When to tell the kids!

[conmama]

We were going to tell them this weekend...they would have 4 weeks to wait. Is that too early to tell them. We've had our reservations for 7 weeks and didn't want for them to have to wait too long after they found out.

On the other hand, my 11 year old keeps asking us if we're doing anything for springbreak ..teehee....

Anyway, do you think 4 weeks is too much time to wait after hearing the news? My other son is 8. We are so excited to tell them. It will be our first trip.

conmama

 

[ziggystardust]

I always loved knowing when I was little. I would make count down signs and save my extra lunch money for souvenirs.

Whenever you do tell them, make it an event. Like a scavenger hunt or some kind of guessing game. That should be fun for you too!

 

[vicceja]

Hi!

I say tell them as soon as you start planning I told my kids a month ago and we are not going until the last week of June The anticipation and the planning is just as fun!

Ely

2005 - POR June/July
2003 - AS June/July

 

[2tinkersmom]

I agree with telling them soon. We told our girls, 10 and 6, months before the trip and it was really fun to have them in on the excitement. There is a book that I bought for the girls called Disney World for Kids by Kids that was very fun for them. Its got all sorts of real kids advice on what the best rides are and what to see first, etc. Plus it also has some games, puzzles that they did on the plane ride and had a lot of fun. It even has autograph pages in the back although we didn't carry that along because it was rather big.

 

[DMAMom]

until the beginning of May. This is our first trip and they are thrilled. They even have "disney wallets". They found 2 of my old wallets (my DH is not thrilled that the boys are walking around with women wallets!!LOL) and every time their grandparents come over they hit them up for a donation to the Disney fund.

I just found the wallets in their drawers the other day - they each have about $20 so far!!!

 

[newyork0068]

tell them the day before or the morning of the trip!!

 

[powellrj]

we always tell them right away. Part of the fun of vacation is the planning.

 

[conmama]

Well, I've decided to go ahead and tell them this weekend....One month prior to departure.

For one, I love the anticipation of a trip and I know they will also. Second, I know they will want to tell their friends.

I've decided to buy the Birnbaums Disney Book for Kids as a way to tell them. I think at Breakfast on Saturday, dh and I will say that we've decided where to go and bought them a book to read about it before our trip! Then will let them upwrap it! woo..hoo. I'm so excited to tell them. I know in the past though, that when they are "surprised", they can get quiet. Then when it sinks in, all chaos breaks loose. I'll have to remind dh not to expect whoops and yipees right away!

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

conmama

 

[Fryan08]

We are not going to Disney until the last week of JUne and we are planning on telling them Memorial Day weekend. We are taking them out to a special dinner and going to tell them then. Then when we come home we are going to make a countdown chain to hang on the back of the front door. Of course my kids are 6 and 4 and if we told them any earlier they would hound us every day until we went. However it is getting really hard to hide from them becasue I have started to buy stuff and trying to hide it is starting to become a problem!!
Frances

 

[SouthFLMommy]

We still have a little while to go, but we told our kids. My 4 year old has.not.stopped.talking about it. It's ok though, I know she's excited so I sit with her when she wants me to "tell her about Disney". LOL

 

[conmama]

I know what you mean...it's getting harder to be on the internet with Disney stuff and then they walk in! Plus, I"m always having to hide my info and can never leisurely read when they are around. I'm getting tired of having to hide everything.

conmama

 

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

We aren't telling ours! DH has the whole month of April off and we're going from the 18-26th. We told the kids that while daddy was home we'd be working around the house, heck we have DS convinced we're redoing the floors in the kitchen.

We're going to take them to the airport on the 18th and still not tell them where we're going, in fact we're flying in to San Jose so we don't have to tell them where we're going!

It's an evil evil plan I know, but they'd drive me nuts if they knew everything!

 

[megatann]

We leave on Saturday, and my son doesn't know. He thinks we are going in June. He knows we are going on a trip. He should fall asleep in the car around 10 pm, and we are driving through the night. When he wakes up, and asks where we are, we are still not going to tell him. We are going to make him guess. I know it's evil, but if you knew my son, you would do the same thing. He would drive me crazy because he's so excited already, and he thinks we are going in May.

 

[Bugsmom73]

Tell them this weekend. You could make it a scavenger hunt and then serve Mickey Mouse Pancakes for breakfast.

 

[cashout]

We are not planning to tell them at least until we get to Ocala. We are driving 22 hours from home, so it may be very difficult to not let them know. We are planning to tell them that we are going to see "relatives" when we pack the night before, and since both my and my wifes parents live 10 hours away, we think that we can hold off for a while.

 

[WDWlover]

I know it's evil, but if you knew my son, you would do the same thing. He would drive me crazy because he's so excited already, and he thinks we are going in May.

OOO....this is so the reason we're not telling our kids LOL...we could tell our youngest ds, who's gonna be 4, but he would tell our 7 year old ds, and it would drive me crazy!!! His birthday is tomorrow and he's been talking about it since Christmas!!!

 

[Mama2jasminANDcaitie]

My kids know THAT we are going.. they just dont know WHEN. Last year we waited until the night before to tell them we were going, and THIS is much better. They are all hyped up and exited.. BUT there is an element of suprise.

we are leaving in a little over two weeks. and dd10 thinks we arent going till summer!
We will tell them the night before we go.. mainly so they can help me load the van! lol I cant wait!

 

[jaz211228]

We thought that we were the only people who were that 'evil' We went last April and didn't tell our three sons (then ages 3, 5, and 8) until we got to the airport and actually checked in. They were sooooo surprised!! We're doing the same thing this year. (Apr 19-Apr 27 '05) They would drive us crazy otherwise.

 

[kelscross]

If your kids are like my kids DON't tell them until you are waking them up in the morning to get to the airport...ha! I told mine last year too early and they asked EVERY day when they got up...are we going to Disney World today? and then I'd have to go thru the morning with the whining and crying.

So we made the paper chains they had on Deb's website and they stopped asking because they knew if there were still chains on their wall then we weren't going.

Have fun!

 

[Evil Queen]

As soon as I decide and get the time off from work approved, I can't keep it in!!!

So my kids have known since mid-January, we aren't going until late Sept. Mine help plan, so I want them to know.

Since we may do a few quick weekend trips after Sept., I want to try the "Surprise" trip, I think that would be SO AWESOME!! "Hey guys, we got to run to the store, come on"...and just never stop driving until 3 hours later.

Will be easier with the youngest son, oldest works, but lives with me to help me out, but his friend could help me plan it.