***Official Surprise Trips Thread and Planning Tips!*** - The DIS Discussion Forums

MouseEarsForAll · 09-30-2011, 08:15 PM

Yes, it's time for a new one! I got my idea from nannye, so I had to acknowledge her! Now, about the surprise trips....Bring them on! I love these things, they give me fuzzy feelings!

MinnieLovesMickey · 09-30-2011, 09:47 PM

My mom suprised us with a trip to DL back in 1997. My siblings and I were told that we were going to visit family in California over spring break. We stopped at a McDonalds somewhere and my mom gave us cards for Easter. When we opened up the cards, we discovered that there were Disney Dollars inside and she told us we were going to DL instead!

It only took me 13 years to get back at her. Last year, my mom, dad, and baby sister went to DL for her 4th birthday. DH and I wanted to go for our anniversary (which is the day before) so we didn't tell them we were going. I called my mom and asked her a random question and tried to come up with small talk to find out their location like "oh, it sounds like you're by Small World" she said,"no, we're in Tomorrowland eating lunch." So we stalked them until they got in line for photos with Buzz. We started calling my sister's name and of course my mom's thinking who's calling my kid and then they looked over and there we were! It was so much fun.

monkee04 · 09-30-2011, 10:59 PM

Ours hasn't happened yet, but my sister and I are planning to surprise my parents. We have never been able to afford a family vacation, but have tried many years to get to Disney World. I finally decided that it was time to make this happen, so I am taking our parents in Sept. 2012 for my birthday. After a little number crunching I realized I will be able to pay for my sister to join us. My parents have not seen her in 5 years. They have no idea what we are planning

. We are planning for her to be in our room before we get to the resort and "Surprise!"

They are going to kill both of us, but this is our first trip/family vacation and will soo be worth it!

MouseEarsForAll · 10-01-2011, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkee04

Ours hasn't happened yet, but my sister and I are planning to surprise my parents. We have never been able to afford a family vacation, but have tried many years to get to Disney World. I finally decided that it was time to make this happen, so I am taking our parents in Sept. 2012 for my birthday. After a little number crunching I realized I will be able to pay for my sister to join us. My parents have not seen her in 5 years. They have no idea what we are planning

. We are planning for her to be in our room before we get to the resort and "Surprise!"

They are going to kill both of us, but this is our first trip/family vacation and will soo be worth it!

nannye · 10-01-2011, 09:09 PM

Fantastic Idea!

MinnieDiva · 10-02-2011, 01:27 AM

We've surprised DD (now 8) a few times both to WDW and DL. The last trip to WDW, we flew out on Veteran's Day. The night before, we drove down to the airport area (we live a solid 2 hour drive from the airport), telling her that we were going to stay overnight so we could do some "tourist things" on her day off from school the next day. She was surprised the next day to realize that we were actually going to the airport to go to Florida! She wasn't as excited as I thought she'd be, but me, I was bouncing off the bed!

I pulled off a DL trip last year by keeping her home from school one day and telling her that we were going to go to CA. My dad lives in the Bay Area, so she assumed that we were going to see him. While we were waiting for the plane to board, she asked me is "please, mommy, can we go to DL for a day?", to which I said, "who said we're not going there for the whole trip?". The grin was HUGE!!

MouseEarsForAll · 10-02-2011, 05:18 PM

Bump.

jwag1579 · 10-02-2011, 08:33 PM

we booked a trip for the week after thanksgiving and are going to surprise the kids with it. they think we aren't going back to wdw until dec 2012. just haven't figured out where to tell them we are going when we get in the car to leave.

letthewookiewin · 10-02-2011, 08:44 PM

This is a great idea for a thread!! Our surprise trip is still in the planning process b/c it's not happening until November 2012. Our DSs know we are going on a trip, but they think it's just to Kennedy Space Center and to a few Civil War battlefields. We are going to just drive into Fort Wilderness the day before our oldest DS's 15th bday and not say a word. The plan is to see how long it takes them to figure it out. My parent's did this to my brother and sister when we were little. I just remember them pulling into a parking lot and then telling us where we were at Disney World. They told us that we were "just going to look at it from the parking lot". Even as we walked up to the counter to buy the tickets the three of us were crying, "but we want to go into Disney World, not just look at it from the parking lot". I don't think we stopped crying until we walked into the MK.

