Who else is surprising the kids???!!!

[pyrxtc]

how far in advance did you book the trip? January and we still have 6 months to go!!

- how old is your child(ren)? our DS's are 5 and 2

- how far in advance will/did you tell them? I won't be saying anything until we get to our resort unless they figure it out beforehand Nobody knows except for myself, DH, and Disney

- how will/did you tell them? when they get tot he resort or probbaly on the ME bus on the way there

- did you almost blow the surprise haven't yet!

 

[tnkbl]

We booked ASM for Sept. 2- 10.

It is for my DD's 5th birthday on the 2nd.

We have been planning since before she was born.

THe day before we leave I am taking Mickey cookies for her b-day to kindergarten and then we are going to tell her (if I can wait) on the morning of her birthday. I think we well give her a Pal Mickey and then off to the airport!

 

[hockeymomoftwo]

We are doing this also.

We just booked our trip for sept.

Boys will be 5/8.

Boys have never been to wdw.

Will be taking 8 y.o out of school early on Fri for 2pm flight. Will tell him that his brother has dr appt in city of airport. Happens pretty frequently.

We will meet Dh with luggage at airport and tell them there.

I like the idea of the goodie box for them to go through on the flight because I think they will be jumping for joy the whole way.

The surprise is killing me. We have talked in code but they haven't caught on. Mostly we talk about restaurants but they don't really know any of the names of the parks or things to do so it is pretty easy. Now that all my adrs are planned I'm hoping that we won't have to talk about it much.

I'm afraid of slipping in conversation. Have friends heading to florida shortly and caught myself several times before saying "when we are in florida"

I can't wait to see their faces when we tell them.

 

[conleyk]

We are booked at POP for Sept. 3-10 (Night of Joy and Rock the Universe)

Originally we had planned to surprise all three kids, but due to school issues we have had to tell the two oldest (DD-18 college sophomore and DS 16 high school junior). DD 8 will be completely in the dark until we all get on the airplane - she will think she is taking me to the airport for a conference. Even after we all get on, we may just say we decided to all go to the conference. She hasn't been since she was 3 (gasp - can you believe that??) My oldest daughter and I have gone for the NoJ weekends for the past three years.

Hope you manage to keep the secret!

Kim

 

[MayMom]

Oh this is so much fun!
We had a trip planned for June, but decided to switch to September for free dining. We told our DS 6 that we cancelled the trip because DD2 was too little and would be wild (which he totally believed because he lives with her!!!) He was a little disappointed, but not terribly upset. But we are going to surprise him in September, which will be a miracle, because my DH and I both teach school and are taking a week off. I still haven't figured out how I am going to pack everything without him knowing about it. I am also hoping nobody at our school mentions it to him, since I work there and they will know we are leaving......
This is the plan. We will get home from school on a Friday night and tell him we are going to a hotel for mommy's birthday (Sat.). We will drive to Nashville and stay the night. On Saturday morning, we will go to the airport and tell him we are going to see the planes. Hopefully he won't ask too many questions. When we get ready to board, we thought we would just say that we are taking a trip, but he doesn't get to know where just yet! I was thinking of telling the flight attendants that we are surprising him and seeing if they would help me by calling him up (once we have boarded and are airborne) and announcing it to him. I did this once when I was a flight attendant and it was too sweet!
This is the first time we have surprised him and I wouldn't have thought about it without the DIS!

 

[DMOMof3]

We leave in two days, the second my son gets out of his finals. It was to be a secret up until the end, but with the kids having activities they were planning I had to break the surprise sooner. Here's how I did it.

I went to M&M's website and ordered M&M's in mickey colors. (red, white, yellow & black) I had the red and white ones printed with "Meet the Mouse" and "06-08-06". Then I bagged them and put them in their Easter Baskets. It took a few minutes for them to figure it out, then of course I get the "mom, you're so weird". They are teens after all, but they love it.

We go again the day after christmas, but so far only my oldest knows. I will try and keep it a secret till they have to pack their suitcase the morning of.

Off to pack!

 

[FreddyBeach]

Maybe I am different, but I think that the anticipation and planning for the trip are almost better than the trip itself!

We are planning to go in May 2007. I am about to reserve our plane tickets on Air Canada using Aeroplan points (before the seats are gone). Our kids will be 11 and 10 when we go next year and they are getting the trip for Christmas, so we will keep it secret until then.

