Three of our 4 trips have actually been surprises. I surprised my daughter for our first trip in 2010. She was 7. I laid out all of the stuff Id gotten for the trip and put a note from Princess Tiana telling her I was bringing her and her brother to spend Thanksgiving week with her and all her friends. The plane leaves tomorrow. It took her a minute to figure it out. I said Where does Tiana live? She asked if it started with a D and when I said it did, the screaming began. My son was 10 months so he didnt know what was going on, but he clapped while dd ran around the room singing Were Going to Disney
were going to Disney!
We went again in 2012, she was 9 and he was 2.5. They knew the whole time. After that, my daughter told me she preferred to be surprised because the waiting was so hard.
So in 2013, I surprised them again. Now my daughter and I love watching those surprise videos on
youtube, but that also means theres no need for me to try to set up any kind of elaborate thing we see in some of them. If I even say scavenger hunt, it would be blown. My son was 3.5 by this time so he was aware of what was happening. We drove instead of flying so I told them 3 days out. It was just after dds school year had ended and I told her I was printing a chore list for her and to wait by the printer for it to come out. When it came out she got this huge grin on her face. The top of the page said Disney 2013 Packing List. She asked if we were really going and I said yes. She screamed Were going to Disney and she and ds ran around the room celebrating. I still had a lot of prep to do for the long road trip so we spent the next 3 days doing that.
This year, we flew again so I went back to telling them the day before. We were heading out to do errands, which dd normally hates, but she didnt know they were going on vacation errands, which she loves. Once they were in the van I thanked her for cooperating and getting dressed and going out on a Saturday because I know errands arent her favorite thing. Then I gave her a note in an envelope and told her to read it so her brother could hear it.
Once she pulled it out, she opened it very slowly. I think at that point she had at least a hope of what it was because she could see Mickey even though it was still folded. She screamed I KNEW IT! then read it. It was Mickey really happy saying, Hot Dog, (dds name and ds name) are flying to Disney World tomorrow! Then she said, ha ha mom
funny. Once I confirmed it my sons eyes got big and the screaming began. She still asked me two more times if I was serious. For some reason, she couldnt believe I had kept it a secret that long even though Id done it twice before.
Im really wanting to do a cruise instead for our next trip and have been since ds finished potty training. Of course they are both already begging to return to Disney.
