Please help me figure out how to give this gift.

[TheCrimsonHorror]

So this year we have decided to give DS1 a trip to Disneyland Paris as a Christmas present from DS2. There's a bit of a backstory as we would never usually do such an extravagant gift - DS2 is autistic and DS1 has had to make so many compromises over the years and he's had to learn to adjust to the many changes we've made to make DS2's life easier. DS1 has been so patient and understanding even when it meant days out have had to be cut short or cancelled altogether as DS2 couldn't cope.

In the last few months DS2 has become able to cope with days out and we even went on our first family holiday together. So as a thank you for being the best big brother, we want to give DS1 a trip he has been asking for for years. And one that we never thought would be possible as a family.

The part I need help with is how to package the present for DS1. The trip isn't until March and I don't know if he will understand if we give him tickets or the booking confirmation. Has anyone any ideas? I had thought of getting some Mickey Mouse ears and a photo album with a letter from DS2 explaining the gift (I would write it from DS2) but I'm open to other suggestions. DS1 is 7 if that's any help.

How lovely, he will be so excited.

I remember seeing an advert for Disney land or Disney Paris and it was a box to unwrap and open, inside was a mickey mouse balloon with a note attached saying they are going to Disney. Thought that looked a great way to gift it to kids

Make a story book about their lives with photos, and put in times when ds1 has been kind/patient and a great big brother.
Make the gift part of the story, and then have an envelope with the 'tickets' in.
(I would make fake tickets which just say - holiday in disneyland)

He will be so excited MeMyself, there have been ads on the radio for months and he always asks. We never even thought it was an option until our first holiday went well. DS2 will enjoy it too, we have picked a quiet week to go.

Mickey Mouse balloon is a great idea, thank you. I hadn't even thought of that.

Disney store do a lovely Mickey Mouse toy that you can personalise with a name on the foot. Maybe the toy holding the letter? Although I love the balloon idea too!

Buy him a new suitcase and wrap it. Put in letter and booking confirmation with dates and a disney toy.
It's his new suitcase because...you're going to Disney!!!

Personalised t-shirt with date & trip on it? If you're likely to be near the Oxford Street Primark you could pick one up for a fiver.

I love the fake tickets idea Steppe, much better than a printed off email.

I will get a Mickey Mouse toy Strawberry, there's a Disney store not to far from where we live.

I love steppemum's idea. Wrap it and make it a present.

Would it be too OTT to wrap a suitcase, fill it with balloons and t shirts and have Mickey Mouse holding the homemade tickets?

These ideas are so much better than I could think of.

Join Disneyland Paris for brits Facebook group. It will have tonnes of information for you including about a special pass for ds2 so you don’t have to wait in queues.
There are also lots of people documenting how they surprised their children

It's not OTT. Go for it, sounds like he deserves it. They have Disney baubles etc in primark at the moment

Not OTT at all. Is Disney it's supposed to be OTT! Hope you all have an amazing trip

Don't forget to do a countdown calendar and give that at the same time so DC don't think they are going soon and it will stop the "how many days till we go" question ever day until March.

Could you hide a Disney helium balloon in the hallway cupboard with fake tickets and put it in the living room after they are asleep on Christmas eve? With a photo of both DS on the string?

We did this a couple of years ago. We bought mickey baubles from the Disney store and made fake tickets to package with it. It was lovely to watch DDs open their presents!

So lovely to read your plans. Although it is a long way off - have a fantastic Christmas and a wonderful trip 👍🏻

Oh that is lovely. I'm thrilled for your little boy x

Such a lovely post i like all the suggestions! The suitcase full of things is a great idea i am so pleased the coming year is going to be so magical for your family xx

We did the helium balloon in a box for DSS - the balloon obviously pops out when they open it, and he was excited just to see the Mickey Mouse balloon - but when he read the note saying we were going to Disney this summer he burst into tears Of joy we soon found out!

Maybe a small treasure hunt, finding disney items with the final being fake tickets? There is a lady on FB called crafty little pixie, i had some bottles made up to take to florida but she also makes custom t shirts etc, maybe a set of family tshirts as part of the gift and small bags for the trip?

m.facebook.com/craftylittlepixie/

Thank you so much for all your amazing ideas. I'm even more excited now. I know DS1 will be so happy he's going and he really deserves it. I've been sketching ideas for fake tickets in work for the last 24 hours, I knew I should have paid more attention in art class.

I can second the Disneyland for Brits FB group, we are going in Feb for first time and there is so much helpful info on there

You can buy personalised fake tickets on ebay.

@thecrimsonhorror

Our DS is going to find out on Christmas day that he's going to Disneyland for new years eve.

We're actually going to a few places, so I've written a twee little poem for each and will put them inside boxes with a token toy that relates to the destination.

I can't remember what it says, it's on the computer, but for the the disneyland bit it's something like

"Where could we be going?
Whatever have we planned?
For New Years Eve and two more days?...
.... WE'RE GOING TO DISNEYLAND!"

This will be in a huge cardboard box, that I'm getting from one of the companies on a nearby industrial estate, so I can make it into a massive gift box with a lid. When he lifts off the lid, I've bought a load of helium balloons that are Disney characters that will float out, inside will be the Disney store Christmas mickey holding a countdown to the days to go (you can buy Disney countdown calendars on eBay, but I don't think for months, only days).

We're also dropping hints, that he wont realise at the time are hints. So I'm getting mini mouse pj's in my Christmas eve box (he'll think that odd, and will pick up on it) and his tree, I've removed all his decorations and he'll find a new box this year, with disney baubles, Harry Potter baubles, dinosaur baubles and tropical palm tree lights, as these all relate to other places he's going. He's getting Dino pj's. I've got the Disney "once upon a Christmas" to go in his Christmas eve box too, and we'll watch that before bedtime.