Here is an idea that might be the best of both worlds:

Let the kids know that they are getting to go to WDW, but tell them the wrong date... then leave a week or two earlier than they expect! They get to anticipate and plan the trip, but still be surprised when it is time to go.

Mike in the Maritimes.

 

[monymony3471]

- how far in advance did you book the trip? Booked 5 1/2 months prior

- how old is your child(ren)? 10/8/2

- how far in advance will/did you tell them? Haven't yet and hope to wait until the morning of, yes it's driving me nuts, but it's for the 10 year olds birthday which is the day after we arrive.

- how will/did you tell them? I will tell them at 5 am when it's time to leave. Can you picture the two older ones jumping out of bed willingly for that? Or maybe I'll tell them we are going to the cottage and after 3 hours of driving and we are not there yet I'll let them ask why it's taking so long and spill it then. We have a 24 hour drive ahead of us. Once we get to Ohio, I'm sure the oldest will figure it out. We've driven before.

- did you almost blow the surprise (like me, a few times)? Yes, hope I don't.

I loved reading about all of your surprises. It's helping me to keep the secret.

 

[kkevcamsmom]

We have three kids DD15, DS6 (when we go in Jan 07),DS 4 (when we go in Jan 07). Our DD knows only because hubby couldn't keep the actual dates a secret for more than two hours....

The boys won't know until the night before, from experience I don't want to hear "Are we going today?" for the next 7 months

- how far in advance did you book the trip? We have our room booked, All Star Music Family Suite. We are going 1/27/07 to 2/03/07

- how old is your child(ren)? DD 15 yrs, DS 6 yrs, DS 4 yrs

- how far in advance will/did you tell them? DD knows and has been a help in planning We wont tell DS's until the night before.

- how will/did you tell them? They love to watch the vacation planning DVD so the night before we are going to put it in and when they say "Can we go there?" (they always do!) instead of saying "Someday" we will say "How about tomorrow?"

With DD, DH made her figure it out... He gave her the clue "It involves Planes (to get there), Trains (the MK Railroad) and Automobiles (Indy race), big ears (Mickeys), Dogs (Pluto, Goofy?) and lots of fun!" Even though she knew we were looking at going it still took her about 2 hours to figure it out.

- did you almost blow the surprise (like me, a few times)? I haven't but DH and DD have come close.

 

[busymomma123]

I really have to commend all you people who can keep it a secret. I agree with the previous post that half the fun of Disney is the anticipation of getting there. My kids found out the minute we started planning the trip. We can't keep a secret for nothing, especially about Disney. Almost every morning we dance around the kitchen counting down the days that are left. Can't wait!!!!

 

[Silverbelle990]

This is so great!! Love the thread!!!

I am planning on a trip in Feb. We are surprising my son with it as a christmas gift. My dh and I are going to make a movie of us springing the surprise with confetti and Congrats your going to DISNEY WORLD!!!!
He will be 6 at the time.

I want to book now but the packages arn't out yet. I want to tell him but he will have a month of excitedness beofr we go. Then well count down the month or so left together and he can help pack and pick rides he wants to go on. Very excited!!! Hope i can keep the secret!!!!

 

[Hockeymommy]

I am so happy I stumbled across this thread !! We have been planning our second trip to WDW for about three months. We are going
Aug 26- Sept 4. Our kids 8 & 10 have no idea, they think I'm planning a trip for a friends family. We have told them that we will be going to a local park (2 hours away)for 3 days instead of a big vacation this year. The story is that we have won plane tickets so we will be flying instead of driving. My husband thinks we can make it to MCO without them figuring out that we are not really going to Spokane via Denver. I know it sounds like a streach but the flight leaves @ 6am, so they will sleep much of the first flight. If they ask why it says Orlando for the second leg of the flight we plan on blaming it on a computer glitch. I'm not to worried about them hearing anything over the pa because they will have their ipods on the whole time. I'm not sure if this will work but I would be thrilled if we could make it to MCO without them realizing !!!!!!!!! Even if they figure it out before we get there it will still be a HUGE surprise for them. Oh did I mention that it's my sons 9th bday the day we leave?

Anybody have any other ideas?

 

[Carolc]

Maybe I am different, but I think that the anticipation and planning for the trip are almost better than the trip itself!

