To surprise or not to surprise- that is the question

[CheapMom]

We have a chance to do Disney very cheaply in June. My husband has been invited to a convention so his airfare and 3 nights lodging would be free.
I am thinking about making a family trip of it. We have Typhoon Lagoon passes already and 1 day of Park Hoppers from another trip.
Our flight would leave 2 hours after the kids last day of school- I could pick them up and drive them straight to the airport for a surprise trip. But would I be cheating them out of the fun anticipation stage?
Should I compromise and tell them a few days before we leave?

 

[Jynohn]

I just planned an unexpected trip too, and was going to surprise my son at the last minute. But then I thought back to our last visit and how anticipating and dreaming about it beforehand was almost as fun as the trip itself, and I decided to tell him. Now we can all talk together about how much fun we're going to have.

I think either way you decide to do it will be great! Have fun!

Jynohn

 

[frannn]

I would never be able to hold that secret in, so kudos to you if you can! How old are your kids? Have they been involved with the planning and anticipation in the past? If you surprise them, it will be a guaranteed great trip, since there were no expectations built up. Once the shock wears off at the airport, they will be extremely excited. They will already be dressed for the FL climate, and excited about the summer.

 

[Doodlebug939]

I would love to suprise my kid!!! I think it would make the planning and anticipation for me outragious!!! It says in your signature that you are going again later in the year so you can still ask their feedback about the upcoming trip while they think it is the one for later.

My husband is in the military and I think he picked the wrong profession because he never gets job related trips to Orlando. I am so excited for you!!!!

 

[CheapMom]

Originally posted by frannn
I would never be able to hold that secret in, so kudos to you if you can! How old are your kids? Have they been involved with the planning and anticipation in the past?

They are 7 & 8 (plus we have a baby 17 mos. but he's just along for the ride either way)
We are in the process of planning a big Disney vacation in December (4 night cruise, 3 night wdw) and they are pumped up about it. I would never in a million years plan 2 trips to WDW in a year but this just fell into our laps and I can't turn down a bargain.

 

[CheapMom]

Yes Doodlebug-I get the best of both worlds- we can talk about and plan the trip they know about and still surprise them with the other trip so if I want to say something about Disney I won't have to bite my tongue- I just can pretend I am talking about the December trip.
I have decided- it will be a surprise- really I think this is something they will always remember- the day mom picked us up from school and took us straight to Disneyworld! It's too cool not to do.

 

[Nebsky]

Tell em that you are planning a trip for later on down the road...Get his ideas on what he wants to do and into planning mode. Get him interested in the trip...

Then as you pick him up on the last day of school go to the airport and say, guess what. Were going now...

 

[Microcell]

Cheapmom,

Totally surprise them! It would be awsome to say My mom picked us up from school and took us to Disney!! They can help plan for Dec trip. My dd 6 agrees, she was so sick to death of planning Disney, she went and got Appendicitis just to take our minds off it, I am convinced!

 

[CheapMom]

Thanks guys- this is going to fun. Before the last day of school I am going to tell them that I will pick them up from school and we will have a treat of some sort to celebrate the start of vacation.
I am going to give them hints that will lead them to think we are going out for ice cream or some small treat- then when I pick them up and drive down to the airport- They will know where we are going.
To them AIRPORT=DISNEYWORLD

 

[Twende]

What a great mom! Have fun and enjoy keeping your wonderful surprise!

 

[tilliet]

I think this is just a wonderful idea. Please let us here on disboards know how it turns out.

 

[BuzzMe]

We surprised our kids with a last minute Christmas trip a few years ago. I had so much fun planning the trip and anticipating telling them- it was almost better than the actual trip for me! They loved being surprised and now like it when I keep some trip details a secret so they can be surprised again. These "kids" are 16 & 20!

 

[brandip22]

That is so awesome. I can't wait until my DS is old enough for a surprise like that! He's only 22 mos now, so I have a couple of years. We talk about our trip all the time now and, of course, he doesn't have a clue! Let us know hoe it turns out!

 

[CrazedDisFan]

We surprised our then 7 & 4 year olds in 2002 with a trip. We hid it quite well, as we planned it in a week. It was our first trip.

We told them the night before by giving them a card we found at Wal-Mart. It had Pooh and Piglet on the front of it. It read "Looks like a great night for Wishing" The inside said "A great night for Wishes to come true" We crossed out the Happy Birthday part. DH bought the cards and put Disney dollars in each.

My parents took them to the movies that evening so dh and I could finish packing. When they brought them home, we sat them on the couch and told them we had something very important to tell them. Dh gave them the cards. Our oldest read it and freaked out. She started screaming "Are we going? Are we going" When we said yes the little one PEED on the couch, she was so happy. It is hilarious now, cleaning it up then wasn't fun.

The picture I have of them at that moment is priceless. One crying, one in shock. I am so glad we waited and told them last minute.

Good Luck and sometimes the best trip is a last minute one.

 

[CheapMom]

When we said yes the little one PEED on the couch, she was so happy.

OMG- literally L.O.L.
That is rich.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

My DH and I surprised our four DD's in 2002. We told them we were driving to see their cousins in GA. We drove all night and into the morning. When we got to SC, we stopped for breakfast and I gave them each a pair of shorts and a t-shirt (which I packed secretely). I told them to put them on so we could go into a restaurant. The t-shirts were ones that I had made, they said, "SURPRISE!!! We are going to Walt Disney World!!" Each in their favorite colors and the name of their favorite character on the sleeve. The look on their faces were PRICELESS!!! They LOVED it!!



This one reminds me of Whispering Canyon Cafe and Chef Mickeys!!:happy2:

 

[mom of five]

Our trip in Oct. is going to be a surprise for our 5 kids. DH and I are having a fun time planning secretly. We haven't told gramma cause we are afraid she'll slipup and we don't want to tell the school too early either cause it's a very small school and it is sure to get out.

How do I notify the school but still keep it secret?

We were planning on telling them when they got off the bus, but
I love the idea of getting in the van to go visit someone (Long Island realtives, perhaps) and telling them that way.
"Oh, we passed Long Island? That's okay, we're really going to WDW!"

Like to hear original ways to surprise...anyone.

 

[frannn]

she may go with us in Sept. It would be so fun to surprise her, but I could never keep it from her anyway! She would have known the minute we started heading towards the airport, 'cause we never go anywhere out of state but WDW!

 

[ksoehrlein]

I don't think I could ever keep it a secret myself, but I know a family who had Santa Claus give them a trip to WDW! They had several Disney themed gifts to open, and if I remember correctly, the kids' last gift was an envelope with Disney Dollars, theme park passes, and an invitation to get on an airplane that very morning to go to WDW. I can only imagine the children's faces!

 

[disneydreamer1970]

Last summer DH and I suprised our DS (12) and his best friend with a 5 day trip to US/IOA and Seaworld for DS's birthday. We started telling him that we could not afford expensive birthday gifts and that all we were going to be able to get him was some new clothes for school. The night before we left we had a birthday party for him and as he was opening his new "school clothes" he was trying to be polite but you could totally see the dissapointment on his face. After he opened his clothes, he opened a new back pack full of school supplies. In the last pocket of the back pack was an envelope for each of the boys with their plane tickets and passes. The look on both of their faces was priceless!!! I am so glad that we were able to pull the surprise off, it was totally worth it!!!

I am also so glad that we were able to catch this on video. Every time that I watch the tape I laugh!!

It was kinda mean to trick him like that but it certainly worked!!

Have fun!!!