Surprise trip, tips on how to announce

[iadis58]

Hello to all out there, I am planning a surprise trip for my family in early December and need to help. Does anyone have any neat ideas of how I could announce it to them. I was planning on telling them about two days in advance so they can have time to pack and get final things ready. I will not disclose where we are staying (hotel) for as long as possible. Since we are using Magical Express, how can I get around the luggage tags having the resort name on them? Please help with any advice or suggestions you might have. Thank you

 

[prncess674]

How old is your party? I would give at least a week's notice to build up some anticipation so you can share some of your plans and let them build up some anticipation. Just like Cristmas, sometimes half the fun is the time leading up to the big day

If your kids are in school if they have a week to plan they may be able to coordinate things with school projects and assignments.

 

[pad406]

Telling our kids two weeks today. Friday night is movie night , so DW will distract whilst I put on the Disney planning DVD with the poly all ready to go. Then we all sit down and watch. Can't wait to watch as it begins to Dawn on them. They then have 2 weeks to plan and anticipate. Funny only 3 days ago, on the way to school, DS (6) asked were we EVER going to bring them to Disney?

 

[iadis58]

My daughter is 17and in her final year. We have been to the world many times so I know pretty much what they will want to do. I have thought about giving them more notice but I think a couple days will work. Just don't know how to tell them, thought about telling them during the showing of Extreme makeover home edition and hope that they will be sending the family to WDW that week. Anyway, thanks so far for the comments and keep them coming.

 

[bababear_50]

My daughter is 17and in her final year. We have been to the world many times so I know pretty much what they will want to do. I have thought about giving them more notice but I think a couple days will work. Just don't know how to tell them, thought about telling them during the showing of Extreme makeover home edition and hope that they will be sending the family to WDW that week. Anyway, thanks so far for the comments and keep them coming.

Hi Hon I have some "Guess who's going to Disney"tickets in my photobucket that I can personalize for you and for fun if you give me your daughter's name I have a cute design incorporating the tv show you mentioned.

Hugs Mel

here it is blank



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


There are lots of ideas on the DIS DISign thread at the bottom of this forum.

 

[Elliesmommy]

Since she is 17 she may need more notice than two days because of large school projects, and social affairs that need to be ironed out.

I don't know how to do it, but I just wanted to make sure you give her time to get her homework done ahead of time.

I recall all the papers I had to write in HS. In English I had a 10 page paper due every week.

Also for her to really enjoy the magic, giving her more than two days notice will allow her time to reschedule any social happenings planned in her life.

Have fun!

A real surprise would be if you could spring for her BFF to come along or talk to her BFF's parents and have them pay for the bff to go along and then surprise them both.

At that age BFF's are important!

 

[iadis58]

I know what you mean as far as her schedule, this is shoe horned in between her final Christnmas orchestra concert and finals. As far as I know, everything else looks clear. I just need to get her morning seminary class schedule and make sure we have those lessons. As far as a friend, we invited her best friend to join us last time and with the Holidays and kids work schedules, it's tough to get the time off. Thanks again to all. I will drop some hints so I can make sure their schedules are clear. Just returned from St Paul to watch a hockey game so I know what you mean about the frozen tundra, I thought it was bad here in Iowa.

 

[Robin K]

what if you wait til the last minute to add the luggage tags? Maybe in the car on the way to the airport?
Do you scrapbook or make cards? I would do clues around the house leading up to the big page that says "We are going to WDW"
I hope you let us know how it goes!
Good Luck and have a wonderful trip

 

[KGGJT]

We had friends who woke their kids up on the morning of departure and told them they were going shopping...bags were already loaded in trunk.
Car went airport - very surprised kids.......they were younger....all under 10.

 

[LWatson]

Teens are hard to surprise IMO. For our kids we arent telling them till we are already in florida and getting closer so I dont have to hear "are we to mickey yet" over and over. Though I have seen some pretty cool reveals like a treasure hunt, a themed dinner night w/ it written on a cake, opening up a gift w/ a shirt in it designed for a day at disney, a letter from mickey, etc. If you are going to miss school though I would try to do it soon so you can notify the school too.

our last trip we had planned on turning on the computer to play the "opening show at the magic kingdom" when they woke up and have autograph books, ear hats, and pens ready for them w/ Disney themed clothing out. The last part happened but the internet sucked at our hotel so we didnt get the opening show from You tube.

 

[iadis58]

What do you think the odds are that I would pack one thing that was right!!!!! We could wait till last minute to tell daughter but I think she deserves to pick put her own stuff.

 

[tlenzendorf]

We are surprising DDs next year when we go. We are going to give them each a present to open at the same time(there will be many to open) in the car on the way to the airport. We are picking them up and leaving directly from school. The plan is to ask if they want some Christmas gifts early. If they say yes we will hand them the gum wrapped up. They will start with hard to guess items then work their way up to obvious ones. If they say no we will say too bad, we were going to go to Disney today!

Here is what I think the order will be:
Gum
Plastic Zoo Figures(staying at AKL)
Travel Neck Pillows
Swim Stuff(hoping to throw them off thinking we are going to the beach)
Halloween Makeup
Glow Sticks
Crocs
Pins/Lanyards
Mickey Ears
MNSSHP Tickets

The best part is they keep asking when we go back and we keep saying not for 3 or 4 years!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

A few years ago I help one of my nephews surprise his seven year old daughter. I sent her a greeting card with no return address, but on the envelope clearly marked "Do No Open Until November 29". Because of the contents he let me know when it arrived. This was driving his daughter crazy; especially when on the 29th her mother said she would have to wait until she was home from school to open it.

Anyway, evening comes along and she finally is allowed to open the envelope. Inside she finds a generic card with Mickey on the front. When she opens it three tickets drop out. The inside of the card says: "Dear Emma, I hope you and your parents will come down to visit me" and was signed by Mickey. (It helps to know some people who have been trained to sign Mickey's name.)

And her parents told her to start reading what was on the card (3rd grade). She starts off where it says "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas" and then sees (and reads) where it also says "Valid Only November 30". She looks at her parents, and says in a very anguished tone: "But that's tomorrow!"

And the next day they flew down.

(Side note - I had recorded the numbers of the tickets in case the envelope got lost as there was no return address.)

 

[noahdove]

Can't wait to hear how it goes Have a great and magical time...

 

[DisneyDorkORama]

someone told me this idea and I loved it, so now I have it planned that I am going to do this.

But you have shirts made that say "I'm going to Disney World!" and right before you leave you hand them the shirts and tell them to go get dressed then see how long it takes them to realize what the shirts say.

 

[cherokeemamma]

We surprised our kids once with a scavenger hunt. Each clue was written on an envelope and in each envelope were some random letters(cut out)...They had to find all the clues and then they opened the envelopes and worked on solving the clue.
The letters all put together spelled out the surprise.

I did "When You Wish Upon A Star" but you could do "We are Going to WDW" or whatever. It was so much fun and so exciting...it really drew out the anticipation. When they figured it out they went crazy.

 

[iadis58]

Just to let you guys know the results if you care. Ended up telling my wife and daughter about a week in advance, this past Monday as I wanted to give them a little extra time to prepare. Used the EMHE announcement and all went well they where very surprised and very happy. We leave tonight for the KC airport and fly out tomorrow morning. Thanks again to all for your help and advice. Have a great holiday!!!

 

[tinkangell]

I think 2 days are plenty. I would put the tags on at the airport when you go to check them! Have a great time!