Who has surprised their kids with a trip?

[lillygator]

anyone do a scavenger hunt or the like?


We are heading back in October after a large hiatus (been on DCL) which has been pretty unusual. I want to surprise the girls....although I am not sure I can keep a secret that long!! Just looking for ideas.

We will be celebrating DD's 8th bday Halloween....but I don't want it to see like a birthday trip as to exclude the little one.

 

[KelleyGirl]

We did it! We told them on the morning of the trip, at 4am when we woke them up to head to the airport!

We were taking them out of school for 3 days. The two older ones were upset (12, 9) - they were worried about school and missing their friends!!! The two younger ones (3,6) jumped up, got dressed, and couldn't wait to leave!!!

My husband and I were very glad we didn't videotape the whole event. Didn't quite go as planned.

Once everyone was in the limo and a little more awake , they all were happy!

We found the secret was very hard to keep while in the planning stages, but then was very easy to keep. We had planned for about 9-10 months without telling them!

 

[unclescrooge_0707]

I'll do that some day, but more for my own sanity. We're headed for Christmas week 2010, and our 3 year old and 5 year old ask twice a week if we're leaving for Disney in the morning. It's going to be a long 9 months with constantly hear "are we going to did-ney tomorrow?"

 

[simba928]

My parents have surprised us several times...
Once we had a trip planned (and my brother and I knew about it) but then decided to do a big family trip with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents a few months later. My brother and I were told no more trip. We got home the night before we were supposed to leave and found suitcases packed in the hallway with Disney luggage tags on them.

Another time my mom picked us up from school to go to a supposed doctor's appointment. She said she had to run to her office (at the airport) for something and when we walked in, my dad was sitting there with a cart full of bags.

For the big family trip, my cousins and I knew before my grandparent that we were going and taking them. We used to take them on vacation every year as the gift for all holidays (Christmas, birthdays, Mother's day, etc.) before my grandfather died. So my cousins and I cut out letters spelling out "We're going to Disney!" and made them unscramble the letters to figure out what it said. We finally gave up and just told them since they weren't quite getting the idea that we were all going to Disney World.

 

[sardanem]

We are leaving in 6 days and since I am taking kids out if school, it would have been easy to surprise them. I didn't because I am terrible at keeping secrets. We will be there on my daughters 8th birthday on the 26th, so I am trying to think of some nice surprise for her. We are staying off property since there are 6 of us(too much money on property), so I might bring decorations with me and do the hotel room up after she falls asleep so she wakes up to it. One day I would love to do a surprise trip though.

Lisa

 

[LWatson]

We havent yet, but our next trip (either late april or early may depending on the army) we will be surprising them. Its been hard not to tell them. We are planning on telling them we are going to go visit family and then drive a few hours to GA and stop for the night. Once they are asleep we are going to pull out some stuff we will have packed up for them and set the stuff up in the hotel room. We are going to pack things like their Ear Hats (so we dont end up buying MORE), "surprise we are going to disney" shirts, and and their autograph books/pens for their surprise.

 

[C&G'sMama]

We've surprised our kids many times (there was only 1 trip we haven't). The last trip was this past December. DD 9 and DS 6. The hardest part for me was packing without them knowing so I kept everything in the attic and packed at night. The morning of the trip as soon as their ride pulled out of the driveway I got the car packed (we drive) while DP took the dogs out to the kennel.

We pulled them out of school at noon and told them we were going on an adventure (DS thought we were going to the local museum to see the Titanic exhibit)

One year we pulled onto property and DD saw the Disney buses (she was 7) and said "It's not fair, those people get to go to Disney" "Um, honey where do you think we are".
This year DD figured it out when we pulled into the Welcome Center on I-95 in Georgia. "This is where we always stop when we go to Disney"

Good Luck!

 

[LadySiren]

We decided to do a hunt of sorts for our kids - we're going to hide five envelopes with clues written inside, each envelope addressed to a different child. To get them started, I'm going to do a big poster board with the "rules" of the game on it. Each clue leads to the next one and the last clue leads them back to the house. We'll be stashing these out in the trees outside, the car, mailbox, a suitcase, and a book on my bookcase.

