vacation trip announcement

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• Blind Experiences
• Sep 7, 2020

7 creative ways to reveal a surprise vacation

Updated: Dec 14, 2023

The surprise vacation has been planned. The itinerary is fixed. The flight tickets and hotels have been booked. And now you just cannot wait to reveal it to your family/ parents/ partner or whoever you are gifting this surprise trip! Planning a secret holiday is a lot of hard work (don’t we know that!), and so the surprise trip reveal deserves to be as fantastic as the holiday you’ve planned. And trust us, if you are planning a week-long vacation, it is ideal to announce the vacation a few days or even weeks in advance, to give enough time to your loved ones to plan their schedule around the given dates. So here are some creative vacation reveal ideas that will be as fun as the actual trip!

Surprise birthday trip reveal

You could choose a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary to make the grand announcement. For instance, if you are planning to send your parents on a surprise vacation to celebrate their 50th golden wedding anniversary, you could pick one of their birthdays to reveal the upcoming trip. The birthday gift would be a clue to where they are going! 1. A customized cake You can bake or arrange a cake based on the theme of your destination. If your secret is a safari holiday to Kenya or Namibia, how about a jungle or safari-theme cake ? Or you could plan a “photo rolling” or “pull-out” cake where the birthday boy or girl gets to pull out a roll of photos or clues from the cake that will reveal the big surprise!

2. Gift a travel essential Birthdays by default involve gifting. So, a creative way to reveal your surprise trip is to gift a travel essential that would also double up as a hint towards your chosen destination. How about gifting a travel wallet ? You could slip in a calendar card, with the dates of the trip crossed out to indicate that those days are “booked for a vacation”. If you are planning an adventurous trip with your partner that may include camping out, how about you gift a camping tent and leave your beloved guessing about the destination 😉 Also read: Best way to plan a surprise trip: 4 tips to gift the perfect holiday !

Cool ideas to reveal a surprise trip to your husband/ wife

There is nothing cooler than planning a surprise to reveal a surprise trip! And when you’re planning a secret vacation for your spouse, you have so many interesting ways to announce your surprise.

3. Let a movie reveal the surprise Plan a comfortable Friday evening movie night at home with your husband/ wife andpick a movie that has been shot in or around your secret holiday destination! If your destination is Italy, you can build up the suspense to your reveal, by watching the beautiful movie, Under the Tuscan Sun , that showcase the beautiful landscape of rural Tuscany and the charming Italian lifestyle. If your secret destination is Iceland, how about you watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty that puts the best of this Nordic country on display. You can place a note at the bottom of your popcorn tub, that reads, “Isn’t the movie storyline and location fantastic? How about we shoot our story there?” or something equally cheesy like a surprise trip reveal poem 😉

“Fun-tastic” ways to announce a surprise family trip to your kids

Some of our favourite surprise trip reveal ideas involve announcing the holiday to the little ones. It does not take a lot of effort to keep a surprise from them, yet it is incredibly gratifying to see their starry eyes light up with joy when they get to know!

4. Send them on a treasure hunt Make your children earn their surprise gift by scattering treasures (clues) all over the house that will lead them to the final clue that reveals the destination or the fact that they will soon go on a trip! You can draft each clue in such a way that their theme is in sync with the holiday place. For instance, if you are planning to take the family to Disney world or any other amusement theme park, you could write your clues accordingly: “ Brace yourself for a bumpy ride. Find your next clue where eggs are fried! ” (Hide the clue in the kitchen near the cooking stove) “ An adventure awaits, are you ready? Find your next clue where you study! ” (Hide the clue in the kids’ room near their study table/ school stuff) 5. Make them solve a surprise trip reveal puzzle Let the kids rack their brains a little to discover the surprise holiday that awaits them! You can draw or print out a picture that either gives a clue or announces your vacation destination directly. Now cut this up into smaller pieces – the more pieces, the more puzzling! Let them put together the entire puzzle and watch the delight on their faces!

Romantic ways to reveal a surprise beach vacation to your boyfriend/ girlfriend

The initial days of dating are a whirlwind of romance and grand gestures. So if you’ve planned a surprise vacation for your girlfriend or boyfriend, it definitely needs to be announced in a special way!

6. Set his/ her heart racing with a special evening full of “reveals” If you are headed to a beach destination, how about you plan a tropical meal at home (seafood) with some fresh fruits, some punch or pina colada with those cute umbrellas. You can also dress up to set the mood – flip-flops and a flowery dress/ shorts and let them get the hint!

