How did you tell your kids they are going to Disney?

[tallen429]

Could you wake them up that morning with Disney music?

I thought about that!
What would be REALLY cool is if there had been a way to get a "Mickey Wake Up Call"!! I tried thinking of some way to record Mickey, hand them the phone and play the recording from a different phone in the house. Couldn't firgure out how to pull it off though.

 

[kaligal]

WOW

Really?

Really?

Have you never met any kids?

This is exactly the kind of thing kids do. They get all excited and then calm down and think, "Hey! What about my snack?! I want my snack!"

They're kids. And they tend to exaggerate.

Neither my sister or I have perfect DIS children.

I'm sure perfect children would sit quietly in the backseat so delirious with joy over leaving for Disney that they wouldn't even think of their snack, much less become Drama Llamas who state they will die if they aren't fed until dinner.

We don't have those kind of kids. We have the normal, average kids.

So sue us.

 

[tallen429]

I'm sure perfect children would sit quietly in the backseat so delirious with joy over leaving for Disney that they wouldn't even think of their snack, much less become Drama Llamas who state they will die if they aren't fed until dinner.

Oh my gosh!!! I tell my kids all the time not to be Drama Llamas!!
I'vew NEVER heard anyone else use that term!

 

[stargazertechie]

I thought about that!
What would be REALLY cool is if there had been a way to get a "Mickey Wake Up Call"!! I tried thinking of some way to record Mickey, hand them the phone and play the recording from a different phone in the house. Couldn't firgure out how to pull it off though.

They're $2.50 a call, I don't have the link anymore, but the service does exist

 

[tallen429]

They're $2.50 a call, I don't have the link anymore, but the service does exist

Cool!
ETA: Found it!
disneyenchantedcalls.com

 

[dudelydude]

Go search "Surprise Disney Trip" on youtube. There are great ideas in hundreds of videos

Just don't tell them that you're going to D!ck's house, you may be in for disappointment.

LOL - I hear what you're saying here. Although, the video surprises on youtube are not nearly as great as you are implying. Maybe 2 videos out of 200 really showed the kids being genuinely and happily surprised. They just can't grasp the reality of it so the surprised responses seem forced.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

I am planning our first WDW trip for next Dec. We are leaving on the 13th Dec, and it will be DD's 4th birthday on Christmas eve whilst we are there.

In her advent calendar on around the 3rd Dec (to give 10 days notice!) DD will have an invite from Cinderella to have lunch at the castle on her birthday. (as long as I can get the ADR!)

The only thing that has been concerning me a little of late is that at the moment she is only 2 and a half and has no concept of WDW, a theme park or a ride!! She knows what the castle looks like from seeing at the start of films, but she doesn't know that it is a real building!
I am toying with the idea of making a scrap book of WDW pics from holiday brochures to be able to explain it all to her in the 10 days before we leave! I don't want to spoil the surprise and wonderment of it all for her, but I want her to understand too IYKWIM!!

Claire

 

[dolphindan1]

Because no legitimate seller on ebay could make a profit selling pins at $1.00 each. The majority of those lots are filled with scrappers purchased directly from factories in China who illegally purchased the molds from original Disney pins.

Disney pins cost at least $6.00 in the park if you buy by the single pin. Between sales and the outlet store, you can get you cost down to $2-$3 per pin. Sure, occasionally a seller will thin out their collection on ebay, but who has 10,000+ pins to "thin out" of their collection? Ebay sellers are looking to make a profit. If they're selling pins at $1.00 each, if they are truly selling authentic pins, they'll be losing at least $1.25 per pin between ebay fees and paypal fees.

It's my business because people who trade these scrappers in the park ruin pin trading for the rest of us who actually buy authentic Disney pins.

IF and I mean a big IF those pins are fakes...How does it ruin it for you if you are buying authentic pins....You are still buying your authentic pins and the fake pins are not on your lanyard and you have the option to choose which pin you are trading and trading for....their purchase on ebay has no affect on your "authentic" purchase...

Besides there is plenty of discussion on this board about reputable sellers of Authentic pins on ebay...a big long thread somewhere...I used it for my ebay purchase last year and oh I got 30 pins for 35 bucks from a reported reputable seller by this site........5 bucks was shipping...so a dollar per pin

 

[coozieman]

I loved your video, but I wouldn't suggest buying counterfeit merchandise to surprise kids with in the future.

What do you mean counterfeit merchandise?

 

[dudelydude]

We leave tomorrow and still haven't told our girls. Our situation is slightly different because the girls know we are going to Florida. So, we are just going to fly to MCO, get onto ME and see who gets it first...they may not even grasp hold until we pull up at the resort and even then they still may not catch on. I just keep laughing at the thought of them not figuring it out until we are in the lobby.

 

[mickeyplanner08]

Here is a link to our "surprise" video. It really was fun, but the anticipation and build up is a part of the fun of the vacation, so this year, we are telling them. However, our neighbors are not telling their kiddos that they have a trip planned as well. We are going to just happen to bump into them at Hollywood studios-I can't wait to see the look on my kids' faces for this year's surprise!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AjaYfZ0cLs

 

[goofyernmost]

I always just said...Well, kids we are going to WDW. Think about what you would like to do the most. Make a list!

I just let them create their own excitement and expectations.

 

[dudelydude]

It's my business because people who trade these scrappers in the park ruin pin trading for the rest of us who actually buy authentic Disney pins.

