Surprise or Anticipation for the kids???

[sahm2two]

I have lots of time to decide, but I thought I'd get some thoughts. We're planning a trip for a year and 1/2 from now (I know... a long way out!), we have 3 girls (5, 5, and 6). They'll be 6, 7, and 8 by the time of our trip. I think it'd be fun to surprise the girls and not tell them where we're going- just let them figure it out and watch the look on their faces! We went 3 years ago, but they were so little they don't remember and would be SO excited to go back!

So, which is better? Building the anticipation with themed movie nights, giving gift certificates for park shopping for Christmas/birthdays and things like that? Or having it be a total surprise and driving onto the property/videoing their response.

Anyone done it both ways?

 

[msmama]

I like my son knowing, but I also know him well and know I'd never get a big reaction out of him if I did surprise him.

 

[Tiffylv]

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[4under4]

I've done both, and I have to say I love the surprise! It's hard to find ways to get all the planning done without them catching on, but the payoff is EPIC. I'm not sure I will ever be able to surprise my bunch again, but it was completely worth the stress to make it happen. And it is one of their favorite stories to tell others.

 

[Savanna]

We have told our kids the month that we are going but not the specific day. We plan on not telling them until we are in the car and on the way to Disney. We take little mini weekend getaways, so we will be able to pull this off.

 

[MommyMK]

We own DVC so my kids have been lots of times and we've always told them ahead of time. We're going in June and only doing water parks this time so we decided the surprise them and it's killing me not telling them! We've slipped up a couple of times too, but they haven't caught on. Honestly nowadays with FP+ and picking magicbands, etc. I don't think I'd want to pull off a surprise trip. I want their input on rides, restaurants, etc. or else risk them being disappointed.

 

[Tiffylv]

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[BabyHabs]

We are leaving on Friday and my kids still have no idea! We are planning to do a video and pop it in the dvd player in the truck after we leave. They will think we are driving them to school. I honestly don't know if I'm more excited for the trip or to surprise them!

 

[SweetieinVT]

We're taking our 9, 8, 4, and 3 YOs in April and keeping it a surprise until we get there (if possible, we'll see if my oldest catches on when we're checking into our flight to Orlando). Hoping they won't quite catch on we're not just going to Florida until they see the ME buses. I don't know that we could get away with a surprise again, so we're going for it this time. It is so hard to get the planning done though, when we can do it without them around.

 

[Jessikah]

We are planning to surprise our girls with a trip in May. We have been four other times but never as a surprise. The baby won't care but the 8 year old and three year old will. We are slowly starting to talk about a Disney trip in the future with them but they have no idea it's happening so soon. I am going crazy with excitement about it lol.

 

[Leeba]

I went back and forth with this as well (mine are 8 and 4). I decided I'd tell them in advance, because I know that for me, I generally am not a fan of surprises. I think that a lot of the fun of a vacation is the planning and the anticipation. I decided to talk to them about it in the abstract (like, "one day, when we go to Disney...") for a while, and then when we're about a month out, I'll talk more specifically with the dates circled on the calendar, etc.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I have done both. Now I have never done it where my children didn’t know until we got there even when we drove. I did do one “We’re going to the airport right now” surprises for a fall break trip to Sea World” That was fun. I picked them up an hour early from school and while we were walking in the parking lot, I told her that there was a sign on her window telling her what we were doing for fall break. I have a mini-van so she has a sliding door. When my daughter closed her door, there was a picture of Shamu with the words “You are Going to Sea World”.

As to Disney World, I have surprised them for 3 of our 4 trips. For two of them we flew down to Orlando so I told them the day before. The other time we drove so I told them 3 days out so my daughter could wrap her head around the idea of driving and I could prepare more easily for the trip.
The one trip I didn’t keep secret was our 10 day one in 2012. I booked it 9 months out and my daughter (then 9) knew from the beginning. My son was just 2 then so really didn’t pay much attention until it was time to go.

My daughter is now 11 and says she prefers being surprised even though she continually asks when the next trip is going to be. But she is the impatient sort and mainly wants to be surprised because it means less waiting. I ask her about helping to plan; but she says I always do a great job so she has no concerns about helping plan the trip. So generally I decide to tell them when I get to the point where I can no longer prepare without them knowing. I like telling them the day before so we can do those last minute errands together like picking up little toiletries and other last minute items and I give them a chance to pick out something new for their carry-on. Those are fun because we are all so excited. I also wanted to give my daughter the chance to go through her bag to see what clothes were packed since she is older now; but she didn’t even care what was in there. All she cared about was that she was going to Disney.

