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

[Elonwy]

When I read the title of your post I thought you were saying that you were going without the kids and hadn't told them yet.

It brought back the memories of when my parents weren't home when i got home from school. My grandmother was and there was a note on the fridge saying "Gone to Disneyland"

My parents didn't tell us they wanted to go just the two of them for a change because they didn't want to hear my sister and I cry...yes, we were 17 years old but still...

While they were gone I burned the house down :lookaroun


no not really but I thought about it

 

[LuisT]

ahh

Well last spring break, my parents surprised me with a trip to disney world. My birthday was march 6th and my parents said to wait till the end of march to your birthday gift. They knew I wanted to go to WDW so badly. They woke me up on the last week and said, " okay here's the plan.. Were going to eat breakfast and then how about we go to disney world" I couldn't believe it, and said really really? I just couldn't believe it. Though, since we were in the moving process, I didn't get to bring my pins . But other then that, it was a load of fun!

-Luis

 

[dixiegirl]

My hubby surprised me for my 30th birthday giving my a trip to Disney....While me and our girls were watching the Disney Xmas parade Xmas morning he surprised me by giving me an envelope. We both agreed not to buy each other anything because we really did'nt need anything. Well whenever I opening that envelope...I had absolutly no clue!!!! I cried like a baby!!!! Turns out everyone knew in the whole family but me and our girls (who of course came as well) Makes me get a big grin on my face when i think of how my hubby pulled it off and how great of a surprise it was.....He later told me how much it killed him not to tell me....!!!

 

[Keri]

My cousin surprised his kids when the oldest was 5 years old. Being 5 he never put together that going to Florida meant Disney. They stayed off site and the day they went to Disney they still didn't tell them where they were going. As they were driving into Disneyworld his son, who was 5, saw the Epcot ball and went crazy in his car seat. They caught it all on video and it is priceless!!

 

[Craig & Lisa]

Yep, my wife and I did it a few years ago, made the plans about a month and a half before we left. Even got their reaction on video, priceless!! :lol: I would do just what you said you were going to do, and tell them at the airport, and a , don't forget to video it, you won't regret it one bit. Oh and have fun.:animwink:

 

[smk]

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:

Yes, He is! WOW, what a story! Thanks so much for sharing that!

 

[Erin_Akey]

It was kind of funny......we thought about trying to surprise them this year again....and so we told them we booked a trip to Chattanooga, TN. And they all tried to act like they were ok with it, but we had already told them they could choose this year and they had all chosen Disney, so we could tell they were disappointed.

So we gathered them all together and told them since we had just bought a new house in January, we really couldn't afford it this year. Well STUPID mom forgets my kids are pros and one day my hubby and I got home from work and the kids confronted us.......

They had gotten the envelope from the mailbox that Disney sends once you book with all your details!

I was so mad I had forgotten to hide that detail! :brick:

But it has worked out because we have had a blast planning our days together....

 

[ljs1691]

Our kids knew we were going on vacation but we had been telling them all along we were going to the 'mountains' but we were never specific. So we left at around 7:30 pm and headed toward the 'mountains'. The kids fell asleep after a movie or two and we woke them at around 5:30 the next morning as we passed under the Welcome to WDW sign. Once they realized where they were I said welcome to Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, etc, etc. Needless to say I had packed for them so they didn't realize that all they had were shorts and t-shirts. Otherwise my cover would have been blown.

It was a great way to keep them totally oblivious (without telling a lie) since we did technically go to the mountains.

 

[Laura]

We did this last year. We convinced the kids we were taking a 12 hour drive to a "HUGE TOY STORE". My son's reaction was absolutely priceless and we got it on video. Here, check it out...

http://lauramichelle.smugmug.com/gallery/4032721_2g4v7/1/#310288588_tYwxQ-A-LB

 

[Laura]

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.

Well, all families are different. We take 3-4 Disney vacations a year, so "depriving" them of the anticipation for just one of those times was not a big deal, and of all the times they've been, that is the trip that was the most special for them. They still remember how excited they were when we arrived on property. I've taken them 2 more times since that trip and that surprise trip is still the one they talk about all the time.

 

[maelstrom]

Once when I was little, my parents told me we were going to New England. At that age, I didn't know that Boston is only four hours away and I still hadn't figured it out by the time we got to South of the Border. My mom finally had to tell me in the hotel room that night and I was really upset.

 

[maryszhi]

that is sooo cute.

 

[minnie2000]

In 2005 we went to WDW in October. We didn't want to tell our 2 girls (8 and 4) because one of them is always sick when we go on holiday - I think it must be excitement! Anyway, we planned a day out in a local place and then at breakfast said, 'Oh I don't feel like going to folly farm, let's go to Disneyworld' The only problem was, they didn't believe us - we had to tell them about 5 times!

The look on their faces was amazing!

The hardest thing was trying to pack the cases without them knowing! I would pack in the day when they were in school, and then hide the cases and bags.

