We're Going to Disney World!
It’s official, we’re going to Disney World! It’s a secret we had been keeping from the kids for at least six months and shared on Christmas morning. It was a challenge to keep from the kids and personally, I feel that sharing news of a trip to Disney World is a pretty big deal. If you’re kids are into Disney it can be one of those magical moments. I mean we’ve also seen the videos on YouTube when the kids find out they’re going to Disney and start crying, right? But when is the right time to share? Do you do it when the trip is booked months in advance or do you share the day of departure? We netted out on sharing Christmas morning as this really was their big gift and we felt that it was close enough away that they would still be vested. I was excited and nervous to share both because of the amount of planning that goes into such a trip and the fact of the matter was, I wanted a big reaction. Please read on for my TAKE on sharing news of a trip to Disney!
Not surprisingly, I read up a bit on this topic and the majority of parents agree that if you plan to share this news prior to the day of departure it’s best to include some sort of book or toy to further excite them. Because, our kids had never been to Disney World and don’t understand exactly what such a trip means or what to expect I agreed with the advice. I knew this would especially be true for my 2 year old and somewhat for the older ones and the bottom line was, I wanted them to be excited!
In order to accomplish this goal, I came up with the following plan. On Christmas morning the first gift of Christmas would be a gift for all of them announcing our trip to Disney World (inclusive of a note about the trip and our magic bands) and then each child would open a Disney themed box full of presents geared towards their interests. It was really fun to collect the Disney themed items leading up to Christmas and share with them on Christmas morning along with the news. We made sure to reiterate that these gifts were from Mom and Dad as I certainly don’t want to be the parent of kids who spreads rumors that Santa gives out trips to Disney World! :)
Disney Themed Goodies
Each kid had their own Disney themed Christmas present to open that included a variety of books, toys and clothes appropriate for them. Here are some of my favorite finds: Mickey Mouse pajamas, LEGO DUPLO My first Mickey Build, LEGO Steamboat Willie, Disney Pixar Cars Die Cast Set, Disney Princess Ultimate Sticker Collection, Minnie Mouse Lip Smacker, Where is Walt Disney World?, Birnbaum’s 2020 Disney World for Kids Guidebook and finally, The Disney Book: A Celebration of the World of Disney.
Without a doubt, the Birnbaum’s 2020 Disney World Guidebook for Kids has been the most popular because it shares photos of most of the rides in every park, ranks them, offers tips and planning guides all based on a child’s perspective. Literally, this book is read or the pictures looked at by one of my kids every single day and it will absolutely be coming with us on our trip!
Counting Down the Days
When we shared the news we were still a month plus away from our departure date so we made a paper chain, which was included in the first box they opened (see below) to help the kids count down the remainder of the days. It has continued to help engage them and works as a daily math lesson!
Needless to say, the reveal was a hit. I was kind of hoping for jumping up and down or spontaneous tears but regardless, the kids were very excited and their excitement has intensified especially as we are less than two weeks out from our trip. All of the planning has paid off and while we know it will be exhausting we can’t wait to experience the magic with them and hopefully, some sunshine!
A compilation fo Katestake.com Disney Posts:
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