Surprising Your Kids...Or Bringing A First Timer - How Did They React?

[proteus]

I vividly remember my first visit in 70' to DL even though it was only for one day. Coming back as an adult to WDW the first time there was amazing, everything seemed so new and there was so much to explore. What really
made it special was bringing along DD for her first time. Now we all veterans and the only way to recapture the thrill of the unknown (vicariously) is to bring someone who has never been there.

Have you ever suprised your family or kids with a trip to Disney and how did they react? Or what about the experience of bringing a friend of you kids who couldn't afford to come to Disney with his/her own family or something similar?

I remember in 05' coming back and after a nearly 1,000 mile drive in a single day DD and I were so excited. I parked the car and we raced to see who could set foot on Disney ground first. Silly maybe, but life is short why not enjoy it to the maximum?

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

I have to say that this really depends on the children. I have a friend who surprised her kids and it went horrible. They were so overwhelmed by the surprise/getting to go on the plane that they didn't calm down for a couple of days and these normally well behaved children were little monsters because they were just so overstimulated not knowing what to expect.

We kinda do a combination. DD knows that we are going to Disney...she just doesn't know when. Tinkerbell comes to our house and leaves presents the night before we leave so she's surprised in that way.

 

[imthatgirl]

we've never surprised our children, to be honest i dont think thats a great idea if they havent been there before. i like to prepare my children. we are going next month and it will be my 3yo first time. weve been talking about it non stp. sbout how some rides are dark, how disney magic makes things look real, how the characters are large but they love kids and hugs, about being on a plane, about cooporation...and just everything i can think of. i just think kids should know what to expect going into a situation.
but of course my older kids have all had their "first time" and it really is great seeing how excited they get when they get a glimpse of mickey or ride the barnstormer for the first time.
but, its great everytime. with each passing year their interests change so there is something new to dicover every visit. for example my 8 year old has been to the worldshowcase many times, but never had much interest. this year, its all she can talk about, because she has been learning about these countries in school.

even me, whos been many many many times i find soemthing new each trip that ,even though i knew it was there, catches my eye or my heart in a different way.

 

[kloh1002]

I agree I think you definately need to prepare small children as rountines are such a part of thier lives. On the other hand, my parents suprised me and my brother when I was nine. They came to school early and picked us up. We had no idea why. Once we got out of the classroom they told us in the hall that we were leaving immediately to go to Disney World. I will never forget that and how excited we were. Another surprise was that our families close friends were going with us and they had never been before. It was AWESOME!
I hope to surprise our children one day too. Although, I get so excited about trips it will be hard to keep it a secret!

 

[Laura.bora]

man! What a bunch of party poopers! I was surprised when I was little and it was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't imagine not being surprised, it just added to the magic of Disney! We're planning on surprising our kids this September with a trip to Disney. This was being surprised in 1994 - I'm the oldest on the right.

 

[proteus]

Didn't expect some of the comments, I love spontaneity and I feed off the excitement of others, especially kids. Maybe I'm not a typical adult but when at WDW I have tons of energy and can go non-stop, my DD always wears out before I do (and I just hit the big five 0). I also know it is for the kids so I go at their pace, if she wants to spend 10 minutes at a fountain, we stop. Sometimes I see other families rushing around and arguing, not the point of a vacation. I can also see the pleasure derived from talking about a future trip, imagining what it will be like, etc.

Unfortunately with the Internet you can preview almost anything, soon as a new ride comes on it is on youtube. That can be a good thing for planning though I do like the experience to be fresh and too much information is bad in that respect.

 

[Suzanna1973]

my sister and I took one of our older sisters and her two sons to WDW for the 1st time in 2005. We told them in advance and planned the trip as minutely as we could(we're a family of planners).

Our trip was absolutely amazing!!! My DD hadn't been there before(she was 14 at the time). My DS had been two years earlier(he was 9 in 05). I had been way back in 90. It was also my other nephew's 1st trip. He was almost one.

The looks on the faces of all the first timers in our family were priceless. To be able to bring my sister and her two boys on theire first trip to WDW brings a smile to my face everytime we reminisce.

The best part is....My sister and I are taking them all again NEXT SUMMER!!

 

[crisi]

We took some first timers - not as a surprise, they knew we were going.

And it was.....not exactly a dream.

The father of the family didn't expect to have a good time at all (he was going because his wife wanted to go) and had a much better time than he thought.

Their children, however, were overstimulated and afraid of most of the attractions. They didn't handle touring well. Nor did their mother, who had different expectations for the family and the trip than Disney could provide. They did fine, and a good time was had by all (in the aggregate), but I really wish they would have bothered to PREPARE instead of "coming along on our vacation." It wasn't magical for them because they didn't share our tastes, nor did they communicate what they needed (I honestly don't think they really knew). Since she didn't prepare her kids (who knew they were going, but not really what that meant) her kids were not excited to go on attractions or see characters, and they didn't adjust well (both her kids are mildly autistic - and my perception of autistic kids is that surprises are usually not good).

 

[jkstewart1800]

When ever you decide to tell your children it will be a surprise!...

You can tell them whenever you want and they won't be expecting it... so BANG! its a surprise