How to gift a trip

As my kids get older, gifting experiences over more stuff has become something that is more & more appealing. I love the idea of creating memories over clutter. I cannot tell you what I got for Christmas when I was 10, but I can tell you about riding the Tower of Terror on our family vacation that same year.

The hang up can some times be in HOW to present the experience as a gift. When it comes to Walt Disney World & Universal Orlando, there are so many ways to give the surprise. Here are 7 ideas that you can use.

Magic Bands  or Themed Lanyards

Disney Magic Bands & Universal Themed Lanyards are both an optional way to carry your park ticket as an accessory.

​Disney Magic Bands are silicone wrist bands that kid of resemble watches. They comes in a wide variety of colors & patterns. Disney Resort Guests are able to purchase these in advance through My Disney Experience on a web browser after you resort stay is linked. To access the discounted Magic Bands, simply sign in to your account, hover over the My Disney Experience logo in the upper right corner & select the Magic Band option to customize your bands. 

For Universal, theme park tickets are printed once you are on site, but you access them repeatedly throughout your trip for more than just park entry. Having a lanyard is a fun way to keep your park ticket easily accessible & you can find them on Amazon featuring so many of the franchises that are displayed in the park- Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Minions, Dr. Seuss & Marvel.

NOTE: If you want to order Magic Bands, you should do so ASAP as shipping times are not consistent. Additionally, Disney has announced a new version of the Magic Band coming in 2022 that introduces some new features including interactive technology. If you would prefer to hold out for this new option OR if your kids have no idea what a Magic Band is, this may not be the best way for the reveal.

traveling supplies

Often times when going on a trip we end up purchasing "trip goodies" before we ever leave. This may be in the form of themed shirts, bubble wands and wizard wands) or it may fall into the more practical category of luggage & sunglasses.

Combine those pre-trip expenses into your gift budget & allow those purchases to be part of the big reveal.

Some travel supplies we have utilized as gifts include quality rolling luggage in carryon sizes, park backpacks, new sunglasses & hats, pins for trading & character clothing.

You may even consider getting other family members in on the surprise. Maybe Grandma would love to give a gift card to use for in park souvenirs as part of her gift, offer to pay for a character meal or would take one of the bigger travel needs off your hands. 

Countdown Chain

If your trip is not happening immediately, a countdown chain is a fun way to create excitement leading up to your trip. 

If you want to add some additional experiences to your gift, the chain could feature activities to do leading up to your trip like "watch Alice In Wonderland to get ready for the Tea Cups" or "read The Cat in the Hat." You could also include things like "help us choose a character meal" before you approach the dining window.

If you really want to jazz it up, you can make the chain thematic in color scheme/design. 

To present the countdown chain, you could wrap it up with a certificate/letter to Hogwarts (see below) or even pair it with traveling supplies. We have gifted countdown chains inside of a new suitcase for our kids.

from makingtheworldcuter.com

from makingtheworldcuter.com

from makingtheworldcuter.com

certificate / letter to hogwarts

Sometimes simple is the best route to go. Below you will find some easy, print-at-home options. You can wrap these up & put them in a card or stocking.

If you do not have an easy print option, grab some paper & get creative making a hand drawn surprise.

If you want to take the printable option up a notch, check out the scavenger hunt & put it together options.

Note: Letter from Hogwarts is coming soon.

scavenger hunt

If you have some puzzle loving kids in your family, or you just want the surprise to have some added suspense, a scavenger hunt would be an awesome way to do this.

You can create your own or you can use the printable to lead your crew on an around the house chase. The first clue can go where ever you wish- wrapped under the tree, in the bottom of the stocking, sitting on the kitchen table, in an envelope on the tree with the words "the last present" written on it. Clue #1 is up to you & what works best with your family traditions. 

The final clue will lead to a reveal spot behind a pillow. Depending on how your house is laid out, this may be a pillow in the living room or a bedroom. If it was my, I would likely use my own pillow. I would hide the set up in my bedroom & place it behind my bed pillow just before we start our day. This gives you a way to keep everyone from accidentally finding the final clue as they are hunting & allows you to pair it with other gifts (themed shirts, Magic Bands, wizard cloaks) that can also be hidden behind the pillow.

Coming Soon!

put it together

Want something somewhere between opening up a present with a note & a full out scavenger hunt? You could just use a "put it together" reveal. 

Take the certificate & cut it into pieces like a puzzle. You can hide parts of this puzzle in a variety of gifts or spread it out between multiple people so that they all must discover their pieces of the puzzle as they are opening stockings & then put them all together to reveal the full message.

No printer- no problem. Take a stack of paper & write single words or phrases on each sheet. Give that stack of phrase to someone to read out loud, one at a time or spread them out between several gifts. Once they are all discovered, everyone works together to put together the sentence.

Hopefully at least one of these ideas is something you can use or gives you a good starting point for your own original way to gift a trip!

Don't forget to pin this post for later.