Telling kids about surprise trip - ideas?

[StarbuxNY]

Hi everyone,

My 3 children (9,9 and 15) are huge Harry Potter fans. They have no idea I booked our trip, and I am actually surprising them with it the last day of school (we leave that evening). I have seen the movies and know a *little* but about HP, but am not quite as knowledgeable as my kids, lol.

That said, I want to find a really neat way to surprise them with the news that we are going, preferably some way related to HP. Has anyone ever done this or does anyone have any ideas?

A friend suggested a scavenger hunt, which is one idea. I also ordered them universal gift cards to use for souvenirs, each a different HP character with the marauder's map envelope, so it could involve that somehow, but doesn't have to.

Thanks for any input you have!

Kelly

 

[361DP]

Last January, we gave our girls a package of silly bands of Spiderman and Harry Potter, along with Visa gift cards. While watching one of the Harry Potter movies, we gave the girls their gifts. They asked what was the special occasion. We brought down our suitcases downstairs and told them that if they wanted to wear their bands, they needed to go pack because we were flying out the next day after school. They went crazy and almost cried.
It was great to see their face. While watching the movie, we kept dropping hints and kept saying how we wanted to see the castle and the train.
It was nothing too elaborate but just enough to get them excited.

 

[dntd]

We are just doing 1 day as we have a full week already booked. I am making a scroll for the kids to find in the morning that asks them to join HP at universal. My kids are not as into as me as they really don't have favourite movies they like them all which is good because the other attraction are loads of fun

 

[jkshel]

Last year I made giant (8 1/2 x 11) fastpasses with our trip days as the return time and other info and wrapped it in a box for them to open....Our first year I had lanyards with pins loaded and wrapped those in a box. That way they had pins to swap as soon as they got there.

 

[StarbuxNY]

Thank you for the great ideas! I will keep these in mind while planning ... I have 6 weeks to go, so am still open to more suggestions!

Kelly

 

[illuminatedillusions]

I told my sister about the surprise holiday in a letter made up similar to the one harry gets during the first movie.

I got it made up and sent it to her with the wax seal at the back that I found online.

 

[kittyninja]

I am surprising my boyfriend with a Hogwarts letter. He knows about the trip, but just to keep him on his toes I'm leaving small surprises every few weeks until the trip! I printed the letter, and required materials on Resume paper which really looks like parchment. I then got my grandfather to write his name on the envelope in his beautiful calligraphy. You could also do that on the computer though. I then bought stickers that look like the wax seal (just got them today, plastic, stick great, look awesome) and put it on the back. You can Google the letter to get the wording and then tweak it for your kids. In the required items section you could also make it a packing list for things they need to take on vacation, unless you will be packing for them.

Hope this idea helps!

 

[StarbuxNY]

Thanks Kittyninja!

I have also made a similar letter. I am actually going to do a little scavenger hunt with hints on where to find the next clue (and each clue, when found, will reveal a package for one of the kids to open at the end which contains an HP USO gift card, etc.). The final clue will lead them to find the letter which will be hidden in a closet we have under the stairs (our very own cupboard under the stairs, ha!). I am going to attempt an owl balloon like this:

http://www.themarysue.com/harry-potter-party/

I thought that was sooo cute!

The biggest debate now is to tell them on the last day of school which happens to be the day we leave (they get home around noon, flight out isn't until later in the evening). This was the plan, but someone suggested I do it the day before so they could tell all their friends at school on the last day.

What would you guys do: day of the trip, or day before so the kids can tell their friends?

 

[minijeanie]

I put a note in my kids lunches that when they came home they had to start packing because we were going to wdw. They were ecstatic. They told all their friends in class and were jumping up and down!

It was a super hit! This was 10 years ago and they still talk about how great it was to get that surprise note in their lunch

You could also do a not in their backpack if they buy lunch every day

 

[StarbuxNY]

I put a note in my kids lunches that when they came home they had to start packing because we were going to wdw. They were ecstatic. They told all their friends in class and were jumping up and down!

It was a super hit! This was 10 years ago and they still talk about how great it was to get that surprise note in their lunch

You could also do a not in their backpack if they buy lunch every day

Hmmm ... that is such a great idea! They must have been thrilled! I am really tempted with this (I could make them individual Hogwarts acceptance letters) but my only hesitation is that I have held this secret in for so long and won't get to see the looks on their faces, lol.

Unless I did the scavenger hunt early in the morning the day we leave, before they leave for their last day of school. Ahhhhh!! Decisions, decisions.

 

[kittyninja]

Ahhh! I know they will love it!! In my mind telling them the day of would be ideal...but they will probably want to tell their friends. I'm going to say the day before so they can be super pumped the whole day! Hope everything goes well and you have a great trip!! Post about their reactions later!!

