Announcing Your Disney Trip
3 – 2 – 1 . . . Surprise!
I gotta tell you . . . I am so excited about your upcoming trip!! And if I’m excited, I know you must be bursting with anticipation.
Who have you shared your travel news with?
Many parents like to wait to reveal a destination until the morning they leave, when they get to the airport, or even at the destination.
While I think this is a fun idea for a second or third surprise trip (once the family has already visited and fallen in love with Disney), I think if you are going somewhere for the first time, you want to give your kids a little more time to prepare.
Of course, getting the timing right is important . . .
If your kids are young, you probably want to wait to tell them once your trip planning is well underway. If you tell them when you start planning, sometimes a whole year or more in advance of your trip, you may lose the build-up of anticipation that is a fun part of the planning process.
But If you wait until you head out the door to the airport, you’ll miss the build-up of anticipation that is a fun part of the planning process.
Whenever you decide is the best time to reveal your plans – do so in a big way!
There are some great ideas you can find on YouTube or Pinterest, but my favorite ways are . . .
SCAVENGER HUNT
You can be traditional, where each clue leads to another until they find an item revealing your destination, or each clue can be a puzzle piece or something else they have to put together to get the message. You can even find templates on Pinterest to make it super simple.
Remember, if you plan to get this on video, you’ll want to confine your hunt to a smaller, controlled space.
COUNTDOWN CALENDAR
I know you are so excited to tell your kids, but you definitely don’t want to have to hear ”How many more days until Disney?” every single morning! But with a countdown calendar, your child will know exactly how many days.
If you are planning a big reveal, your clues could even lead to a countdown calendar. (Use code BLOG10 for 10% off!)
FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT
There is nothing better than a Disney Family Movie Night. I love to create a menu and plan a craft, game, or activity all themed to the movie of the evening. I will typically plan one a month before the trip. You can choose your family’s favorites or watch classics your children may have never seen before.
Some ideas to get you started:
- Mulan – Make your own Mulan fan, then enjoy Mongolian Beef for dinner.
- Toy Story – Create your own Forky or build your own Mr. Potato Head using a template, and wrap up with a Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza just like they serve at Pizza Planet!
- Moana – Make a luau flower crown and dine on some delicious Hawaiian Chicken afterward.
- Cars – Design your own race car using toilet paper tubes and round out the evening with some classic diner fare.
Just choose your movie and do a quick Google or Pinterest search for themed ideas. The possibilities are endless!
COPYCAT RECIPES
There is nothing that brings people together more than food. It is the main reason I love to travel so much. There are so many Disney cookbooks out there or just find a copycat recipe online of your favorite Disney treat.
PLAN YOUR PARK DAYS
When your children are invested in the itinerary, they will be much less likely to complain. As their knowledge about where you’re going increases, let them pick a few activities that they would look forward to doing. Create the itinerary together. (Use code BLOG10 for 10% off!)
My favorite thing to do is designate a day in the itinerary for each child.
They pick what you all do, where you go to eat, and everything else for that day. Thus teaching a give and take, they had their day, so they need to support the choices their sibling – or even you made for your day.
Related Posts:
How to Host the Ultimate Movie Night
Your Next Disney Trip Starts At HOME
9 Ways You Can Create the Magic of Disney at Home
10 Things Your Kids Can Learn On Your Disney Vacation (without realizing it!)