Having dropped my kiddos off at their first day of school, Kindergarten and 2nd Grade, I’m back at home plotting a huge surprise while baby Sawyer naps. We are about to embark on a cross-country vacation adventure, packed with highlights that just might blow their little minds.
A couple weeks ago, Jyl invited my family on an amazing long weekend at Universal Orlando Resort including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
My husband and I are super excited but we haven’t told the kids yet. We want the reveal to be worthy of the trip.
Here’s why this vacation is coming at just the right moment:
- We’re reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets together at bedtime, and it’s about to come to life in front of their eyes.
- They have the Spider-Man book loaded into the Tag (AKA reading robot) — and we’ll be able to ride Universal’s Spider-Man ride at the theme park.
- Despicable Me is on the iPad — and a 3-D movie-slash-ride thing promises to let us jump into the action of that film.
I have a few ideas on how to maximize the payoff of this secret vacation, but now I need to execute! How can I enjoy the biggest WOW factor from my big boys?
I could tell them at dinner that we’re spending the next two days of school at Hogwarts instead of regular school.
Maybe I’ll use black parchment and a silvery marker to etch out a coded invitation. Should there be a scavenger hunt? Not tell them until the airplane?
What would Pinterest do? I only have a few more hours to pull this off!
Either way, our flight leaves early tomorrow. We travel for most of the day with a three-hour layover in North Carolina. We arrive in Orlando late night (too late to explore) to stay in a hotel on site. Friday, we will tour the main Universal Orlando Resort and Saturday we will be in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter while staying at Loew’s Royal Pacific Resort.
How would you announce a surprise like this?
[updated! Per Alma's suggestion below, I just made this quiz for them to solve during dinner]
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Disclosure: All major expenses for this adventure are paid for by Universal Orlando Resort, which I so totally appreciate.
i am so going to stalk your comments here, as we are taking our 2 1/2 year old to disney world tomorrow and will be breaking the news to her in the morning!
Fun!
We’re going to WDW in Orlando for the first time in exactly a month and I haven’t told my girls (7 and 5) yet, but I will be revealing our plans this weekend since I want them to have a few weeks to look forward to the trip. (Studies say anticipation is part of the pleasure of a vacation and blah blah blah.) I’ll email you my quiz since it’s too hard to explain in a comment box. Feel free to swap my Disney trivia for Harry Potter trivia and repurpose it.
My parents once surprised my brother and I with a surprise trip to Disneyland. That is the one trip that truly stuck in my mind during those early years. They too us for Christmas, and we had no idea until we pulled onto the parking lot. They kept telling us we were going to see “friends”. Mickey and Minnie are friends right?
So that would maybe be fun to do. That way as soon as they find out, they’re right there so the excitement can continue, instead of being excited, then still having the trip to go through. I’m totally planning to do it with my children too. 
@Marketing Mommy, so smart, as always.
We put the tickets in a gift box with a few small Disney Princesses…it was my daughter’s 6th b’day. She was sooooo surprised!!! I hope the weather cooperates…it rained the entire time we were in Florida!!
You could also write up a note with lemon juice. Roll it up, scroll-like and tell them you have a secret they need to solve. Here are some alt-recipes: http://www.kidzworld.com/article/3844-making-invisible-ink-appear
There is even a HP spell to reveal invisible ink!
Aparecium = reveals invisible ink (http://www.pojo.com/harrypotter/spelist.shtml)
I love the way you decided to tell them! I’m sure they will be so excited! I can’t wait to meet you and your family there, it’s going to be an amazing weekend!
Have a GREAT time – and what a memory you are making for your guys! We took our girls to the HP film studios outside London this summer and they were practically levitating (without magic.) Nothing like some HP to draw a family together…
I hope the weather cooperates too. Wish I had some chocolate frogs to pop out at dessert.
We gave the kids my quiz between dinner and dessert. 7yo Holden did reading and writing while 5yo Milo answered the clues.
They were over the moon to learn we were going to Hogwarts this week!
I am so excited for you! And jealous. How awesome!!
I love this — and their photo is adorable! Too excited vs. too cool. I can’t wait to read about their reactions… Did you happen to get them on video?
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