Good Morning Gloucester

Shhhhh.  I am planning on surprising the boys with a trip to Disney next month. Although, honestly, I don’t know why.  You could say that I’ve been there and done that already.  And….it was fairly anticlimactic.  Sigh.  You’ll see what I’m talking about in a moment.

My boys are 8 and 6…and they’ve been asking to go. The last time we did Disney they were 5 and 3.  Thatcher was a good age for it all back then, but Finn was just a hair too short for some of the best rides and, while he had a blast, much of it was kind of lost on him.

I’m kind of excited for them to do it again at this age.  If I’m being honest, at this point they could care less about the characters (sorry Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and crew) but they are huge ride fanatics, they LOVE water parks so Aquatica, Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon will be awesome, and I think they’ll really enjoy Universal now that they’ve seen most of those movies.

When I was little we did Disney every.single.year.  I LOVED it. It never got old.  I know many families could take it or leave it, but for me it is kind of a “must do” of childhood.  Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait for the day that I can take the boys to Costa Rica to swim with wild dolphins in Drake Bay.  I’ve been dying to recreate my time spent there with them since the second they were born.  Likewise, I’d give anything to relive my trip to Africa…with them by my side this time.  I’ve never been to Alaska, Australia, or Hawaii….and to experience those destinations with them will be a dream come true some day (hopefully). While I’m a big fan of ecotourism and seeing less chartered corners of our world….a good trip to Disney is good for the soul too.  So, that’s where we’re at right now.  We’re going to Disney World.

The “I don’t know why part” was directed at the intended surprise.  Three years ago I planned and plotted to surprise them…thinking, of course, they’d be over the moon. Not so much.  Freakin’ balloons…all they cared about were those balloons….and how I knew whose suitcase was whose.  Heaven forbid they unzip the wrong freakin’ suitcase.

So, I want a do over.  And, I’m open to suggestions.  Any great tips?  Anyone out there surprised their kids with a vacation before? I’m kind of tempted to wait until the day we leave.  Deep down I’m a romantic.  Big time. I kind of like the idea of a big reveal early that morning. But…I also like the idea of them having something to look forward to…and helping with the planning.

Thoughts?