Those that surprised your kids:

[AngiTN]

Keep the ideas coming.

We've decided to surprise DGD for our next trip. She's known about the others but was really too young to get much out of a surprise on those. This time she's 6, can read and I really want to give her a huge surprise. I'm still toying with ideas on how to best accomplish it. Feel free to give any thoughts you have.

Some background

We are flying out of a city 2 hours away but it's where both her dad and my Mom live.
We are going right before school starts back, we get home the day before school resumes.
We fly out on a Tuesday.
I've considered sending her to stay with either her Dad or my Mom for the weekend before our flight. That way I can pack and not have her wonder what's up.
Once we get to town I thought about having her huge stuff Mickey sitting in her car seat with a balloon and a note from Mickey telling her about the trip. I thought maybe including a shirt that says "This kid is going to Disney" and some activities for the flight. It's only 2 hours so not bad.
She'd be heading to the car to get in thinking we're going home but she's see the Disney stuff instead.

Either that or I want a scavenger hunt of some sort. She reads well and I think she'd have fun with that. The problem is me being creative enough to come up with good clues. The idea above requires way less creativity on my part

 

[ImaDVCwannabe]

That is a good idea. Thanks for the advice

 

[Kingdome8]

We did a scavenger hunt the the morning of the night we were leaving.
We set up like 5 clues throughout the house. Each clue was a riddle of where in the house to go next. We had little gifts along the way like sunglasses and towels. The last clue each had a disney giftcard.
The last clue led them to a room where we had suitcases set up with disney shirts we made on them and a sign that said pack ur bags

They were so excited. It was hard not to tell them.
They always say they want more big surprises in the way of a scavenger hunt.
I just booked a trip and we told them still fun. But surprising them was cool

 

[AngiTN]

We did a scavenger hunt the the morning of the night we were leaving.
We set up like 5 clues throughout the house. Each clue was a riddle of where in the house to go next. We had little gifts along the way like sunglasses and towels. The last clue each had a disney giftcard.
The last clue led them to a room where we had suitcases set up with disney shirts we made on them and a sign that said pack ur bags

They were so excited. It was hard not to tell them.
They always say they want more big surprises in the way of a scavenger hunt.
I just booked a trip and we told them still fun. But surprising them was cool

I like that. I could manage something along those lines. If DH can write the clues. I think if she stays home till the trip we'll do the scavenger hunt but if she leaves town we'll do the Mickey sitting in her car seat surprise.

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

i've considered sending her to stay with either her dad or my mom for the weekend before our flight. That way i can pack and not have her wonder what's up.
Once we get to town i thought about having her huge stuff mickey sitting in her car seat with a balloon and a note from mickey telling her about the trip. I thought maybe including a shirt that says "this kid is going to disney" and some activities for the flight.

I love this idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TinyTim2]

We did this 5 years ago. We went up to plant city for dino world. After leaving there we told our 3 boys that we are going to look around and have lunch. As we pull in I say what does this sign say(the welcome arch) after 30 seconds a large gasp comes from the back of the van. They had no clue at all. The only thing they were told is we are going on a trip and you will see where when we get there. Both places were a surprise.