Telling the children?

[katy341]

We did our reveal for our 1st trip at Easter then we went the following Feb (it's on YouTube under the Blake-woods) it went down amazingly well!

I'm doing my next reveal this afternoon!

1st was a treasure hunt ending with a video I made on YouTube today will be a little more simple as they already have an inkling and they're that little bit older. For us it's too much of a big thing and a luxury to just tell them. They watch their reveal all the time on YouTube! But I like them to know well on advance so they can build their excitement. That being said if they were small the wait would be too long. For this reveal it will be a tear exactly till we leave for the premier inn x

[katy341]

Forgot to say I did a tell them the day we go reveal for a trip to see our friends in Spain. They were 10 and 7. While they were excited when I woke them up at 4am , the eldest did say after she wished she knew before as she likes the butterflies in her tummy and she didnt have time to get them lol x

[dollydaydream7]

Last
Time I did a reveal at Christmas for our boys, our trip was a month
Away. That way they had sometime to help ‘plan’ also they had lots of Disney
Themed Xmas gifts.

[TC Devon]

Mine have been before. We told them 500 days before, it was way too early. It meant nothing. I was excited but should have waited. Especially as they were younger and had zero concept of time! They know we will go back but I’ve said it will be at least another three years before we save up enough. We go next August. They don’t know.
Now as my daughter has ASD, a surprise would be a disaster. Should we pretend we are off to Spain and spring it in her at the airport it would be a nightmare. We like to include them in the planning and decision making. I think it will be Xmas when we tell them or do a reveal. Need enough time to look at restaurants before 180 days. This trip is different, doing first five nights on site as opposed to all villa. Never stayed on site. So hope they love it.

[Elodie]

Originally Posted by Joshie1

We did a reveal for DS on the day of travel when he was 7 but he had already been twice before that.
He loves the planning, working through the countdown calendar. He will be 16 when he and I go as a twosome next year and is already engrossed in YouTubers reports from the parks and CSR.
I wouldn’t do a last minute reveal if it is the first trip - maybe give them a few months notice so they have time to get involved in the planning?

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Sorry, I meant to say that they do know we are planning to go, just not when, so they are involved in the planning and anticipation (which is partly why we’ve ended up with a complicated three-hotel split stay to fit in with everyone’s wishes!) We’re also getting input on restaurants and rides for ADRs and FPs.

Having said that, I’m now leaning towards telling them sooner rather than later, and saving the last-minute reveal for a future DLP trip

[Elodie]

Originally Posted by Toria_dee

We didn’t tell our kids the first time we went to DLP, we drove from Eurotunnel to DLP, checked in at DCR and drive round to the parking area of the parks before our eldest noticed

He saw space mountain from the car park and shout we’re at DLP! I asked how he knew and he pointed to SM and said I saw that on the book in the shop last week. He flicked through the DLP brochure while we were in the TA getting euros

Second and third times we did a Xmas day reveal with treasure hunt, but it was only a few weeks to go.

They knew and were involved in our WDW planning, but for 2020 we’ve chosen not to tell them.

Largely because the last 2 trips (2018 & 2019) have had to be cancelled (2018 because I was unwell in hospital with a bleed on the brain & this years, we were leaving on 21 May, because my dad had a stroke and my mum is disabled so we are needed to provide more support) and telling them was awful.

They know we’re planning 2021 and have a countdown up for that so if they hear H and I talking about Florida they assume it’s that.

We’ve decided it will be fun to see how long it takes them to realise

We fly out from Manchester (live in Scotland) on Father’s Day so I’m going to tell the kids we’re taking H to Manchester to do an Old Trafford tour for his father’s day gift.

xx

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Oh, your reveals sound magical! I was thinking of telling ours sooner, but now you’ve got me thinking how lovely it would be to do a last minute reveal like yours! I’m so sorry you had to cancel twice though, and I hope WDW in 2020 is perfect for you.

Having said that, I think it really is the idea of just driving up to DLP that appeals - obviously ours would know what was up as soon as we got to the tunnel, after 3 trips already, but I think that would still be ace! Maybe I will just save the last minute reveal for DLP.

Ours are pretty much the same as yours at the moment - we can safely talk about WDW because they think we’re going in 2021. Just need to make my mind up on when to tell them it’s actually going to be 2020. Plenty of time yet though, I think telling them now would be way too soon, so it will be Christmas at the earliest.

[Elodie]

Originally Posted by danisleigh

Maybe when they break up from school for the summer would be a nice idea? I always wish I could have done this with my son but have always told him as soon as we have booked it. We are taking my niece to dlp between Xmas and new year and my sister And I originally said we would tell her on Xmas day... we lasted 24 hours before we spilled the beans 🤣

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Haha! This is why I can’t tell certain people in my family either - my auntie would not be able to keep it to herself for more than 5 minutes! 🤣

[Elodie]

Originally Posted by katy341

We did our reveal for our 1st trip at Easter then we went the following Feb (it's on YouTube under the Blake-woods) it went down amazingly well!

I'm doing my next reveal this afternoon!

1st was a treasure hunt ending with a video I made on YouTube today will be a little more simple as they already have an inkling and they're that little bit older. For us it's too much of a big thing and a luxury to just tell them. They watch their reveal all the time on YouTube! But I like them to know well on advance so they can build their excitement. That being said if they were small the wait would be too long. For this reveal it will be a tear exactly till we leave for the premier inn x

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Oh wow, just watched your video and it was amazing! My DLP reveal video is only on my facebook, but we love watching their reactions over and over!

I don’t think I dare do another treasure hunt - we’ve done two already, plus a picture-clue countdown, so I think they’d probably guess as soon as they got the first clue. I’m thinking about becoming technologically competent* though, so I can copy your video idea!

*This is quite unrealistic for me, but you never know!

[Flamingo]

DS will be 8 and DD will be 3 when we go in August 2020.
DS can be quite anxious about things so we've learnt from previous experience not to spring things on him at the last minute.
We're planning on telling them on the first day of the school holiday which will be about 3 weeks before we go. Plenty of time to watch rides and waterparks on YouTube, and for me to get the cases out to start packing.
We're going to give them both a small box with a few bits and pieces for the holiday including a countdown chart.

[Elodie]

Originally Posted by Flamingo

DS will be 8 and DD will be 3 when we go in August 2020.
DS can be quite anxious about things so we've learnt from previous experience not to spring things on him at the last minute.
We're planning on telling them on the first day of the school holiday which will be about 3 weeks before we go. Plenty of time to watch rides and waterparks on YouTube, and for me to get the cases out to start packing.
We're going to give them both a small box with a few bits and pieces for the holiday including a countdown chart.

See more...

It sounds like you’ll be there at the same time as us. I’ve now gone from planning a last-minute reveal to deciding between telling them at Christmas (they’re old enough to cope with / understand the wait) or at the start of the summer holidays, same as you. We’ve done that before, and it was perfect for building up the excitement, but without too long to wait (youngest was only 4 at the time.) I still want to do a last-minute reveal, but I’ll save that for DLP.