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Christmas is coming! Wouldn’t it be super magical is to surprise your kids with a trip to Disneyland! But the problem is often, how to do it. If you don’t have other gifts under the tree it can cause meltdowns, or even tip off older children that something might be coming. That is why the lead in gifts are a great option. Today I am going to share with you Gift Ideas to Lead To A Surprise Disney Trip.
First, be sure to book your Disneyland vacation. If you are booking a trip for January 7 – May 23 you can save up to $500 on your Disneyland vacation pacakge (blackout dates of April 14-22) with my partners at Get Away Today. Plus use code CrazyAdventure to save an extra $10 when you book a 2+ night stay with 2 or more tickets. I know $10 doesn’t seem like much when you are already saving $500, but hey- that is two churros people!
*This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission from your purchase.*
Entertainment Gift Ideas Leading To A Surprise Disney Trip
One great way to lead up to the surprise of the trip is by including items that will keep kids busy in the car or on the plane. Here are some of my favorite gift ideas to entertain kids but also hint at the “big surprise” they will be getting.
- Disney coloring books. You can get these almost anywhere- including the dollar store. Coloring books are great entertainment for kiddos during layovers or even in the car. I like to also have them for when we stop for meals during a road trip so that the kids have some entertainment while we wait for our food because the kids meals are only good for 5 minutes of entertainment. This year we will be getting the twins some Disney Color Wonder sets so that we don’t have to worry about them coloring where they shouldn’t. You can check out a bunch of Disney Color Wonder sets by CLICKING HERE. Teens or aspiring artists may also enjoy this “Learn To Draw Disney’s Villains” book HERE.
- Disney Movies. Movies are great lead ins to a surprise Disney trip. There are so many to choose from old classics to new releases like Finding Dory. You can purchase combo packs now so if you prefer the digital version for travel, you can still have the Blu-ray or DVD version as well.
- Tablets, DVD Players, iPods and more! This can be the perfect way to throw your kid off if they already suspect there is something big in store. A tablet or iPod Touch are large gifts, and most children would think that is their big surprise. These are also perfect if you do not have anything to entertain the kids on a long road trip or flights. I mean, coloring books and activities are good- but let’s be honest, if you have 10 hours of travel planned, those electronics can be a life saver!
Clothing Gift Ideas Leading To A Surprise Disney Trip
Clothing is an important item for any vacation, but clothing for a Disney vacation is both functional and fun! Here are some clothing items that would make great lead ins to that big surprise “Your Going To Disney” present.
- Mickey Ears. You can order Mickey Ears online from the Disney Store and personalize them, or even order a whole bunch of unique ones on etsy.com Not only that, you could make your own Mickey ears for the trip.
- Disney Costumes. A lot of kids love to dress up as their favorite Disney characters while at the parks. Can I be honest for a moment? I have always thought the Disney costumes look very hot, itchy, and just downright uncomfortable…not to mention the issues when it comes to cleaning them. Thankfully their are other alternatives so that you can still let them dress up but they will be more comfortable, and you can machine wash the costumes. Check out my friend Christy’s shop: Mom Approved Costumes.
You can also find a lot of great options on Amazon.
They are amazing quality and the customer service is great too! - Disney PJs and other clothing. You can find cute Disney clothing all over. One of my favorite places to pick up Disney clothing is Target. You can also find some on Amazon, at Kohl’s, Torrid, and more! Also remember that you can order from the Disney Store online.
Other Gift Ideas Leading To A Surprise Disney Trip
There are lots of other items you can get to lead in to your big reveal that will be useful on your trip. Check out these great gift ideas:
- Luggage. Getting a child their own luggage is a great lead in to the reveal of the surprise trip. While we have plenty of suitcases, we purchased a rolling backpack for the Goof that was Disney themed (CLICK HERE to see his). It is perfect for all of his clothing. For teens or adults, there are some amazing Disney themed suitcases like THIS ONE. Or even just a good quality suitcase that is in their favorite color.
- Autograph books. You can find a lot of cute autograph books on etsy, or you can make your own like we did HERE. These will be perfect for your kids to collect autographs in. Not a fan of autograph books? That is okay. We have 10 alternatives to autograph books that might be a better fit for you.
- Disney Gift Cards. Give your kids their own spending money in the form of Disney Gift Cards. The best way to purchase Disney Gift Cards is using the Target Red Card so you can save 5%. I explain all about it in our How To Go To Disney For Cheap in 2017 post. Now your kids have their own spending money- and a designated amount- to pick out a souvenir or two.
If you have yet to book your surprise Disney trip and want to head to Disneyland or Aulani, I suggest contacting our friends at Get Away Today. Not only do they have great vacation packages, they also can add on some of these special extras to help surprise your kids with the trip. You can check out all of their vacation packages by CLICKING HERE. If you are planning a trip a little ways out, you can also take advantage of their layaway plan which you can start with just $175 down.
*I am an affiliate of Get Away Today. This means when you book your vacation through the link I provided, you get an awesome deal on a vacation and I get a little money.
We do Disney gifts as a surprise on the trip, not really to surprise them. Does that make sense? The kids know they’ll usually get a new Disney shirt and are always excited to see which one! Then we usually buy pins in the parks or I surprise them with new ones.