 

[uproar90]

Wife & I decided this week to take the boy on a last-minute trip. We usually plan at least 12 months out...

She and I were going to a concert (her choice), but then she decided it was too much to drive 4 hours each way within a 24 hour span, so then she started looking around for places that all 3 of us could go... We both already had Thursday & Friday 6/21-22 off from work, so as we moved around the southeast US looking for a destination (we were considering trying something new instead of going back to Orlando), we figured we'd make a long weekend and leave Wednesday and return home Sunday night.

We're not telling the boy though. It's about a 10 hour drive for us, and we'll just leave Wednesday about 7pm. Throw the luggage in the back of the SUV so he doesn't see it, and we're just going to hit the road... Maybe tell him we're going to dinner or something... He won't believe us though.

He's 7 and has been to the 'Orlando area' 8 or 9 times now, so anytime we start driving @ night, and start heading down I-10 in 'that direction', he kinda has us figured out no matter how hard we try to keep it from him.

 

[vleeth]

I would try to do it in the morning before school. I don't know about your kids, but I would have trouble getting mine to sleep if I told her we were leaving the next day.

 

[minijeanie]

Hmmm ... that is such a great idea! They must have been thrilled! I am really tempted with this (I could make them individual Hogwarts acceptance letters) but my only hesitation is that I have held this secret in for so long and won't get to see the looks on their faces, lol.

Unless I did the scavenger hunt early in the morning the day we leave, before they leave for their last day of school. Ahhhhh!! Decisions, decisions.

I was concerned about not seeing their faces either but trust me when I picked them up at school and they were beaming ear to ear and all their friends were patting them on the back.. It was so worth it.

Although their teachers were not so thrilled with me (tee hee)

 

[bumbershoot]

With those ages, I would surprise them longer than a day or two before the trip. My 8 year old wants input in his clothing, and at 15 I would have DIED to not have input on what I was bringing. I have 3 younger brothers, and while they weren't as into looking cute, they would have wanted to choose the right clothes to look cool in.

I'd do it before then. It's going to be a surprise no matter WHEN you tell them (tell 'em today, still a surprise!), so why not surprise them AND give them time to help with some preparations?

 

[keishashadow]

With those ages, I would surprise them longer than a day or two before the trip. My 8 year old wants input in his clothing, and at 15 I would have DIED to not have input on what I was bringing. I have 3 younger brothers, and while they weren't as into looking cute, they would have wanted to choose the right clothes to look cool in.

I'd do it before then. It's going to be a surprise no matter WHEN you tell them (tell 'em today, still a surprise!), so why not surprise them AND give them time to help with some preparations?

agree, for my family half the fun of the trip is in the planning so everybody can be involved. I don't have much of a poker face, know i'd never be able to keep a trip a complete surprise, although I do work special surprises into every trip. Many do the countdown calendars and have special, themed pre-trip dinners.

I've seen videos posted of kids melting down (not in a good way, they look overwhelmed) when suprised with an immediate disney vacations. Some kids just don't do well with things sprung upon them. OP you know your family, i'm sure you'll come up with a great idea to announce it, have a wonderful trip

 

[damo]

I'm also of the crowd that kids and teens love to anticipate the trip and plan what is happening. It is a huge part of the vacation!

 

[vleeth]

I think it really depends on the kids.

My dd7 is fine with whatever I pack. And as for planning...we 'plan' Disney trips year round for whenever our next trip happens to be. Besides, I know her well enough to know that I'm the one that loves the planning...not her.

 

[kevcar0603]

We're surprising our kids too. We're starting our summer vacation with 3 days in I/A and U/S and then heading down to the beach for a week. My oldest hasn't been since we lived in FL 6 years ago and doesn't remember it at all. The younger 2 have never been. They all love Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and the Marvel guys, so I know they'll be thrilled! We're not telling them until we put them in the car in the morning because we're mean like that. They love surprises and are not particular about which outfits, so we're waiting to tell them. I'm dying to tell them now that we have less than 3 weeks to go. We've been planning for months!

 

[StarbuxNY]

Vleeth, I am like you and do 110% of the planning. The kids are thrilled to go, but I put in all the planning legwork.

With Disney they knew months in advance, we did the countdown chain and lots of special things. I know the younger two don't care what I'd pack but the older one will want to pack his own bag. However, I have been purchasing them new summer stuff that have been tucked aside "for the summer" when I really mean for vacation, lol, and that covers a great deal of their clothing. Even if I told them the day of, they'd have several more hours to add whatever to their luggage.

Now I am thinking I will still do the scavenger hunt/big reveal, but I might do it Sunday evening before we leave. Then they have the last few days of school to tell everyone, lol.

Kevcar, that is going to be soooooooo much fun!! They are going to be so excited!! Isn't it torture keeping the secret!!!!!!!!