My kids have no clue we are going, anyone ever do this?

[disneydiva72]

My husband and I are putting together our Disney trip...leaving 12/23 coming home 12/27....we are sending a tree to the resort ahead of time, bringing lights to string on our balcony at the Poly and everything, my kids have no clue we are going...we are going to tell them we have to bring my Mom to the airport and when we get there we will open the back of the van and all their bags will be packed and then it will be "SURPRISE WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY!!!" My sons B*day is also Christmas day, so on Christmas day we are going to go to Animal Kingdom (his favorite park)

We have dinner reservations at Boma for my sons B*Day and Im going to have them bring over a Zebra Dome cake (his favorite desert)


Has anyone else ever done this? Tell your story!

 

[eliezrah]

We haven't but it sounds like a fabulous plan!!

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

My parents suprised me and my sister in a very "interesting way" back in the olden days...say 1996 :lookaroun...when travel agents were key in helping one prepare for a trip such as going to WDW, my sister and I had been watching various commercials and promos for WDW's 25th anniversary, and when my parents too found out about WDW having its 25th anniversary, they took us to the travel agent office, which was chuck full of WDW 25th promotions, posters, etc and little did I know what my parents were talking to the agent about and they came back and said to us "so you want to go to Disney?" and of course my sister and I were nodding our heads uncontrollably and the agent said to us "YOU'RE GOING TO DISNEY!" and we about screamed and ran around the office....but we had to wait about 6 months before we went, but luckily we watched our planning VHS tape over and over again to keep us busy. :wave:

 

[colleen2997]

I just don't see how people have the will power to do that. I have known people who didn't tell their kids until they were in the car on the way to the airport. Personally, I don't agree because half the fun of a Disney trip is the build up of excitement and anticipation. My kids and I love to watch the planning DVDs and TV shows,make our ressies, talk about Disney, COUNTDOWN the days...That is SOOO much fun and I think surprising your kids on the day of neglects them of the huge build up and anticipation! There is nothing more exciting than the anticipation of a Disney vacation(IMO). If your kids are really small, like 4 and under, if they don't understand the concept of time, then I can see surprising.

 

[Mick G.]

Four years ago, we told the kids we were going to a conference in "South Georgia." Really we were stopping in Tifton, GA, on our way to WDW. We had planned to see how far we could get before they realized where we were, but we decided to tell them right before we left the hotel in Tifton. I really think we could have made it, and it would have been something to see. Now, they know how to read and everything, so we'll never be able to pull that off. It's one of the few things I regret.

Mick

 

[Highland_Holly]

My sister is going August 24th and isn't telling the kids until August 13th (her dd's bday). I don't think it is for the element of surprise, though. Her kids are 6 (turning 7) & 4 and this will be their FIRST trip... neither one has much of a concept of "time". If she tells them too soon, they will drive her crazy every single day until they go! LOL!

Holly

 

[dixiegirl]

We did that a couple of years ago..Packed the suitcases everything ready to go..woke the kids up at 4:30 in the morning, the oldest first who was 6 at the time ,hubby asked her if she wanted to go to school or disney that morning....She thought we were fooling aroung till we told her to go look at the suitcases in my bedroom....The look on her face was priceless....She kept saying "really?".Then she went to go wake up her sister who was 3 at the time.. asked her if she wanted to go see mickey mouse...no response , asked her if she wanted to go see buzz and beat zurg...she just about jumped out of bed!!! Mind you they had been to Disney before, but being a surprise made it so much fun..and keeping it a secret just about killed the hubby and me!!! Make sure you have camcorder ready to get them on camera and see their reaction is soooo priceless!!!!.... We went around Christmas time as well such a real nice time to go(MVMCP is so much fun!!!)......Have a great time!!!!!