Our personal favourite way to reveal a surprise trip

7. Surprise within a surprise within a surprise... When the Blind Experiences team plans a "blind travel experience" for our customers, we put together a bunch of envelopes - anywhere between 5 to 10 envelopes depending on the duration of your vacation! We allow you to open only the first envelope so that you can discover where you’re heading on your blind experience! Then, you have to simply enjoy and savour every moment of your trip. As your vacation proceeds, you get to open one envelope every other day, so that you know what's next. This way, every other day you get a small surprise as each letter reveals a new experience/ activity/ destination!

You can get inspired from these ideas and add your unique touch to reveal your surprise holiday. And if you need help with planning the entire surprise travel, we are here for you !

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Here’s How to Announce a Surprise Trip (w/ Examples)

Surprising someone with a trip is an exhilarating way to create unforgettable memories and add excitement to your relationships.

“How to Announce a Surprise Trip” involves creativity and timing to maximize the impact of your big reveal.

This article guides you through various imaginative ways to announce a surprise journey, ensuring the moment is as memorable as the trip itself.

20 Examples of How to Announce a Surprise Trip

• Treasure Hunt: Set up a treasure hunt around your home with clues leading to the reveal of the destination.
• Themed Dinner: Host a dinner with cuisine from the trip’s destination, ending the meal with the reveal.
• Custom Boarding Pass: Create a mock boarding pass for the destination and place it somewhere they’ll find it.
• Puzzle Pieces: Give them a puzzle to solve that, when completed, reveals the location of the trip.
• Destination in a Box: Fill a box with items or souvenirs that hint at the destination, letting them guess before revealing.
• Movie Night: Watch a movie or documentary set in the trip’s location, and announce the trip as the credits roll.
• Scrapbook or Photo Album: Create a scrapbook with photos of the destination and leave a note at the end revealing the trip.
• Calendar Countdown: Mark the departure date on a calendar with a big, bold note, and surprise them with it.
• Travel Guide Surprise: Gift them a travel guidebook for the destination, with a note inside revealing the trip.

Related content : Funny Wedding Anniversary Wishes for Couples (50+ Examples!) Writing a Letter to Granddaughter Going to College: 10 Examples !

• Digital Countdown: Set up a digital countdown to the trip date and send it to them as a surprise link.
• Suitcase Surprise: Pack a suitcase with essentials for the destination and leave it for them with a note inside.
• Postcard Reveal: Send them a postcard from the destination in advance, with the trip details written on it.
• Surprise Event: Organize a small gathering or event where the surprise announcement is made.
• Hidden Messages: Leave hidden messages around the house that, when pieced together, reveal the trip.
• Destination-themed Gift: Give them a gift related to the destination, with the trip details attached.
• Morning Surprise: Serve breakfast in bed with a boarding pass or trip itinerary on the tray.
• Balloon Pop: Fill balloons with notes, one of which reveals the trip, and have them pop the balloons.
• Adventure Book: Create an “adventure book” with the first adventure being the surprise trip.
• Customized Playlist: Make a playlist with songs related to the destination and include a spoken reveal at the end.
• Virtual Reality Reveal: Use a VR headset to take them on a virtual tour of the destination before revealing the actual trip.

Announcing a surprise trip creatively adds an extra layer of excitement and anticipation to the experience.

It transforms the moment of reveal into a special memory in itself, setting the tone for the adventure that lies ahead and deepening the bond between those sharing the experience.

I’m a MA, (CMT) Certified Massage Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), and Reiki Master —  I’m a licensed massage therapist with over 10 years of experience in the industry.

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Surprise Vacation Reveal Printables

Looking to gift someone a surprise vacation? We’ve got the perfect printables to help you make the surprise vacation reveal even more special!

Whether you’re going the Bahamas ,  Niagara Falls  or on a European Vacation , these printables will make the big announcement AMAZING!

Gifting a Surprise Vacation

The past few years my husband and I have been trying to focus more on experiences than things. If we had our way, we would give each other and our kids, vacations as gifts for every occasion. The best part about giving someone a surprise vacation is seeing their face when they realize where they’re going. The tough part though is finding a cute and fun way to give them that surprise trip because it’s hard to wrap the Eiffel Tower.

With Christmas coming up in about a month (I still can’t believe we are that close!), we wanted to help you out. We created these surprise vacation printables, just in case you are gifting a family vacation this year, or a surprise vacation with your spouse. You don’t have to limit this gift idea to Christmas. This would make a great birthday or anniversary gift as well! These templates are perfect for any trip you have in mind.

Assembling Your Surprise Trip Gift

Cover – This “Adventure Awaits” printable can be pasted to the front of a yellow manila envelope, or any other packaging of your choosing!

Tell Them Where They’re Going – I’ve also created a printable map for you to include in the envelope! It comes with little markers to show where you’ll start, and where you’ll end! You can even use the little icon circles to show how you’ll be getting there. (Just grab your 1″ circle punch to make life easier!)

