Who has kept the secret?

[chrome64]

We just decided at the beginning of this week to go back the first week in January. The Food Network show is what did us in. We just couldn't take not being there for Christmas. We will miss Christmas but, We get to go in just 4 1/2 weeks!!!!

We decided to make this a surprise for the kids (DD10 & DS2) for a different reason. This will be our 3rd trip this year. We bought a DVC membership during our second trip and upgraded our tickets to Annual Passes. I would just move down there if I could!

The problem is, our Family doesn't understand why we love Disney so much and why we keep going back. The topic of how we can afford it has come up a few times too! Truth is, we know the best kept Disney Secret and it has been wonderful for us! But, we haven't told anyone in our family about it because they would start inviting theirselves on all of our trips if they knew! It's a strange delimma to be in because we are soooooooo excited to be going back but, we can't tell the kids because they would tell the rest of the family, and then we would spend Christmas explaining to everyone why and how we are going back (and feeling guilty about it!)!

That aside, I'm very excited as I will be driving down by myself with the kids. DH is coming 4 days later when he can get off work. So, it's completely up to me on how to tell the kids that we are going! I thought about just putting them in the car first thing in the morning and telling them right away but, I kind of like the idea of waiting until we see the signs to Disney. It is about a 12 hour drive so, I don't know if I can keep them from asking questions that long. I won't have a problem fooling the 2 year old but, the 10 year old may be clued in before we even get in the car.

What do you all suggest?

(sorry for making this so long, I don't know how to make anything quick and to the point)

 

[Mom+4]

We are leaving for WDW on 12/18. My two older sons know (they are 22 and 16, and nothing can be kept secret from them), but the two little ones (DS9 and DD 7) have NO idea.!!!!! They think I am planning a trip for the end of the school year, and we are all keeping it a secret from DH (who obviously knows about the real trip.) The night before we leave, when I get home from work, Santa will have left a letter in the mailbox which I will get out. I'm going to have DD read it to her brothers. It explains (in rhyme, no less) that they have all been very good this year, and so Santa has talked with mom and dad and they all decided to give them only one gift, but a very special one. Then Santa asks them to play a game to find out the name of their gift. The game is a treasure hunt. The first clue is some shells (hidden in a Mickey Mouse slipper), then some other Florida item (I'm thinking oranges), then some Christmas Disney pens - one for each of them, and the last clue sends them to the basement where all of the suitcases will be packed, and on top will be a box with Disney dollars, tee shirts and other stuff for all of them. I hope they will be as excited as I have been planning all of this. I can't wait to see their reaction.

 

[chrome64]

We are leaving for WDW on 12/18. My two older sons know (they are 22 and 16, and nothing can be kept secret from them), but the two little ones (DS9 and DD 7) have NO idea.!!!!! They think I am planning a trip for the end of the school year, and we are all keeping it a secret from DH (who obviously knows about the real trip.) The night before we leave, when I get home from work, Santa will have left a letter in the mailbox which I will get out. I'm going to have DD read it to her brothers. It explains (in rhyme, no less) that they have all been very good this year, and so Santa has talked with mom and dad and they all decided to give them only one gift, but a very special one. Then Santa asks them to play a game to find out the name of their gift. The game is a treasure hunt. The first clue is some shells (hidden in a Mickey Mouse slipper), then some other Florida item (I'm thinking oranges), then some Christmas Disney pens - one for each of them, and the last clue sends them to the basement where all of the suitcases will be packed, and on top will be a box with Disney dollars, tee shirts and other stuff for all of them. I hope they will be as excited as I have been planning all of this. I can't wait to see their reaction.

That's awesome! Maybe I should try something like this. I'm sure your kids will go nuts!

 

[wtpntigger2]

We're surprising dd3 with a trip this January mostly because I didn't want to deal with her begging me on a daily basis about when we were leaving. The morning we leave she will be receiving a phone call from "Cinderella" telling her to enjoy her trip.

 

[Robo]

Years ago my wife and I planned a trip to Disneyland (we live in the Kansas City, Missouri area).

We decided that we would take our (then) 5 year old nephew with us.

We had his mom secretly pack his suitcase and bring it to us at home a couple of days before the trip.

On the day of departure, his mom told him they would go to the airport to "say goodbye and wave" to Aunt Jo and Uncle Rob in the airplane.

When they arrived at the airport entrance, we asked him, "Hey, do you want to go see Mickey with us?"

One look at his mom and... BEAMING FACE.

A beat later, he said, "But I don't have any CLOTHES!" (smart kid).

