Leaving in 13 days and still haven't told the kids!

[sjead]

We are leaving in 13 days (to be in WDW in 14) and we still haven't told the kids! My DD thinks we are going next year and the boys have no idea where we are going except "someplace fun."
Has anyone else ever done this? How did the kids react when you got there? Am I making a mistake or will it be the best surprise ever for them?
It is taking every ounce of self control I have not jump around and yell "We're going to Disney!!!!!!!!!" :ROFLOL:

 

[bgraham34]

I always wanted my parents to do this to me

Me too. I only hope if i have kids some day I can do it to them.

 

[kmanship]

I think it's great, don't tell them, then video tape their surprise when you finally do decide to tell them.

I don't know how old your kids are but my 7 year old would probably start to figure it out when he started seeing all of the Disney signs along I-75, so you want to take that into consideration

P.S. - My kids would absolutely go crazy once they finally found out!!!!

 

[rlaeromech]

We are booked for October and haven't told the kids yet!

(Actually, I had the whole trip planned, and didn't tell my wife, and I had saved the money and didn't tell her that, either! So I've already had one
surprise revelation!)

Not sure how long we'll wait--maybe until a couple of weeks out.
The last time we told them two months in advance and the waiting was
crazy! Not that that's a bad thing . . . .

One thing, we're going to hold off telling just about everyone, because we'll
get the same comments as last time from family and friends "are you sure
that's the smart thing to be doing with your money in this economy?"

If I had a dime for every one of those, we'd be staying concierge at the Poly, lol.

Anyway, going to hold off as long as possible, I think. Probably not until the airport, but pretty close.

Man I hear ya... I've mentioned it to a couple of people and have heard that same thing... A vacation is like a yearly Dr. trip, you really should have one at least once a year. I will just make it a point to bug them about EVERYTHING they decide to do and they tell me.
Putting gas in their car... "is that wise in this economy? shouldn't you walk?
buying lunch at Mc D's... "is that wise? what about oatmeal?"
flushing the toilet... " that's money down the drain... and what about the environment.

Give me a break. I have determined that at least one week out of the year we will spend time away from everything and enjoy life outside the norm a bit. And besides, those people don't know how inexpensive of a vacation it really is.

I'm going in October and haven't told my 5 year old who will be turning 6 while we are there.

 

[zurgandfriend]

Two comments

Not telling the Kids
A few years ago a co-worker and spouse planned a surprise WDW vacation for their children. They told the children ages 7 and 9 they were going to Hershey Park. The family boarded the plane for Orlando, landed and drove up to Disney World. The children did not catch on until they drove through the front gates. At that point the children lost it, not from joy but from disappointment. The children had it fixed in their minds that they were going to Hersey Park and could not cope with a shift like that, consequently the family had a horrible vacation.

I try to hold off telling people as well. The response I usually get is "why are you going there again?" Comments like those drive me crazy and the less I have to hear it from co-workers and friends the better

I get the same thing from my mother-in-law, “why are you going to Disney World again? This from a woman who rents the sample cottage on Cape Cod for the same week every year

 

[Tinkwings]

I get that line....my own Mother once asked me if my oldest child wasn't too old for Disney....LOL...I told her I was not too old..... My children have loved knowing but not knowing exactly when and being woken early in the morn thinking they were heading off to school. This year my oldest is in harder classes and does not want to miss any school....so I am planning a mini-mickey 3 day trip and plan to maximize by staying at our favorite resort the WL....and only trip to the MK....hit the pool, rent a boat....while my oldest suspects a maybe trip...my youngest should have no clue at all. Usually Santa brings tickets in stockings.....but not this year. To me the fun part is the usual clues will not be so obvious...i.e pets disappearing, Mom packing for weeks, setting up plant watering system....etc. This time we are leaving in afternoon for first time and that will be more relaxing for me ...and very little to pack. Only a few very close fellow Disney addict friends who understand will be in the know...:sohappy:

It can be so hard to keep the secret but so fun to be surprised!!!

 

[jeffk410]

i like the idea!
haha ill be down there the same time.:ROFLOL:cant wait.

 

[lumpydj]

We did this to DD last year when we went to DLR. We told her we were going to California - but that was it. We had been 5 years before when DH was working in San Diego for a few months. DD just ASSUMED that's where we were going. We got to California real late (midnight our time - East Coast). She fell asleep on the way to DLR. :snore: When we got there - it was about 2am to her. We woke her up and had her bring in one of the bags. It was so funny, she walked right over the Disneyland Welcome mat, into the lobby where there was a huge mural of the DL Castle and Mickey and Minnie statues. She didn't notice any of it. :ROFLOL:It wasn't until we were checking in that we asked the CM to tell DD where she was. At first, she thought we were in a Disney "themed" hotel. When she finally understood, her eyes lit up and she took a real deep breath. Then she ran around the lobby and was wide awake for quite a while afterwards. She made me promise that I wouldn't surpise her again...