 

[PhillyCruiser]

Our kids (8 & 6.5) have never done anything Disney (parks, etc.). Their very 1st "Disney Experience" will be our upcoming Disney Cruise in April on the Dream. We've talked about it as a family on & off for over a year. The kids have NO IDEA we're actually GOING!! (If we were to tell them NOW, we'd hear: "Are we leaving today? Tomorrow? Next week? How many more days until our Cruise? Can't we go NOW?!" every, single day until we leave!) We included them in the "planning" by encouraging them to "Save Cruise $$" (loose change) in their "Mickey Bucket" (a giant plastic jug). The "reveal"? A "Secret Decoder Message", a magnifying glass a pencil & a "letter" with instructions will arrive by mail in a box marked "Top Secret" on departure day. They'll have to work together to "decode" the message that reads: "Going On Mickey Cruise TODAY!!" We can't wait to see their reactions! Surprisingly, DH & I have been able to keep our mouths shut & our "secret" well guarded... But the suspense is almost unbearable!

 

[deedeew80]

We are going to surprise our kids for or trip at the end of April! They have never been to Disney. I have DD5 & DD2(almost 3). We talk about going to Disney all the time. They know we are going "one day" they just don't know when. We are driving. They think the only way to get there is flying. LOL! They think we are driving to our cousin's house in NC & that it is a long drive. (We are actually staying there on the way back home!) We will be driving into St. Augustine FL to spend a night. When they wake up the next morning, there will be a surprise box waiting for them & where we are really going! Hopefully they will be surprised & excited & not disappointed that we aren't actually going to our cousin's house! LOL!

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I did "don't tell and let her figure it out" once - it was lots of fun! When DD was 10, we told her we were going somewhere for her birthday but wouldn't tell her where. We had a trip already planned for a later date, so she didn't suspect Disney at all. We made it until we had to change planes in Atlanta - we only had a short time to get to the next flight, so I talked to the gate agent. When he asked for our destination, "Orlando" gave it away. The picture of her holding the luggage with the Magical Express tag facing the camera is particularly funny in retrospect.

At 8, waiting months was a LONG time, and before the next trip, DD knew we were planning, but she asked us to pretend like we weren't going. That was a lot of fun, too. "Hey, Alison, if we were going to Disney - which we are absolutely not going to do - where would you want to eat?" So, I would think about your oldest's inclinations - would she rather have it built up or would she rather get to plan? You could still build some of the anticipation subtly - still watch the movies, give them Visa gift cards for holidays and encourage them to tuck it away for something really special, etc.

 

[ajwolfe]

We have done it both ways and personally we prefer for our kids to know ahead of time. It's so much more fun when they can be part of the planning process and like us anticipating the trip ahead makes it that much more fun for them.

 

[cariann77]

I really wanted to surprise my girls. Just wake them up and tell them it's time to go, but the logistics are tough. They're missing school so, their teachers will know. Plus, sneaking around and packing would just be too difficult and I'm sure they'd catch on. So, I'm doing a little bit of both. Right now, they have no idea we are going. I'm going to surprise them with a box filled with balloons, a countdown calendar and some other stuff on Easter. That way I still get my surprise reaction and they still get the fun of the anticipation.

 

[br200305]

We surprised my 5 and 7 year olds with vacation last year...Neither of them understand time, and I honestly wanted to avoid the daily "when are we going" question. We drove, so we just said...get in the car, we're going on a road trip! They were excited, but I think they would have more excited if we had prepared them better.

This year, they know that we're going to Disney over the summer, but they don't know the exact date. They are MUCH more excited now that we've launched ourselves into all things Disney, and they asked for Disney gift cards for birthdays, which they LOVE. We have to watch Disney you tube videos nightly so that they can tell me what their favorite part is going to be

 

[cnavarrete]

When we took them at ages 6 and 8 we picked them up an hour early from school. We told them in the car on the way to the airport. My daughter (8) nearly had a heart attack from excitement. They both *insisted* that we surprise them for the next trip too. LOL. We told them we were going "in the fall" but they didn't know when.

It was so much fun!

 

[swebb79]

I surprised my kids on Valentine's Day with personalized tshirts. You could do something similar on St. Patrick's Day or Easter.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/223529...rsonalized-st-patricks?ref=shop_home_active_2