Surprising the kids!!!

[RogueHabit]

OK, so taking the kids on a surprise trip to WDW has been done a thousand times over. But for us Brits it's not so easy, I mean the kids kinda cotton on when you get on a 747!!!

But this year we have been given the opportunity to make this surprise trip work, even while traveling from the UK! Basically we had no intention of going to WDW this year, but then we got an invite to go to PA to visit friends who we haven't seen since 1996.

Once I started looking into it I realised that the transatlantic flight was the same cost, no matter how long you stayed (within reason) and we were only planning on staying with our friends for 6 days.

So we booked up some internal return flights from PA to FL and 12 nights at the Carribean Beach resort. We've told the kids that we're going to Daytona Beach for a few days, which they HATE the idea of... :lol:

Our intention is to not tell them a thing until we get onto WDW property and drive through the big Welcome gates...

 

[barnum42]

For a truly evil touch to the surprise, when you drive through the big purple gates, tell them not to get their hopes up. It's just a short cut to Daytona.

Mmwaa haa haa :drevil:

 

[MouseMadness]

That sounds AWESOME!! Your kids are going to flip! I tried that with mine last October... didn't go over too well. Something about waking a 4 year old up at 5 a.m. probably had something to do with it. :lol: Good luck with keeping the secret! (My grandma darn near spilled the beans to mine 3 times! ) :wave:

 

[ladydancer]

Your really going to keep it a secret until the last second.

I took my granddaughter to WDW a few years ago. Never told her about the trip. I did however tell her that the next day we were going to the park. Of course she thought a park with swings and slides. She spent the night, the night before. I was up at 4am loading the van. She woke up and came out into the living room and asked what was going on. I had to tell her then. Of course she would have thought it rather odd when we got on the plane.

Now every time she comes over she asked if we are going to WDW.

 

[swimmom]

I have always wanted to do that for my daughter, but I can't keep a secret like going to WDW too long. I love to talk about our trip and what we want to do, etc. That is so awesome that you are able to keep it a secret. Be sure your friends in PA don't spoil it for you. Maybe one day I will be able to pull it off?!?!?

 

[Nicole]

We tried this several years ago when we were passing through Los Angeles. We told the kids we were going mini golfing and instead took them to Disneyland. I remember feeling let down that they weren't as excited by the surprise as I had anticipated. They were 6 and 9 a the time.

Flash forward to this past year when we went on a long planned WDW trip, same kids now 14 and 17. On our first day there we went to Fantasia Gardens and my 14 y.o. daughter brought up the "surprise" trip from 1996. She confessed that her initial reaction to our surprise was "does this mean we don't get to go mini golfing??" Darn those kids anyway!! So she finally got her mini golf and I got Disney and we'll all live happily ever after now

 

[jojoyner55]

Great idea. Back in 1996 (our first family trip: see signature) my wife and I kept the trip secret from our son - then nine. He had been asking to go and we had been pleading poverty. We used a trip to a friend in South Carolina as our cover. After spending the night at her house (Columbia), we told him we were relly headed for WDW - only problem: he really didn't believe us! We must have laid the "can't afford it" on too thick. He wasn't convinced until we checked in to Dixie Landings. Which it will always be to me...

 

[RogueHabit]

Well so far, so good. We leave tomorrow morning, with 5 days in Philly with friends, and so far the kids have no clue... :sohappy:

Actually it's been quite funny as our eldest (8) is really peeved that we're not going to WDW, or so he things....

As of now my plan is that we don't say a word, even once we drive onto property and just wait to see how long it takes for them to figure it out...

 

[barnum42]

Gotta' love that plan. Let us know how it went when you get back

 

[RogueHabit]

You just know it!!!

My wife palns to have the Video camera in the car, which won't really need explanation to the kids and she's know for videoing the opening of a acket of cornflakes if she's given half a chance! :lol:

 

[504ellamae]

When my wife and i were at Orlando airport returning from our honeymoon at WDW one christmas,we got talking to another guy from the uk.

He and his wife had surprised their kids by wrapping up their suitcases as xmas presents and put them under the xmas tree so they could open them Christmas morning....then once opened, they jumped in the car, drov to the airport and off to WDW.....fantastic .

Although there is no way i could keep anything like that a secret....just get to excited!!! :sohappy:

 

[Journey]

What a nice surprize! Have a grand time!

 

[bgraham34]

I remember friends of the family telling the kids that they were going to Orlando to see and Aunt they have never met before and that they could not afford Disney. And it worked. But good luck to you and have fun.

 

[surfsupdon]

As a child who had a surprise trip a few years ago, it was absolutely unbelievable. My sister and I were literally shaking we were so excited, both our bodies and voices.

We were told we were going to check on our house in the Outerbanks. My sis and I had no clue why the drive was so long until we actually pulled into Dixie Landings. (My parents distracted us when we passed "Welcome to [insert state name]" signs, and the "free florida OJ signs, lol. They even had reasons for why palm trees were growing in NC!)


What a great trip, have a great time down at Caribbean Beach. Shhh!!

 

[RogueHabit]

Thanks all, just about to hit the hay ready to be up for 6am to head out to the airport for the first leg, out to Philly.

I think the 5 days in Philly will be the hardest time to keep the secret, but here goes.

Back in 3 weeks time!!!!!


WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY!!!!!!!!!!