Which is better: SURPRISE or ANTICIPATION?

[gigi1313]

my children *LOVE* the planning process almost as much as i do... maybe even more so! (okay, not more... but more than dh does! LOL!) ds pores over the planning dvd and websites... he's a pro at navigating allearsnet to watch slideshows of his fave resorts! but i agree that sometimes the waiting can be hard, which is why we were pleased w/the results of our "trick" last year of telling them tues and leaving mon!

 

[ryanmilla]

Surprise, b/c the anticipation is making me go crazy!

Seriously, though I like the anticipation to do all of the planning. However, for our kids, I like the idea of surprise. They, or at least our oldest, DD4, is at the age of "Are we there yet, are we there yet....", so knowing she is going on a WDW trip next March, she keeps asking when we are going. That's going to be a long 7 months. Luckily, I have the surprise trip for her in Dec. I think the DW will like the surprise too.

 

[michellejed]

I love to plan out every little detail and my family just sits bsck and lets me but I would love it if DH came home one day and said I booked a WDW trip for us! Then I could plan the rest lol

Anticipation for me!

 

[slk537]

For me? Anticipation, but I'm a planning freak. Love it! Prior to me getting bit by the planning bug, DH did surprise me for our 3rd anniversary and that was fun. But we did the offsite thing, no ADR's, etc. Now it would be a much different trip.

We are planning a surprise for DS's birthday in September and he has no clue. But we also have a trip at Thanksgiving planned that he knows about, so he gets the best of both worlds.

We surprised him when he was 2 1/2 - we had just been down there in December and planned to go back in May. We told him all week that if he was a good listener at daycare, we'd have a big surprise for him on Friday. Well, he was and we did. We told him we were going to go to the twin cities and stay in a hotel and go swimming. He was thrilled. Then the next morning, we woke him up at 4:00 to get ready to go on a plane. We told him we were still going to stay in another hotel and go swimming, but would he like to do it at Disney World? He was still really tired and confused, but he agreed and then 30 minutes later in the lobby when we were waiting to get the shuttle the whole thing hit him and he wouldn't stop talking about it. He continued throughout the whole plane trip to tell everyone we were going to WDW. We learned our lesson - tell him in enough time to get excited and out of his system so he'll sleep on the plane...

IN September, we're leaving at night so we'll be picking him up from daycare and heading straight to the cities for the airport. We'll tell him on the way - not sure how yet.

Can't wait!! <----see? I am definitely an "anticipation" girl!

 

[TinkerTracy]

Antiticiption always...i love planning having disney discussions and watching planning dvd's and the new stuff on io about disney (luke erin....those people)
it is always so much fun
I was on a plane once to disney and there was this family behind us...they had a DD...who they told that she was going to vist her aunt or something in new mexico...i guess they hid everything well...just imagine her surprise!
But sign me up for antiticipation anonymous!

 

[Goofy DS]

Both!!
When you're the one doing the surprising, you get the best of both worlds!

We are planning a surprise trip for the kids for Christmas, and I'm lovin' it (and of course it's all about me).

We will pick them up from school on the last day before Christmas break for a "doctor's appointment" and when they are both in the car, I'll put in some Aerosmith and say "man this reminds me of the Rockin' Roller Coaster, maybe we should go ride it!" The bags will be already in the car and we're off to the airport. The kids are going to freak!

 

[momm2four]

I would love to be surprised if it were something like going out to dinner, but if we're talking about WDW, it's the anticipation.

Planning our trip has now become a hobby of mine. I think if my DH said, "Honey, we're going to Disney next week," I would freak out b/c I would be thinking, "I don't have time to plan anything". I am not a obsessive planner, I just like to have a framework to work with.


Although, the "two month ahead" surprise would be good...

Lori P.

 

[LadyDulcinea1]

I'm torn. I love planning the trip, but if its TOO far ahead I start getting anxious! Never been surprised with a trip to the world so that would be pretty nice, but I think everyone knows what a planning freak I am! That being said, I wouldn't argue if someone told me the night before I was going

 

[Laurabearz]

I love the idea of telling the kids your leaving on Friday, when your really leaving on Thursday... brillant!

We are surprising our kids with a Disney Cruise in September. The hardest part will be packing without them knowing about it. lol

 

[MelissaE1]

For me, the anticipation is part of the whole adventure... I love to gather info, plan, know it's coming closer and closer... it adds to the experience for me.

On the other hand, I polled my kids, DS11 and DD6 and they both said, without hesitation, that they would prefer to be surprised.

I love how some people have done a "partial surprise" by changing hotels, going an additional place, etc. Since my kids already know about our upcoming cruise maybe I'll have to add a few extra elements that they're not expecting!

 

[Aalore]

I'd go with anticipation. I love the whole planning process it's half the fun of going on the trip. Although I'd never turn down a surprise trip!