Geomom · 10-02-2011, 08:56 PM

We're taking the kids on a secret Disney trip this Wednesday. I don't know how we've kept the secret since March, lol. They DO know about our February trip to Disney with friends.

I just emailed the teachers...so we'll see if the trip stays a secret until Wednesday morning. We have to pull the kids out of school a little early to make our 4:15PM flight Wednesday, so we need to tell them that we're picking them up so that the kids won't be worried that something is wrong when we show up at their schools. Our plan is to put Mickey Halloween Silly Bands out on the table at breakfast Wednesday morning, tell them we're picking them up early from school to go on vacation...and see if they can figure it out from there.

This will be our second 'secret' trip, last 'secret' trip was in October 2009. (We've been to Disney 3 times since.) Our flight was later that trip, so we were able to keep it a secret until they got home from school. As soon as they walked in the door, 'Grab a stuffed animal you want to sleep with...we're going on vacation.' My then 4th grader was all worried about not getting her homework done, and did it in the car on the way to the airport. My youngest was in kindergarten, and she was actually disappointed that we weren't going to Storyland in NH. Both kids got over it quickly the next day when we were enjoying the Food and Wine festival, and enjoying the resort pool!

mom2elle · 10-02-2011, 09:19 PM

We are going in November. So far it is still a suprise trip for the kids, but I think we are going to tell the three oldest kids (15, 13 and 8) in 2 weeks. We are definitely going to suprise our youngest (3, turning 4 while we are there) the day we leave. I will be reading this to get some ideas for how to tell all of the kids! Even though we are telling the older kids a month before we go, we still want to 'suprise' them.

SamJane · 10-03-2011, 12:17 AM

We surprised the kids last week. They knew we were going to Orlando to spend some time with family. They just didn't know it was going to be at WDW.

Here's the video. It's a little slow for about the first minute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcZ3l3RWGGs

Cheshire Figment · 10-03-2011, 09:09 AM

A few years ago I helped one of my nephews surprise his seven year old daughter. I sent her a greeting card with no return address, but on the envelope clearly marked "Do No Open Until November 29". Because of the contents he let me know when it arrived. This was driving his daughter crazy; especially when on the 29th her mother said she would have to wait until she was home from school to open it.

Anyway, evening comes along and she finally is allowed to open the envelope. Inside she finds a generic card with Mickey on the front. When she opens it three tickets drop out. The inside of the card says: "Dear Emma, I hope you and your parents will come down to visit me" and was signed by Mickey. (It helps to know some people who have been trained to sign Mickey's name.)

And her parents told her to start reading what was on the card (3rd grade). She starts off where it says "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas" and then sees (and reads) where it also says "Valid Only November 30". She looks at her parents, and says in a very anguished tone: "But that's tomorrow!"

And the next day they flew down.

(Side note - I had recorded the numbers of the tickets in case the envelope got lost as there was no return address.)

tlenzendorf · 10-03-2011, 09:24 AM

My boyfriend is still going to get up and get ready and go to "work". He's going to run whatever last minute errands and whatever while I get the kids ready for school. The older 2 have to be dropped off at 7:25, the younger at 8:15. I'm going to tell them that it's just my day off and that's why I'm not getting ready.

I will tell the older 2 that they have dentist appointments and I'm going to pick them up. When I go to get them Brent will get Ellie. He is going to get home with her first(the school is right across the street) and have her hang out in her room while waiting for us.

When we walk in the door he is going to have the youngest come out. We are going to tell them that we have something serious to talk to them about and to sit on the couch and we will be right back. Backstory: Brent is a huge BS-er with the kids. Half the time they think he is full of it. While they are at school we will load the car and put their back packs with all the stuff we have collected for them in a laundry basket covered up with a sheet in the living room. I am going to get the video camera ready(hidden) and he is going to come out with a sign behind his back and then hold it up that says "We are going to Disneyworld today!" and then rip the sheet off the back packs! I don't know if they will think he is even serious right away but I bet they will freak out when they realize we are serious!

18 days!! Can't wait!!

manitobamickey · 10-03-2011, 09:38 AM

We have been planning our surprise trip since March.. not sure how we have been able to keep it a secret this long. It will be our second suprise trip. When our oldest was 13, we convinced her that we had to get up at 4 am to go to IHOP because of traffic. Being so tired, she believed us. It wasn't until we got into a town car that she began to question our motives. Then our 3 year old told her the truth. It was priceless.

