So excited, surprising the kids for Christmas! Need advise!

LithiumBill

LithiumBill

Well-Known Member
We're so excited, on a whim we decided to go to the world for the holidays. We happened to have a few weeks of our Timeshare banked and we were able to get room for the Christmas week. we are not telling the kids until the day before, as we are driving down.

This will be such a huge surprise for them!

We know that the crowds will be enormous, but I was wondering if anyone had any hints or tips for this particular week... We've been to the world before with the kids about 3 years ago -- they were all young but still remember.

Any hint or ideas will help! Especially since this is the first time we will not be HOME for Christmas with the kids, so any ideas on how to handle that as well, please let me know!

(I've been a lurker here for years and years, just now getting the gall to actually speak, lol)
 
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disneygirl76

disneygirl76

Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
LithiumBill said:
We're so excited, on a whim we decided to go to the world for the holidays. We happened to have a few weeks of our Timeshare banked and we were able to get room for the Christmas week. we are not telling the kids until the day before, as we are driving down.

This will be such a huge surprise for them!

We know that the crowds will be enormous, but I was wondering if anyone had any hints or tips for this particular week... We've been to the world before with the kids about 3 years ago -- they were all young but still remember.

Any hint or ideas will help! Especially since this is the first time we will not be HOME for Christmas with the kids, so any ideas on how to handle that as well, please let me know!

(I've been a lurker here for years and years, just now getting the gall to actually speak, lol)
Click to expand...

Congrats! How fun! There are loads of surprises on youtube to get ideas from. Since you are spending christmas there you can get an artificial tree for the room and bring their stockings. I surprised my dh with mickey mouse stockings from the florist one year. :)
 
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Mukta

Mukta

Well-Known Member
Welcome to the boards!

Since you know the crowds will be enormous, my advice is to pick 2 or 3 things form each family member that they really want to see and do. Do those and take everything else in stride.

See all of the holiday offerings. Osborne lights, Castle lighting etc. They are really spectacular.
 
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LithiumBill

LithiumBill

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Mukta, that is exactly my philosophy... lets just not get upset at crowds and enjoy the park... We just booked dinner reservations at Be Our Guest for 7:20pm Christmas Day... Just starting to plan around that for the rest of the day. We were thinking of Epcot on the 24th to see the Candlelight Processional.
 
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pixiesteno

pixiesteno

Well-Known Member
Welcome! I would pack a stocking of items for each person and leave any other "larger-type" gifts for home. If you get over-whelmed at the parks you can always do some touring time at different resorts to see the decorations. If you have never been to the Grand Floridian to see the gingerbread house, that is a must. As you are driving down I would check into a small 2-3 foot prelit tree and then maybe a quick trip over to DTD on your first day to the christmas store for a special decoration for everyone. If you have Disney themed decorations at home I would consider bringing some for the tree.
How exciting, just the decorations that are done at WDW for the holidays alone make the trip more than worth while. OH, oh, as you are driving take some time and head on over to Fort Wilderness campground and check out all the decorations that the RVers have up.
Oh, have so much fun!!
 
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Mrs. Jobson

Mrs. Jobson

Active Member
Welcome to the boards LithiumBill! Wow, you already have a great trip planned with Be Our Guest for Christmas Day!!! I love what pixiesteno said about the decorations and going to visit Fort Wilderness campground. I would suggest going to the resorts on the Monorail loop. When my husband and I lived and worked there, we did that on Christmas Eve and had a great time. Every resort had juice and cookies along with some of the characters all dressed in their Sunday best. It felt like we were crashing someone's Christmas party at their house. We still talk about that to this day. We weren't able to be with our families at Christmas so we were so happy to spend it with others who were. Hope you have a great trip!:)
 
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LithiumBill

LithiumBill

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I would never have thought about checking out the RVs! Thanks so much! we have seen that giant gingerbread house on TV so many times, I can't wait to go and see (SMELL) it!

I think that we will be bringing a small tree, and on our first day let the kids get some decorations, we do have TONS of Disney decorations at home as well... going to be tough deciding which ones to bring!
 
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LithiumBill

LithiumBill

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
If we have dinner reservations for 7:20 at BOG, do you think we'll have time to make it out for the fireworks at 9pm? And where would be the best spot to view those back in the new FL?
 
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JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Congratulations! We're also surprising our kids with our first December trip as well. They will find out a few days beforehand on the first night of Hanukah. I'm busting at the seams keeping this secret from them! They're gonna flip!
 
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LithiumBill

LithiumBill

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So our trip has taken a different tone... My father passed away last week. Very suddenly. Only 62. This trip was really his idea. My folks live in Florida and he thought the kids would love to visit the MK for xmas, instead of them coming to MASS. to visit us.

My first reaction after he passed is that we needed to cancel our trip. But friends and family reminded me that my father wanted the kids to have a special xmas (we have BOG ressies on xmas day). SO I relented and agreed that we should still go. My mom is still joining us, with a fe other family members now joining us.

We broke the secret to the kids, and told them that there Papa gave them this trip, it helped a bit with the emotions running through the house (we have twins that are 5 and an 8 year old daughter).

It's a different trip now, I'm trying to keep the tone fun and happy for me kids, and want this to be special for them... Any ideas? We are there the entire week, and planned 2 MK days and one day at DHS.
 
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Nemo14

Nemo14

Well-Known Member
I'm so sorry to hear your news. My deepest condolences go out to you and your family.
I'm glad you decided to not cancel your trip, but just allow yourself and your family to grieve. This trip will definitely be bittersweet, and just don't try to stifle those litle sentimental moments that catch you by surprise. They're all part of the healing process for you and your family. God bless you.
 
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M

MidwestGirl

Member
We leave tomorrow and staying thru Christmas. We bought a 3 ft prelit tree and had it shipped there. We then bought some small inexpensive ornaments, didn't want to risk breakage. My daughter is older so Santa gifts will be waiting at home for her when we fly home the 26th. Maybe you have a neighbor who could let Santa in ;) and set up gifts etc for when you come home. We are buying a few small souviner gifts there so she has something to open up Christmas morning
 
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