~need Suggestions On How To Surprise My Kids The Morning Of Departure~

[joenan88]

Well, I can not believe I have had this trip booked for 6 months and my kids have NO idea After our incredible vacation in November my hubby and I decided to surprise the kids in August..after camp..and return to Disney. They think they are going to Hershey, PA for a 2 night stay (we are from Long Island). I would love to gather a few suggestions on how to surprise them..I did post this questions many months ago.. but I would love to get more suggestions or hear of how you surprised your kids...

Details of trip..5 nights CR MK view, 2 nights Portofino @ Universal Studios.
~They think they are driving to Hershey...but we are driving them to the airport. They are 9, 7 and 6 (2 boys/1girl)

Thanks

 

[Atchley]

When you get them up in the morning you could give them their luggage tags to put on their suitcases. We got some through AAA and they say something about YOAMD.
I think all you would have to do to wake them up is whisper that they were going to WDW. I know I would pop out of bed.
Maybe just not tell them until they get to the airport. I would say to wait until you got on ME, but I'm sure that being as old as they are, they would figure it out when the stewardess is talking about your flight from NY to Orlando or even reading it on the terminal signs.
You are a stronger person than I am. Our kids know immeadiately that we are going because I can't contain myself. I do think that part of the fun is planning with my kids. Talking about the restaurants, the attractions, what parks which day, etc;. DD loves WDW but not into the whole planning thing as much as my DS. DS is a certifiable Disney Nut just like his mother.

 

[zulaya]

Is Hershey near the airport?

One thing we just did in April to our kids - ages 11 and 12 - is we told them we were going to the Mall of America here in MN.

MOA is literally next to the airport and the airport in on the way to the mall.

I snuck our backpacks in the back of the car and we drove that way. Except instead of going straight past the airport, I exited toward the airport.

DD didn't pay attention at first...she was just looking out the window, riding in the car. DS's face was priceless. He first was like, "Mom, I think you took a wrong turn." I said, "No, I didn't." Then he looked around again, and looked behind his seat, and then his eyes got wide and he was like, "no! no!" - in an excited, surprised way.

DD was like, "What?" Totally was not paying attention.

I said, "Well, I thought we'd go to Disney World today instead."

DS was jumping around. DD was seriously in shock.

I was expecting more woo-hoos at first, but they came later because I think I really did pull the wool over their eyes!

 

[joenan88]

Is Hershey near the airport?

No, Hershey is a 4 1/2 hour drive from Long Island..it is in PA...when we got to the airport we were going to tell them we were flying to Hershey..but then what???? I love how you surprised your kids...

 

[ryley26]

I have done this Twice once to kids once to DW. We all like cracker jack so I open up the box at the bottom take out the prize and insert my suprise. In DW wifes case it was her wedding ring and kids I put in notes saying good for one free flight to WDW. good luck hope you have a great time

 

[Nancyg56]

How about an Enchanted Phone call. My DD had Ariel call her DD, it was not expensive and was so much fun.


https://secure.uvoxnetworks.com/disney/affhome.html?affno=66

 

[LisaInNc]

I surprised my daughter and once we were in the car and close to the airport. She thought we had a day of errands ahead of us which is disliked doing. I said that I wished I was in Disney and of course she agreed with me. Then I said, lets go! She said ok but of course thought that I was kidding until I pulled into the airport. The look on her face was something I will never forget. I am so glad I surprised her once.

 

[Jengi4]

Great ideas!! We are surprising our boys in December and can't wait. So far all I have planned are two Disney backpacks that I have begun collecting little things to keep them busy on the plane. I think maybe we'll give them the backpacks in the morning and say they may just need them during the day....and when they see all the Disney stuff inside...hopefully they'll get it. I cannot wait for that reaction, it'll be their first trip. I'm almost more anxious to see their reaction than I am go to to DW itself! almost... I just can't wait to watch them experience Disney! Good luck with your surprise, be sure and let us know how you end up doing it!

 

[momof2dizkids]

I did the same thing. Say that you have to go to Tampa for a meeting. When you get close to the hotels say you are just looking. Then when you check in, say you wanted to skip the meeting and come here.Worked for us.

 

[disnut8]

This is how we surprised my granddaughter.

This was actually when we pulled up to the Disney Welcome sign but you can do it once the kids are in the car at your house.

"Marlie - do you remember when I said I'd take you to Disney World?"
"Yes"
"Today is the day!"

 

[Carlyzmom]

This sounds FUN. But I am such an obsessive packer, how in the world do you pack for such a vacation without giving it away to the kids???

 

[Corinne]

I have done this Twice once to kids once to DW. We all like cracker jack so I open up the box at the bottom take out the prize and insert my suprise. In DW wifes case it was her wedding ring and kids I put in notes saying good for one free flight to WDW. good luck hope you have a great time

Oh how sweet!