They are now 6 and 16 we are picking them up at lunch and going to go for lunch at the newly opened airport, only we will be having lunch and then going to Disney! Hoping my excitement doesn't let the cat out of the bag!

09-30-2011, 08:15 PM	#1
MouseEarsForAll Oh snap! I get to hold the trophy?! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: I am in this world, but I am not of it. Posts: 2,225	*Official Surprise Trips Thread and Planning Tips!* Yes, it's time for a new one! I got my idea from nannye, so I had to acknowledge her! Now, about the surprise trips....Bring them on! I love these things, they give me fuzzy feelings! __________________ To love is to obey. To obey is to live. Walt Disney World - 2004 Walt Disney World - 2005 Disclaimer: Now, you tell me McD's is coming back, I'm a passionate "Uh, yeah!" Last edited by MouseEarsForAll; 10-28-2011 at 03:15 PM.

09-30-2011, 09:47 PM	#2
MinnieLovesMickey Peyton Manning's #1 Fan! Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: West Coast Posts: 1,167	My mom suprised us with a trip to DL back in 1997. My siblings and I were told that we were going to visit family in California over spring break. We stopped at a McDonalds somewhere and my mom gave us cards for Easter. When we opened up the cards, we discovered that there were Disney Dollars inside and she told us we were going to DL instead! It only took me 13 years to get back at her. Last year, my mom, dad, and baby sister went to DL for her 4th birthday. DH and I wanted to go for our anniversary (which is the day before) so we didn't tell them we were going. I called my mom and asked her a random question and tried to come up with small talk to find out their location like "oh, it sounds like you're by Small World" she said,"no, we're in Tomorrowland eating lunch." So we stalked them until they got in line for photos with Buzz. We started calling my sister's name and of course my mom's thinking who's calling my kid and then they looked over and there we were! It was so much fun. __________________

10-01-2011, 09:09 PM	#5
nannye DIS Veteran Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: K-W, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,347	Fantastic Idea! __________________ A July TRIP REPORT! V's Ultimate Birthday Surprise! with 99 characters and costumes galore! AKA OMG YOU HAVE A DRIZELLA DOLL! UPDATED FINALLY: April 8/13 July 2012 PTR: Operation Surprise V, we're going to Disney! (omg 4th of July Weekend -HELP) http://www.disboards.com/showthread....4#post43997474 July 2012, V and I at POR in a RGR August 2011, V & I @ POP Wishing I had a Ticker Oh WAIT I DO!!!! Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools

10-02-2011, 01:27 AM	#6
MinnieDiva Obsessive Trip Planner Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Oak Harbor, WA Posts: 1,559	We've surprised DD (now 8) a few times both to WDW and DL. The last trip to WDW, we flew out on Veteran's Day. The night before, we drove down to the airport area (we live a solid 2 hour drive from the airport), telling her that we were going to stay overnight so we could do some "tourist things" on her day off from school the next day. She was surprised the next day to realize that we were actually going to the airport to go to Florida! She wasn't as excited as I thought she'd be, but me, I was bouncing off the bed! I pulled off a DL trip last year by keeping her home from school one day and telling her that we were going to go to CA. My dad lives in the Bay Area, so she assumed that we were going to see him. While we were waiting for the plane to board, she asked me is "please, mommy, can we go to DL for a day?", to which I said, "who said we're not going there for the whole trip?". The grin was HUGE!! __________________ PTR: Back to the Med 2013 Greece Itinerary! WARNING: 2010 flashbacks!http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2871334 "Dreamy" 15th Anniversary TR!: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3004870

10-02-2011, 05:18 PM	#7
MouseEarsForAll Oh snap! I get to hold the trophy?! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: I am in this world, but I am not of it. Posts: 2,225	Bump. __________________ To love is to obey. To obey is to live. Walt Disney World - 2004 Walt Disney World - 2005 Disclaimer: Now, you tell me McD's is coming back, I'm a passionate "Uh, yeah!"

