I just saw your trip report. Sorry your surprise didn't work out as planned. I had much better success when I broke the news to our kids before our Christmas 2003 trip. I also told them the day before we left. Once everyone got home from school I sat everybody down at the kitchen and gave them some good news and some bad news. The good news, "You aren't going to school tomorrow". The bad news, "You have to read this book". I then gave them a copy of Birnbaum's WDW for Kids. My DDs, 8 and 10 at the time, let out an ear piercing shriek once they realized what it all meant. My DS, 15 at the time, pretty much figured out something was going on (it was necessary to get a couple of his end of term exams rescheduled cause I was taking the kids our of school a couple of days early).
We camped at Ft. Wilderness in our 32' 5th wheel TT so we drove to Orlando from Dallas. I think the girls had finished reading their books before we made it out of Texas. It was a fantastic trip. I will say that being in WDW over Christmas is a really special time. We were there 12/19 - 12/28. It was quite a let down not being in Disney the following Christmas. We are going to finally make it back to WDW the end of July 2007. I am also already looking forward to a trip in Dec 2008. I will be able to book that trip the day before we return home from Ft. Wilderness this year. I'm thinking this may be another surprise Christmas trip.
Your family sounds a little like mine, except we have the two boys and then the girl and I could almost see us there experiencing the things with your family - DS11 acting too cool for things just like Belle
, DS8 (my Bashful) surprisingly coming out of his shell
, and DD4 (my Goofy) talking to anyone that will listen.
I am trying to plan a family trip for August. DS8, DD4 and I have been dying to go since we did a 2 day stint there last February while visiting my grandparents in Southwest Florida. We went as a family in 2001 (before dd4 was born) and it was my husband's first and only time there. He had a great time, but like your DH just doesn't get it. 
He doesn't understand why I spend all this time on the DISboards. I hope he is as well behaved as your DH was! Again, I really enjoyed your report.
I'm also surprising my kids with a trip this December. And I'm married to a "Disney Grump" who thinks I've lost my mind planning this trip. 
I cried when you walked down Main Street and said thanks to Grumpy, and I cried when you had to go home. You said something about 10 months of planning and it's all over - yikes, I could totally relate since I am already in full planning mode 10 months out - I am going to be so depressed when our trip is over. 
I'm glad you get to go back!