Printable Travel Tickets – This pack also includes some adorable printable tickets. Simply fill out the vacation info with where you’re going and when. Then make a check in the circle to tell the recipient(s) how they’re going to get there.

Printable Luggage Tags – You can’t travel around the world without adorable luggage tags. I’m sure that’s a rule somewhere. Simply cut these out, fill in your personal info, punch out the holes, fold in half, and then laminate! You can also cover both sides with packing tape if you aren’t able to laminate them.

Variation – Another great idea would be to give that special someone a piece of luggage as part of your gift. You can have these already attach and ready to go on Christmas morning!

More Great Travel Printables

• Road Trip Printable Story Starters
• Cruise Packing Checklist Printable
• Road Trip Activities Printable
• Road Trips Tips & Printable
• Choose Your Own Adventure Gift Idea

Surprise Vacation Announcement Printable

I hope you enjoy these surprise holiday printables as much as I have. Click on the link below to purchase your surprise vacation printable pack. Leave us a comment below and all of the fun places you’re going to go. Happy Travels!

Click here to get our Adventure Awaits – Travel Gift Pack

Busy moms, this one is for YOU!

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I can’t remember how I came to your site! I know that was long time ago!!! And I’m impressed how cute things you do! Congratulations! Regards from Brazil!

Thanks Melissa, you really made my day!

What a Great printable! thanks for making my like sooo much easier being a new home mom havent gave me much time to do my usual crafting activities.

I’m so glad you loved it! Where are you going on your surprise vacation?

I paid for the adventure awaits. I thought it sounded like id get it in pdf form. I havnt gotten anything?

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Plan Your Dream Trip To Disney!

15 Creative Ways To Reveal A Surprise Disney Trip

April 27, 2021 //  by  Mckensie Shiner //   1 Comment

Planning to book a surprise Disney trip to gift to someone in your life? Then, keep reading! It’s everyone’s dream to be surprised with a trip to Walt Disney World. The only tricky part is, how will you tell the person the news? Will you give a countdown calendar to your significant other or tell your kids they’re visiting relatives out of town?

Whoever you’re surprising, we are sure to have a great way to make the Disney trip reveal magical for everyone involved.

1. Countdown Calendars

Personally, we LOVE this idea because we have everything you need for this! A countdown calendar is a great way to let everyone know of your surprise Disney trip! On our Facebook page, you can find some of our free countdown calendars and print them out!

Feel free to hang it in plain sight or package it up like mail and give it to whoever you’re giving your surprise Disney trip to. This is a great Disney trip reveal and doesn’t take a lot of planning. 

This is a great choice for those who don’t have a lot of time or for older teens/adults who don’t require a very extravagant approach, as younger kids may need a bigger surprise. 

Join our Facebook group to access free printable Disney countdown calendars for your surprise Disney trip announcement. 

2. Disney surprise box

Have you considered giving a Disney surprise box for your Disney trip reveal? If you want to give a memorable trip to the person you’re surprising, this is a great way to do so!

One of our favorite websites for sending a Disney surprise box, chock-full of goodies from the Disney parks, is Pixie Dust 2 U. From this site, you can choose a boy or girl box. Some boxes have contained the following items: Disney luggage tag, color pack, Minnie/Mickey drawstring bag, non-park lightweight ears, lanyards, and other fun Disney items! 

Use the code “WELCOME2U” for 10% off your first order!

3. Disney Shirts Reveal 

Another great way to pull off your Disney surprise trip is by revealing it with Disney shirts! Whether you are surprising your significant other, friend, or family member, this is another simple fun way to let them know what you have planned!

In order to do this, it’s important to incorporate their favorite Disney character or movie to make it all that more sentimental for everyone involved. You can also save the shirts and wear them for your trip!

 A popular design for Disney shirts is the family vacation ones which normally have the family name, month, and year. 

Check out our Disney shirt post here, which is all-inclusive when it comes to the relationship with the person you’re surprising.  

4. On the way to the airport 

A great way to surprise kids with a Disney trip is to wait until the last minute to do so. This approach can be even more exciting since they have no idea the surprise Disney trip is coming.

As you approach the airport, ask them where they think you’re going. Drop hints such as dressing them in Disney clothing or playing Disney music in the car.  

Once you arrive at the airport, let them know what you’ve planned. Their reactions will be worth the wait!

5. Scavenger Hunt

For the adventurous person in your life, a scavenger hunt is a great way to reveal a Disney trip! Start with a small note in the house and lead to the backyard, garage, etc. until you finally reveal a clue that reveals the surprise!

