Help me think of a cute/fun way to tell my 11yo neice...

[MikeyP]

...that she is coming to WDW with us.

We've surprisingly secured her guardians' permission (my MIL and step-FIL) to bring her to WDW with us (during school!!) and we're fortunate enough that our budget will allow for it this time around.
She already knows that we (me, DW, and DD2.5) are going in September and of course wants to come with us, and she knows that we of course want her to come (it's just that missing school might have almost been an issue).

She had no idea that I even asked if we could take her (clearing the missing school thing past her grandfather), let alone that he said yes. So I bought her a plane ticket this afternoon, and we're looking for a way to tell her tonight in such a way that it would be a great surprise.
She's never been there, she loves, all things Disney, and she's always wanted to go (and we've always wanted to take her).

So, any ideas? Ideally, this should be happening tonight (the trip is right after Labor Day in September).

[MidnTPK]

Buy her some of the planning books. Wrap them up and have her unwrap them.

[peemagg]

If you can make up a envelope with your nieces name and your address on it and make it look like it was mailed (maybe if you went to a post office they would even place some sort of cancellation stamp on it). Then inside just place the airline tickets or make up a fake ticket with her name on it. Seal it and take it to her, under the pretense that it was mailed to your address. Then watch her face as she figures everything out.

I would even take a video of it if possible.

[MikeyP]

If you can make up a envelope with your nieces name and your address on it and make it look like it was mailed (maybe if you went to a post office they would even place some sort of cancellation stamp on it). Then inside just place the airline tickets or make up a fake ticket with her name on it. Seal it and take it to her, under the pretense that it was mailed to your address. Then watch her face as she figures everything out.

I would even take a video of it if possible.

I LOVE this idea!

[exvagirl]

When I was about 8, my parents had secretly planned a trip to WDW. They told me and my brother (then 6) by doing a little scavenger hunt. In a box, they put a couple things that could relate to WDW (a Snow White doll, a Bugs Life poster, character coloring book etc., all stuff found at like Dollar Tree). Then, at the bottom of the box, they told us to search in a certain location (ours was in a kitchen drawer) to find a small bag of puzzle pieces. We completed the puzzle and it said WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY! For example, you could write YOU'RE COMING TO DISNEY WITH US! or something along those lines on the puzzle. Its a little but of work, but my brother and I were both SHOCKED and excited. Hope this gives you some ideas!

[Pirate Granny]

What a wonderful Aunt and Uncle you are...she's one lucky girl

[Jillirose]

When I was about 8, my parents had secretly planned a trip to WDW. They told me and my brother (then 6) by doing a little scavenger hunt. In a box, they put a couple things that could relate to WDW (a Snow White doll, a Bugs Life poster, character coloring book etc., all stuff found at like Dollar Tree). Then, at the bottom of the box, they told us to search in a certain location (ours was in a kitchen drawer) to find a small bag of puzzle pieces. We completed the puzzle and it said WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY! For example, you could write YOU'RE COMING TO DISNEY WITH US! or something along those lines on the puzzle. Its a little but of work, but my brother and I were both SHOCKED and excited. Hope this gives you some ideas!

Love the puzzle idea

[iheartdisney]

Ok, now I want to know how you finally did it and what her reaction was!

[exvagirl]

ok, now i want to know how you finally did it and what her reaction was!

same!!!

[MikeyP]

We went with the mail idea, since that was something we could set up in the amount of time that we had. I put a little ink stamp over the postage stamp to make it look real, and she couldn't tell the difference.
She didn't get it at first; she thought that someone just bought her a plane ticket to Orlando, though she didn't know that's where WDW is, and she thought going on a trip was cool in and of itself.
Then we asked her if she knew what was in Orlando. She responded by saying that she was trying to remember, but couldn't.
That was when my daughter grabbed the guide book from me that I had rolled in my hand and started walking around with it (totally serendipitous). She then walked over to my niece (Dez) and had the book open in front of her (still, not on purpose)... when Dez saw the cover of the book, which said both WDW and Orlando on it, her eyes popped out of her head and she started looking to each of us (DW, MIL, step-FIL) for confirmation.
When we nodded our heads and smiled, she asked (with her voice full of hope) if she was going to Disney World with us.
We said yep, she then said yes! and did a fist pump, then we handed her the guidebook and the little booklet that comes with the trip planning DVD.
She then spent the next hour asking us tons of questions.

[iheartdisney]

Awwww! Thanks for sharing. That was such a sweet way to share the news. And so wonderful of you and your family to share your vacation. Have a magical time!

[Cinderelley]

That is such a cute story!

[MikeyP]

Awwww! Thanks for sharing. That was such a sweet way to share the news. And so wonderful of you and your family to share your vacation. Have a magical time!

We try to take her on family outings (museums, zoos, aquariums, parks, etc) and vacations as often as we can; we're kind of the only ones she has had who are able to do so with any regularity (she lives with my MIL and step-FIL who have a really tight budget, though that is improving and they've been able to do some things with us with her; her mom (my wife's step-sister) has had some difficulties and for a while wasn't around, and though things have really improved for her she still has a tight budget right now as well; her mom's brother is a good guy with a great family, but he's active duty military and lives overseas; and I don't think that she's ever met her father).

We've always wanted to take her to WDW, but since we've always gone (and in general usually travel) while school is in we didn't think her grandfather would be okay with it; we figured we'd take a chance this time considering she'd only miss 2-3 days at the very beginning of the year. Her mom was in agreement so we figured we'd take the chance and ask. Looks like it's all going to work out!

[exvagirl]

Thats so cute! Thanks for sharing!