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09-30-2011, 10:59 PM	#3
monkee04 Future Imagineer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bryan, Texas Posts: 34	Ours hasn't happened yet, but my sister and I are planning to surprise my parents. We have never been able to afford a family vacation, but have tried many years to get to Disney World. I finally decided that it was time to make this happen, so I am taking our parents in Sept. 2012 for my birthday. After a little number crunching I realized I will be able to pay for my sister to join us. My parents have not seen her in 5 years. They have no idea what we are planning . We are planning for her to be in our room before we get to the resort and "Surprise!" They are going to kill both of us, but this is our first trip/family vacation and will soo be worth it!

10-02-2011, 08:33 PM	#8
jwag1579 Earning My Ears Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: picayune, ms Posts: 34	we booked a trip for the week after thanksgiving and are going to surprise the kids with it. they think we aren't going back to wdw until dec 2012. just haven't figured out where to tell them we are going when we get in the car to leave. __________________ 1995 grovsner, 2000 asmu, 2002 off site, 2008 coronado springs, 2009 POP, 2010 wilderness lodge, 2011 por, 2011 pop, 2012 asmo, 2013 wilderness lodge

10-02-2011, 08:44 PM	#9
letthewookiewin "That's 'cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that."-Han Solo "I see your point, sir. I suggest a new strategy, R2: let the Wookiee win."-C-3PO Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Keller, Texas Posts: 4,167	This is a great idea for a thread!! Our surprise trip is still in the planning process b/c it's not happening until November 2012. Our DSs know we are going on a trip, but they think it's just to Kennedy Space Center and to a few Civil War battlefields. We are going to just drive into Fort Wilderness the day before our oldest DS's 15th bday and not say a word. The plan is to see how long it takes them to figure it out. My parent's did this to my brother and sister when we were little. I just remember them pulling into a parking lot and then telling us where we were at Disney World. They told us that we were "just going to look at it from the parking lot". Even as we walked up to the counter to buy the tickets the three of us were crying, "but we want to go into Disney World, not just look at it from the parking lot". I don't think we stopped crying until we walked into the MK. __________________ Me(37)DH(37) DS15 DS14 Bug R.I.P. 8/20/11 1981-OS/w parents March1994-OS/w HS band & met future DH July2000-OS,5th wedding anny March2004-CBR,DS's 1st trip Oct.2006-WL,MNSSHP June 2012-PC Sept.2013-AKL PV,MNSSHP "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney

10-02-2011, 08:56 PM	#10
Geomom Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 235	We're taking the kids on a secret Disney trip this Wednesday. I don't know how we've kept the secret since March, lol. They DO know about our February trip to Disney with friends. I just emailed the teachers...so we'll see if the trip stays a secret until Wednesday morning. We have to pull the kids out of school a little early to make our 4:15PM flight Wednesday, so we need to tell them that we're picking them up so that the kids won't be worried that something is wrong when we show up at their schools. Our plan is to put Mickey Halloween Silly Bands out on the table at breakfast Wednesday morning, tell them we're picking them up early from school to go on vacation...and see if they can figure it out from there. This will be our second 'secret' trip, last 'secret' trip was in October 2009. (We've been to Disney 3 times since.) Our flight was later that trip, so we were able to keep it a secret until they got home from school. As soon as they walked in the door, 'Grab a stuffed animal you want to sleep with...we're going on vacation.' My then 4th grader was all worried about not getting her homework done, and did it in the car on the way to the airport. My youngest was in kindergarten, and she was actually disappointed that we weren't going to Storyland in NH. Both kids got over it quickly the next day when we were enjoying the Food and Wine festival, and enjoying the resort pool! __________________ (13) (9) Trips with kids: 2/05 ASMo, 2/07 SSR, 4/08 POP, 2/09 ASMu, 10/09 OKW, 4/10 BWV, 11/10 SSR, 2/11 BWV, 10/11 AKV, 2/12 BWV, 4/13 BCV, 8/13 VWL/AKV, 10/13 OKW

10-02-2011, 09:19 PM	#11
mom2elle Earning My Ears Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Devon, PA Posts: 53	We are going in November. So far it is still a suprise trip for the kids, but I think we are going to tell the three oldest kids (15, 13 and 8) in 2 weeks. We are definitely going to suprise our youngest (3, turning 4 while we are there) the day we leave. I will be reading this to get some ideas for how to tell all of the kids! Even though we are telling the older kids a month before we go, we still want to 'suprise' them.

