"To surprise or not to surprise" - that is the question!!

[NiamhOC]

Hi Everyone

I haven't posted here in over a year - but have been happily reading everyone's posts and trip reports

My question is this:
I've booked a trip from the 1st to the 4th July for myself and my DS (8). It will be our second trip (the first was AMAZING!!)

The thing is - I haven't told my DS (it's been hard but have managed to keep it quiet for the past 2 months) ...and have been toying with the idea of not telling him until we're at the airport and about to go and give him the surpirse of his life.

My mum thinks that it would be better to tell him in advance so that he can get excited

Which would you do??



Thanks in advance

 

[DLPDreams]

Hi

It is a tough one and one that has been discussed on here before. Some people said they felt better telling their child/ren as some don't take surprises as big as this very well! Plus, as you say some like to build up the excitement.

On the flipside, I'm not telling my DDs until the morning we go - we will leave about 11 am. Partially because I want them to sleep well the night before and I know they won't if I tell them, and partially because I love surprising them! I know some people say it's a big enough thrill that they are going again but to me the surprise element isn't as big? And, tell them too far in advance and the surprise ebbs away - if that makes sense. I have had my friend do that with her almost 6 year old and she was disappointed with the reaction!

I know my DDs will handle the surprise OK so I have no issues there.

What some do is tell their children that you will be going again but not exactly when. Again, for me that would spoil the surprise AND I'd forever have them asking when we are going .

We go again in November to see Santa and I am toying with telling them a few days before as I will need to take them out of school for one afternoon. Plus, I think it is nice for them to get excited with their friends as it will be all Christmassy at school. For a normal summer trip I'm not telling them. This is our 3rd trip and we've never told them until the day.

The way I get around packing (DD1 in particular is old enough to realise!) is I've told them we are going to a friend's caravan for the week. They are so excited about that (but not Disney level!), so not sure how they'll manage finding out about DLRP!

Good luck with whatever you choose - at 8 you could really go to town telling him the day you go - before the airport - do a treasure hunt or something? That is what we are planning I think - still have to sort it out - along with many other things too!

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Ah, this is a philosophical debate my husband and I have from time to time! I guess it depends on what kind of person you are really - me I love the anticipation, in fact even as a small child I can remember worrying on Christmas Eve that it was nearly over! How sad is that? But to me all the looking forward to things, including the planning is part of the whole experience. If someone were to say to me that they were whisking me off to New York today for instance (as if!) it would be wonderful of course but I would actually prefer to be excited for longer than just that instant. Now DH is the complete opposite and likes nothing better than to have (nice) things sprung on him. I think he is less patient than I am and doesn't like waiting. Now those are adult views but our children are very divided too so your decision will really rest on knowing their personalities.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[DLPDreams]

Cherry - that is a great way to put it - far better than my waffle .

I don't think I did the 'tell them now' philosophy justice really as of course they get the build up and the excitement again as you travel. I guess this is what I'd like for our Christmas trip but for summer I'm happy to leave it until the day. We have a flight etc to get through so they'll be bouncing off the airplane's ceiling with happiness!

 

[sammie1884]

Tough one. I am telling DS 2 days before we go this time. But when I was a child (aged 7) we arrived at the airport only to be told we were going to WDW and it is one of the most amazing/happy memories of my childhood! I am only telling DS a couple of days before we go because he is only 3 so I think he needs to get used to the idea first. If he was older I would try my hardest to keep it from him until the day!

 

[NiamhOC]

Thanks so much for your replies Cherry and DLPDreams!!

I was thinking of telling him that we have to go to the airport to pick up a friend. He's away with his dad the day before so I'll have plenty of time to pack the boot with our bags so he won't have a clue that we're going anywhere.
Then I could just hand him his passport and Mickey luggage tags and tell him that we're off that very minute

Knowing my little man, he loves surprises and I think if I told him now the excitement would ebb away like you said DLPDreams. He deserves a big surprise - he's such a good kid. He just had his holy communion and decided, on his own, to give all the money he was given to the hospital that he attends to help other kids. I couldn't be prouder of him

I think i'll go with the surprise

 

[NiamhOC]

Sorry Sammie - you must have been typing at the same time as me!

Thanks for your reply also

I can totally understand you not surprising a 3 year old - I think smaller kids need a bit of warning so they don't get totally freaked out.

Now I just have to keep my mouth shut for another month!! With my big mouth that's going to be tough

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Cherry - that is a great way to put it - far better than my waffle .

I don't think I did the 'tell them now' philosophy justice really as of course they get the build up and the excitement again as you travel. I guess this is what I'd like for our Christmas trip but for summer I'm happy to leave it until the day. We have a flight etc to get through so they'll be bouncing off the airplane's ceiling with happiness!

But I loved your idea of the treasure hunt, just not sure I have the time and energy to put one into action! We always did treasure hunts with clues at various levels of difficulties for all four children at Easter time. It was a great way to spin an easter morning out as they searched all over the house, garden and as they got older, surrounding countryside. DH and I even did them for each other some years but it took far longer for us to invent and lay all the clues than for the children to find them! Fun though.

I agree telling children they are going but not when is probably the most frustrating all round. Telling them just a couple of manageable days beforehand and also being economical with the truth as to destination are both practical with younger ones. My worry with the latter would be that it would only work once and might lead to disappointment next time they really did find themselves in a caravan or whatever (which they would otherwise have been delighted with) if they had been secretly entertaining at least the possibility of another Disney trip!

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Sorry NiamhOC, another cross-over. Your surprise sounds perfect for your kind little son. Have a magical time!

 

[jothp]

sounds like a really great surprise. We have surprised our DD's in the past but now they are getting a bit older and know disneyland well they like to help decide where we are eating etc so we have told them we are going. We have kept one little surprise though - they don't know yet that we are spending the last 3 nights of our trip at DLH. Haven't worked out how I am going to tell them that yet - I am thinking of making an invite for them to give to them on the morning we are moving there.

 

[thephoo]

Tough one. I am telling DS 2 days before we go this time. But when I was a child (aged 7) we arrived at the airport only to be told we were going to WDW and it is one of the most amazing/happy memories of my childhood! I am only telling DS a couple of days before we go because he is only 3 so I think he needs to get used to the idea first. If he was older I would try my hardest to keep it from him until the day!

I got really emotional reading that! That sounds absolutely awesome.

As a parent there is nothing greater than seeing your child brimming with happiness.

I don't think surprising my little girl with DLRP would work now but I would love to do it with WDW one day