 

[disney-dan]

God is good!! :sohappy:

to you maybe, but to us he has been evil and sadistic. I HATE HIM!!!

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

I'm planning a trip for my niece6 & nephew9 - their first (and probably only) visit. It's killing me not to tell them but I know they would drive us crazy for the next 6 months. My plan is to tell them on Thanksgiving Day - dinner is at my house this year, and I always have one of my Christmas trees up for Thanksgiving, so I'm thinking of having packages for each under the tree as early presents from Mickey for them to open after dinner. I've already gotten drawstring bags, photo albums and autograph books, lanyards, starting to put the packages together, and will make a big countdown calendar that they can take home.

 

[LaughingGravy]

When I read the title of your post I thought you were saying that you were going without the kids and hadn't told them yet.

:lookarounUmm...While I'm not the thread starter, I've got a business trip coming up in October, at Marriott World Center and I plan on taking an extra day. The kids will be in school.
I can't not go, being so close. Right?

If a pile 'o money comes my way between now and then, I'll take the family, but otherwise, this'll be a solo trip.

 

[GatorGambit]

When I lived in south Florida my parents did this to my brothers and I once. At some point in the late 80s (yeah I'm old...) they woke us up at 5am on a Saturday morning, which was a surprise to say the least. More surprising was the fact that we were going to WDW for the weekend and we had no clue!

We have our first child on the way and I can't wait to make that first trip - but I also can't wait to make that first surprise trip, either.

 

[sarabi]

It works on non-kids too...

When I graduated college, my mother's gift to me was a trip to Disneyworld. Granted, I knew we were going. But...

In the car on the way to the airport, we were doing the usual getting psyched up thing (I've been with her many times, just the two of us) and she had told me we were staying at Coronado Springs, so I was asking her about it since I had never been there (she had, but I hadn't). I was like "Is there any mexican food? Is the pool cool? Is it noisy? Is it as good as Dixie Landings? How are the buses?" and she couldn't stand it anymore and was like "Coronado Springs is cool, but actually, we are going to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge". Mind you, this was in 2001 and they'd just opened like the day before or something. I was like "What? Is that place even open yet??? Are you kidding me? You'd better not be kidding me!" I couldn't believe it.

That sounds so awesome what you are doing with your kids, and smart too. That way, they won't get overly psyched about it and obnoxious before the trip. Also, Animal Kingdom is a great idea on Christmas. I've been in the park before on Christmas and it's very quiet, which means you'll probably get everything you need to done. Also, the animals love the dry December weather.

It was so amazing. It was such a memorable trip.

 

[LuxeMama]

Just reviving a semi-old thread.

I plan on doing this as well-- I have not told my husband or my kids that we are going. We have not had a vacation as a family in about two years and we desperately deserve it! It has been so hard to keep this a secret, but thank heavens I have this website and some great friends to divulge to.

The people at Disney were GREAT with helping me wit this. I told them my daughter's "wish" story, and they were great with helping me come up with different ideas. My DH was in Iraq a few years ago when my family (parents and sister with her husband and daughter) went to DisneyWorld. He was scheduled to come home two days into our trip, but after we had already left. We arranged for him to meet us at AKL instead of going home. My daughter was sitting in the lobby one night of AKL watching the little TV in her Jasmine costume. She was so proud with the way she looked, she kept saying "I wish my Daddy was here..." Little did she know he would walk in the doors minutes later. That was the best feeling in the world, aside from my childrens' births. I think we had almost EVERYONE in the lobby in tears that night. So, my daughter really does believe that wishes come true at Disney. (Hmmm...Wonder if I can get the kid to wish for a winning lottery ticket?)

This year, my husband will be coming home again...only for leave this time and I plan on surprising them all with a trip. I have been buying litting things in advance (nicknacks like Disney cups, clothes, books, etc.) and will be wrapping them and boxing them up sending them to the hotel the week we leave. I'll be packing up a care box and the kids' bags, throwing them in the back of the truck (the bags, not the kids) and picking them up from school and hitting the road. Thanks to the fabulous advice from this board, we will be staying at All Star Music the evening before our trip is set to commence.

I will be setting something up with the Disney Celebrations Department to have balloons, streamers, etc. in our room when we check in to start our vacation.

It has been hard to keep it a secret-- but I've been doing it more covertly. I have shown my kids the planning DVD and talk about it with them. We watch the parades and fireworks shows on YouTube. This is a great way to prep them and get them excited, but they have no idea we are going. My daughter told me the other day "Mommy, I had a dream I was a sleep and you packed up the car and then when I woke up I was in DisneyWorld". It was the sweetest thing ever and almost brought tears to my eyes because I am going to do that!

Sorry it's so long-- but I understand your excitement and motivation. To me, it's totally worth it!

 

[dazzer68]

oh thats so lovely.what a wondeful thing to do ,great memories are made like that.hope you all have a great time, and take lots of hankies, its gonna be an emotional day,that day!