There are SO many of these scavenger hunts on Pinterest and the possibilities are endless with this approach. However you decide to set it up is your choice, but there are so many neat ways to really make the person wonder what you’re up to! If you’re wondering how to surprise kids with a Disney trip, this is the way!

Click here for this Disney scavenger hun t to buy on Etsy!

6. Going to Grandma’s House 

If you are able to commute to Disney World, telling your kids they’re going to a relative’s house is a great way to surprise them. This approach even allows you to pack clothes for them and not have questions asked when loading up the car.

This is best for small children, but older children may appreciate this one as well. It definitely depends on the child, though! Some may feel overwhelmed when planning for one thing and getting something completely different. Surely, once they get there, they will be in their element!

7. Suitcase filled with Disney items 

This surprise is a great way to give the person you’re surprising some extra gear for the trip and being extra thoughtful while doing so! I mean, really, who wouldn’t love a suitcase or bag full of Disney items?

Some items to include are a pair of ears, character hand sanitizer, character masks, Disney keychains, autograph books, and anything else you can think of! Bonus points if the suitcase or travel bag is Disney-themed! 

For more Disney items you could include here, try reading our article  Disney items from Amazon!

8. Mickey balloons wrapped in a large box  

Similar to the gender reveal trend, this Disney surprise trip reveal involves a large box and Mickey-shaped balloons! Simply fill them up with helium (or air) and cut the box open to show your surprise! 

If you decide to fill the balloons with air, you will just have to pull them out by hand. That is why this is ideal with helium balloons so they float to the top! 

You can find cheap balloons at your local dollar tree! These include Mickey as well as other Disney character balloons! Read our Disney Dollar Tree post for more cheap finds!

Click here for Mickey balloons on Amazon!

9. Invitation From Mickey 

This Disney surprise trip is foolproof and just requires some paper, a p en, and maybe some colored markers and stickers if you really want to seal the deal! Writing an invitation from Mickey is a great way to surprise someone with a Disney trip! 

Since Mickey is the star of the show here, it’s only right he sends the invitations out, to be honest. There are so many different options for what to say in this letter, but including one of Mickey’s famous catchphrases like “oh boy!” Or “see you real soon,” is sure to authenticate it. 

Click here to shop for this trip reveal letter on Etsy!

10. Disney-inspired breakfast

What better way to let someone know about a surprise trip to Disney than by bringing a little bit of Disney to them? Especially when it comes in the form of food!

Make some Mickey waffles or Gaston’s famous cinnamon rolls and let them guess what exactly it is you’re planning for them by giving them one of their favorite Disney treats as a hint. 

If you’re not a great cook or baker, it’s always okay to store-buy items, too. It helps if everything is easily identifiable as Disney snacks, but if not, simply have them guess where they can find most of these tasty treats! It should be pretty obvious!

We also have a recipe for Epcot’s Violet Lemonade here , which is a great addition to whatever you decide to prepare!

11. Customized Disney Tickets

An easy at-home Disney surprise reveal involve making customized Disney tickets! With this idea, you can pretty much do whatever you would like as far as designs go. You can use construction paper or cardstock and either design them online or handwrite them!

Additionally, there are also templates online which you can utilize to carry out this Disney trip reveal. Add names and their favorite Disney items or characters to really make this one special!

Shop these adorable custom tickets on Etsy here!

11. Decorate a space in the house

What better way to announce the surprise than to decorate a spot in the house and throw a mini Disney party! This is one of the best ways to announce this since it’s pretty obvious what is coming when you set this up! 

Refer to our Disney Dollar Tree post to find some awesome decorations to do this with!

Shop for Mickey decor on Amazon here!

12. Disney Surprise Puzzle 

This is yet another great idea due to the creativity that comes with it. It is also a great idea for kids! Give them a blank puzzle box and tell them the surprise is in the completed puzzle. They will be so excited to put it together and even more so when they realize what the surprise is!

There are hundreds of puzzles online for this Disney surprise trip reveal! You can find puzzles like the one below on Etsy here.

13. Drop gifts as hints

Similar to the surprise box and suitcase full of gifts, this is nearly the same but a little dialed back. As you await the initial surprise announcement, you can start to give gifts that may allude to the surprise. For example, maybe give them a new Disney shirt and when they ask what the occasion is, say it’s for something coming up. 

This can be done with virtually anything, such as wax melts, hats, or jewelry! Some great Disney gifts including the one below can be found on Etsy or by clicking  here!

14. Disney button

Disney buttons are an instant giveaway for a Disney trip and are perfect for anyone who doesn’t like to keep a secret for too long, or feels that the person/people they’re surprising will catch on quickly! By gifting a Disney button, you’re also giving them something to wear during the trip, which is always a bonus!

