Surprising the kids - Aussie version!

[5ofus]

Our kids do not know they are going to Disneyland in September We are heading to Vegas to go to a friends' wedding and that's all they know about. They are only 2, 4 and 5 so it's easier to keep them in the dark, but I'm waiting for the penny to drop for DS1 who is a bit of a smarty pants. Hopefully he won't put two and two together that Vegas and Disneyland are in the same general area.

Now I'm after ideas, suggestions and advice. Being so young, they pretty much do as they are told and take things as they come. We're going to the wedding first and will be in Vegas for four days before driving to Anaheim for ten days. I don't know how or when we should tell them that they're going to Disneyland. Probably not before we leave the country (can you imagine 17 hours of "Are we at Disneyland yet?" x 3?!?!?), and probably not until after the wedding - we don't want them to ruin the wedding by constantly asking if we're going to Disneyland today. So, when? The day after the wedding, giving them a day in Vegas to get excited before heading off the following day? The morning we drive to Anaheim - although the excitement might lead to five hours of "Are we there yet?". Or halfway/almost at Anaheim in the car? Less bugging, but less time to get excited as well.

The kids are all boys. They'll be 2 and 3/4s, 4 and 3/4s and almost six and a half. What do you think?

 

[WAMUMOF4]

How are you going to keep all the people at the wedding fom letting it slip? That was my problem last year this year I am taking no chances it's a need to know basis

 

[5ofus]

We don't know many people at the wedding, and so far only the bride and groom know we are going to DL. The kids know we are going to WDW in 2015 so whenever we talk about Disney, they they just think its for that trip. So far anyway...

 

[WAMUMOF4]

What about ordering them some new Mickey ears or I am going to DL resort shirts and having a parcel to give them in the car when your nearly there? You could get the parcel delivered to your LV resort.

 

[5ofus]

Oooh, I like the shirt idea!

Keep 'em coming!

 

[alicia1506]

i like the shirt/mickey ears idea... but what if you combined it with some disney themed presents that are also ways to keep your boys entertained on the car trip...

ie, about an hour before you get there (and i am assuming you are going straight to the parks when you arrive, otherwise i would suggest that you spring it on them the morning you intend to go to the parks)

you could give them each a box or gift bag (easy to flat pack inside a suitcase), and inside there could be the shirts and/or mickey ears, plus some games that are disney themed... i know at my local crazy clarks/sams warehouse there are disney games like tic-tac-toe, colouring in books, connect the dots etc plus other fun disney themed kids stuff. you could also include a relatively inexpensive disney toy (pre-bought at your local discount store) that they might otherwise ask for in the parks, ie a pirate's bandana, a 'cars' stuffed toy, 'cars' matchbox car play set etc. that could save you a few $$$ over buying them in the parks, and help entertain them for the last hour or so until you get to disney. maybe even buy a disney clock and tell them 'when the big hand gets to the XX and the little hand gets to the YY, we should be at disney'...that way you might cut down on the 'are we there yets' and help entertain them... i know for my dh, when we flew bne - lax, he kept flicking over to the timer screen on our IFE... his version of counting down the minutes til we got to disney

i'm sure no matter how you choose to tell them, they'll love it

 

[5ofus]

We aren't going to the parks on our first day Alicia, we won't arrive until the afternoon and will 'only' have ten day passes. To make things more complicated, I am keeping another secret - we're staying at the Grand Californian for our first night and DH doesn't know He, like you, suggested that we not tell them and just turn up (thinking we're staying at HoJos) - waiting to see how long it would take for them to figure it out. Of course, it would take all of three seconds when we pull up to the Grand Californian There is another major flaw in that plan too- DS1. He's an avid reader even though he'll only be 6. Any hint of a sign saying Disneyland and he'll be all over it. Not to mention he's a nosy little bugger and I can just imagine him giving me 20 questions as we pile into the car "Where are we going? Are we going to the airport? Are we going home today? Why are we driving instead of flying?" etc...

I do like the activities idea. So far I'm leaning toward telling them the day after the wedding by giving them a gift box with the shirt and some Disney-related, are-we-there-yet thwarting games/activities. This is fun!

 

[WAMUMOF4]

So how is the surprise for DH going to come off when are you telling him and how?

 

[5ofus]

So how is the surprise for DH going to come off when are you telling him and how?

Ahhh, I'm NOT telling him That one I'm happy to just pull into the driveway of the GC and having him look all confused I'm evil I tells ya!

 

[zanzibar138]

Ahhh, I'm NOT telling him That one I'm happy to just pull into the driveway of the GC and having him look all confused I'm evil I tells ya!

