We flew from Pittsburgh, PA to Atlanta, GA before the kids had a clue that we were going to Walt Disney World!
Granted, the girls were 6 and 4 and more gullible, but it still took some creativity.
Justin and I had applied for our Global Entry passes earlier that year. We took the girls with us to the airport for the FBI interview. So, they were somewhat familiar with the process.
The day before our flight, we told them we had to go back to the airport for “round two” of our interview.
We told them this time, we’d actually have to pack a bag and go through the check-in process to make sure we knew what we were doing.
The girls and I checked in at the self-service kiosk, while Justin checked in and checked our bag. We didn’t want to risk the girls hearing that our final destination was Orlando!
While Justin was checking in, I got a “phone call” from our “interviewer.” Unfortunately, he was stuck in Atlanta. But they were willing to fly us to Atlanta, finish the interview, and then fly us home. It would work out perfectly and we’d be home before lunch. They had no clue had how fanciful this was!
In Atlanta, we had a layover but didn’t have to change flights. While other people exited, we told the girls we were just waiting for further instructions. There were a few minutes of quiet before they started boarding for Orlando, and before the girls started asking too many questions. We asked the girls if they wanted to open an early Christmas present.
They opened their Disney Magic Bands and then spent the next couple of minutes reasoning it out. I had ordered personalized name stickers from Etsy. My favorite part was when they realized we were going to Disney, but asked, “when?” “Righ Now!”
Surprising them was almost as much fun as the trip!
How have you pulled off a surprise vacation?
