Disneyland calls itself “The Happiest Place on Earth,” but some of those happy moments happen before you even set foot in a Disney park. Telling your loved ones they are going to Disneyland or Walt Disney World is its own special kind of happiness. Today we are sharing more ways to surprise your family with a Disney trip reveal.
Our original posts on how to gift a Disney trip with a surprise reveal have been some of the most popular on this site. Those posts have ideas specifically for winter and spring celebrations, and you can find them at the links below.
Today’s post has a summer theme. How to surprise your loved ones with reveal for a Disney trip for summer and beyond.
For some suggestions, we have provided links to Amazon product pages. We receive a small commission from Amazon for referring you with those product links, but the price you pay does not change. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
A Disney Trip is Buried Treasure
When we think about summer, we think about sandcastles and beach days. If you have loved ones who like to play or relax in the sand, bury a special treasure for them: a trip to the Disney parks!
First, get an unbreakable bottle like one of these. Write a special Disney trip reveal note on a small slip of paper. Try something like “Yo ho, yo ho, a Disney trip for you! We are going to Walt Disney World!” or “We are setting sail to Disneyland this summer.” Tightly roll the message and tie a string around it. (You will want to tie the paper to keep it rolled, or it could be hard to get out of the bottle.) Slip the rolled paper into the bottle.
Now you will need to decide whether you would like to bury some extra treasure alongside the bottle. The bottle revealing a surprise Disney trip should certainly be exciting enough on its own, but adding some fun extra items will lengthen the activity and maybe increase the surprise. We have buried inexpensive vase filler similar to this for our kids to dig out of our sandbox. We have also buried the contents of National Geographic rock kits. You could even add some Disney play set figures.
Whatever treasure you choose, bury it in your sandbox. Now give your lucky treasure hunters a shovel and let them dig for a wonderful surprise! Don’t have a sandbox? We love Kinetic Sand, and it allows for fun indoor sand play. (We were just playing with this kit today!)
Bright Days Ahead!
Gift your recipient with a pair of sunglasses or goggles for sunny summer days. They will be happy to get a new summer accessory and will not suspect there is an even greater gift inside: golly are they in for a surprise! Inside the glasses or goggles case, slip a note that says: “Your future looks bright: you are going to Walt Disney World!”
If you are skilled with a cutting machine like Cricut, you can even put a message right on the glasses or case itself. Just use iron-on vinyl to add your message to a cloth case, or use removable vinyl to add a message to glasses’ lenses that can later be peeled-off.
Here are some kids sunglasses we have used and like, starting with these pink sparkly sunglasses. And, here is a set of sunglasses for toddler-sized heads and here is another pair of tough youth sunglasses. For adult giftees, we like Goodr sunglasses. Here’s their “OG” sunglasses in black. Also in the category of sunglasses for active folks, we like Sifosi shades: here’s a tough pair of Sifosi sunglasses for grown-ups.
Chalk Up a Disney Trip Surprise
Luxuriously long summer days make us think of sidewalk chalk. Call upon this childhood classic for an easy Disney trip reveal.
Draw a Disney scene or write a message on the pavement outside your home with sidewalk chalk. When your recipient steps outside they will literally step right into their Disney trip surprise! This reveal is extra fun if your loved one is a Mary Poppins fan. You can even tell them (ala Bert): “You think. You wink. You do a double blink. You close your eyes… and jump!”
Decode a Disney Trip
In our Travel Fun for Kids on the Road and in the Sky, we recommend color-changing markers as a fun portable art supply for kids. They are also the perfect tool for sending your kids (or adults with child-like wonder) a secret message. Just use the clear end of the marker to write a message on a piece of paper or a page from a coloring book. Then have your trip recipient color-in the whole page with the colorful end of the marker. When they do, the page will appear to go from blank to a colorful surprise trip message!
Here is a link to a fun glitter version of those color-changing markers. Just use them to write something like: “The secret is out: we are going to Disneyland this summer!”
Dole Whip Preview
Did you know that you can now get the iconic Dole Whip at your local grocery store? I found it in the freezers at Costco just yesterday. While these pre-packaged treats are not quite as good as the in-park version (the texture is different), they sure are evocative of happy adventures in Adventureland. You know tastes and smells can call up intense memories, so use that to your advantage.
Tape a note to the bottom of the Dole Whip cup or wrap it around a spoon. Try a message like, “This is just a taste of our summer vacation… We are going to Disneyland!” Now present your trip recipients with their Dole Whips. They will be delighted to get some scrumptious frozen treats, and they will be ecstatic when they read the surprise message.
Thank you for reading these summer-themed ideas for surprise Disney trip reveals.
We hope you have found an idea that works for you here or in our two previous list of ideas here and also here. When you are ready to plan that trip, leap into our free and complete Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. Finally, please consider subscribing to our newsletter below. Thanks again for reading!