I agree with anyone else who says this isn't your business. I have heard your spiel before and you need to look at this from a different perspective. People are not buying a "lot" of 100 pins on ebay with the intention of laundering them through trading with people who have genuine pins. The idea generally isn't to foil people...it's just have currency for the fun of trading. People buy these pins on the cheap because it costs Disney $.28 per pin to make them and sells them for $6.00. Why not save where you can when you are being ripped off? And as the pp said, you don't have to trade with me if you don't like my pins....it's your choice. And your whole theory about how it is (or should be) against disboard policy to promote the purchasing of so-called counterfeit merchandise is bunk. Your so-called authentic pins say "china" on them just as anyone's fake pins say "china" on them. Who is to say what is counterfeit and what is not?

 

[stargazertechie]

I agree with anyone else who says this isn't your business. I have heard your spiel before and you need to look at this from a different perspective. People are not buying a "lot" of 100 pins on ebay with the intention of laundering them through trading with people who have genuine pins. The idea generally isn't to foil people...it's just have currency for the fun of trading. People buy these pins on the cheap because it costs Disney $.28 per pin to make them and sells them for $6.00. Why not save where you can when you are being ripped off? And as the pp said, you don't have to trade with me if you don't like my pins....it's your choice. And your whole theory about how it is (or should be) against disboard policy to promote the purchasing of so-called counterfeit merchandise is bunk. Your so-called authentic pins say "china" on them just as anyone's fake pins say "china" on them. Who is to say what is counterfeit and what is not?

But most of the people who are buying those large lots are trading with CMs. I used to enjoy trading with CMs- getting CM exclusive pins, the pin boards, the pin books at guest relations, enjoying the thrill of the hunt. But now I'm relegated to trading with other collectors on trade nights, thereby eliminating about 90% of my trading opportunities.

Truth be told- it's hard to tell a scrapper from an authentic pin unless you have both pins side by side. I just don't understand how people can ethically buy these pins on ebay even after being informed that many of these pins are counterfeit. I get buying them, and then finding out afterwards that they might not be legit, and not doing it again... but the attitude of "who cares, its my money I'll do what I want" is the same disgusting attitude of the line cutters/pool hoppers/AAA Pass sellers/craigslist ticket sellers/mug re-users.

People who cheat the system is the reason that Disney keeps making things more difficult for the HONEST guest

 

[JD698]

DH and I are surprising our 6 year old twin sons with a trip to WDW (their first trip and mine) for their 7th birthday. They will turn 7 at the end of our trip. I was not planning on telling them where we were going until we got off the plane in Orlando. I was thinking of just saying (and I got this idea from a friend of mine) that we are going on a trip and we'll figure out where when we get there. As they've not yet been on a plane I'm hoping that they might not know (or figure out) that you really do have to know where you are going when you get on a plane. LOL

I doubt they'll make the Disney/Orlando connection (unless there are tons of kids (or adults) with Disney shirts on or talking about Disney. Thought I'd make up an invitation to give them when we land - and tell them this is their birthday invitation and it will then let them in on the big secret.

Hope I can hold out and they don't ask too many questions (although knowing my boys - they will) LOL

Bravo to everyone who is surprising their kids - hope you can all keep the secret!!!

 

[mjp12831]

Can we please as a community make a better effort to keep responding posts pertaining to the original question/statement.

It's bothersome to people who are interested in this thread that we have to then read through a pin debate.

We're surprising the kids on 8/23 - so I wanted to see what ideas peope have just like op. Some of these ideas are great and I wouldn't have thought of them on my own.

 

[mrssmith06]

We did a scavenger hunt the day before we left. At the end of the hunt they found their suitcases packed and ready to go with mickey head shaped cards that said "Your going to Disney World!" sitting on top of them. It went great and they were super excited.

 

[JD698]

We did a scavenger hunt the day before we left. At the end of the hunt they found their suitcases packed and ready to go with mickey head shaped cards that said "Your going to Disney World!" sitting on top of them. It went great and they were super excited.

I love this idea!!!

 

[AnjieNet]

We surprised DD with a trip when she was about 4.5. We were going around Christmas time. The DISign board makes some creative things and I printed out a sheet from there signifying a "very magical Christmas in Disney World" or something to that effect. I also printed out a 15 day countdown Christmas calendar from there as well. We bought her a new suitcase, placed the items in it and put it under the Christmas tree early, unwrapped with a postcard from Mickey (thanks to the Disboards pass it forward, it is even still around?!?). She saw it coming down the stairs that morning, looked at the postcard addressed to her. Still didn't quite get it so we told her to open the suitcase to see if there was anything inside. She figured it out when she saw the Castle.

The second time we packed a suitcase, headed out and to the airport before she asked where we were going. We told her to a hotel. She was happy with the hotel and plane ride, didn't even ask anything more. She finally figured it out when we were at the resort. Went to Disneyland so there wasn't a Magical Express to give it away.

 

[TDY79]

I agree with anyone else who says this isn't your business. I have heard your spiel before and you need to look at this from a different perspective. People are not buying a "lot" of 100 pins on ebay with the intention of laundering them through trading with people who have genuine pins. The idea generally isn't to foil people...it's just have currency for the fun of trading. People buy these pins on the cheap because it costs Disney $.28 per pin to make them and sells them for $6.00. Why not save where you can when you are being ripped off? And as the pp said, you don't have to trade with me if you don't like my pins....it's your choice. And your whole theory about how it is (or should be) against disboard policy to promote the purchasing of so-called counterfeit merchandise is bunk. Your so-called authentic pins say "china" on them just as anyone's fake pins say "china" on them. Who is to say what is counterfeit and what is not?

I'm an avid pin trader and consider it my favorite hobby. I have no issue with people buying pins on ebay. For a real trader like me I spend the time to examine each pin. I did a quick search on the poster you quoted and found that they often post confrontational things.