To suprise or not suprise 3.5yo twins about the trip?

[peaches205]

Our kids will be 3.5 when we go to WDW for their first trip! I love the idea of just showing up at the airport w/ them and suprise them with the trip but I worry about the "scare factor" of the airplane ride. This will be their first plane trip so I have no idea how they'll handle it. Typically I like to really prepare my kids for what's coming next. It seems to mitigate the tantrums somewhat! LOL! Then again I wouldn't want to tell them far in advance for fear we'd have impatient preschoolers on our hands.

How have you handled flights & first Disney trips with young kids?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

First- Congrats on your trip! You will have a great time!!! I wouldn't worry about them being scared. We made it a huge adventure (flying like Superman etc.) and the kids have been fine (Currently 4,2,almost 8 months!) Last trip I made a countdown calender and we out a sticker on it everyday. When there were no more boxes it was time to go! Since your twins are 3.5 it would even enforce their counting skills! I think a surprise is also nice too. They are young and will take their cues from you. So whatever you decide just enjoy it all. You will have a great time!

 

[java]

I have a 3.5 year old and he knows we are going to Disney this summer. He doesn't ask every day about it. But if he sees a commercial he will ask"We still going there?" So I don't think I would surprise them especially with the first plane ride. But they will be really excited about the plane! Have a great time!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We went last year for the first time and my daughter was 3.5, I have other kids too, but of them all she was the most excited. She would get so excited over commercials, and every once in awhile she would ask out of the blue, when are we going to Disney World. She LOVED helping pack up the suitcases,and she wasn't at all scared of the plane, they were all very amazed when they saw how big it was! I think at this age they don't think there is anything to be scared of! So it works out well for their first time. Have an awesome time!!!!!!! Our next trip is Nov.07 and my daughter , now 4.5 asks me all the time when we are going to Disney!

 

[juligrl]

We had just over 2 weeks to plan our "spur of the moment" trip to Disney. My then 2 year old daughter was adamant that she was going to see the "Cinder-drella-ella" castle and see where Mickey & Minnie live. We did get her psyched up to go, but not too far in advance.

I already have a savings started for our next Disney trip and plan to surprise my husband with that!

 

[Now Mom of 3]

If you like the idea of surprising them, then I would go ahead and do it as long as they have some idea as to what Disney World is and who many of the characters are. The Sing Along Video Disneyland Fun is great for giving them an idea of what a Disney Park is like without letting the secret out. They can also see how large the characters are compared to the children in the video. We found our copy on ebay. I don't think they would be scared of the plane aspect as they probably wouldn't realize there was anything to be scared of. If you act happy and unafraid of the plane they probably will be just fine.

I'd say take the oppurtunity while you have it. The older kids get the harder it is to keep big secrets like this from them!

 

[DonaldDuckFan]

Just wanted to add that we took DS 3.5 this past December and made it a total surprise for him. DH goes on business trips often and we have to drop him off at the airport so I told him that was what we were doing, he was very happy to find out this time he was going with him and we were off to Disney. He didn't have any problems on the airplane, really enjoyed that! The problem we had with him was at the parks. I usually need to prepare him for anything new, but I just thought he would be okay in Disney. Well he went on one "inside" ride and that was it for him, he wouldn't go on anymore. He had a huge tantrum in front of Small World and I decided from them on he just wasn't going to do anything inside. Next time I think I would definately make him more familiar with the rides and tell him what was going to happen.

Hope this helps!

Amy

 

[Ella's Mom]

I would make it a surprise. I made a mistake and told my daughter we were going on a trip, and she drove me nuts everyday. She got upset because we never went. If you're going to tell them, wait until a few days before.

 

[kritter]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=12859942#post12859942

check this out it is a thread for mulitples.......

 

[checkwriter]

You'll need to think about whether the kids would enjoy the planning. They may be a bit young, in which case the surprise would be great.

Our kids are a bit older (the youngest is 7), so we told them we were going, but said we were driving and staying off-site. Instead we flew, stayed off-site the first night, and then moved on-site our first day at WDW. In addition, the kids' "favorite aunt" met us at the airport and came with us on the trip.

But with 3.5 y.olds, I'm not sure you'll need to be that elaborate.

 

[sami66]

I believe, even as an adult, one of the greatest things about going on vacation, especially WDW, is the anticipation leading up to it. I wouldn't tell them too far in advance, especially because "things" can come up that change plans. Once you're sure everything is a go, I would definitely share the news with them.

 

[kkevcamsmom]

Congrats on your first trip, we are taking ours in January

We have a DD15, DS5 (will be 6 when we go) and another DS3 (will be 4 when we go).

The 15 yr old knows we are going and is helping plan, but the boys we are waiting until the night before. From experience with other trips I get tired of the "Are we going today?" question...lol Last year they knew 3 months before our trip we were going and it was torture everyday

Its fun to have them watch the DVD from the vacation kit though and listen to them plan what they want to go on when they are bigger and we go... if only they knew....

I am making a book for each boy with the name of a ride, where it's at and a photo so they can help plan what they want to ride

At this age a week can be a life time.

Lori

 

[Atchley]

If you can suprise them--Go for it!! Myself, I can't keep my excitement hidden that long!! (My DH would say I just can't keep my mouth shut!!)

 

[Coll0610]

Have you ever talked about going to Disneyworld? You could prepare them for the plane ride by talking about "someday, when we go to Disneyworld". Tell them how they will have to sit in their seats the whole time and play with toys, and maybe warn them about the noise. Then you could wait until really close to the trip to tell them so you don't have the "when are we going" for months.

My parents took us on vacation when we were 3, 4, 5 and 6 and they didn't tell us until the night before. With 4 kids, they figured there was a good chance someone would get sick or something so they waited until the last minute.

 

[mexican-mouseketeers]

We are taking our 3.8 yo dd on september for her 4th birthday, and made the mistake of telling her on January when we first reserved the cruise, and while she is as excited as can be (we went to WDW on september just before her 3rd birthday, so it was still fresh in her mind), it has been hard on her waiting this long, it is like well, after aunt Sabrina´s birthday, and easter vacation, and the easter bunny comes, and the party of children´s day at schoo, and labor day weekend (may 1st here) and grandpa´s birthday, and mother´s day, and father´s day, and our New York trip, and grandma´s birthday, and the school year comes to an end, and the summer vacation and summer camp are over, and school starts again, THEN we will go to WDW, so you can imagine that by now she has it figured that the trip will never come, LOL.

Maybe I would tell them like 4 days before, because I will bet that you will enjoy their excitement before the trip, and they WILL see the day coming real soon.

Julie

 

[bedgraynexl]

If you have to tell them, wait until closer to time. We told our kids early too, so we had to endure 6 months of "is it today?"

We are going in two weeks to Disneyland they know is they are seeing their grandpa who lives in Las Vegas. We are then renting a car and heading to LA. Plus, their uncle has time off and will be going with us. We will probably tell them a few days beforehand, but then again, we might surprise them with a character dinner that first night. We have family obligations, so it is a little up in the air.

At any rate, have a great time

 

[la79al]

Last year we went a month after DD turned 4. We told the kids on our way to the airport. Neither of them had any concept of what Disney World would be like. DD got very quiet and did not talk from the time we told them until just a few minutes before we got on the plane. Ended up she was terrified at the thought of flying. The next morning she was so excited to go to the parks that she threw up before we left the condo and then cried the whole way through Dumbo. Next year we are telling them about 5 months before we go because I think they will enjoy helping to plan and pack. My advice is watch the planning video with the kids a lot and talk to the kids about 'someday'. Look at websites, commercials, etc and just keep up 'someday'. Then a few weeks before the trip, sit them down to watch the video and change 'someday' into a 'guys, we're going to go there in a few weeks'. That way they are prepared and have some idea about what is going on but aren't bugging you forever about it.

 

[Barak's Disney]

We told our daughter (just turned 4 at the time) about our WDW trip about a month in advance. We bought some princess story books and an illustrated WDW travel guide for kids - she couldn't read, but loved to go through the books and ask about the Magic Kingdom pictures she saw. Daddy flies a lot for work, so she was just thrilled with the prospect of flying on a big airplane like daddy. The trip went very well and she still loves to look at the travel guide.

BUT a surprise trip to WDW does sound kind of cool. It might be helpful to make sure your kiddos know a little something about airplane rides and WDW.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Our twins were about the same age on their first trip. We had a lot of fun planning with them. It helped them know what to expect, and as another poster mentioned, we marked off a calendar, saved some money (and Disney Dollars) and prepared for the plane ride. It was a fabulous, fun trip!

Last year, as they turned 8, we did surprise the kids with a trip on their birthday. We picked them up from school, and with bags packed in the back, they read a poem explaining the plan, and off we went to WDW. It was fun, but we decided we'll probably never do it that way again, it was just too hard not to share in the anticipation with them.

Have a great time whatever you decide!