Surprise Trip, need Help please!

[AlexandAndysMom]

So we leave in 3 weeks. I have presents for the boys that have Disney stuff in them. They have no idea we are going. We are driving this time, from Louisville, KY (so down 65 to 75 or sometime like that ). We would like to get as close as possible to the Resort area before we tell them (actually, if the sleep fairy could stop by our car and they could fall asleep until we got to the hotel...that would be perfect--but I'm a realist...HA!), but we don't know of a good place to pull off.

Is there a pull off right near the 'Welcome' sign? Any suggestions? Help!

 

[RIP_MrToadsRide]

I see a lot of people pull off right before the sign before the get on Disney property (not sure if this is frowned upon). I usually come from I4East , but sounds like you will be coming I4 West? Not as sure of the stops that way. Im sure there are exits close by depending on how close you want to tell them. Their heads might explode so you may need to be somewhere for easy clean up!

 

[momtoejanda]

We were just there and I commented to my husband about the many large signs that say something to the effect of do not pull over. This is exactly what i wanted to do. I guess that is why they needed to post it! Traffic Jam!!

 

[AlexandAndysMom]

I see a lot of people pull off right before the sign before the get on Disney property (not sure if this is frowned upon). I usually come from I4East , but sounds like you will be coming I4 West? Not as sure of the stops that way. Im sure there are exits close by depending on how close you want to tell them. Their heads might explode so you may need to be somewhere for easy clean up!

Thanks for the response! I'm not sure exactly which way we are coming in. I haven't gotten that far with the map yet! It's on the list, really!

 

[ChattaAlley]

Oh My how fun. I am sure they will spot the billboards before that LOL. Where do they think you are going? Are you going to video tape it. I can't wait to hear about your trip.

 

[Hockeyman]

Yep that is exactly why they put those no stopping signs up with flashing lights and everything lol. Just be carefull if you do stop.

My grandparents pulled the same thing on me when i was a kid about 13 years old. They told me they were taking me to some go kart track up north. I lived down in the West Palm Beach area at the time. They picked up myself and my younger brother and we took off. I remember asking my mom why she was packing our bags but she played it off. We drive and drive and next thing i know we are pulling up to the old Hard Rock restaurant at Universal Studios. They surprised us by taking us there for our first time at Universal.

As for what you can do hmmm. Why not just go to the hotel and dont tell them anything. Just play it off like you are waking up and leaving early in the morning and that the hotel was more of a pit stop and then first things in the morning drive to Disney and see the reaction they have as you dive in and they realize where they are at lol.

 

[AlexandAndysMom]

Oh My how fun. I am sure they will spot the billboards before that LOL. Where do they think you are going? Are you going to video tape it. I can't wait to hear about your trip.

Well, we haven't really told them anything! My youngest thinks it's the beach because we are going to Va. Beach this summer to see friends. I've told him over and over that I don't think we are going to the beach.

All they know is we want to go somewhere warm and it'll be south of Louisville! I have a gift box for both of them to give them when we finally spill it. It has their autograph books and pens, a starter pin trading lanyard for both of them (they begged to start this last year and we held off), a gift card for both of them and an 'I'm going to Walt Disney World' t-shirt.

We've been planning for a November trip so that we can talk about it with the kids around and they can help us plan things (where to eat, what rides are their must dos, etc), I thought about giving them a card that said 'what, you didn't know it was November already?' but then I decided that that was dorky!

 

[bluejasmine]

What about taking them straight to DTD and then telling them? It just seems safer..LOL

Maybe plan on a meal at DTD and tell them when you get close your hungry and gonna stop for something to eat? Then when you pull up tell them! There will be disney things all around and oppurtunity to take pics!

 

[GaPaige]

What about a little scavenger hunt of clues on that long car drive? Don't give it away, use "tricky" trivia and keep them guessing! Then right before you get there, have little gifts of Disney stuff for them to open. We're doing that in a couple of weeks-my girls have no idea we're going anywhere.

 

[AlexandAndysMom]

What about taking them straight to DTD and then telling them? It just seems safer..LOL

Maybe plan on a meal at DTD and tell them when you get close your hungry and gonna stop for something to eat? Then when you pull up tell them! There will be disney things all around and oppurtunity to take pics!

If we could hide it until we were pulling into the hotel I would love it! DTD sounds like a great idea though! Thanks!

What about a little scavenger hunt of clues on that long car drive? Don't give it away, use "tricky" trivia and keep them guessing! Then right before you get there, have little gifts of Disney stuff for them to open. We're doing that in a couple of weeks-my girls have no idea we're going anywhere.

Sounds like your girls are in for a real surprise! And we will be there at the same time!

 

[GoofyMomInOhio]

We are leaving in 16 days and my kids have no clue. Originally we were going to the beach but my DH and I decided to surprise them with WDW instead. I think we will tell them the morning that we leave.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

From West of I-75 take I-10 Eastbound and get off at Exit 296, which is I-75. Go South on I-75 to Exit 328 which is the Turnpike. Continue South to Exit 267 which is the Western Expressway. Go South to Exit 8, which is Western Way. Follow the signs to Disney World and you will (in less than a mile after exiting) go through The Gate. Western Way ends at Buena Vista Drive at a traffic light at a "T" intersection.