We produced his suitcase, he was happy, and off we went.

His first plane-ride and he loved it.

At five, he never quite understood just how FAR we had flown from KC to Orange County, CA. (1200 miles or so.)
The streets looked about the same as home.
But that old classic Disneyland sign was a payoff we were NOT at home.

We stayed at the (then) Pan Pacific Hotel (now a Disney-owned hotel) right next to the Disneyland Hotel, across from the DL parking lot (now its DCA!) with a nice view of the monorail tracks.
He called it "the train that takes you home" because we would ride the monorail to and from DL. We arrived at night and just slept to get ready for our first day the next morning.

On our first day, at breakfast in the hotel (again, right across the street from DL) the little guy would say to anyone who was nearby, "We're going to Disneyland" (as though anyone else there wouldn't KNOW that already, or was not going there themselves, as well)... it was very cute.

Started in him a love for Disney parks that continues to this day (DN is in his early twenties, now.)

We helped create another Disney Addict!

Great trip.
Great kid SURPRISE.
Great Disney fun!

 

[Belle2667]

We surprised our boys a few years ago with a WDW trip. Since we drive down, we like to leave at 3:30 am or so. We just told them it was time to wake up and get dressed and we gave them each a new Mickey shirt to put on. It took a few sleepy moments until they realized what was going on, but their faces were priceless !!

Unfortunately, they want to be surprised again but it's just a really really hard thing for me to do. I get too excited in the planning stages and keeping it a secret takes some of the fun out of it for me! So, now I'm introducing them to the world of itinerary-building and they seem to be having a great time this way, too.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We surprised our twins with a trip to MNSSHP on their 8th birthday in October. We only planned it in late September (thank you SWA Ding Fares) so the wait wasn't too bad, but it was really hard not to tell them and let them share in our usual pre trip excitement. We ended up making up a "hypothetical MNSSHP trip" (allegedly for 2006) so we could help them understand how the party works. It was sooo fun looking at everyone's pictures of the Headless Horseman and fireworks, etc.. here on the Dis, but they wanted to go so badly we felt kind of mean!

They went to school on the day of their birthday and were expecting us to pick them up and go to dinner (to McDonald's Playland no less, their choice, LOL). When they got in the car they saw large boxes wrapped with Mickey Mouse paper which held their surprise costumes. We had made up a poem explaining the ruse but we'd typed it in Disney font and it was a little hard to read. As they read the poem bit by bit they understood. They were laughing and giggling, high-fiving and smiling so broadly it was really adorable! We went right from the schoolyard to the airport - what a fun ride that was!! On the plane as my DD was half asleep, she looked up at me and said "Mom, am I dreaming? Cause I just can't believe we're going to Disney"! That made it all worthwhile and is something I'll never forget.

And oh yes, my DS has A Disney Trip on his Christmas wish list this year. I think we're spoiling them.

 

[briarroselynn]

I surprised my neice (age 10) for her birthday one year. It was so cute! I had bought a pizza for lunch for my daughter and my neice. I asked them to bow their heads to bless the food just like normal but right after blessing the food I asked God to keep us safe today on our way to Disney World! They were soooooooooo stoked!!! Her mom had already packed all her clothes and I had packed my daughter's stuff so all we did was grab some pizza and head to Disney!! I think that was the funnest ride ever! I think the best way to keep them guessing is doing it out of the blue...

 

[c&ldisneylovers]

We are leaving for WDW on 12/18. My two older sons know (they are 22 and 16, and nothing can be kept secret from them), but the two little ones (DS9 and DD 7) have NO idea.!!!!! They think I am planning a trip for the end of the school year, and we are all keeping it a secret from DH (who obviously knows about the real trip.) The night before we leave, when I get home from work, Santa will have left a letter in the mailbox which I will get out. I'm going to have DD read it to her brothers. It explains (in rhyme, no less) that they have all been very good this year, and so Santa has talked with mom and dad and they all decided to give them only one gift, but a very special one. Then Santa asks them to play a game to find out the name of their gift. The game is a treasure hunt. The first clue is some shells (hidden in a Mickey Mouse slipper), then some other Florida item (I'm thinking oranges), then some Christmas Disney pens - one for each of them, and the last clue sends them to the basement where all of the suitcases will be packed, and on top will be a box with Disney dollars, tee shirts and other stuff for all of them. I hope they will be as excited as I have been planning all of this. I can't wait to see their reaction.