We are planning to go in May 2007. I am about to reserve our plane tickets on Air Canada using Aeroplan points (before the seats are gone). Our kids will be 11 and 10 when we go next year and they are getting the trip for Christmas, so we will keep it secret until then.

Here is an idea that might be the best of both worlds:

Let the kids know that they are getting to go to WDW, but tell them the wrong date... then leave a week or two earlier than they expect! They get to anticipate and plan the trip, but still be surprised when it is time to go.

Mike in the Maritimes.

No, you are not different ... I am the OP, and do plan to tell them, but not until it gets a little closer. Not sure when, yet.... definitely after school gets out for the year, as they would be totally distracted! After reading all these cool stories and schemes to surprise the kids the day of the trip, I'm tempted to wait until the morning we leave (would love to see their faces!), but I think I will still tell them a little bit in advance because DD(6) just loves to think about the trip ahead of time. It's been fun, but hard to keep the secret thus far! I keep having to hide my guidebooks and minimize my Disney planning windows every time they come around.

You know, I really like your idea of telling them the wrong date! I might just do that one...that would combine both worlds. I may also tell them this is a low budget trip (not a lie) and we are staying offsite at a small budget motel to save money... they have only stayed offsite (heck, me too!), and they know mom is a penny pincher, so they won't find a motel surprising. I can make up some story about ME, and another story about getting off at POP because I want to see it... won't they be surprised when I tell them we are staying there!

These are great ideas... keep 'em coming!

 

[Carolc]

For those of you who are leaving this week (or for those of you who have already surprised someone special) ... please let us know how they reacted to finding out about your trip!

Did they have huge smiles?
Did they go silent out of shock?
Did they run around screaming for joy?
What was the best part of the whole surprise?

 

[hockeymomoftwo]

My disney planning kit just came. I was thinking about letting my kids watch it so they get an idea of how fantastic the place is and just tell them that we are looking at maybe going in 2-3 years. That way when we tell them where they are going they'll understand the magnitude of the surprise more.

 

[Reese]

For those of you who are leaving this week (or for those of you who have already surprised someone special) ... please let us know how they reacted to finding out about your trip!

Did they have huge smiles?
Did they go silent out of shock?
Did they run around screaming for joy?
What was the best part of the whole surprise?

I think ours were in shock. Our younger ones didn't put together the clues in the box. Our oldest needed some cueing to put it all together. About five minutes after he said "we're going to Disney today" he screamed "we're going to Disney World today!!!" and started jumping up and down. At this point the younger ones realized what was happening and they started jumping up and down screaming "we're going to Disney today!!!". They jumped on DH and I saying thank you and gave everyone else in the room (grandparents, aunt and uncle had come to see the reaction). Two of my DD's started to cry because they were so happy.

I think the best part of the surprise was watching the moment they realized what was going on. The way their faces lit up was priceless.

 

[Carolc]

Today was the last day of school and for once, absolutely no homework! I suggested we watch a movie together... kind of wishing in the back of my mind that they knew about the trip so we could watch the Disney Planning Video from 2004. I recently placed an order for a new one... I will have to think up an excuse if they see it come in the mail.

At the moment, DD(6) thinks we are going to Disneyland in August (oh why am I such a liar?!). She was too afraid to go on Space Mountain when we went to DL in January, so she now wants to go back so that she can ride it (she thinks this is to be a 'birthday celebration' of sorts for her and her brother, who both have summer birthdays). I went along with it, saying that it's way too crowded to go early July, but that it will be better in August (cha-ching!). That night, she took out a map and started talking about rides she wants to go on. Luckily, MK has Space Mountain too! She also loves Matterhorn, but seems a little afraid of commercials she's seen of Everest... hopefully we can convince her to try it. I asked my husband if he thinks she will be sad that we are not going Disneyland? He said, "what, are you nuts?" (we live about an hour away from DL, so can make it there more often). I still haven't decided exactly how to tell them yet... but it may involve something like "sorry honey, we can't go to Disneyland... <long pause> ...we won't have time because we're going to Disney World!"