 

[MaxsDad]

How about an Enchanted Phone call. My DD had Ariel call her DD, it was not expensive and was so much fun.


https://secure.uvoxnetworks.com/disney/affhome.html?affno=66

That was going to be my suggestion. I set up a phone call for my entire family for our trip this past december, the trip wasn't a surprise but my mom getting a call from Mickey on her way to the airport and DD and DW getting wake up calls from princesses were surprises.

 

[Nie0214]

Four years ago (2004), I graduated from high school and took my family to Disney World with my extra cash. They hadn't been to the world since 1994, while I had gone in March 2003 (with school) and March 2004 (with my uncle's family).

My one request of my parents was that NOBODY was to let my little brother (12) have any clue that we were going. We told him we were going to Hershey Park, which we had been to many times before. The day of departure, we showed up at the Airport, telling my brother that we were there to rent a car for the trip to Hershey.

We walked up to the US Airways terminal, and I handed him the Tinkerbell luggage tag that Disney sends you. He looked at it, looked at me, and then he started crying. He couldn't believe we kept it from him all summer! It was well worth keeping it hidden, even though a hurricane came through Orlando, and we had to get re-routed to Tampa!

 

[gwcollins71]

Four years ago (2004), I graduated from high school and took my family to Disney World with my extra cash. They hadn't been to the world since 1994, while I had gone in March 2003 (with school) and March 2004 (with my uncle's family).

My one request of my parents was that NOBODY was to let my little brother (12) have any clue that we were going. We told him we were going to Hershey Park, which we had been to many times before. The day of departure, we showed up at the Airport, telling my brother that we were there to rent a car for the trip to Hershey.

We walked up to the US Airways terminal, and I handed him the Tinkerbell luggage tag that Disney sends you. He looked at it, looked at me, and then he started crying. He couldn't believe we kept it from him all summer! It was well worth keeping it hidden, even though a hurricane came through Orlando, and we had to get re-routed to Tampa!

What a generous gift to your family!

Your gift brought tears to my eyes.

Gretchen

 

[robinc71]

So I have been able to keep the secret since January! I have gotten around the "why is all that Disney stuff out?' by telling my daughter that I am planning a trip for my cousin and her 2 girls, Which of course is the absolute truth. I keep asking her what she'd like to do again since her cousins are same age and younger. She gives me suggestions and then I plan accordingly. We are keeping the secret from all 3 girls and my plan is to show her a video that I made of pics from birth to her 8th B-day of her and I together (Disney background music included!). Not sure if I will do that the night before or when I wake her groggy at 3 am to go to the airport. Making her a t-shirt also stating "Surprise we're going to WDW ....Now". Plan to pack while she is in school and then hide suitcases in the car. My whole family is in on it. Her BFF just left on Thur for Disney and DD kept saying, "I wish that I didn't have to wait til I was 10 to go". HE HE HE. I hope that I can pull it all off. Hopefully once she realizes that we are going, she will also realize that we are meeting her cousins there that we havn't seen in 2 years since they live in Missouri!

 

[Golf4food]

You could find some photos - first of your car, then of an airport or airplane, then of Disney World - and put them into a card or package for them to open. Maybe wrap each one separately to be opened in order.

When I suprised DW last year on her birthday I ordered a custom made birthday card from Snapfish.com using a photo we had taken of the gardens in Canada in EPCOT as the card cover since she was also being surprised with an ADR for lunch at Le Cellier, her favorite restaurant. I also had two t-shirts made on Cafe Press - her said "Today is my birthday!" and had her DIS logo and screen name on the back and mine said "Today is my Un-birthday!" and my logo and screenname. I also had the Disney passes in the box under the shirts that I had purchased from the Disney store. We were already right outside Orlando the day of her birthday for a wedding and were staying the night since it was an evening wedding - she just expected to drive back home the next day and have lunch in Daytona.

 

[Nie0214]

What a generous gift to your family!

Your gift brought tears to my eyes.

Gretchen

Of course now I wouldn't mind having the money to pay these darn college loans.

@OP Make sure you have your camera ready when they find out! I had mine ready to snap a picture of my brother, but he shoved his hand in the camera and didn't want me getting a picture of him crying. Brothers..

 

[Nancyg56]

Four years ago (2004), I graduated from high school and took my family to Disney World with my extra cash. They hadn't been to the world since 1994, while I had gone in March 2003 (with school) and March 2004 (with my uncle's family).

What a wonderful surprise. You made my day.

 

[gatorgirl2]

Surprises may be good for younger children, who don't have a good reference of time (two months seems like two years to them). However, my younger son would be so mad at me if I surprised him. He loves the planning and anticipation for WDW as much as I do!! To me, it enhances the entire experience. But I do get chill bumps reading the "surprise" posts.