This great Disney button from Etsy can be found here.

15. Play Youtube videos as a hint

If you’re looking for another simple and. cost-effective reveal, this is the one for you! This can be as simple as playing the fireworks from Happily Ever After (which is on YouTube in HD), or maybe a clip from their favorite ride. 

Even more simply, you can play a Disney promo video such as this one!

There are also hundreds of Disney surprise trip reveal videos on the site you could easily show them and then ask them what they would do if that was them… then tell them it is!

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July 12, 2024 at 5:41 pm

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Hot Topic: Surprise Cruise Reveal Ideas

17 Memorable Surprise Cruise Reveal Ideas

If you love giving gifts, we wouldn't be shocked if you love the thought of these surprise cruise reveal ideas. Part of the fun of a cruise is sharing the joy of trip planning with someone, even before you leave home.

Do you need ideas for how to spill the beans that you've booked a cruise for someone special? We've got you covered.

You can use some of these surprise cruise reveal ideas in combination with others on the list or ones you come up with.

Disclosure: This page has affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you click the link and proceed with a purchase  at no cost to you . This helps us produce the free, valuable content we offer readers. We truly only recommend cruises, experiences, products, and services we personally use. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

1. Create a Memory Book of your Past Adventures to Reveal Your Next Adventure

Create a memory book if you've already been on cruises together — or even a trip on land. Then, on the last page, announce your next adventure! (The next adventure is a cruise, with the date of the sailing, of course.)

We LOVE these photo books for travel adventures. In fact, they're the only ones we buy.

Don't forget to plan ahead if you're going to create a photo book for your surprise cruise reveal idea, accounting for your time to create it and shipping.

Check out our favorite high-quality photo books: Artifact Uprising

2. gift a charm with a cruise — or nautical — theme.

Adding a charm to a new bracelet, keychain, or necklace (or existing one) is a great gift to give to surprise someone with a cruise. It can be a sailboat charm (especially if you're going on a cruise with sails ), a cruise ship charm, or even an anchor charm. Nature charms, such as seashells or fish-inspired charms, are easy to find too.

Pandora is famous for its beautiful charm bracelets. You can get them in gold, silver, or enamel colors. You can also put their charms on necklaces they sell if bracelets aren't the taste of whoever you're gifting them to.

Etsy is another great place to look — and customize — charm bracelets and find a custom one.

If you love the idea of gifting a bracelet to surprise someone with a cruise and want it to be nautical-themed but not necessarily a charm, check out our review of the OMEGA Sailing Bracelet .

Don't let the Nautical Bracelet you want go out of stock!

3. Make a Cruise Reveal Scavenger Hunt

You can send someone on a scavenger hunt with clues leading to the next location, ending in your surprise gift: a cruise reveal!

There's no need to venture far from home for this if you want to carry out a cruise surprise scavenger hunt in your house or apartment or just your neighborhood. (It's a great date idea at home, too.) You can even end the scavenger hunt where you keep your luggage so you're all set to pack your bags.

If you want to amp up the surprise cruise scavenger hunt, give the person you're gifting the cruise to a basket or bag with the first clue. Then, at each subsequent location where there is a cruise, he or she will find a small gift there.

At the end of the scavenger hunt, they'll be shocked to find you're going on a cruise together but also have a cool basket of cruise supplies ready for the trip.

4. Create a Fish Tank Surprise Cruise Reveal

Do you have a fish tank in your house? Or can you get one?

If so, purchase a small cruise ship memento to go inside the tank and guide your loved one over for a fun surprise cruise reveal idea.

It doesn't have to be a cruise ship (and you certainly don't want a sunken ship.) It can be something like a treasure chest if you're going on a Caribbean or tropical cruise or a seashell that you write the cruise info on.

Arrr! Ahoy mateys…surprise someone with a cruise with a fun treasure chest!

5. Create a Gift Basket (or Bag)

One of the most fun surprise cruise-reveal ideas is to put together a specialty-themed gift basket or bag. Here are a few great ideas we came up with:

• Ports of Call themed : Create a gift basket of items related to the ports of call on the itinerary. For example, if you're going on a Danube River Cruise, you can include a bag of German pretzels, Vienna Cafe coffee mix from Austria, and paprika from Hungary. Reveal the common thread to the gift receiver in a card or in person!
• Nautical-themed : Include things like snorkel gear (whether it will be your first time snorkeling on a cruise or your fifth), coral-reef-safe sunscreen, a sea or ocean-scented candle, and an anchor keychain.
• Cruise Essentials themed : Get a fun towel, customized luggage tags, a personalized tumbler , and maybe even some fun sunglasses to add to a Cruise Essentials theme gift basket.