 

[stacieps]

I would definitely want to know! But . . . we are surprising our kids in August. They (DD8, DS5) have such a hard time sleeping the night before anything exciting, that I've decided to not tell them this time. We were at WDW for a week in 1/05 and have booked for 4/06, so the kids are already talking about what they want to do in April. The August trip (booked due to free dining and great SW Ding rate!) will be a surprise, its just a 4 night trip, so I don't want sleepy/cranky kids - I plan to tell them the morning that we're leaving that we've decided to go away for a long weekend and that they should get some clothes and swimsuits out, I'll help them finish packing -everyone will have one rolling backpack, so it shouldn't give it away that we're flying, since with the short trip we won't need suitcases. I'm also going to tell them that it will take a few hours to get where we're going so to pack things for the "car" to keep them busy (gameboy, CDs, etc)

 

[tiggersthebest]

OK- I am breaking my all time rule as teacher that when I ask for an opinion answering both is not an option but in the case of Disney..... I'll answer either would be great with me because I would be going to Disney!!!!! Actually I have never been surprised and my husband informed me I can't be surprised because I am compulsive about planning; down to I have already looked up what I will eat at the restaraunts on allearsnet, yes I am a Disney Addict but I refuse to get help!

5 1
Proud to be a Christian
Too many times to list as a kid
Once I “grew” up:
1997 Fort Wilderness (summer); Coronado Springs Christmas
1999 Wilderness Lodge (Spring); Fort Wilderness Christmas/New Years
2002 Polynesian
2003 Caribbean Beach
2004 Took a break after having a baby
2005 Going to Port Orleans Riverside
2006 Back to Poly!!!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I always anticipate being surprised and am always surprised that what I did not anticipate did not happen.

Slightly Goofy

 

[Honeybehr1]

I like a little of each. This trip we are suprising our oldest for his birthday. He hates to fly, so the aniticpation of flying wouldnt be good. That is why we HAD to get a direct flight.

Dh suprised me for our 10th anniversary with a trip to NYC to see the Lion King on Broadway. First major suprise and I loved it. I usually hate suprises but this one was awesome and the first one that I didnt plan.


2 yr old picked these out lol

 

[angelkisses]

anticipation!!!

although we did a "mix" on our last trip, and might again this time... 'cause that last 24 hours of anticipation is just tooooo much for my kids and i wanted them to sleep and be decently rested for our first day... so... i told them we were leaving tuesday but woke them up at 4am on monday yelling (extreme home makeover style) GOOD MORNING XXXXX FAMILY YOU'RE GOING TO DISNEYWORLD! and off we went... so they knew we were going, we just surprised them by going a day earlier than they expected...

this year we'll be staying two days longer than they expect, and at a different hotel (my son's dream is the AKL and that's where we'll be spending our last two nights!)

I love your ideal. I'm going to do the same thing. Thanks!!!!

 

[iluvstitch]

While I love the anticipation - it's a double edged sword. On one hand you get to plan and figure out what you want to do and I love that!!!

On the other hand, time just seems to be creeping by.... I still have 44 days til I leave and I am literally forcing myself not to pack my suitcase yet! And yet I'm visually planning my outfits and writing out itineraries - I'd love the surprise, but give me a week to plan everything!

 

[Kitty-chan]

I agree about surprise for kids, anticipation for me. I've loved the times I managed to surprise DS. He still talks about the morning in Tokyo when I asked him, "So, do you want to go to Disneyland today?"

Usually I tell him in advance, but do so by dropping hints and letting him figure it out. He likes the mystery. But for this December's trip, I just couldn't resist and told him outright last week. I had just confessed to him (because I'm a lousy liar) that I was probably going to do a day-trip to Disneyland while I'm in LA this month (I went Wednesday, yay!), and telling him about the next trip made me feel a little better because now we've got this one to look forward to. And I love planning with him, so now we can do all that together.

 

[jennymouse]

We're surprising my granddaughters 10yo & 2yo with a short trip over Thanksgiving. The youngest has never been but the oldest is used to going every year and we haven't taken her this year yet because her Mom and I both have new jobs, etc. We told her that we might be able to go for spring break next year. We don't plan on telling her until we leave for the airport! Not sure exactly how we're going to go about it yet, though.

Otherwise, I enjoy the anticipation for myself most definately!

 

[Whitegloves]

A few years ago, we (my hubby, my father, and myself) tried to surprise my mother and two brothers with a Xmas trip. We ended up telling them at Thankgiving because we knew mom would want to be in on the planning; she's big on anticipation.

It's fun to combine anticipation and surprise, but I don't think anyone in my family would be able to keep it a secret until the last minute.

We surprised Velvetgloves with a trip to WDW when she was almost 5 yr. old. She thought we were going to Cedar Point. She didn't know where we were until she was on Main Street and saw the castle. It was priceless and I have a picture somewhere of the moment.

She is right about the anticipation part and she knows us all well, keeping a secret is so hard for us. LOL! For the Xmas trip I was surprised in November and enjoyed the anticipation getting ready for the trip.

Helping her with her countdown...48 days to go...