SURPRISE! Or… Not?? By Guest Blogger Lianne Lapierre
I don’t know about you, but it seems like I’m ALWAYS planning a Disney vacation! It doesn’t matter if it’s two years out, or two months out, my “Disney Vacation Budget” spreadsheet seems to find its way to my desktop each and every day! Planning for Disney is so much fun! From finding airfare deals, to checking out the best hotels for our family and making our Disney dining reservations… I get goosebumps just THINKING about it all!
But, what do we do when we have kids, and we FINALLY have those dates set in stone, and those airlines tickets paid for? The question often becomes “Do we tell them now? Or do we surprise them the morning we leave?” Such a TOUGH decision to make! Almost harder than deciding which Disney resort to stay at! Some people know immediately if they will share their Disney excitement with their children, but for those who just can’t decide, this blog, is for YOU!
There are so many great reasons to surprise your family with Disney. Not only is planning your entire trip fun, but planning a surprise REVEAL is the icing on the cake! From surprise cakes and balloons, to backpacks full of all things Disney to keep your little ones entertained in the car or on the plane, there are SO many things out there to help you put together your reveal package! I’m a HUGE fan of our local dollar store for items like this, and it’s always fun picking out little things here and there in the months leading up to the trip. And the look on their faces when you actually give them the exciting news about your vacation – PRICELESS!!! Another reason WE like surprising our son, is on that RARE chance that a trip has to be cancelled for some reason, you don’t have to worry about breaking their little hearts. We went through this a year ago (due to a rare medical condition our son has that likes to butt into our family time at the most inconvenient of times), and it was a gloomy time for all of us!
But, just like surprising our families are super fun, so is sharing the news with them as soon as you book your trip! We absolutely LOVE watching the free Disney Planning DVD that comes out every year to get us even more excited for our trip! I love having my son help with the dining reservations, picking out the hotel we’ll be spending time in, and choosing our Fast Passes. And if you’re thinking of doing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party in the fall, having your little ones come up with ideas for a family costume theme is always fun!! Plus, we LOVE putting some sort of Disney Vacation Countdown up in our home! There’s just something so exciting about seeing those days go down, down, down! Disney family movie nights, single-digit parties, and Mickey pancakes for breakfast are must do’s for our family in the weeks before we leave. There is one “not-so-great” thing about telling your little ones early, however…. If you tell them TOO early, be prepared for a few “meltdowns” when you tell them you still have 100 days left!
As for me…. there MAY be a trip planned in our not-so-distant future… but… I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!
Lianne and her family live in northern Maine, where Disney is just as much a part of their lives as ever. Most of their family vacations include a trip to the Disney Parks, where they love reliving their own childhood memories, as well as watching their son’s love of Disney grow with each visit.
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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