10-03-2011, 12:17 AM	#12
SamJane Mouseketeer Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Colorado Posts: 110	We surprised the kids last week. They knew we were going to Orlando to spend some time with family. They just didn't know it was going to be at WDW. Here's the video. It's a little slow for about the first minute. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcZ3l3RWGGs

10-03-2011, 09:09 AM	#13
Cheshire Figment Friend of Figment Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Poinciana, FL (20 miles to WDW) Posts: 36,611	A few years ago I helped one of my nephews surprise his seven year old daughter. I sent her a greeting card with no return address, but on the envelope clearly marked "Do No Open Until November 29". Because of the contents he let me know when it arrived. This was driving his daughter crazy; especially when on the 29th her mother said she would have to wait until she was home from school to open it. Anyway, evening comes along and she finally is allowed to open the envelope. Inside she finds a generic card with Mickey on the front. When she opens it three tickets drop out. The inside of the card says: "Dear Emma, I hope you and your parents will come down to visit me" and was signed by Mickey. (It helps to know some people who have been trained to sign Mickey's name.) And her parents told her to start reading what was on the card (3rd grade). She starts off where it says "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas" and then sees (and reads) where it also says "Valid Only November 30". She looks at her parents, and says in a very anguished tone: "But that's tomorrow!" And the next day they flew down. (Side note - I had recorded the numbers of the tickets in case the envelope got lost as there was no return address.) __________________ 41 WDW Stays Totalling 321 nights between 1987 and mid-2003. Animal Kingdom Lodge; All Stars(2); Beach Club; Boardwalk Inn; Caribbean Beach (9); Contemporary Tower (13); Courtyard (2); Disney Institute; Dixie Landings; Grand Floridian; Grosvenor; Hilton; Old Key West; Polynesian; Port Orleans; Royal Plaza; Shades of Green; Wilderness Lodge; Marriott World Center (3); Other Off-Property (Other Than just 1st or last Night) (8). Now Working Part Time at Walt Disney World! (Guest Services/Ticket Sales/Turnstile Greeter) A few very helpful links which are on DisBoards: Everything About WDW Tickets and this one disABILITIES FAQs

10-03-2011, 09:24 AM	#14
tlenzendorf Always Dreaming of Disney! Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 3,525	My boyfriend is still going to get up and get ready and go to "work". He's going to run whatever last minute errands and whatever while I get the kids ready for school. The older 2 have to be dropped off at 7:25, the younger at 8:15. I'm going to tell them that it's just my day off and that's why I'm not getting ready. I will tell the older 2 that they have dentist appointments and I'm going to pick them up. When I go to get them Brent will get Ellie. He is going to get home with her first(the school is right across the street) and have her hang out in her room while waiting for us. When we walk in the door he is going to have the youngest come out. We are going to tell them that we have something serious to talk to them about and to sit on the couch and we will be right back. Backstory: Brent is a huge BS-er with the kids. Half the time they think he is full of it. While they are at school we will load the car and put their back packs with all the stuff we have collected for them in a laundry basket covered up with a sheet in the living room. I am going to get the video camera ready(hidden) and he is going to come out with a sign behind his back and then hold it up that says "We are going to Disneyworld today!" and then rip the sheet off the back packs! I don't know if they will think he is even serious right away but I bet they will freak out when they realize we are serious! 18 days!! Can't wait!! __________________ BF39 Me34 DD14 BFDD12 DD8 3/1997-offsite, 1/2003-AKL, 8/2009-Ft. W Cabins, 3/2010-CSR, 10/2011-AKV, 2/2012-BWV, 9/2013-BWV, 1/2014-DL!, 8/2014-?

10-03-2011, 09:38 AM	#15
manitobamickey Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 77	Nov 9-14 We have been planning our surprise trip since March.. not sure how we have been able to keep it a secret this long. It will be our second suprise trip. When our oldest was 13, we convinced her that we had to get up at 4 am to go to IHOP because of traffic. Being so tired, she believed us. It wasn't until we got into a town car that she began to question our motives. Then our 3 year old told her the truth. It was priceless. They are now 6 and 16 we are picking them up at lunch and going to go for lunch at the newly opened airport, only we will be having lunch and then going to Disney! Hoping my excitement doesn't let the cat out of the bag! __________________

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