DS (7) wants to be surprised on our next WDW trip. We’re DVC and are very lucky to go to the world about every 10 months. So, he obviously knows we’ll be going soon, but doesn’t know the exact date. At first he wanted me to let him know 2 weeks out. (What kind of surprise is that??) Gritting my teeth, I told him we could make that happen. In the last month or so he’s changed his mind and now wants me to wake him up the day we’re supposed to leave and say, “IT’S DISNEY TIME!!”
I mean, seriously, who plans their own surprise??
I’ve tried to warn family and friends, so that they don't ruin the surprise. But, since we go every year, almost everyone we know has asked when our next trip is. I usually say, oh we don't know yet - then when DS is out of range, I explain how he wants to be surprised. The reaction, every time, is a look of "She's nuts" and then a mumble when they walk way of, “But they go every year…”
Anyway, this strange land of “sort of a surprise” has messed with trip planning since DS and I always plan together. Well, instead, I’m all covert-like. Talking like a nut - “Hey, um, DS, if you could eat anywhere for your birth- , um, I mean, ya know, eating at Walt Disney World, it's cool, right? like is there anywhere special, so yeah, whadaya think?”
So, he’s come to the conclusion that the trip will happen some time around his birthday in September. He thinks he has an idea of when the trip will be, but he still wants to be surprised. It’s really kind of cute - he get’s all giddy thinking about going and being surprised.
Which is why I’m trying so hard to keep it a surprise!
We’re going a month ahead of his birthday, and his birthday-dinner will be exactly one month before his birthday.
I’m hoping the timing will work in my favor of being surprise successful!
So you're probably wondering why a surprise is such a big deal for DS:
Pre-DVC, when DS was 3.5, we decided we should take a trip to WDW. It had been about 5 years since DH and I had gone, and that trip was DH’s first. It was an all adult, drinking, party, sleeping-late trip. Well, now that we had DS, we were ready to have the full out family trip - surprise reveal and all.
I made a scavenger hunt for DS - age appropriate with pictures. Not the best video ending, I wish DH would have kept filming, and I wish I would have cleaned the clutter a bit, but here's the reveal:
Yup - “Let’s go next week” is an ongoing joke in our family now. Our belief is that he was having too much fun playing scavenger hunt with Mommy and Daddy and wanted to stay home and play. Another thought, is that we told him we would be getting on a BIG PLANE - Jay Jay the Jet Plane repeats were popular on tv and who wouldn’t be afraid of getting on one of those??
What isn’t recorded is the full out meltdown DS had getting dressed. We calmed him down with a bribe of going to Dunkin’ (parenting at it’s best). We ran into two very nice policemen who made DS’s day by showing him their badges and just being super cool. When we mentioned that we were headed to the airport, they made a big deal of it and all was well in DS’s world.
We did, however, arrive to the airport about 4 hours too early to avoid going home and having another meltdown. The really ridiculous part is that DS never had tantrums growing up. I can remember maybe 2 - and both were over ice cream. He’s such a go-with-the-flow kid, and always has been. So, this really threw DH and I off our game - thank goodness for the nice policemen and a doughnut!
Back to the current trip planning!
Here’s the plan: 8/15 one night stay at All Star Sports, then switching to Bay Lake Tower for 10 nights. (I’ll explain why that makes sense later.)
Attending will be myself, DH, and DS (7).
I hope you’re willing to follow along to see if I can pull off this surprise. I could use some support from other Disney lovers! Especially as an outlet to talk about my travel plans since my assistant planner is in the dark. Thanks in advance!!
I mean, seriously, who plans their own surprise??
I’ve tried to warn family and friends, so that they don't ruin the surprise. But, since we go every year, almost everyone we know has asked when our next trip is. I usually say, oh we don't know yet - then when DS is out of range, I explain how he wants to be surprised. The reaction, every time, is a look of "She's nuts" and then a mumble when they walk way of, “But they go every year…”
Anyway, this strange land of “sort of a surprise” has messed with trip planning since DS and I always plan together. Well, instead, I’m all covert-like. Talking like a nut - “Hey, um, DS, if you could eat anywhere for your birth- , um, I mean, ya know, eating at Walt Disney World, it's cool, right? like is there anywhere special, so yeah, whadaya think?”
So, he’s come to the conclusion that the trip will happen some time around his birthday in September. He thinks he has an idea of when the trip will be, but he still wants to be surprised. It’s really kind of cute - he get’s all giddy thinking about going and being surprised.
Which is why I’m trying so hard to keep it a surprise!
We’re going a month ahead of his birthday, and his birthday-dinner will be exactly one month before his birthday.
I’m hoping the timing will work in my favor of being surprise successful!So you're probably wondering why a surprise is such a big deal for DS:
Pre-DVC, when DS was 3.5, we decided we should take a trip to WDW. It had been about 5 years since DH and I had gone, and that trip was DH’s first. It was an all adult, drinking, party, sleeping-late trip. Well, now that we had DS, we were ready to have the full out family trip - surprise reveal and all.
I made a scavenger hunt for DS - age appropriate with pictures. Not the best video ending, I wish DH would have kept filming, and I wish I would have cleaned the clutter a bit, but here's the reveal:
Yup - “Let’s go next week” is an ongoing joke in our family now. Our belief is that he was having too much fun playing scavenger hunt with Mommy and Daddy and wanted to stay home and play. Another thought, is that we told him we would be getting on a BIG PLANE - Jay Jay the Jet Plane repeats were popular on tv and who wouldn’t be afraid of getting on one of those??
What isn’t recorded is the full out meltdown DS had getting dressed. We calmed him down with a bribe of going to Dunkin’ (parenting at it’s best). We ran into two very nice policemen who made DS’s day by showing him their badges and just being super cool. When we mentioned that we were headed to the airport, they made a big deal of it and all was well in DS’s world.
We did, however, arrive to the airport about 4 hours too early to avoid going home and having another meltdown. The really ridiculous part is that DS never had tantrums growing up. I can remember maybe 2 - and both were over ice cream. He’s such a go-with-the-flow kid, and always has been. So, this really threw DH and I off our game - thank goodness for the nice policemen and a doughnut!
Back to the current trip planning!
Here’s the plan: 8/15 one night stay at All Star Sports, then switching to Bay Lake Tower for 10 nights. (I’ll explain why that makes sense later.)
Attending will be myself, DH, and DS (7).
I hope you’re willing to follow along to see if I can pull off this surprise. I could use some support from other Disney lovers! Especially as an outlet to talk about my travel plans since my assistant planner is in the dark. Thanks in advance!!
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these pics!! I am filing them away for August ideas!!
