Surprise help needed!

[Disneymom201]

We have decided to surprise our 2 sons (11 & 7)this year with our vacation to The World. I am planning that they will find our after dinner, the night before we leave (flight is at 7:00am...so I do not see much sleep that night :) ). My initial thought is a rhyming invitation with quotes from Disney movies and/or theme park related jargon. I would also like to incorporate a large box filled with hellium Mickey head balloons.
If anyone has done this before or has any cool and/or creative ideas I would love to hear from you!
I don't know what I am more excited for.... our vacation or for the surprise :)

2005 - 2007 Off Property
2008 Grand Flordian
2009 Wilderness Lodge
2010 AKL: Surprise for the kiddo's!

[faline]

What a cool surprise! Your idea sounds wonderful!

[dangerman]

What a wonderful idea. I haven't done anything like that or received anything like it either, so I can't really help much.

Could Mickey and friends perhaps write a letter or postcard (wish you were here kinda thing) as a little clue perhaps the day before?

Sorry if the idea is a little boring it's all I can come up with early in the morning. :alarm:

Let us know how it goes would love to know how it works out :mickey:

DM

[Disneymom201]

I, myself, am not very creative when it comes to wording. I know I would like the "invitation" to come from "friends" aka: Disney Characters. I would also like to incorporate Disney movie slogans or Park jargon.
Come on fellow Disney enthusiasts....send me your creative side...I really need some help here!
Thanks again!

2005 - 2007 Off Property
2008 Grand Floridian
2009 Wilderness Lodge
2010 Animal Kingdom Lodge...Surprise Trip!

[tinksmom02]

We traveled with friends in 2008 and told our kids (6 years at the time) the night before we left. We packed their backpacks with Disney Dollars (back when you could still get them), the Birnbaums's for Kids guide, T-shirts, autograph books (I'd been to WOD in NYC and got them there, but now you can order them online), etc. We gave them the backpacks as a "gift." Once they started getting into everything, my DD caught on right away. They thought we were joking with them, though! And then for some inexplible reason DD burst into tears and my friend's DS stomped out of the room insisting he wasn't going. (Turns out they were both a little apprehensive about the flight.)

I love the idea of opening a box and having Mickey heads float away!

[akaDisneyDreamer]

How about clues, scavenger hunt style? Maybe they open a clue with a Disney charactor or movie message on it telling them where to look next (I like the idea of using a rhyme or poem style) ... where they find another clue (and maybe an inexpensive Disney trinket of some sort) there can be several of those with the finale being the Mickey head balloons ... attached to a suitcase ... ? This can keep the suspense and excitement going in as many steps as you want it to go on. :mickey:

[bjb1124]

There's a cute little application on the Disney Vacation Connection widget that's free from Disney. It allows you to put your faces in a movie called My Disney Vacation. You create it and I think you can send it to an email address. It could be part of the clues (like the next to the last one - at the end of the movie have it say look for your box and have the balloons come out.

I like the idea of the balloons being tied to a suitcase or those backpacks filled with little goodies that someone else mentioned.

[lionprincess9]

My parents gave my sister and I a surprise Disney trip for Christmas one year. They had a huge box with little clues to where we were going...there was a pin for each of us, an old room key, etc. Just little clues. So what if you did your box idea with the mickey balloons in it, but taped to the bottom of the box was the poem? It could maybe be something like "A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep. So dream of a trip to Disney tonight, and new memories forever you'll keep."

I don't know, it's real cheesy and kinda sketchy, but maybe it will help you out.

[diz_girl]

I wouldn't tell them the night before. In the weeks before your trip try to pretend that you're going somewhere else. Someplace where they'd be OK with, but not really exciting to them so they won't be disappointed about not going there. You can then tell them where you're really going when you're leaving for the airport, maybe via a goodie bag of Disney things. They'll already expecting to fly, so it's just the destination that should be the surprise.

My sister's kids didn't find out until they were driving under the sign. They drove from NJ and were told that they were going somewhere else. They were 5 and 3, so they couldn't read road signs and had no idea where they were until they arrived at WDW.

[NJBUZZ]

We did just that about 4 years ago. I was told I would never be able to to pull it off. they go reguarlay, but I wanted to see if I could do what most cant, lol

We booked the flights to Orlando, told them I had a business meeting in Fort Lauderdale and the flights were booked. So we were heading down through Orlando than taking a limo to Lauderdale. After my meeting we would be spending the week at the beach. They were still excited. We had to tell my daughter as she had school partys to cancel. she kept the secret.
We landed in Orlando, and I grabbed the Limo driver to get him on the plan. After about 5 minutes on the road, he was to ask me if we could make a detour and pick up a couple who were stranded with a dead limo at the Grand Floridian. They were heading to Lauderdale as well. Of course we said sure.
Well the doom and gloom set in as we are going through the gates, seeing all the billboards. You can see they were down in the dumps by seeing it all but just can't get to it, lol. I'm doing everything I can I not bust out laughing. Of course we are playing it up just short of a dyfus investigation, lol.

We pull through the GF gates and on up. Soon as we stop, the driver gets me out of the car and I grab the little old man who has been there for years and let him in on it as he will announce to the kids they are here for 8 days. So the drivers asks everyone to get out so the other couple could get in. Than the surprise was sprung.

The look was priceless, the feeling was priceless.
More importantly I did what they all said wasn't possible. lol :party:

[meldan98]

We suprised our girls with a trip at Christmas. Michael's sells these wooden jigsaw puzzles that are blank. I took one and painted it with a message that said "We are going to Disneyland today!" on it. I then broke up the puzzle and hid the pieces in their presents. Then as they opened their presents, they found the pieces and after they were done, my oldest put the puzzle together and read the message. It was priceless. You could do something similiar and do a scavenger hunt for the pieces or give them the puzzle as something to do on the car ride either to WDW or to the airport.

[ElenitaB]

Meldan98's idea is great! Love it!

I surprised my son with a trip the day after second grade was over. I woke him up very early in the morning and gave him a card "from Mickey." After months of hearing him lament how much he missed his pal, Mickey Mouse, the card read: "xxx, I miss your smile... Can you come by MGM Studios this afternoon so that I can give you a hug?" It took a bit to sink in (it was 5:30 in the morning after all), but once he figured it out, he was thrilled!

Have fun with planning the surprise... and have a camera ready!

[KAT1811]

When are you leaving???:mickey3:

[Disneymom201]

Thanks to everyone for their input...I have gathered some new & great ideas :)
We are going October 6-14, taking advantage of the kids long holiday weekend. MNSSHP the night of the 12th!
63 more days til the SUPRISE!!!!!!

2005 - 2007 Off Property
2008 Grand Floridian
2009 WL
2010 AKL 64 more days!!!!