To surprise or not: the children's opinions!

[Zoebear]

Hey all,
In the last few months I have posted a bit about our idea to surprise the children with our trip - and I just wanted to update on THEIR take on it...

They LOVED being surprised! We've been back a few days now, and the excitement is settling down so we asked which they'd prefer and they both said surprise for sure.

THey are already planning on surprising their own children in the (very) distant future!

Thought some may be interested ...we've done both now and both are great; hey, when you're going to WDW, does it really matter how you find out !?!?!!?
PS The girls are 7&8. The 3 year old didn't express an opinion, but did ride "Dimbo" 4 times!!!!

 

[PEANUT1]

That's awesome....I am going to TRY to surprise my then 5 year old in January for our next trip. We just got back a few weeks ago and she is already asking when we are going again. My other daughter is still little and has no clue anyway.

We did the whole countdown calendar the last time and it was nice but if I can avoid hearing "how many days now mommy"...I will be a happy camper.

 

[LIBLULA]

I am surprising my DD8 with a trip to Disneyworld in September. I'm going to pick her up early from school and go straight to the airport--letting her figure it out. This is our first mom/daughter trip. We are going this summer, I couldn't get my husand to go back in September.!!!!! It has been so hard to keep it a secret!!!

 

[whitfield96]

We surprised our daughter with her first trip to Disney in December 2006. We went to her school at lunchtime with Mickey/Minnie Mylar balloons attached to a Pal Mickey, and told her to get her things-"We need to take Mickey back to his home". She was so excited!

This trip we told her when we booked the vacation. I figured it would be fun to let her help us plan now that she knew a little more about Disney from her first trip, and make sure she got to do the things that were important to her (she will be 9 this trip).

I really think both ways have worked really well for us. Last time I was afraid the excitement might make concentrating in school difficult, but this time it's at the end of the summer so the excitement will come without the school responsiblities!

 

[zoemurr]

loved to help in the planning. I asked her if she would have liked to be surprised and she said maybe for a 2nd or 3rd trip, but definitely not for the first.

As it was I surprised her with BBB and she looked like a deer in the headlights the whole time. She needed time to gear herself up for it. Around here the anticipation is half the fun!

 

[WeCantWait]

Awesome...Our first surprise trip is in 18 days. We cannot wait to tell them. This is the hardest secret we have ever kept.

 

[Zoebear]

Same here - hardest secret ever!
I almost caved the day before but DH convinced me that if we had waited that long, we could wait 12 hrs longer !!!
Good luck with your insanely wonderful surprise!

 

[Hayloburger]

We have always surprised our DD7 with our WDW trips (4 trips so far)...WELL, last January we did a disney cruise and instead of surprising her the day of (sometimes we have done it the day before)....we told her 10 days prior to leaving (we thought that she would have time to plan and build excitement). She almost started crying because she had to wait 10 LONG DAYS!!!

From now on, she will be informed no more than 24 hours before the plane leaves!!! I was sooo excited to tell her, and she was soo disappointed in the 10 day wait!!!! I've learned my lesson to be consistent!!!