If you want a special bag, it can double as a duffle bag for your cruise or a beach bag for the trip.

6. Surprise Someone with a Cruise with a Message in a Bottle

Why not put a message in a glass bottle for a surprise trip reveal? It harkens back to the ocean and ships anyway, which is just what you need for a sea (or river, or lake) dwelling adventure.

Where do you find a bottle to use for this memorable keepsake? Here, on Etsy , of course!

Get a second “bottle” (aka, bubbly!) to celebrate!

7. Whisk her (or him) away

If you want the ultimate surprise then immediate gratification of going on a cruise, simply whisk someone away. You can pack bags for him or her, and even ask that person's boss for days off work if necessary. (My brother-in-law did this when he planned a surprise cruise for my sister. He proposed on the cruise!)

Then simply let that person know you're leaving…right now! We suggest stacking on surprise cruise reveal ideas to this one, so there's something you give that person just before you drive to the port or go to the airport to get to the port.

So, for example, you'd give the person a cruise gift basket, include a card or prepare a speech to say, “We're leaving right now!”

8. Airport Surprise

This one is easier to surprise kids with, but it's fun for anyone who likes surprises.

If you have to fly to the port of embarkation, surprise your kids with a twist on a switch-a-roo! Pack the car the night before you leave for the cruise. Then tell them you are all going to the airport to pick up a friend and they can't stay home alone.

Tell them their bags are packed for the cruise when you get to the airport! Don't forget fun cruise luggage tags to showcase the exciting news!

Cruise Lanyards & Luggage Tags

Be sure to have some fun things on your luggage or items to hand to your surprised cruisers, like nautical-themed luggage tags and lanyards!

9. The ‘Ole Switch-a-roo

If you are surprising someone who is game for any surprise, use the ‘ole switcharoo! Tell him/her that you're going to the beach or to the movies, for example, and then keep driving to the port! Just don't forget your luggage; keep in mind you'll have to pack for the people you're surprising.

10. Make a Fun Ocean or Boat-Themed Playlist

Do you ever turn on music in your home while you're making dinner, for instance? We do!

Create a music playlist with cruise-themed songs or songs inspired by your destination. For example, if you're going to Key West on a cruise, throw together a list of Jimmy Buffett tunes! Then drop hints on why you created the playlist.

Combine this with the start of a scavenger hunt, or cruise-themed bag, or gift basket idea .

11. Buy a Cruise Ship Holiday Ornament for Your Christmas Tree

Do you celebrate the holidays with a Christmas tree? Or anything like it?

If so, you can buy a cruise ornament and “hide” it in the tree. Then, perhaps on Christmas morning, ask your loved one to find the newest ornament on the tree. The reason it's there may need a bit more explaining but probably not much, once the other person finds it!

If you want to reveal the date with the ornament, create a little tag with the sailing information to float on top of it.

There are some VERY cute cruise ship ornaments on Etsy .

12. Write a Surprise Cruise Poem

Write a poem that includes the surprise reveal in it. Use words in your surprise cruise poem that have to do with the water, or the destination, or the cruise line.

Don't forget to get a great cruise greeting card to write the poem in!

13. Use a Custom Puzzle for a Surprise Cruise Reveal

If you're into putting together puzzles ( we certainly love puzzles ) then purchase a custom puzzle from somewhere like Etsy, with the big reveal. Be sure to keep in mind, however, that you may need a “puzzle completion date deadline” for this one. You wouldn't want to finish the puzzle after the cruise leaves.

For example, check out this puzzle that says, “We're Going to Alaska” puzzle. Wouldn't that be so exciting to give to someone to announce a cruise surprise to Alaska ? The best part is the puzzle is simple so the suspense is minimized. This Etsy Seller , FJ4LifeCreations, has a lot of these puzzles to announce various locations and you can also order a custom design too.

14. Create a Countdown Calendar

If you want to keep the excitement up as the days tick away and your cruise embarkation day gets closer and closer, create a countdown calendar. Tear off the day before as the next day comes into focus and your cruise gets ever-closer!

15. Disney Cruisers: Schedule a Call from the Characters

If you're going on a Disney Cruise and want to surprise a partner or your kids, you can schedule a surprise call from one of the characters. It's very easy to do in the Disney Cruise Line (DCL) Navigator App.

Don't forget to check out our invaluable DCL check-in process post, which shares what else you can do within the app like schedule a call from a character, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, etc.

Want to take it to the next level? Have a basket, gift bag, or Mickey tote ready to hand over to the person receiving the call to keep that excitement going with a tangible item that they can use to pack for your Disney Cruise!