 

[disneydiva72]

I just don't see how people have the will power to do that. I have known people who didn't tell their kids until they were in the car on the way to the airport. Personally, I don't agree because half the fun of a Disney trip is the build up of excitement and anticipation. My kids and I love to watch the DVDs, read books, COUNTDOWN the days...That is SOOO much fun and I think surprising yuor kids on the day of neglects them of the huge build up and anticipation! There is nothing more exciting than the anticipation of a Disney vacation.

My kids are fortunate and have been going to Disney since they were babies (they are 7 and 11 now), we always did the countdown calendar and everything....which is fun, but we wanted to try something different this year, we have never even been away from home at Christmas so this is super shock! We are also a family of practical jokers so this is the ultimate practical joke, its going to be PERFECT! :lol:

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

My parents have done this to me on MANY occasions...

1993-First trip-We're just going for a ride in the new rental car Dad had to get for some unknown reason....(I was 3!)

1995-Dad has to go take a test at UF...On the way home...WDW!

1998-Wake up on the first day of Spring Break-"Hey,wanna go to EPCOT for a few days?"

2000-Birthday trip to "Mount Dora"

2005-On the way back from Saint Augistine we randomly get off the I-4 and are heading into WDW!

...I think that being surprised is better than planning on going!It's just so great,having a normal day suddenly turn into a Disney one.:sohappy:


*ahhhh*I wanna go back soooooooo bad!

 

[danpam1024]

I don't know how to keep secrets :zipit:! DS loves to help plan, and we all make our ADRs together, the anticipation makes it so much better once we FINALLY arrive. Love the world at Christmastime, there's no place I'd rather be :xmas:

 

[DizneyPryncess]

That is a fantastic idea! Your kids will be so excited!

I don't have children yet, but plan to in the next few years. I might just steal your idea to do the whole tree & lights thing someday. I've never read about anyone who did that before. But if you search around the forums, you can find all kinds of fun ways that people surprised their families with Disney trips. Some of them give me goosebumps to read about.

 

[Kelsybelle]

My husband and I are putting together our Disney trip...leaving 12/23 coming home 12/27....we are sending a tree to the resort ahead of time, bringing lights to string on our balcony at the Poly and everything, my kids have no clue we are going...we are going to tell them we have to bring my Mom to the airport and when we get there we will open the back of the van and all their bags will be packed and then it will be "SURPRISE WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY!!!" My sons B*day is also Christmas day, so on Christmas day we are going to go to Animal Kingdom (his favorite park)

We have dinner reservations at Boma for my sons B*Day and Im going to have them bring over a Zebra Dome cake (his favorite desert)


Has anyone else ever done this? Tell your story!

Your trip just gets better and better with every post you make!!! My daughter will be 2 in August and someday I want to do just what your doing!!! That being said, you better be prepared to post pictures of their expressions once they realize they are on their way to WDW and of the trip!!!
The zebra dome is my favorite dessert but a zebra dome cake? My thighs didn't need to know such decadent information!!!!!!!!! :lol:

 

[Tinkerbella16]

I don't have kids so I've never done this before. But your plan sounds perfect!!! Your kids are going to be sooo surprised! Stick to the bringing your mom to the airport thing...I would have never came up with something like that. The hardest part is keeping quiet about it until the trip comes...How are you going to do that???? LOL
Its all we talk about in our house everyday up until the day comes, it would be hard not to slip!!! Have fun with everything! :wave:

 

[Cinderella1976]

What a great plan!! I am sure your kids will be so surprised! I tried to keep our December trip a secret this year and surprise our kids the day we are leaving, but it just didn't work out that way :lol: I also like their input when it comes to making ADRs and what parks to visit on what days. Hope you have a wonderful trip :wave:

 

[Sulu]

We have friends who are doing this and we thought "What fun that would be to surprise our kids." (11 and 9 yrs. old) So, we decided to call at the last minute and got reservations! We leave 7/17 and come home 7/25! DH and I are very excited! I'm trying to talk my parents into coming with us as part of the surprise.

