5 Year Olds Surprise vacation

[BusyBeesMom]

We have booked our first DCL for Dec/MR mostly just to enjoy the disney experience. I want to give my daughter a goodie bag the morning we head to the port. Any suggestions on what to give or how to approach the surprise? ;)

[Miami_Dolfan]

I have surprised my son & daughter with Disney trips before, but nothing too over the top. We live an hour from Disneyland so although we go often, it's still a fantastic treat for our kids to go, especially if it's on a school day ( a rare treat). My favorite surprise was the day we got up like any normal school day. Had son get dressed for school ( daughter was a baby so she was just along for the ride lol), made his lunch, packed his backpack, etc. Even threw in a few "Hurry up, we're running late, you'll be late for school!" just for show :p While he was upstairs brushing his teeth I hung a big sign on the front door. It said, "STOP! You're not going to school today, you're going to Disneyland!". So I yell upstairs, "It's time to go!" he comes downstairs and walks to the door and sees the sign and totally freaks out. He pretends to faint for good measure :rolleyes: And of course Daddy was recording it all on the camera.

Now, we're going on our cruise to the MR on Oct. 2 and the cruise was MY birthday surprise for my 40th birthday. Hubby made a sweet DVD of him and the kids telling me 'happy birthday' and talking about how much they love me ( yes, I cried..but I digress, it was my 40th..I was already on the edge lol). So at the end of the video, there I was thinking "Aww, how sweet of him and the kids to make that for me" but then DH popped up on the TV talking about my 'real present'. Then he says, "I'll give you a few hints" so then a pic of the ocean flashed on the tv screen. So I think "oh the beach! Cool!" but the next hint was a pic of Mickey Mouse. So yeah, I lost it. And thankfully someone was recording that as well :)

 

I hope that helps with ideas. Maybe you could order the cruise planning video from the website and one day tell her you got this cool new DVD that you wanted her to watch, and surprise her like that? Or since you're leaving in the morning, maybe make her Mickey shaped pancakes and give her a cool new Disney cup to drink her O.J out of, maybe some Mickey Mouse paper plates. Ask her if she notices a theme... :D

[bus man]

We have booked our first DCL for Dec/MR mostly just to enjoy the disney experience. I want to give my daughter a goodie bag the morning we head to the port. Any suggestions on what to give or how to approach the surprise? ;)

 

Are you saying you're not going to tell your daughter you're going on a cruise until you're on the way to the port? Wow! I mean, granted, it does save you from endless "when are we going on the cruise" questions, but still, it does deny her the excitement of anticipation.

 

I'm facing the same situation as you; I'll be taking the kids on their first cruise next spring. Haven't decided when I'm going to tell them, but I'm thinking probably sometime within the prior calendar month. That way, we can say we're going "next month." My kids are 5 and 3, so time periods beyond "next month" are kind of abstract to them anyway!

 

As to how to break it to them, I've gotten the promotional DVD from DCL, and I figured we'd have a "movie night" and show it to them. Then, when they're all excited about seeing the big ship, we'll let the cat out of the bag.

[WeLoveDisneyAlways]

Are you saying you're not going to tell your daughter you're going on a cruise until you're on the way to the port? Wow! I mean, granted, it does save you from endless "when are we going on the cruise" questions, but still, it does deny her the excitement of anticipation

 

Lol that's funny I'm the one driving my DD crazy everyday I make her do the countdown we started at 320 down to 170. We went to Disney 3 times and decided the 4th would be an Xmas present booked 3 weeks in advance departed week after Christmas well I thought my DD would be ecstatic when we told her she didn't even react it took her days to get that we were really going. I will never suprise her again I like her picking our room, what outfits were going to wear (were all coordinated), what hotel to stay at etc. She makes the planning so fun plus when we get there it's her vacation!

[BusyBeesMom]

Thanks everyone for your ideas. If my daughter knew now that we are going on a cruise we really would be supplied with a lot of "when are we goings" and many other questions in regards to the ship. As we have done Disneyland several times she has no memory of such a "big" vacation and my excitement to make it the most it can be for is probably taking over. Im sure whatever it comes down to it will be "magical". :p