How should "Santa" surprise my kids w/disney trip?

[kbwatzka]

Hello everyone -

"Santa" will be surprising my family with a trip to Disneyworld January 1st through the 7th. I've ordered customized maps which I plan to wrap up in a big box as the "final reveal." However, I would like to wrap up a few other gifts for my kids to open first that will hint at/suggest disney or a trip. I have a 2 year old daughter and 5 and 7 year old sons.
Does anyone have some ideas for how to make this surprise even more exciting?

I look forward to all of your creative suggestions.

Thank you,
Kelly

[teambricker04]

My husband and I talk about doing this with our boys once they get older. I can't wait to do it!!! How FUN!!!

The maps are a great idea. How about making a treasure hunt from Santa??? You can put clues in the stockings and use the maps as part of the clues. Since you have more than one child, you could split up the clues and make them have to put them together so they have to do it all together. You can even include your little one by making some picture clues.

The Easter bunny does a treasure hunt at our house every year. Instead of just a plain old egg hunt. We have a 2.5 yo (and a baby, who obviously hasn't done this yet) and so we put pictures in the eggs of where the next clue is. Eventually they get him to his basket.

[Jenemmy]

Hi there :mickey: We are doing the same thing!! Going to the WORLD in January and not telling our kids until Christmas morning (it's killing me, by the way!!)

One thing I planned on doing was getting the younger ones their own little Disney suitcase and wrapping it up (you can find them in all characters at Disney Shopping -- they have wheels and pull handles), and we thought about getting our oldest (11) his own digital camera. That way they have something to open and something to look forward to. I thought about when the kids open their suitcases, telling them they would need to start thinking about how they were going to fill it in a few weeks :secret:

Another big surprise to them is that their granparents (my parents) are going to be there as well. We are not telling them about that until they get down there and run into them!!! I keep praying I don't slip up and blurt something out!!!!!

[disneymom15]

We did the suit case idea for our daughter many years ago. We put a note inside the luggage telling her about the upcoming trip. We also gave her Disney Dollars to use.

[CKMom]

Dh surprised us last Christmas. I got a planning book in my stocking, nice, maybe someday I was thinking.... then he made invitations for the kids direct from Cinderella herself(DH) and it had all the info about meeting Cindy for breakfast on the first day. I got a heads up the night before, but wow were the kids thrilled. Fun times... and a great trip.

[GFFan]

My mom did this for us a few years ago, (i am 18 btw, in case your puzzled why a mom would do that). It was my brothers and I opening our gifts and we were finished opening our gifts and my mom said ok, your last gift is only one gift and whoever finds it, its theirs. So we all ran around the house trying to find it and my brother found it and my mom said "ok its yours or you can choose not to take it and you all get a gift to share." My brother said for us to share a gift, my mom booked us a trip and made little personalized itineraries attached to our favorite disney character plush toy. It was a nice suprise.

[JMTStone]

I love all of these ideas. You can get a "snow globe" of the Cinderella Castle and wrap that up too!

By the way, want to adopt? I'm looking for a nice family. I can baby-sit too!

[k_reile]

Dh surprised us last Christmas. I got a planning book in my stocking, nice, maybe someday I was thinking.... then he made invitations for the kids direct from Cinderella herself(DH) and it had all the info about meeting Cindy for breakfast on the first day. I got a heads up the night before, but wow were the kids thrilled. Fun times... and a great trip.

How cute is your husband? My DH would never think of that on his own...and he would also know that I would want to plan it myself anyways...but I would be nice for him to say...here is the $$..book a trip you will want.

[ginger19]

I also did mickey ears on the floor going from their rooms to the tree. On the tree was a note from santa on disney stationary (you can print it off of the web site) telling them they were going and when. I had the planning DVD on for them too. They loved it :mickey: