Tell Me About Your Surprise Trip

[RUDisney]

We are planning to surprise our DS in March with a birthday trip to Universal Studios. He and his sister will go to school on the morning that we leave and we will pick him up with the story that we are surprising him with a trip to NY. It's not exactly a lie because we will be flying out of Laguardia. Once he realizes that we are going to the airport, we're not going to tell him where we're headed until we get to the gate and he sees Orlando, FL. He'll think we're going to WDW.... until the towncar driver picks us up at MCO and takes us to Universal Studios. We're staying at Portofino Bay.

I have a birthday button that I bought for him that has his name and the fact that it is his 11th birthday. It has Spiderman on it, since it's Universal and all.

I plan to pack covertly so he won't know what's going on. If he catches me, I'll tell him that either Dad or I have to go away on business.

So, tell me about a surprise trip that you planned.... How did it go?

 

[bcvgal]

picked our kids up from school told them we were going to the mountains which wasn't a lie because the mountains we meant were Splash,Big Thunder and Space. Ds 11 figured it out when we arrived at airport and the Magical Express tickets on the luggage. Had to tell DD 6 in the airport to prepare her for the flight.

 

[Ziva]

Never planned a surprise trip but it sounds like fun. Hope you have a great time!

 

[American Scrapper]

A few years back I was in Disney for a Scrapbook weekend & decided to extend my stay to go to the parks. My DH was going to bring the kids on the last day to meet up with me. Before I left, I packed the kids clothes & on the day they were leaving, he told them they were going to go pick me up. Once they got to the airport my DS started to ask questions & then when they got on the plane my DH was joking that they had to get me off the plane. Well, needless to say, my DS started to get nervous thinking that they were going to get stuck on the plane & the doors would close & then they would get in trouble for getting on the plane without paying for it, so my DH had to tell him that they were flying to Orlando to go to Disney for a few days. He was fine after that.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We surprised our twins with a trip to Disney/MNSSHP this past October on their 8th birthday. Their teacher was in on it but didn't say anything. They went to school dressed in Disney shirts, and when we picked them up we had them read a poem (typed in Disney font) we'd written explaining what was going on. They'd expected to go to McDonald's for supper but instead they learned we'd be going directly to the airport and boarding a plane to WDW instead.

Lots of wild laughter, high fives, etc. On the plane DD looked up at me said, "Mom, am I dreaming? Cause I can't believe we were going to Disney". The best part was the MNSSHP surprise. We'd been showing them the pictures and reading the trip reports for weeks, they were practically drooling to go. DS had asked if maybe we could go in 2006 and we said we'd see. So to learn they were actually going was really cool. They each found a costume wrapped in the car as part of their present/surprise, and they were also excited to learn their birthday dinner would be at Crystal Palace instead of McDonald's.

Have a great trip and be sure to have the video camera running when your DS learns of his surprise!

 

[Claire L]

DH and I surprised his Mother with a trip to Florida DMIL had been in for heart surgery earlier in the year around the time of her 60th birthday so we arranged to take her on holiday later in the year. DH kept giving red herrings as to where we were going. As DMIL loves dolphins Florida it was to be. So we kept the plans quiet for 6 months and it wasn't until we were about to board the plane in London that she realised where we were going. It was somewhere she never expected to go, even though all 3 of her sons often go to Florida so it was wonderful for her to experience it for herself We also kept the trip to Discovery Cove quiet and it was only when we went for the pre swim brief that DMIL saw the dolphins and realsied it wasn't just a water park We had a fab time so much so none of us wanted to go home, especially after staying at AKL!

Claire

 

[RUDisney]

Have a great trip and be sure to have the video camera running when your DS learns of his surprise!

Duh! Thanks for bringing this up! I hadn't thought about that!

 

[Lars624]

We surprised our 9 y/o DS with a trip last month.
He went to school the day we left & I packed while he was gone. I made him go with me to run an errand so my DH could put the suitcases in the trunk of the car.
To get him in the car with a gameboy to use on the plane we told him that Daddy had to pick someone up from the airport for work & we might have to wait for them.
We finally told him the truth as we were approaching the airport-DH said "Dylan, we're not really picking anyone up tonight, we're actually boarding a plane & going to WDW!" to which Dylan replied "No we're not??!!" He just wouldn't believe us "Where is the luggage??" he wanted to know....we told him it was in the trunk but he still didn't believe us....so I told him that everyone knew & asked him if he'd believe someone else...he said he'd believe Grandma, so we called my Mom & he asked her, even though she told him he was indeed heading to Florida he still didn't believe it
I dont' think that he really believed it until we parked & he actually saw the luggage
Then he was completely excited .....he kep saying "this is cool" "this is fun"

 

[hdecker]

We surprised DD14 And DD16 with a b-day trip this last labor day. We told them we were doing a sunrise breakfast cruise on the Branson Belle and had to be there by 6 a.m. When we got to the town that the airport was in, I gave them both b-day cards that said "Instead of Breakfast in Branson, how about Dinner at Disney?" After the screaming stopped we turned in the direction of the airport and they figured out we were flying - had to catch our flight in 30 minutes - more screams, no 20 hour drive. We had a great 5 day trip and b-day memories of a lifetime.

 

[simba928]

My mom picked us up from school. She said that we were going to the doctor's. My homeroom teacher was in on it. One day during home room, I left for something and my teacher told the entire class about my surprise trip, so my friends knew about it before I did, which is a miracle that they didn't say anything. (One of them has a really big mouth and she can't keep anything to herself. LOL) So anyways, my mom said that she had to stop at her office for something (she works at the airport). We went to the parking garage and she said that they were going to vacuum out the car, so we had to bring our backpacks with us. We walk into the airport and saw my dad sitting there with all these suitcases. The first words out of my brother's mouth were "Dad, where are you going?" My mom told us that we were going to Disney World and on a cruise.

That morning, my homeroom teacher came up to me and said, "Don't ask any questions, just listen to me. Bring your math book home whether you have homework in it or not. Don't ask any questions, just do it. Make sure you bring your math book home." I was extremely confused, but I just said whatever. I told my friends (the ones that were in my homeroom) what she said and asked them if they had any clue what she was talking about. They all said they had no clue and that was really weird (even the one with the big mouth.) LOL.

 

[KarenB]

I usually make up a silly poem giving clues about the trip. This Christmas, we gave our DSs (15 and 17) tickets to Phantom of the Opera in NYC. I wrote a poem and had the theme song burned onto the CD. The last line went something like "So just play this CD and you will see, what you last Christmas gift this year will be." It is kind of corny, but the kids laugh at it, make me feel good, and we just have a good time!

Karen