're big enough to ride the "good" rides and keep up with auntie.

I'm of the opinion that it's good to tell someone sooner because then you can enjoy anticipating it together (I surprised my mom for Mother's Day) but I'd probably wait until pretty close with kids. I'd like to have time to share with them what to expect, to help them be less overwhelmed.

 

[Gamegrl1]

I would read this blog before you decide to surprise them the day of:

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2013/04/how-should-i-tell-my-kids-were-going-to.html!

Just watched a couple of these...my initial response as a single woman with no kids is to say they're ungrateful little wretches (ok, the teenager in that one video is still an ungrateful wretch...what was with the blase attitude?!? He's old enough to know what it is! I'd leave him with relatives!) but I think the reality might be that:

1. They may not have an accurate concept of what WDW is. I mean, it's a lot for an adult to take in and kids don't necessarily get why the adults are so excited. They do have a concept of Chuck E. Cheese or grandma's house or wherever they've been before that they liked but some adults either tricked the kids into thinking they were going somewhere else and now the kids are disappointed, or the kid is like "What's Disney World?" Why should they be excited about somewhere they've never been and can't fully grasp yet? (despite seeing the cartoons or owning some of the merchandise) They don't know about the rides, parades, snacks, characters, fireworks, etc. and you're looking at them expectantly and they're looking at you like you're weird.

2. If they do get it, they don't have the emotional capability to handle a big surpise like that. So they freak out. I get that. If someone surprised me with a Disney trip I'd freak out and I'm thirty-mumble-mumble.

I already told my niece we were going when she was older (okay, she was 1 day old at the time and doesn't understand English yet, let alone the word "Disney" )...but seriously, I'm going to let her parents take her first. That whole ungrateful, entitled attitude...yeah, I'm so not having that. Before we go to Disney I'm taking her to serve at a homeless shelter so she can see the contrast of how good she has it! (I am being tongue-in-cheek)

 

[2009CAN]

I SO, SO want to surprise our kids in the morning, but we have one child who will NOT handle a surprise like that very well, especially when being woken up 2.5 hours early.
So, our plan is to tell them the night before at dinner. Im going to do WDW decorations and make it special. HOWEVER, we are already currently talking to them about going to Disney in the fall and are vague about timing. Plus, they are still young enough that they dont really understand the timing.
The biggest plus about telling them the night before is that it will give the child who will have a hard time being off of his schedule time to process everything and when woken up in the morning, wont be as disoriented as if we were springing it on him.

 

[MotoWifey185]

I love reading all these stories of how to surprise your kids. I watched a few Youtube videos a while back and they all made me cry! I can't not WAIT to do this for my future children!!

 

[Phoenixrising]

As for what to do about absconding with their fav stuffies a couple of days before the surprise trip, do what I did. Kidnap the stuffies, put them in their luggage that's been hidden, then leave notes each day, with the special stuffie telling them all about the adventures they are on, and they are looking forward to seeing them very soon. Each day leave a new note, showing that they are getting closer to seeing your child again. On the date of departure, leave them a note, something like "come join me on a grand adventure!". There's nothing more fun than plotting against the kids with a surprise trip. Especially with my over active imagination causing mayhem at every turn!

 

[jaybee1026]

With the assistance of our flight crew, we surprised our children at the airport. It's a moment I will never forget.

http://youtu.be/PSPjoOy_qCY

 

[memma05]

We actually leave in the morning...driving from Va My DS 4 likes to write the princesses letters so when she kept asking when are we going I said well maybe write and see when there will be the hotel room you like available( royal room at POR). So she did so about a week ago and checks each day for a response! We decided to get a cute disney suitcase and balloons and filled the case with fun car activities, new disney DVD's and a few small toys. We wrote a response letter from cinderella inviting her to disney (stamp and all so it looks legitimate lol) and she still "believes" so it's a bit more magical this way! While we eating breakfast our neighbor is going to set the case by the door and ring the doorbell like the postman just dropped it off! Then they can throw a few "special" things in and off we go!

But like others have said....YOU know your kiddos so either way it's going to be an awesome surprise!