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Mom and daughter on Expedition Everest; Animal Kingdom
  • On Aug 29, 2012
    Christina from ND Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    We are coming in December for a wedding and surprising our kids 7, and 3, debating weather to wait and surprise them at the airport or tell them a couple weeks before?? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

    Hi Christina,

    This is a tough call. I've both surprised my kids and told them in advance about our Disney trips. There are pros and cons to both, but the best decision really depends on the personalities of your kids. Here are some things to think about:

    - How to they react to impeding big events such as birthdays or Christmas? Do they enjoy the anticipation or do they pester you with their impatience?
    - Do you enjoy sharing the run up to big events with your kids, building your anticipation, or would it be easier to just have the event?
    - Are there aspects of Disney that might confuse/frighten your children without warning? For example, do you think they would have a better time if you showed them several Disney films featuring characters they might see - or showed them YouTube versions of rides they might go on.
    - Can you successfully pack without giving away the secret?
    - Will the trip be more fun if you share some aspects of planning together?
    - Will they get some "street cred" at school if they get to boast about their upcoming trip a bit?
    - Do you need to involve teachers or others in your plan who might accidentally give away the secret?
    - Since you're going for a wedding, do you need to do some behavior prep for the wedding that will give away the secret?

    Only you can know your family and how they'll react. I can tell you that the look on my daughter's face when we pulled up to her kindergarten in a limo for a surprise trip was priceless, but we've also had MANY wonderful trips where the kids were in on the planning and helped us choose the restaurants and ride plan in advance.

    Either way, you're taking them on a Disney vacation, so you really can't go wrong. Enjoy!

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Meet the Panelist: Erin, New York

I have three teenage daughters. We're DVC members obsessed with Disney travel. We've been to Walt Disney World countless times and have visited Disneyland & Disneyland Paris. We've taken several Adventures by Disney and Disney Cruise trips. Learn More About Erin

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