Surprising the kids

[kk20]

Originally Posted by Danex

I agree with this, we were going to keep it a surprise the first time we booked, but one of my friends suggested we tell them to allow them to get excited and look forward to planning the holiday with us.

We told them a couple of weeks after we’d booked and it was nice to get them involved.

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It depends on the ages and the children. Teenagers? Sure but youngsters? Depends on the youngsters themselves. Ours are not planners, they just want to enjoy.

We once drove all the way to DLP without the kids knowing. Thats a full ferry journey, trip to DLP. They knew when we pulled up to the hotel... Granted this wasnt the first DLP trip.

One Disney trip we were set to fly the night they broke up from school. We packed in secret and hid an anagram in envelopes around the house, kids came home from school after breaking up, they were slightly grumpy and didnt want to play the game. That soon changed when they figured out they were flying in 6 hours time. It was a christmas trip and we packed christmas presents to open (mainly clothes etc) and wrapped a few whilst we were out there.

Other times we have told them, sat down and planned together for months - youtube VLOGs, restaurant VLOGS, crowd planners. So fully involved and a good idea of what we were going to do.

Out of all the above our kids have responded best to the "complete surprise we had no idea". The planning was good but almost an anti climax as we were so "planned in" that the holiday itself was fun but not a surprise.

The far east disney trips needed plenty of planning and they were involved. DLP/WDW not so much really, the main planning is from us.

It totally depends on what you are after really. I dont think there is a wrong way and you know your kids the best.

[Danex]

Originally Posted by kk20

It depends on the ages and the children. Teenagers? Sure but youngsters? Depends on the youngsters themselves. Ours are not planners, they just want to enjoy.

We once drove all the way to DLP without the kids knowing. Thats a full ferry journey, trip to DLP. They knew when we pulled up to the hotel... Granted this wasnt the first DLP trip.

One Disney trip we were set to fly the night they broke up from school. We packed in secret and hid an anagram in envelopes around the house, kids came home from school after breaking up, they were slightly grumpy and didnt want to play the game. That soon changed when they figured out they were flying in 6 hours time. It was a christmas trip and we packed christmas presents to open (mainly clothes etc) and wrapped a few whilst we were out there.

Other times we have told them, sat down and planned together for months - youtube VLOGs, restaurant VLOGS, crowd planners. So fully involved and a good idea of what we were going to do.

Out of all the above our kids have responded best to the "complete surprise we had no idea". The planning was good but almost an anti climax as we were so "planned in" that the holiday itself was fun but not a surprise.

The far east disney trips needed plenty of planning and they were involved. DLP/WDW not so much really, the main planning is from us.

It totally depends on what you are after really. I dont think there is a wrong way and you know your kids the best.

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Yes that’s a fair point, my children were 10/11 the first time we were able to afford to go so it could be totally different with younger children 👍🏻

[kk20]

I genuinely dont think there is a wrong way. The main problem is parent expectations, we had a DLP trip planned in summer once, surprised the kids and they were disappointed as they suspected we were planning something and thought it was a beach holiday!

[Wishtogoback]

We surprised my daughter and her cousin with a trip to Disney as a Christmas present when they were 9. Honestly I wouldn’t do it again. It got lost in all the physical presents in front of them because as others have said it was an in the future thing and on Christmas Day kids play with toys etc. My daughter even forgot to tell her grandparents about it when asked what she got for Christmas and listed random crappy toys 🙈. I was so let down by it all as I had build it up to be a magical moment. Now don’t get me wrong, when Christmas settled they were beyond excited and we had a fabulous time but I just think there was too much else going on on the day. To answer the actual question, we bought matching mini mouse T-shirt’s with see you soon on them and did a voucher style letter that said they would be going.

[theotherblonde]

There are loads of You Tube videos of this and there is a Christmas one I saw that is so emotional and lovely.

Most people get a Disney backpack and have lots of Disney merchandise in it to tell them. My son is only six months but I like the idea of surprising him at the airport (when he is much older) and letting him think we are going somewhere else and then announce Disney in the airport.

Its hard to surprise a spouse in this way because of things like packing and other things but for children I actually think its easy and quite nice.

Whatever way you surprise them, I am sure they will be so happy and excited.

[Pascaltimon]

We surprised our two girls on xmas day 2019 they screamed with excitement fast forward to March 2020 and with 6 weeks to go the once in a lifetime dream was over...

They knew we moved it to 2021 but again it wasn't meant to be they now know we are hoping for 2022 and i won't tell them until i know its more certain as i can't take the disappointment in their eyes again

[Trebor1]

Originally Posted by EssexGirl13

Hi all,

We’re all booked up to go to Florida next year and thinking about how to tell the kids who will be ridiculously excited! We wanted to incorporate telling them into some kind of Christmas present and I’d love some ideas if anyone has done similar. They’ll be 10 and 8 by then. Thanks 😊

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We bought our Daughter a jigsaw that when you put it together told her we were going to Florida ! She loved it
She was 7 at the time and it was her birthday

[MrsBC]

After reading quite a few Christmas reveal posts on here etc over the years, I don't think I'd do it on Christmas Day, but set the room / surprises up ready for Boxing Day morning when they won't have lots of other surprises happening and you can all really enjoy the moment.
Treasure hunt leading to a box with things like planning books, Ears, T-shirts, backpacks / bumbags, maybe a couple of Travel agent brochures with the hotel in etc ..

[Glyndsey]

We did lots of presents that they could use eg summer clothes camera new back packs books to read etc some where Disney based we also wrapped up the tickets my son was so excited as he read the flight info saying we are off to Manchester on holiday lol Flight was from Manchester to Orlando.

[All-smiles]

We recently revealed our holiday! I found online somewhere a print out of pretend disney tickets. Printed one each and had tshirts printed from ebay with the disney castle on saying disney 2022. I also made a countdown so DD would understand exactly how many days there were to go. I laid it all out together and she walked in the room and saw it all.