I guess you'll be the one driving then

I'm a bit late to the party, but I think the ideas so far have been great! You should definitely include some sort of entertainment for the car in your goodie bags

 

[Marlea98]

What about ordering them some new Mickey ears or I am going to DL resort shirts and having a parcel to give them in the car when your nearly there? You could get the parcel delivered to your LV resort.

I like this idea.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Toy Story]

I agree about not telling them until you are driving (or nearly at Disney) otherwise your Vegas trip may be to many anxious questions about it being Disney day.

If your kids already know about the 2015 trip, and DS1 starts asking questions you could always use the premise that as the car drop off location is so close to DL you are going to make a deposit, pick up tickets, buy gift cards. hopefully they are still young enough to not now how all the systems work.

 

[Minniemum]

How about making it a pass the parcel for the drive? The kids could unwrap a new layer every hour. If an hour is too long for the kids, maybe 2 parcels with a layer every 30mins.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I think Minniemum's idea is kinda cute, with the pass the parcel.

You could do a layer an hour, with a little cute disney style gift inside each layer, like stickers, colouring book etc and perhaps a funny little clue for the older child?

 

[Sugarglider]

I don't have kids so maybe I'm really dumb

do kids that age know what Disneyland is?

i could understand 5 & 4 might be excited about going to meet Mickey (or other known character from TV) but the idea of a theme park?

Unless you have been showing them things in the past?

So I am interested to find out what they think is the exciting part!

 

[zanzibar138]

I don't have kids so maybe I'm really dumb

do kids that age know what Disneyland is?

i could understand 5 & 4 might be excited about going to meet Mickey (or other known character from TV) but the idea of a theme park?

Unless you have been showing them things in the past?

So I am interested to find out what they think is the exciting part!

I sure knew what Disneyland was when I was 4! I'd seen it on Saturday Disney and, while I'm sure I didn't know exactly what was involved, the kids there looked so happy and it looked like a really fun place to be. I was so desperate to go and play in Goofy's Bounce House! I didn't even care about meeting Mickey

 

[5ofus]

I don't have kids so maybe I'm really dumb

do kids that age know what Disneyland is?

i could understand 5 & 4 might be excited about going to meet Mickey (or other known character from TV) but the idea of a theme park?

Unless you have been showing them things in the past?

So I am interested to find out what they think is the exciting part!

Not dumb at all I'm sure a lot of other kids would have no idea what to expect from Disneyland, but in our house you have no choice You see, my kids' mother (that would be me ) is slightly obsessed with all things Disney. The kids have grown up knowing all about it all since before they could walk and talk. Besides, we took the two older boys to Tokyo Disneyland when they were 16 months and 3 We also have planning books and DVDs and DS1 can remember snippets from rides from the trip three years ago. Not to mention the photos from mine and DH's previous trips (I've been to Disney parks 11 times on different trips).

I'm not expecting DS3 to catch on to anything other than he's getting some cool new Disney stuff - he's totally obsessed with Mickey right now - and pick up on the excitement of his older brothers. DS1 doesn't really do excitement, but this might make him lose his cool and he'll immediately start planning how best to tackle the parks (Mr Logical), and DS2 I expect to be jumping out of his seat - he's more like me than the other two are.

 

[5ofus]

How about making it a pass the parcel for the drive? The kids could unwrap a new layer every hour. If an hour is too long for the kids, maybe 2 parcels with a layer every 30mins.

This idea is super-cute! Pass the parcel is a big hit for the older two right now.

I'm still thinking I might do it the day before we leave Vegas. I've been watching some of the surprise Disney trip videos on YouTube and I'm a little nervous about DS1s reaction. I think if we give him a day he'll be okay. He's a planner - when he had just turned 3 and we were at TDL he would get the map out every night and mark off what attractions we had done that day and then plan what he would like to do the next day.

Hmmm I'm thinking a pass the parcel with little Disney stuff and then a big present at the end with an I'm Going to Disneyland tshirt for each of them

Thank you all so much for your help!

 

[zanzibar138]

Make sure you let us know how it goes

 

[Minniemum]

This idea is super-cute! Pass the parcel is a big hit for the older two right now.

I'm still thinking I might do it the day before we leave Vegas. I've been watching some of the surprise Disney trip videos on YouTube and I'm a little nervous about DS1s reaction. I think if we give him a day he'll be okay. He's a planner - when he had just turned 3 and we were at TDL he would get the map out every night and mark off what attractions we had done that day and then plan what he would like to do the next day.

Hmmm I'm thinking a pass the parcel with little Disney stuff and then a big present at the end with an I'm Going to Disneyland tshirt for each of them

Thank you all so much for your help!

If you know someone heading to DL/CA before you go, you could ask them to bring back the maps for your pass the parcel.

Would love to be a fly on the wall when you tell the kids.