For AK, AKL, All Stars Resorts or BB turn right. For everything else turn left..

 

[JDMickey]

I think it'd be fun to just tell them on the way it's a surprise and play it off, then watch their faces when they finally see the signs going in. Let em figure it out on their own.

 

[Mom2JaSaKa]

We were planning the same surprise but I couldn't hold it in any longer. I hope you can pull it off.

 

[buffettgirl]

Well, we haven't really told them anything! My youngest thinks it's the beach because we are going to Va. Beach this summer to see friends. I've told him over and over that I don't think we are going to the beach.

All they know is we want to go somewhere warm and it'll be south of Louisville! I have a gift box for both of them to give them when we finally spill it. It has their autograph books and pens, a starter pin trading lanyard for both of them (they begged to start this last year and we held off), a gift card for both of them and an 'I'm going to Walt Disney World' t-shirt.

We've been planning for a November trip so that we can talk about it with the kids around and they can help us plan things (where to eat, what rides are their must dos, etc), I thought about giving them a card that said 'what, you didn't know it was November already?' but then I decided that that was dorky!

I like the "november" idea - maybe if they fall asleep when they wake up you can say "wow, you guys slept a LONG time . It's november already"

 

[AlexandAndysMom]

We are leaving in 16 days and my kids have no clue. Originally we were going to the beach but my DH and I decided to surprise them with WDW instead. I think we will tell them the morning that we leave.

If we were flying, we would tell them that day, but since we are driving, we'd like to get as close as possible before they know. I can only imagine the color of my DH's neck as the kids keep asking, 'are we there yet?' 'are we there yet?' coupled with the there being WDW!

From West of I-75 take I-10 Eastbound and get off at Exit 296, which is I-75. Go South on I-75 to Exit 328 which is the Turnpike. Continue South to Exit 267 which is the Western Expressway. Go South to Exit 8, which is Western Way. Follow the signs to Disney World and you will (in less than a mile after exiting) go through The Gate. Western Way ends at Buena Vista Drive at a traffic light at a "T" intersection.
For AK, AKL, All Stars Resorts or BB turn right. For everything else turn left..

You are wonderful, thank you for this!

I think it'd be fun to just tell them on the way it's a surprise and play it off, then watch their faces when they finally see the signs going in. Let em figure it out on their own.

We thought about this too, but DH wants his own Disney commercial...jumping up and down and all that. I think they won't really get it until we are there, but that's just me...lol

We were planning the same surprise but I couldn't hold it in any longer. I hope you can pull it off.

It's been hard to keep it from the baby, but east to keep it from the 8 year old. He's been having issues at school and has been grounded pretty much since January, and everytime we think we've got it, he goes and does something else...boys...

I think this trip will be a really good one for all of us, but him esp. Everyone needs a break with the real life, and he doesn't worry there like at home. It will be good for him.

I like the "november" idea - maybe if they fall asleep when they wake up you can say "wow, you guys slept a LONG time . It's november already"

I like it! Thanks!

 

[cheerforchelsea]

From West of I-75 take I-10 Eastbound and get off at Exit 296, which is I-75. Go South on I-75 to Exit 328 which is the Turnpike. Continue South to Exit 267 which is the Western Expressway. Go South to Exit 8, which is Western Way. Follow the signs to Disney World and you will (in less than a mile after exiting) go through The Gate. Western Way ends at Buena Vista Drive at a traffic light at a "T" intersection.

For AK, AKL, All Stars Resorts or BB turn right. For everything else turn left..

I came in this way (from Alabama) the weekend before Thanksgiving and it was great --- very little traffic ....if I remember correctly the road came in right beside Coronado Springs resort and the DisneyWorld signs on this road would be easy to pull over for just a minute without disrupting traffic too much.

We surprised my Granddaughter several years ago. We told her we were going to see her cousin play in a football game. She figured out we were in Disney when she saw a Disney Bus....PRICELESS!!!

 

[Leajess99]

OP, why not tell them at the Florida Welcome Center?? It would still be a few hours away but at least then you could get pictures of their reaction and not stop any traffic flow.

We have driven down 4 times from Etown and my kids have always known but it never really hits them until we stop at the Florida Welcome Center.

 

[bluejasmine]

You know back in 2008 on our honeymoon Dh and I booked a bounceback and DH decided he wanted it to be a suprise so I had to hold it in for a yr! I didnt think I would make it!
Then about two weeks before we decided to do a scavanger hunt the day before we left so we sat down together and wrote it out and made all the arrangements.

Day before we set it all up so when they got home from school (they are both teens) we made them do the scavanger hunt, once it got to the end and we were standing there with mickey ears on and the travel docs and mickey confetti they were blown away! Handed them each their own packing list told them they had 30 mins to pack we were loading up the car because we were leaving at 5 am the next morning, their faces were priceless!

Stupid camera batterys died and I didnt get it on film tho.. But Ill never forget it