How did you tell the kids? Update: I FINALLY did my reveal!!

[ElsasMom]

I want to know how you told the kids about your Disney Cruise? And how did they react, esp 1st timers?

We'll be taking our first Disney Cruise as a family in 2/2015 and I'm considering telling them/revealing it somehow on Xmas...

When we went on our first WDW trip last summer, I told them we were going on vacation, but not where. Than the day before we left I did a scavenger hunt to tell them we were going to WDW:

http://www.disabledmom.com/2013/07/scavenger-hunt.html

DS was stunned, but excited by my WDW reveal, but I feel like DD didn't really have a context. I'm hoping having been to WDW the DCL will be exciting to them.

TIA

 

[sillecruisers]

We are also taking our first cruise in 2/2015 (Feb 23rd Dream) and are surprising them at Christmas. Now, our family has dreamed of a Disney cruise for literally years, and now that I am working, my oldest suspects that we are secretly planning a cruise (he walked in on hubby researching cruises on the computer) and we are going to have to take the kids for passports this summer, so it won't be THAT big of a surprise.

We are planning to get a miniature model of the Dream, and wrap it up, along with travel binders (one for each kid) that have a day by day itinerary- we have 3 days of vacation in Orlando planned prior to the actual cruise. We are also including lanyards, Disney gift cards for their spending money, and maybe some summery clothes/ flip flops/ swimsuits etc) so basically they are opening a gift that reveals the cruise. Oh yeah, they each need a carry on suitcase so we may use those to package their "gifts" with the Disney cruise reveal items inside. The binder is the biggie though. They can flip through and see what is in store for each day.

What cruise are you going on? How old are your kids? Mine will be 14 (boy), 11 (boy) and 10 (girl).

 

[ElsasMom]

What cruise are you going on? How old are your kids? Mine will be 14 (boy), 11 (boy) and 10 (girl).

Feb 13 3-day Dream to the Bahamas. My son will be 12 and my daughter will be 5 by the cruise.

 

[ElsasMom]

I don't think we'd do another scavenger hunt, but I love the giant box magically appearing while they were out of the room!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r7z742szYU

 

[ElsasMom]

So after I watched some you tube videos of people telling their kids they were going DCL, I asked DH for his opinion and basically he said it was one thing to have big reveal scavenger hunt for their first WDW trip, but he felt making a big deal about this cruise at Xmas would make the kids feel they were missing out on presents and that a lower key announcement would be better. Sigh...

So, maybe he's right, but it's a tricky thing. We're going in Feb so we don't want to tell them too early DD4 couldn't handle waiting months and if we wait to late DS11 is likely to intercept mail/overhear conversations, etc...

 

[PoopDeckPappy]

We are going in December of '14. We have to fly to Miami. We're telling the kids (6, 7, 4) that we're going on vacation to FL. We are going the day before and the next day we won't tell them anything…we want to see their faces when they figure it out. I figure they will see the ship and think that it's cool and then when we walk into the pier building one of them will figure it out.

 

[sandydk]

We are also going on our first cruise in 2/2015 (4-day Dream 2/9/15). I originally wanted to reveal at Christmas, but then I didn't want to take away from any of the rest of the Christmas magic. I've decided to do the reveal on New Year's Day instead. Haven't decided how, but I'm leaning toward scavenger hunt with some of their little trip gifts (pirate stuff maybe) leading to a bigger gift with DCL t-shirts, pirate Mickey ears, a countdown calendar and some awesome "tickets" that someone on Creative DISigns made for me.

When we went to WDW for the first time last fall, we didn't tell the boys (then 8 and 5) until the day we were leaving. I had my MIL video the reveal, which was written on a Dollar Tree 24-piece puzzle. Since the puzzle was so easy (they're way beyond 24-pieces), we presented it as a timed race to see how fast they could do it. They were so caught up in the race that the words on the puzzle didn't register at first. When they finished, they read the "We're going to Disney World" and just looked at us blankly. We asked if they knew where that was, they said Florida. No reaction. I said, the big question is WHEN are we going to Disney World? They asked when, and I said TODAY. It took a moment for that to sink in, and then I was tackled to the floor by two boys whooping and laughing and screaming. My 8-year-old said he didn't truly believe us until his dad came walking down the stairs carrying all the luggage we had stashed in our closet!

 

[ElsasMom]

When we went to WDW for the first time last fall, we didn't tell the boys (then 8 and 5) until the day we were leaving. I had my MIL video the reveal, which was written on a Dollar Tree 24-piece puzzle. Since the puzzle was so easy (they're way beyond 24-pieces), we presented it as a timed race to see how fast they could do it. They were so caught up in the race that the words on the puzzle didn't register at first. When they finished, they read the "We're going to Disney World" and just looked at us blankly. We asked if they knew where that was, they said Florida. No reaction. I said, the big question is WHEN are we going to Disney World? They asked when, and I said TODAY. It took a moment for that to sink in, and then I was tackled to the floor by two boys whooping and laughing and screaming. My 8-year-old said he didn't truly believe us until his dad came walking down the stairs carrying all the luggage we had stashed in our closet!

Great story!

