When to tell the kids

[angelat]

Ok, so I've posted before that we are planning on surprising our kids in some way with our upcoming trip. They are DD10 and DS11.5. They know we are going, they are just under the impression that we are going at the end of September. (We're going the last week in August!) Our DS has been asking things lately like "Is it going to be super hot while we're there?" We went last year in April and the first few days were super cool and the last 2 days were in the 90s. I tried to tell him it'd be like the last couple days. I'm sure it may get hotter than that, but we plan on doing afternoons in the pool on some days too.

Anyway! My original thought was to wait until the beginning of August to let them know we are going the last week. But I'm getting antsy. I wanted to give them Disney Easter baskets and tell them then, but I didn't. Then I thought maybe at the 100 day mark (may 13), or 60 day mark(June 22)...Ugh! I want them to know they don't have to miss school and it shortens their time at summer daycare, but I don't want them to get excited too early and it wears off. Of course they are going to be excited when we go...but do you see my dilemma? How far ahead do you tell your kids??

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[spare+a_pair]

LOL - I got nothin' because we're (read: I'm) in the same predicament. We are keeping it a secret, but I want to tell SO badly.

We decided nopt to tell them until we drive through the gates hopefully we'll figure out that we aren't going to the "wedding" we were talking about.

Now, if I can just keep my mouth shut until the end of November

 

[BeccaBellePA]

I'm awful with this! We've been planning since December 08 to take my little cousins (10 & 12) in January 2010. We told them just last week so they can be in on the planning...but they actually THANKED us for not telling them earlier because they "would be dying by now". Of course...poor kids still have 247 days!

 

[WizardLarz]

Do the 100 day mark. Then you can ask them about food choices and maybe have them help picking your ADRs so you can call them in on day 90!

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

We are leaving June 1st and I'm still trying to wait until we're driving to the airport to tell! My husband seems to have no trouble with this, but I'm trying to plan and make ADRs and shop for trip stuff in secret.... talk about difficult. Less than a month to go....fingers crossed!

 

[Dancing Queen]

We are leaving June 1st and I'm still trying to wait until we're driving to the airport to tell! My husband seems to have no trouble with this, but I'm trying to plan and make ADRs and shop for trip stuff in secret.... talk about difficult. Less than a month to go....fingers crossed!

I'm with you on this one - waiting until airport to tell kids. But it's tough when DD keeps asking about going!

 

[mjkacmom]

I planned our trip for a year, and told my kids that morning. Since they think they're going in September, they can still plan. I think it would be way more exciting to say "we're going to WDW today" rather than "we're going a couple of weeks early!"

 

[2kids1dog]

We've decided to wait until the day we're leaving to tell the kids. My DD especially would drive me bonkers if she knew now - she's done it every time we've gone!

We're going to wake them up at 4:30 a.m. (will have to leave the house by 5:30 a.m.) and have a big box downstairs for them. I got such great ideas from these boards and I already started putting the box together. I'm going to put some Disney helium-filled ballons in the box, as well as the Hidden Mickey book for my DS, and the pumpkin carriage pearl cage for DD (she always picks a pearl on our trip), I just won a lot of pins from eBay, so they'll have pins to trade, and I'm going to put some Disney dollars in their for each of them, and probably those personal misting fans. We've always gone when the heat isn't bad - so I think they'll appreciate them!

I am so excited about this!!!

 

[sueh]

I'm in the same situation. Although my girls know that we are going but they have no idea when. They keep asking me what season it will be lol.
I was thinking that it would part of their Christmas present and surprise them but I honestly don't think that I can keep it a secret that long. LOL

I am thinking that I will let them know at the 100 day mark so that we can do a countdown chain together.

We will have to wait and see what happens. LOL

 

[Melknor]

I was in the same situation. Our DS thought we were going in August so he was able to take part in the planning and my talking Disney didn't give away anything. We actually went last week (surprise!!). Our flight didn't leave until 11, so we woke them up that morning and they did a scavenger hunt to spell out DISNEY.

Unfortunately, he didn't actually believe we were leaving that day to go until I brought down the suitcases.