I just did something similiar with my 10 year-old sister. We are going on a big sis, little sis trip in February. I gave her six clues to guess her birthday/Christmas present. She got two guesses after each clue.
1. A paper chain with the last date of February 19
2. Mickey Soap (from the hotel)
3. A Mickey Mouse birthday card.
4. A Mickey Mouse cookie
5. The Disney World for Kids book
6. Princess Aurora recorded a short message on my digital camera telling her that she was going to Disney World.
She had no idea until the fifth clue! I had so much fun planning this surprise and was lucky enough to have been in WDW last week so I could get the recording on my digital camera. This is going to be my first trip with a "child" and I can't wait to see her reactions to everything. This trip is also important because we don't get to see each other enough. We live over a hour apart and she has such a busy schedule that we never get to spend time together.

 

[Amyg]

We'll keep the secret till our 9 yr old figures it out.

We did the same 4 years ago when we took him to DL for the first time. We were at the gate and he saw the DL sign. He jumped up and down he was so excited. It was so cute!

 

[PattiPB]

Last year the kids knew we were going to WDW with extended family. They didn't know about the Disney Wonder cruise. On what they thought was the last day, we took a different highway. As we crossed the bridge I (already crying) pointed out the Wonder. The boys (8 & 6 then) asked why we were there. Before I could scream out my surprise, DD (then 10) told them authoritatively "Mom wants to do the Disney cruise someday, but it's a lot of money, so she probably just wants to come look at the ship."

We went through to the THIRD CHECKPOINT telling every security agent yes we are passengers on the Wonder, when the kids FINALLY got it and started screaming. The CM laughed and said "you wouldn't believe how often I hear the kids just finding out". The kids then get out of the car and see their grandparents getting out of their car behind them. They run up to them screaming they are going on the cruise, and did Granma and Pop come to say goodbye? Next shock: Granma and Pop tell them they are coming with us!!! Boy, was it awesome!

So this year, same situation. They know we leave next week, but they have no idea again about the Wonder! For kids who do awesome in school, they can be really thick headed when it comes to Mom and her surprises!!!

 

[minijeanie]

I am SO SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my kids are teens now ...so hard to surprise...but years ago we did and fooled them so..
told them DD was going on business trip & we were taking him to airport.

Isn't it amazing when they are young they never questioned why there were 4 bags.

it was spectacular!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tried to fool them last year but they caught on

EVERYONE ABOVE ME>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

PLEASE, PLEASE. enjoy these precious years...they are the best!!!!!!!!!!!

I love my kids dearly and each year brings different joys and tribulations but my favorite memories are always at WDW when they were younger..


to each and every family...soak all the memories up

ENJOY

 

[allshookup]

We are surprising my kids on Christmas morning. After they open all their gifts, I am going to produce one more wrapped gift for the both of them. I ordered two Mickey Santa hats so that should confuse the heck out of them for a second or two & then I am going to tell them to hurry up & get dressed because we are leaving that afternoon! Just like another poster, they think the only trip we have planned is for the end of the school year. We do plan to catch their reaction on camera, and I just hope they are as excited as I am!

 

[2Xited4Disney]

I am currently planning a surprise trip for my GF and some of her friends. Her 21st Birthday is in April so what better way spend it than in Disney World


(I can't believe she didn't get it when I told her for Christmas I was going to get her 7 day NO expiration... a few days for January and a few for some time later....)

and she is on disboards (MarcsMinnie) so HOPEFULLY she doesn't read this

 

[Frickles]

I wish I had seen this thread earlier today!!!! We leave in the morning and I have kept our trip a surprise since March...mostly since this is a part of our kids Christmas gift! I posted a thread today asking for suggestions on how to break the great news to our boys (6 & 4)! My husband and I just decided an hour ago to wrap up a luggage tag for each of them...pretending that it is an official ticket to WDW. We are driving 8 hrs tomorrow and we're going to stay somewhere in Orlando (not sure where), then we are heading to SeaWorld (surprise) and then Nickelodeon Suites (surprise) for the next night (every time they watch Nickelodeon they scream whenever the commercial for that place comes on!)...THEN we will head over to the Poly! I'm thinking that we are going to tell them the morning we wake up to head to Disney by giving them their "tickets" at breakfast! My parents have ordered awesome gift baskets for them (from Mickey of course) and they will be waiting on them at the Poly.... I just can't wait! I love surprises but most of all, I love surprising others and seeing some true joy! I hope everyone here who is going this month has a wonderful time! We can't wait to experience the magic becuase our boys haven't been since they were 2 & 3months!!! It will be like their first time all over again and it will be the first time we've ever stayed on the Disney property as well!!! I'm not going to sleep at all tonight!!