Suprising Your Kids with a Disney Vacation!
Becky Criswell5.30.19Your room is booked, you’re starting to think about where to eat, what to ride, what shows to see, and so on. Now the question is, when do you tell your kids? Everyone is different when it comes to this topic and it largely depends on the age of your children, how often you vacation, personality types, etc. Once again, I’ve been there and I’ve tried it all!Before we get to some great ideas about how to surprise your children, let’s talk about the two different types of surprises. Some people chose to wait until the very last minute to tell their children that they are going to Disney World. You may be on the way to the airport or driving under the “Walt Disney World” welcome sign before you reveal the big secret. This is a super fun way to do it and I especially believe this is fun for smaller children. We all know that little ones don’t usually have a concept of time and telling them weeks or months in advance can be difficult and will leave them wondering if they will EVER be going to the most magical place on earth. However, the reactions on the faces of all children when they realize they are going RIGHT NOW is priceless!
My personal preferences for surprising my children, is to tell them one to two months before the trip. This way they do not have to wait a terribly long time before the big day and it allows them to be part of the planning process, which is half the fun! The trip will be wonderful and magical, but it will also go by in the blink of an eye. By telling them a few months in advance, the whole family can anticipate the trip together and discuss all the wonderful things they can’t wait to do.There are endless options for fun ways to reveal the big surprise. Pinterest is full of them! I’d like to list just a few of my personal favorites:
- The Airplane Surprise – This is a true story that I heard recently from a friend. This would work for those who wish to wait until the last minute. My friends boarded the airplane and were in their seats ready for take-off. Their little boy had been informed that they were traveling to Florida for a family birthday celebration. Much to the boy’s surprise, the flight attendant called his name on the speaker and asked him to stand up. The flight attendant then approached the boy and handed him a t-shirt that read “I’m going to Disney World!” When he turned to look at his parents, they opened their jackets and they were wearing the same t-shirts. He was shocked! What a cute idea!
- Scavenger Hunt – For our most recent Disney trip, we set up a scavenger hunt within our home. I hid clues throughout the house, which ultimately led my children to a large wrapped box. The box was filled with Disney stuffed animals and balloons. At the bottom of the box was a sign reading, “We’re Going to Disney World!”
- Wrapping Your Magic Bands – Many people ask me when their magic bands will arrive because they want to use them as a way to reveal the trip to their children. This is a great idea because you have something to wrap that is a sure giveaway to where you are going. If this is your plan it is important to note that Magic Bands are shipped to you one month prior to your vacation and no sooner. Disney will not accept special requests for early shipment.
- Mall Scavenger Hunt – If you have a lot of time and creative energy, you could set up a mall scavenger hunt, ending at the Disney Store. You could even let Disney Store staff in on the reveal. A fun way to end this surprise is to allow children to choose an item from the store to take on their trip, such as a t-shirt or luggage tag.
- Use Food! -Make a meal for your children consisting of Mickey-shaped foods. Pancakes and sandwiches are easy to shape like Mickey Mouse. You can also buy Mickey-shaped goldfish, Mickey waffles, etc. Also, did you know you can order customized fortune cookies that will reveal your surprise inside? How exciting!
These are just a few of the many, many ideas for surprising your children with your magical adventure. If you’d like help designing not only your vacation, but a fun way to tell the kids, I would love to assist you! You can contact me at beckyc@wishesfamilytravel.com