Twinmama's Pre-Trip Report *Updated 04/08 - Secret Is Out*

[twinmama1999]

Hi All,

I’ve had the pleasure of reading through the trip reports in this forum and I don’t think my trip report to can live up to them but I’m going to give it a try. Please do not compare my report to the infamous UtahMama’s reports, I won’t be able to hold a candle to her.

Here’s a little pre-trip report. We leave for DL in 8 days and we have not told the kids yet. It’s been hard not telling them but I think the surprise will be well worth it.


Cast of Characters

So let’s start off with a little introduction. Please note in preparing this report it has come to my attention that we are in dire need of a family photo. The only photo I can find of the four of us is from about 5 years ago so I will have to post separate photos :


DH (aka Kev or Dad)

Me (aka Mary or twinmama)

DD7 and DS7 (aka the twins or Hana and Jake)

DL Vacation History:

DH and I both went to DL once with our families in the 70s. My dh and his family had a fab time.

But in stark contrast mine did not, let’s just say I had a dad that didn’t want to go in the first place and the only thing I can remember about DL at the age of 7 was walking through the park gates and dad saying, we will go to one land and then you can pick one ride in that land to go on and then we’re leaving. The one ride I chose was It’s a Small World. We walked to Fantasyland, we rode the ride and then we promptly left the park. Not good I tell you, not good. But I’m over it!!!

So the next time I went to DL was in October 1995. My dh and I went to DL on our honeymoon. We stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn and had a fabulous time.

We also went again in April 1998 with a friend and stayed at the Fairfield Inn. This was to be our last trip to DL without children.

In October 2004 we planned our trip to DL with our then 5 year old twins. The kids were involved in the trip planning and knew from the get-go we were going. We stayed at The Camelot Inn and we all had a fabulous time. After that trip we told the kids the next time we would go was when they were 10. So they have been under the impression that they have a bit more time before they can go DL again.


The Secret

We live in a suburb of Vancouver, BC (Canada) and Disney has been really doing a lot of promotion up here on TV, billboards etcetera. In late January, early February I started hearing things about the twofer deals and the adults paying the kids price so I enquired with a travel agent. It turns out she could get us a smokin’ deal, so I went to dh and twisted his arm. He couldn’t resist the deal either and we booked it but decided that we weren’t going to tell the kids. Let’s surprise them!!!

It was decided that we would tell them on Easter Sunday. The preparations have begun for the “Big Easter Surprise”. The Easter Bunny is going to tell them and here’s the note they will wake up to when they wake up on Sunday morning:

Happy Easter!!!

I had a long talk with your mom and dad the other day and they have asked me to help them tell you a secret they’ve been keeping awhile now. In order to find out what that secret is, you’re going on a hunt. This is a very special hunt, it’s a Treasure Hunt. Please follow the clues to gather the items you need in order to figure out what your surprise is. I have placed Clue #1 in your Easter baskets. Please grab your baskets and start the hunt.

The Easter Bunny!

We plan on hiding various items throughout the house that they will be using on their DL trip as well as Disney themed easter goodies and they will have to follow the clues and gather up these items and hopefully will be able to figure out what the surprise is. These items so far are:

- Sunscreen
- Activity books (for the airplane)
- Mickey Mouse pens (for the activity books)
- POTC M&Ms
- Disney Magazine
- Princess Magazine
- Gum (for the airplane)
- Disney fruit snacks
- Lanyards
- Disney collectible pins
- A chocolate Mickey
- A chocolate Princess (Little Mermaid)

If anyone has any ideas on what else we can hunt for please pass them on, I plan on working on the clues etcetera through this next week.

I plan on documenting the hunt with my camera and will post pics and their reaction. I can’t wait, the secret is getting very very difficult to keep.

We leave for DL on Tuesday, April 10. Our flight from Vancouver (aka YVR) takes off at 6:30 AM (YIKES) which means we will have to leave our home in a very distant suburb at approximately 4:00 AM. I keep telling myself it will all be worth it when we are in DL by lunch time. We’re staying at HoJos and we’ve requested a room away from the freeway (thanks to my reading posts on these boards about the noise of the freeway) We return late Friday, April 13th.

Thank you if you read this far , I will update after the secret has been revealed.

 

[ozbrooke]

How exciting! I love all the secret trips! Can't wait to see the pics of the treasure hunt and their reactions

 

[rentayenta]

Very cool! Secret trips rock! We surprised our kids a few holidays ago with a trip to Disneyland from Santa. That was the hardest secret to keep. You can do it, you are so close!

 

[moko]

Love your Easter hunt idea! If Easter wasn't next week, I'd try to do something like this, too! Darn!

Can't wait to hear about the surprise trip! I am trying my darndest to keep my trap shut about our trip in May but it's almost impossible because I've been eating and sleeping Disneyland. Good thing I've been living vicariously through the dis boards. The kids kind of know a trip to DL is planned but they have no clue when.

 

[twinmama1999]

The day has finally come that dh and I can tell the kids about our DL trip. We spent last night hiding clues and items all over the house. We had a blast doing it too!!

The kids woke up this morning and began the hunt. I wasn't able to take photos of them finding all the clues because they were both so fast, so this is a quick synopsis of what happened!!

Reading the letter from the Easter Bunny.

They found the first clue in the Monsters Inc. video box!

Reading Clue #2

They found the Pirate of the Carribean M&Ms!

The Easter Bunny hid something in the dryer!!!

The Disney lanyards and collectible pins were hanging on the coat closet!

The hunt is over, but what's the surprise?

With a little help from mom and dad, they finally figured it out. At first they didn't believe us, I guess it was so out of their realm of possibility!!

Because the secret is out they can now open Grandma Dot's easter cards, look what was inside:

So all in all, the surprise went over very well. They are very excited!!!!

We are leaving in less then 48 hours, excited doesn't describe how we're all feeling. We are now into major packing mode and will need to do a few last minute things before we head south. Will update after our return.

 

[bubblygrl]

Can't wait to hear your tr and se your pics!! have a great time!

 

[dohgusgus]

Oh my goodness! That's tomorrow! How incredibly exciting!

We're going next week. I still haven't told my little sister about it, I don't know if I can hold out much longer

 

[TeamTnC]

Have a great time. We are not going ntil July, but I couldn't wait to tell the kids, 7 & 5. Everyday I tell tehm about something I read on these boards. They can't wait.

Anyways have a safe and happy trip. I am looking forward to reading your report when you get back.

P.S. I love the pictures.

 

[CrAzY4DL]

Awesome!!! You will be back and hopefully have your TR up before I leave on the 17th. :-D HAHAHAHAHA!!!