 

[scrappinmom]

Well I'm trying to make it a surprise! My 2 dd's (11 & 6) & I went last October for a all girls trip - daddy doesn't quite get mommy's Disney "thing". It was the first time the girls & I went on vacation without Dad & to be really honest.....we had a GREAT time! NO stroller, no whining, no worrying about golf, no worrying about dad being bored whle we went on Space Mountain for the unteenth time. I told them on the way home that in 2-3 years we'd do it again, as this stay at home mom needed some time to save up money! Well I was talking with my parents in April about Disney, and said how much the girls wanted to go again....so my Dad says "so GO, I'll give you all the money for the airfare, hotel & spending money" just GO....YIPPEEE - I love my dad! Feeling guilty I didn't do anything, then FREE dining hit again! Oh yeah baby ! So I booked 8 nights at POP from Sept 30-Oct 8. The girls are clueless. Oldest dd will be in 7th grade, youngesti n 1st. There is a fall break that week so they're off school Thurs & Fri & the following Monday. BUT they will be missing 3 days of school earlier in that week. Oldest dd is a straight A, high honor, band student...I'm planning on emailing/talking with her teachers early in September to tell them about it, and to tell them it's a surprise. Youngest will just be in 1st grade, but I will also tell her teacher & say it's a surprise.

Now the actual surprise....On Friday the 29th, I plan on picking them up from school and meeting my parents at the Rainforest Cafe for dinner - not all that unusual - we do that 5 or 6 times a year. During our "Volcano" dessert my dad's going to say " Wouldn't you guys like to see the Rainforest Cafe at Disney?" (We didn't go last time)...of course they'll say Yep, then my mom is going to give them their fanny packs that I will have already prefilled with all the Disney necessities (pennies/quarters, camera, mister, rainponcho) & tell them "good 'cause you're eating there tomorrow" !!!! Our flight will then leave at 7am the next morning!

BUT keeping it a secret is killing me!

 

[Kailani6]

I was thinking of surprising my DD6 for our trip Aug 13-21 but I wanted her to have a chance to get excited about it (well for me that is one of the best parts) plus I don't think I wouldv'e been able to keep a secret.

How we told her though could be done at the last minute before you head out if you are keeping it secret (of course it might not work if you had an early morning flight though!)
This is how my boyfriend and I told her (this was his idea-so cute!):

~He bought a Disney princess box (that came with glitter and sequins to decorate) and that was to be the treasure-she loves treasure hunts

~So then he (he is so creative) took plain paper and stained it with tea bags and then burnt the edges (it looked awesome!! She said it looked like pirate paper ) and he came up with rhyming clues to where the next clue was hidden

~While he took her shopping I hid some in the house, some outside and then some at her school (right down the street) and left a few there and then to her cousins house (they are going to disney in July) and then it led to their back woods (with a map that my neice drew for me) and I buried the disney box (with a plastic bag around it) by a big tree and put 2 big sticks in an X on top.

~She was soo excited just to do a treasure hunt and had no idea what the treasure hunt was for until she opened the box and I read the final poem about going to disney but she didn't quite get it until I said We are going to disney and she was kind of shocked.

~We made a paper chain the other day and as the trip gets closer I'll give her some of the things I bought at the disney store (they are having a major clearance!!) Hat, bathing suit, etc.


If I was going to keep a surprise until that day, I probably would still do some kind of treasure hunt (in the house though) but I'm not good at keeping secrets! Good luck everyone!!!!!!!

~Farley

 

[hockeymomoftwo]

Hi everyone,

Surprise still brewing here. My boys are actually watching the planning video now. Told them we would think about going in a couple of years and maybe they should start saving their money now for such a special trip. 5 y/o is loving the dvd and has noticed all the pirate stuff so far.

I'm so into making this a surprise but I have to keep reminding family etc that it is a surprise.

I'm thinking about having the family meet up at grandparents house morning of departure and telling them there so everyone can be there. (family) as opposed to the airport. Still would be day of.

I have started getting their gift boxes together. (ds just saw peter pan ) So far I have 2 creative memories 7X7 disney albums for autographs, lime green ponchos, Birnbaum for kids for older son, pirates of the carribean notebooks for journal. Bought light sticks and neon ropes, cars markers, cars color book for younger son so far. I will be adding pins and lanyards.

I think I will also be giving them something for the plane to keep them occupied. I was thinking of gameboy games for both (cars or poc) and some disney stories on tape for younger son.

Youngest is loving the dvd and my plan I think is working to get them thinking about wanting to go to dw.