Once they get back inside, they have one last puzzle to finish - each of the five envelope clues has underlined words in it. They have to find and cross out each of the underlined words / phrases in a find-the-word game I'm going to write up. The leftover letters in the find-the-word game will spell out "Walt Disney World" and then Mom is going to serve up a Disney-themed breakfast.

DH says these are way too easy and that the kids will figure it out with the first clue. I reminded him that this isn't the SATs and that we do have little ones (albeit clever little ones), so easy isn't bad.

Here's Clue #5, no laughing at my "poetry".

Our littlest chipmunk
Has now got her clue.
And like the Rescue Rangers,
She’ll know just what to do.

A book is like a passport –
It’s the door to Adventureland;
In books you can be anything,
Even a knight with sword in hand.

The happiest place on earth,
Has magic that never ends.
It brings your favorite characters to life,
And lets you become their friends.

From pirates to flying elephants,
Fairies brassy and bold,
Mermaids, gargoyles, and talking dogs,
And mice with hearts of gold.

Do you know yet where we're going?
If you've got it figured out,
Come back to the kitchen
And give Mom and Dad a shout.

 

[Colleen1011]

I have not surprised my son yet.

But I did book a trip leaving the day after Christmas and I think I might surprise him that morning. I don't know if I will be able to pull it off though

 

[mollybug2]

I am surprising my daughter with her first trip to WDW, I will reveal it in October on her 6th birthday but we won't go till early November. I have no idea how to reveal it! We are leaving daddy and little brother at home, so it will be a special girls only trip (and will include my best friend who is a Disney pro!). I am going to keep an eye on this thread for ideas!

 

[mikamah]

Love your poetry ladysiren. I am going to surprise my son with a trip in august. I was going to wait until we got to the airport, or he figured it out on the way and give him a new mickey tshirt and hat, but then I thought he might get mad because he didn't get to tell his guinea pig that he would be gone for a week and say good bye, so now I'm trying to think about a scavenger hunt type thing for when he wakes up the morning we leave.

I like the disney themed breakfast.

We'll be coming back from a long weekend in maine the night before we leave, so I figure I'll do the laundry and throw everything in the suit cases in the basement, and he won't have any idea.

Now if I make it through the booking and adr planning without telling him, I'll be good.

 

[lillygator]

ladysiren, would you mind sharing your other clues?? If not, I completely understand....I am just at a loss.....wording wise...and I am still not sure I can keep it a secret.

 

[LadySiren]

I don't mind in the slightest. Feel free to use these, if you like. Or laugh at 'em, which is what DH did. Apologies, but this is going to be a little long so I'm putting them up in separate posts.

Also, the man who wouldn't let me do my game until the last week before we go today let the mouse outta the bag - he told the kids we're going on vacation. I'm debating about whether I should brain him with my favorite frying pan while he's sleeping. I guess I'm going to have to adjust these slightly, since they now know we're going on vacation, even if they don't know where yet.

Anyway, here's the "getting started" poster. The underlined words are part of the find-the-word puzzle they have to do at the end.

The sun is shining
And the sky is blue
A perfect day
For something new.

Today’s a day
To have some fun,
And our little game
Has just begun.

To solve this riddle
And claim your prize,
You’ll need clever brains
And sharp eyes.

Here’s the rules
Of how to play.
Follow them carefully,
And you’ll win the day.

Scattered around
Are five hidden clues,
Each addressed by name
To one of you.

Each new hidden clue
Leads to the very next one;
Find them all in their hiding places,
And then you’ll be done.

Be sure to save each clue,
You’ll need them in awhile.
The final answer to this puzzle
Is sure to make you smile.

So Heigh-Ho,
Heigh-ho,
Grab your shoes –
It’s time to go.