Mickey Tote

If you schedule a call from one of the Disney characters for a Disney Cruise, have a tote filled with Disney and cruise-themed goodies ready to hand over to the receiver of the call, who you're surprising. Something tangible like this will amp up everyone's excitement and is a great day-pack bag for your Disney Cruise.

16. Create a Word Search or Special Crossword Puzzle

If the person or people you're thinking of these surprise cruise reveal ideas for like brain teasers, create a special word search or crossword puzzle that has “surprise” and “cruise” in it.

Here are some additional ideas for what to include in the word puzzle:

• Ports of call
• Countries you'll be visiting
• Packing list items
• Cruise ship name
• Cruise line name
• Things you expect to see or experience during the cruise, like parasailing, snorkeling, glacier walks in Alaska , or wine tastings in Bordeaux !
• Your family name or the names of everyone going on the cruise

17. Create a YouTube Playlist — Finish by Playing Your Own Video

Make a YouTube playlist with videos of the ship you'll be going on, or videos with the itinerary ports of call. Tell the person you're surprising with a cruise that you want to watch TV together, and then start playing the ship videos.

If that person likes cruises too he or she may not even question why you're watching one! But if that person doesn't, simply say that you heard about a cool feature or location that the cruise sails to.

At the end, be sure to have a pre-recorded video of yourself revealing the surprise cruise ready to go!

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• Their experience: They have decades of experience and attention to detail.

• Best Cruise Apps for Trip Prep and to Use While On Vacation
• United States Cruise Ports Map and Information
• How to Text on a Cruise Ship for Free (and Other Ways to Get Wi-Fi Onboard)

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Disney Trip Surprise Ideas – 10 Ways to Reveal Your Trip

Announcing a Disney trip to your kids whether it's for Disneyland, Walt Disney World or a Disney Cruise is one of the best parts! There are so many unique Disney surprise ideas for a trip reveal that work for all ages whether you have teens, toddlers, or school aged kids.

Especially for kids that have never been to Disney before this can be a great opportunity to make a special memory with the Disney surprise idea you pick.

I have compiled some of my favorite Disney surprise ideas for you to best surprise your kids with the big reveal! Some of these I have used on my own kids, especially for their first time trips, and my son remembers them even now as a teenager. Keep scrolling for our best Disney surprise ideas and tips on when to time the big surprise announcement.

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Timing Your Disney Surprise Ideas

The timing of the Disney surprise is something we want to talk through first before going over all our different surprise Disney trip reveal ideas.

How soon do you want to announce a Disney trip? Do you want your kids to be surprised with the news as you're heading to the airport? Do you want them to have time to be part of the planning process and tell them further in advance?

Essentially you have two main options: surprising them  prior to the trip whether that's weeks/months in advance OR surprising them with ‘look we're at Disney RIGHT NOW!' Let's go through some of the pros and cons of both approaches as you plan for a surprise Disney trip reveal.

1. Disney Surprise Reveal En Route to Disney

For folks that are looking to surprise their kids en route to the Disney destination, you first have to make sure you don't spill the beans too soon by giving away clues. I personally could never do this because I'm not capable of keeping a secret that long! But if you have the willpower, this is surely a way to make this an unforgettable way to announce a Disney trip.

Word of caution: make sure you know that this is the right way for your kiddo to find out. Some kids don't like surprises like this. I had a friend that tried this and her son started crying in the airport! He was so shocked and excited that it just overwhelmed him. Not the fun Disney trip surprise video she was hoping for! There's plenty of ‘Disney Announcement Fails' all over YouTube- it can be a risky way to announce a trip. Part of what makes up those fails is the idea of telling your kids a false destination in its place- sometimes kids might really want to go to grandma's house! You know what's best for your kids and if this is the right way to surprise them with a Disney trip.

If you do decide the spur of the moment Disney surprise is the right choice, still consider the timing of this Disney surprise reveal. You can wait until you arrive at the airport and announce it prior to departure. This may be the easiest if your kids are older because most kids would be asking a million questions about where you are going. If your kids are smaller, it's easier to get away with waiting for the announcement until you literally arrive at Disneyland or Walt Disney World.

So if this is your plan- timing is everything. Consider if you can make it all the way to your flight arrival without the Disney trip surprise being spoiled if this is your plan. Some airports will be covered in Disney ads or souvenir stores which might clue in older kids. If you make it through the airport with the big reveal still a surprise then you have two options: reveal the surprise en route to the hotel/at the hotel or at the Disney Park you are heading to.

If you're visiting Walt Disney World and staying in a Disney owned hotel, many of the hotels offer services that decorate your room with Disney themed toys or decor to start off the vacation in an exciting way. Over at Disneyland, you can also find plenty of local Anaheim services that take care of this for you too.