 

[Goofyque']

Our biggest surprise was not for our kids, but my cousin's 50th Bday. She and her DH are houseparents for a children's home. We planned, made the ressies, talked to their bosses, arranged for substitute houseparents, and kept it all a secret for 6 months. We lured them to KC with a speaking engagement ruse, they didn't even know we were in MO. Met them for dinner, did a b'day thing and then said "You're going to DISNEYWORLD!" Took them to Walmart for clothes, then we all went to the airport and flew to FLA... Stayed at POP, had THE GREATEST TIME!!!!!

 

[Candyland]

We surprised our twin girls a couple years ago.
I think they were 11 at the time. We had been talking about Disney for awhile but they thought we were going 2 years from then.

We had been planning on going to Wisconsin Dells and when I started figuring out how much it was going to cost, I decided to spend the money on Disney instead, and I didn't tell them about the change of plans until we were at the airport in Chicago.

I had bought them each a Disney bag, autograph book, and also got some Disney dollars. I tossed a Disney planning book in each bag and handed along with some snacks. We gave them the bags at the Chicago airport
and video taped us telling them..it was AWESOME!!!

 

[xsupaxmanxsfnex]

All of these stories are awesome. I read a trip report on another site and one family woke up their children real early and sat them in front of the tv where a planning dvd was playing and the mom asked, "do you want to go to Disney today!" I would start crying. But I do love the anticipation and planning and everything.

 

[Erin_Akey]

We don't usually do it like that because my kids love to help plan the days and meals etc., however, in September of 2005, I did a surprise trip. This was the trip that changed Disney for my family forever.

We lived on the Mississippi gulf coast at the time, where Katrina's eye hit and our entire town was obliterated. (yes shock to most Katrina affected way more than New Orleans) My company transferred me to Mobile, AL and three weeks after the storm, my boss called me and said go home, get your boys, you have a hotel room and tickets paid for in Disney and there will be spending money in an envelope at the front desk. Don't come back for four days.

I went home at lunch and packed the kids bags. When they got home from school that day I told them to get in the car and we were going for a ride. We live about 8 hours from Disney and they finally started asking questions when we hit the Florida line! We all had a nice cry when I told them the truth and WOW what a moment!!!

This was a trip my kids would never forget and it really meant a lot to be able to forget what had just happened to us for a couple of days. The boys were so shell shocked and the day we got there, they smiled for the first time in weeks and it was just indescribable for me. To see my babies smile like that- ugh I still can't think of it without crying.

But that storm ended up being a blessing because when I got transfered to Mobile, I met my hubby, who is also a Disney freak and we got married in May of 2006 and honeymooned in Disney. We have been with our blended family another 5 times since and this Christmas will be number six!

My husband is adopting my kids and I got his two beautiful daughters. We announced to them they were being adopted in Disney and that was another surprise.

Moral of the story- and sorry if a little off topic here- but the worst thing to ever happen to me and my kids turned into the best and we are ALL living a fairy tale now!!! Katrina brought me my soulmate, my kids a dad, two daughters, and two single parents who were Disney lovers came together and are now one big happy blessed family!

God is good!! :sohappy:

 

[LaughingGravy]

I feel so lame following Erin_Akey's story up above, but...
We pulled it off in 2005, telling the kids on the day before we left.
It wasn't easy, though.
They had to receive a packet of homework from school that they needed to do while they were gone, so needed to know why they were getting the homework.

The teachers were very nice about it, since we asked over a month in advance.
It's when you don't ask the teachers and assume that they'll drop what they're doing to make up a packet on no notice, or assume that your kids should automatically be excused from such and such because you're gone that you''re likely to run into problems if taking the kids out during school when it is less crowded and more affordable.

I have a great pic of the kids frantically doing the homework to get it done while sitting on the floor at the airport gate with our plane as the background.
They didn't want to deal with the homework at all once we were at WDW, so worked on it at home, at the airport and on the way down and finished it before we arrived.