Hidden in the trees
In the bright morning sun,
Something waits for you –
It’s clue number one.

ladysiren, would you mind sharing your other clues?? If not, I completely understand....I am just at a loss.....wording wise...and I am still not sure I can keep it a secret.

 

[LadySiren]

Clue #1

Summertime is finally here,
A season made for fun –
Hiking, swimming, and playing,
Out in the summer sun.

What do some people like to do
When summer comes around?
Could it be something that involves
Heading out of town?

Dad prefers to stay at home,
In his castle where he’s King.
But Mom’s a traveling Princess,
Who likes to go and look at everything.

Yes, we’re going on vacation,
To a kingdom far away,
A land of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax,
Where everyone is happy all the day.

Your next clue is packed away
In something we’ll take when we go
Where might we keep one of these?
Head there now if you think you know.

NOTE: the shoes/ships line is from "The Walrus and the Carpenter". We just saw Alice in Wonderland, so I felt it was appropriate.

 

[LadySiren]

Clue #2

Yo-ho, Yo-ho, a pirate’s life for me!
Although it’s not quite buried treasure,
Here now is clue number two,
For your reading pleasure.

Vacations are a magical time,
A world of laughter, a world of fun;
But getting there can be tricky,
With long travels and eating on the run.

When we go we’ll fill our bags
With every kind of gear;
We’ll take it all with us down there,
And then bring it all back here.

Like George Washington and Pinocchio,
We cannot tell a lie;
This is going to be a long journey,
But will we walk, sail, drive, or fly?

Your next clue awaits in a box
Made of rubber and shiny gold;
Search it well and thoroughly
For a secret to behold.

 

[LadySiren]

Clue #3

Princesses go by carriage,
But we’ll have to settle for our car.
It gets us where we want to go,
Whether near or far.

Seven dwarfs all scrunched together
As we hit the road,
With so many people and so much gear,
The car might just explode!

Swimsuits, hats, and shorts,
And shoes good for walking,
Books and games for in the car,
This packing list should get you talking.

Where on Earth could we be going?
It’s a small world, after all.
You can ask but all we’ll say is
This trip will be a ball!

What type of mail do people send
When they go on trips far away?
Look for your next clue in a box
At the far end of our driveway.

 

[LadySiren]

Clue #4

The postman comes in any weather –
Rain, snow, hail, or sleet,
The postman doesn’t stop
Until delivery is complete.

After all that snow so white,
We’re ready for a break.
A vacation in the summer sun
Will be the icing on the cake.

So, for our very own Tinkerbell,
Here’s clue #4 to point the way.
Our game is almost over,
Only a short time left to play.

It has a cover but is not a bed.
It has leaves but is not a tree.
It has a spine but no bones.
It may have pictures but is not TV.

On a lazy summer day,
What is Mom’s favorite thing to do?
Go to where she keeps these things,
To find your final clue.

 

[LadySiren]

Clue #5

Our littlest chipmunk
Has now got her clue.
And like the Rescue Rangers,
She’ll know just what to do.

A book is like a passport –
It’s the door to Adventureland;
In books you can be anything,
Even a knight with sword in hand.

The happiest place on earth,
Has magic that never ends.
It brings your favorite characters to life,
And lets you become their friends.

From pirates to flying elephants,
Fairies brassy and bold,
Mermaids, gargoyles, and talking dogs,
And mice with hearts of gold.

Do you know yet where we're going?
If you've got it figured out,
Come back to the kitchen
And give Mom and Dad a shout.

 

[lillygator]

FABULOUS!! Thanks for sharing, and I agree with the fry pan!

 

[momof2lilboys]

We are going to Disney May 24th-30th, this will be my boys (three & six) first trip, and my hubbies as well. We just started planning a few weeks ago but this will be surprise for the boys. They think we are going on vacation to Colorado (that trip was planned but now canceled). We are driving from Oklahoma so we are going to drive and stay a about thirty minutes from Disney the last night and set up the surprise from there. Not sure how we are going to do it for sure but I look forward to it!