Good luck with with your scavenger hunt! We had a lot of fun with ours.

 

[abk1030]

Ours don't know yet but our last day of school is May 23 and when they get home, they will be going on a Scavenger hunt around our land and house. The last clue will play the Disney Cruise DVD and they get not only clues but gifts along the way. I am in the process of getting everything together. I came up with the clues a few weeks ago. This is our first time also and I cannot wait to tell them. We go on June 29.

 

[ElsasMom]

Ours don't know yet but our last day of school is May 23 and when they get home, they will be going on a Scavenger hunt around our land and house. The last clue will play the Disney Cruise DVD and they get not only clues but gifts along the way. I am in the process of getting everything together. I came up with the clues a few weeks ago. This is our first time also and I cannot wait to tell them. We go on June 29.

How exciting! I can't what to hear how it went

 

[Tnicole70]

Me too

 

[Jckygirl]

I haven't told mine either. We currently live in Puerto Rico and I have booked us on the September 20th cruise on the Magic. I never take them out of school but I can't pass up the fact that they are leaving out of here. I'm not saying anything to them until right before. I was thinking about doing a scavenger hunt with the teachers if they are willing to help. Looking for some ideas

 

[Ravenne]

We're first timers. I told the kids by having going through the whole booking process first, then called them over to me and had them click the button to finalize the reservation. At first they didn't know what was going on, but once my oldest read what was on the screen, they screamed and couldn't wait. We were close to 400 days out at the time and I don't think they realize how far away it was but it didn't matter. They couldn't wait to tell their friends the next day. My youngest's teacher actually asked me one day about it and I had to tell her it wasn't for 14 months lol.

I don't think I can keep it a secret. I'd like to, but I can't. I've enjoyed having them know all along though because I've involved them in planning every step of the way and they really enjoyed having a say in things as well.

 

[Eturnity]

We leave May31,2014...so just about 26 days out. We have kept the secret over a year and my two will be told a week before we go (two days after school lets out). We set up for them to get a character call and I have binders ready to hand them with all the info, and the DVD ready to play.

 

[MelInAZ]

We are going in December of '14. We have to fly to Miami. We're telling the kids (6, 7, 4) that we're going on vacation to FL. We are going the day before and the next day we won't tell them anything…we want to see their faces when they figure it out. I figure they will see the ship and think that it's cool and then when we walk into the pier building one of them will figure it out.

This is our plan - we don't leave until 3/13 and we'll be flying into Orlando the night before. We're staying the night in Cocoa Beach and don't plan to say anything until we arrive at the pier. You will have to post back and let me know how it went!

 

[SeattleSuz]

I don't think I can keep it a secret. I'd like to, but I can't. I've enjoyed having them know all along though because I've involved them in planning every step of the way and they really enjoyed having a say in things as well.

Yep, same here. First time on DCL, but DD knows what's going on, where our ports are, etc. She's been telling all her classmates and friends. It's fun having her help plan.

 

[MelInAZ]

Yep, same here. First time on DCL, but DD knows what's going on, where our ports are, etc. She's been telling all her classmates and friends. It's fun having her help plan.

My 'keep it a secret plan' changed and we told them yesterday for this reason - we want them to help us plan. They are going to be 11 and 13 and would hate for them to miss out on something really important to them because we thought they'd have preferred to do something else.

 

[eviltink44]

We are going March of 2015 and I plan on telling them (along with my husband) on Christmas. My boys have been going to WDW more than yearly since they were 4 and 2 so it is difficult to surprise them. In Feb 2013, we told them we were going to a lawyers office to draw up some boring paperwork and to have their Nintendo DS charged. We told them as we were getting ready to pull into the "parking spot". Unfortunately my youngest had fallen asleep in the 15 minute car ride to the airport (he will never be a truck driver), but my oldest son's response was priceless.

 

[ElsasMom]

I guess it all boils down to excitement now or excitement later. I think with my little one a wait longer than 30days is difficult to understand, but I could probably tell my big kid now about the cruise in Feb and he'd be thrilled.

For us though we don't want to overshadow anything in between. DS finishes 5th grade in a few weeks and we have some fun-but-not on-the-same-scale-as-Disney plans this summer.

I'm still thinking we tell them right after the holidays. Like an encore to the festivities is there's more to look forward too!

I can't wait for updates from people who revealed the trip as they were leaving though!

 

[skeettafic]

Well, not only am I planning on surprising the kids but also DH at Christmas! LOL. He said we shouldn't do a vacation in 2015 and a group of friends were planning a cruise for March 2015 so I just went ahead and booked it and figured that if I can have it paid off by Christmas then he really couldn't be upset.

In order to make the trip happen, a big part of Christmas is going to be the trip so I'm going to try and get things to open for everyone that are trip related but still give them things to open -- thinking Disney Infinity characters, new luggage, swimsuits, Mickey earrings, stuff like that. For DH, I'm going to get a bottle of rum, a Hawaiian shirt, maybe a special excursion, etc.

The kids will get a few other things for Christmas but we've been trying to scale back over the last couple of years so they won't be surprised that there aren't a ton of presents under the tree. I'm just hoping DH isn't mad about the trip.