Have you surprised your kids with a Disney trip?

[Tribalmom]

Less than a week to go before we spring the surprise at DD's birthday party! I'm so excited...
We did a suitcase filled with wrapped gifts- all things to be used on the trip. An "exploding" box at the bottom will spell it out for her in case she didn't figure it out by then.

*fingers crossed*

 

[MomOTwins]

Casting another vote for surprising your kids in advance of the trip, especially if your kids have been before. We had an epic fail surprise when our then 6 year old had a complete meltdown when surprised on the day of because he didn't get to help pick the fastpasses. He has mommy's planning genes

 

[tinkerjo]

I agree with several posters that would surprise well in advance and let them in on some of the planning. Our kids watched Disney planning videos for weeks(back when we put it in the DVD player). We planned meals and strategies (when you had to practically run, get fast passes and then ride). My brother and his family “surprise” their kids when they go but it is because they have issues with the concept of time. We always had so much fun planning the trip. Not saying my kids wouldn’t have enjoyed a surprise trip too, but when they have some input in the planning I think it makes it more special. Hope you find a perfect surprise and have a great trip!!!!

 

[minijenny]

This is my first time surprising DD5 and DS8 with a trip. They've been every two years since DS was a baby so they know to expect a 2019 trip. But we've been doing most of our trips in Oct/Nov, and this year's will be a family reunion in May. I know DD will flip out (in a good way) if I save the surprise until we arrive at the airport. She walks, talks, and breathes Disney like I do. Plus she has no sense of time and zero patience. I'm mulling over whether to let DS on the secret a few days earlier. He loves Disney too, but the real problem is DH isn't coming on this trip and he's very attached to his dad. So he may want to spend some extra father/son time with him before we leave. Of course this may become a moot point because I'm fairly certain one of the other seven people coming on the trip will spill the beans early. Knowing my luck, my 13 month old will start babbling about and give it away. Either way, I'm excited to try this and you should be too! Even if the reveal doesn't go as planned, you have a Disney trip to follow!

 

[Patches Lee]

1. Told DD8 we were going to Florida for vacation and visit St. Augustine for a couple days.
2. Response to "how long are we going?" questions with "we fly down on Friday and back home on Sunday" (just never said the Sunday a week later, I let her assume the day count)
4. Used a windows program to take a Google map and turn it into a Pirate map with trail from St. Augustine to Disney, poem telling her we were going to Disney, aged in the oven.
5. Called the Pirate Museum in St. Augustine and asked if any of the tours guides would have a free second to give her the treasure map. They said no problem.
6. Flew down and spent 2 nights in St. Augustine, visited the Pirate Museum around noon, DH snuck the map to a pirate while we took a restroom break.
7. Took the tour and the Pirate stopped the group at the end, went on about the captain requesting he deliver a message the DD8. She went up, he presented it to her and help her open and read the suprise. She stood shocked then started jumping up and down screaming lol

It was the best secret we ever kept, and couldn't have pulled it off without the Pirates being so awesome.

 

[siren0119]

1. Told DD8 we were going to Florida for vacation and visit St. Augustine for a couple days.
2. Response to "how long are we going?" questions with "we fly down on Friday and back home on Sunday" (just never said the Sunday a week later, I let her assume the day count)
4. Used a windows program to take a Google map and turn it into a Pirate map with trail from St. Augustine to Disney, poem telling her we were going to Disney, aged in the oven.
5. Called the Pirate Museum in St. Augustine and asked if any of the tours guides would have a free second to give her the treasure map. They said no problem.
6. Flew down and spent 2 nights in St. Augustine, visited the Pirate Museum around noon, DH snuck the map to a pirate while we took a restroom break.
7. Took the tour and the Pirate stopped the group at the end, went on about the captain requesting he deliver a message the DD8. She went up, he presented it to her and help her open and read the suprise. She stood shocked then started jumping up and down screaming lol

It was the best secret we ever kept, and couldn't have pulled it off without the Pirates being so awesome.

I love this!!!!

Our kids get to open the envelope for our August family date on 8/1 - every month when they open an envelope hubby and I get a little more giddy, knowing what's coming!!!

 

[HHMcG]

My kids 3rd trip (2nd for the youngest) was a surprise. Picked up the youngest from K a little early, he was too young to notice anything. Picked up the older two from 5th & 3rd grade at their usual dismissal. We got in the car and I set up my phone to record everything. Our flight worked out perfectly that we would leave straight from school. First DD asked why daddy was there and not at work? I was trying to tell them about this special 'present' for the family and DD is saying why is there luggage in the trunk? I'm like can you just listen to me? But DD asks why are you recording this? Are we going to Disney? Yes, yes we are. Ok No screams, no cheers, just OK.

But it is a great memory now that we always laugh about.



We've "surprised" them with other trips a few weeks before the trip. But that's more a gift than a surprise.

 

[Tink_83]

The magic bands arriving is normally the announcement. DD always sees it and knows what’s up at that point!

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

We didn’t surprise her with the trip, but did with a hotel upgrade. She thought we were staying in a Little Mermaid room at AOA, but we surprised her with a savanna view room at AKL. She didn’t find out until they scanned her magic band at the ME checkin. She was so surprised!

 

[Tink_83]

1. Told DD8 we were going to Florida for vacation and visit St. Augustine for a couple days.
2. Response to "how long are we going?" questions with "we fly down on Friday and back home on Sunday" (just never said the Sunday a week later, I let her assume the day count)
4. Used a windows program to take a Google map and turn it into a Pirate map with trail from St. Augustine to Disney, poem telling her we were going to Disney, aged in the oven.
5. Called the Pirate Museum in St. Augustine and asked if any of the tours guides would have a free second to give her the treasure map. They said no problem.
6. Flew down and spent 2 nights in St. Augustine, visited the Pirate Museum around noon, DH snuck the map to a pirate while we took a restroom break.
7. Took the tour and the Pirate stopped the group at the end, went on about the captain requesting he deliver a message the DD8. She went up, he presented it to her and help her open and read the suprise. She stood shocked then started jumping up and down screaming lol

It was the best secret we ever kept, and couldn't have pulled it off without the Pirates being so awesome.

I am in awe of your planning capabilities and the effort you put into this surprise!

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

My daughter wanted to visit and I read online that if you fill a 2-liter soda bottle with dimes you'll end up with $500-$700, so I helped her make decorate a soda bottle with a sign that said "dimes for Disney" and she made it her personal mission for several years to try to fill it. I think my daughter was 4 or 5 when we started saving dimes and I told her that when the bottle was full, we would have enough money for our airfare and then we could go. We went in February of 2018 but I surprised her for Christmas with a bunch of rolls of dimes, enough to fill the bottle.

 

[Patches Lee]

I am in awe of your planning capabilities and the effort you put into this surprise!

It was our first Disney vacation so thought doing something special would be fun. The keeping a secret for a year about killed me though lol

 

[DisLiss]

What we do sometimes (since we don't do surprise trips) is to just add one surprise element to the trip. Like for our next trip we told the kids we'd be doing almost exclusively counter service meals and we'd be eating breakfast in the room and we'd spend the saved money on extras like MNSSHP. But I plan to surprise them with a character buffet meal one day. So I still get to work in a surprise, even though we're a pre-planning/countdown type of family.

 

[Tys Nanny]

The last day of school, we invited our DD, DSIL, and DGSs 3 and 6 to go out for dinner to celebrate the end of school. (Their parents were in on the surprise., of course.) When they got to our house, we told them we had a treasure hunt for them and gave them the first clue. Each clue led to a Disney-themed present (bathing suit, photo/autograph books, tee shirts) and the clue to the next hiding place (This is where Lightning McQueen would sleep if he came to visit—garage). The last clue led to their Mickey chairs in our living room, where a giant Mickey had an invitation to visit him in DW. They both yelled and jumped up and down, and then DGS3 quietly asked his brother, “What’s Disney World?” We explained it to him, and on our way into the restaurant, he stopped at a random table and told the people there “We’re going to DW!”

This year DD says she can’t wait that long to tell them, so they’re getting a box with a Mickey balloon and their magic bands for their April birthdays. Our next trip will be this August b

 

[iivye]

When my daughter was 9 we told her we were going to visit her grandparents (they live out of state in PA). We told her the flight had a layover in Orlando and we had to stay at a hotel. The next morning we told her we were going on a Disney cruise. She was mad we weren't actually going to see the grandparents. She enjoyed the cruise but no more surprises for us.

 

[TammyLynn33]

We are going at Easter. Big kids will be 13,17 know because they have helped me plan and because of school etc.
Littles are 6 and 5. Easter bunny is coming the Sunday before we leave on the Wednesday . He will being all their required Disney tees, sunglasses new headphones etc
Accomplishes three things
1. Allows them to be prepared
2. I don’t have to listen to when are we going for months nor do I have to hide packing
3. Easter bunny doesn’t have to haul Easter loot to Disney
Win-win

 

[Malyficent]

We surprised the kids (6 and 8) with a trip this past December. We were planning for a trip in 2019 but I moved it up a year. I sent them on a scavenger hunt around the house, filling their book bags with stuff for the plane, tshirts to wear, Mickey hats, a kids guide book and then finally ended with the magic bands and their packed suitcases (Death Star ones I'd bought a few years ago). My kids do surprises well and it kept them from asking "How many days?" forever. I was able to plan with them as the knew we were going in December 2019.

 

[YesterDark]

We surprised our kids with a series of riddles that each lead to puzzle pieces with the message. I don't think it counts for this thread though because it was 5 months in advance.

 

[Butterflywings]

We are going to DW next month for the first time and we will surprise the kids (age 6 & 9) with the news next week over March Break. We are doing a little treasure hunt with balloons/tickets/Minnie ears at the end. I can't wait!!

 

[vetrik]

We surprised DD when she was 5 for her first trip with a scavenger hunt 6 days before we left. She liked the scavenger hunt, but didn't really have a huge reaction to the big reveal. I think it overwhelmed her and she needed some time to process. However, we didn't tell her that my in-laws would be coming on that trip with us. We flew in the day before them, so DD really had no idea. They came up and surprised her in front of the castle during our first MK day, and she was so happy and shocked. It was actually awesome!

We went back last year (4 years later) and DD and DS both knew from when we booked it 10 months before the trip. It was fun planning with them, watching Youtube videos, etc. We have a Disney cruise and a few days at Universal booked for next February, and they both know about that too. However, we have a really quick trip in May that I just booked last month. It was sort of unexpected and I didn't tell the kids initially because I wasn't sure it was really going to happen. I didn't want to get them excited for it and then have to tell them we weren't going. It looks like it really is happening, and now I'm thinking about doing a surprise that day by picking up DD from school and going straight to the airport.