And of course, if you debut the surprise at the park entrance- you really don't need more than the magic of the Disney Parks entrance to make your kids squeal with excitement.

2. Disney Surprise Ideas in Advance

There are a few benefits to revealing your Disney surprise in advance. For one, the announcement process can be more detailed and creative! You can also then incorporate countdown chains, calendars, or ask your children to get involved with the trip planning which can held build excitement! If you book with our travel partner, Get Away Today , you will receive tons of links to free downloads for printable vacation countdowns, packing lists, and more which can help build that excitement.

You can also consider holidays or birthdays in relation to your trip announcement. Is the trip a birthday or Christmas celebration? As experiences replacing material possessions get more popular this is one Disney surprise idea to tie in your trip and also make that holiday/birthday an unforgettable experience.

Think about how far in advance you want to reveal the news. I have found in my personal experience that if I reveal it too far in advance that the excitement is rather muted. “Oh, we're going to Disneyland?! But not for eight months….?” Time can be a struggle for kids to understand so I recommend revealing the news closer to the departure date so it's close enough to look forward to but not too far to feel irrelevant.

Now that we've talked the timing, let's get into all our best surprise Disney trip reveal ideas! All of these Disney surprise ideas work for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando, and Disney Cruises. You can adapt any of these Disney surprise ideas for your destination.

Surprise Disney Trip Reveal Ideas

There are a variety of great Disney trip surprise ideas and you can also incorporate your specific destination into the Disney surprise reveal as well. You can tailor these Disney trip surprise ideas for any age but always consider your trip timing into the surprise as well.

1. Suitcase Surprise

Fill a suitcase with that they will need on their trip to Disney. Make sure to include some Disney related t-shirts, Mickey ears or autograph books to help clue them in. This way the excitement is revealed and they have some goodies to enjoy right away too! Bonus points if you get them their own little suitcase- that can make the experience feel more special for kids that are traveling for the first time.

2. Christmas Morning

If you're giving the gift of Disney for Christmas or a birthday then half the fun is in the present opening. You can give gifts that clue them in on where the trip is (Minnie ears? Stuffed Mickey Mouse? Magic Bands?) and then let them guess! Or you can be more direct and put the tickets in a small box (consider using printed out fake ones just so you don't risk damaging your real ones) and have them open it!

3. Wrapping Disney Balloons 

This is one of my favorite Disney surprise ideas. Get a big box, wrap it, and fill it with helium balloons. You can get a custom balloon done (check local party stores or go online on Etsy) and have it announce your trip. Or fill it with Disney themed helium balloons. You could put a sign on the balloon that says ‘You're going to Disney!' or write it out on a card to put in the bottom of the box.

4. Scavenger Hunt

Create a scavenger hunt that includes clues about your trip and ends with the big reveal. You can find plenty of scavenger hunt templates on Pinterest or by searching online. For smaller kids, you can also start this into a string scavenger hunt to keep them focused and on track. Consider keeping the scavenger hunt confined to a smaller space if you want to be able to get the best video of it.

5. Letter from Mickey

Imagine the excitement when your kids receive a personalized letter from Mickey inviting them to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. You can find plenty of printable options online for free or on Etsy for an additional cost.  You could include the letter in a large box of Disney goodies or you can mail it to your kids! Our travel partner Get Away Today offers a template for this on their website .

6. Breakfast or Dinner Reveal

For some kids that have been to the parks before, they might have learned to associate certain foods with the Disney Parks. You can find some recipes online to create your own Dole Whips or Mickey waffles at home and surprise the kids with a themed meal.

7. Universal Studios- Hogwarts Letter

If Universal Studios is on your destination list and your kids are big Harry Potter fans then you can't resist sharing the news with Hogwarts acceptance letter along with a ticket to the Hogwarts Express! Our travel partner Get Away Today shared this awesome free printable for both Hollywood and Orlando on their blog.

I used this surprise idea when my son was little for his first trip to Universal Studios Hollywood during our upcoming Disney vacation. He had been asking for awhile because he loves Harry Potter so I printed these out, rolled them up like scrolls, and attached them to a stuffed owl. I told him over dinner and he loved it! He thought for a moment Hogwarts actually sent the letters. A very cool memory to have.

8. Disney Cruise Fish Extender Surprise

If you are looking for a Disney Cruise surprise idea, incorporating the popular fish extenders into your Disney surprise reveal is a great idea. This also builds into the excitement leading up to the trip for kids as they prepare their gifts for trading. Fish extenders are just hanging storage pockets you put outside your stateroom and then you can join online Facebook groups to plan small gift exchanges with others on the ship. The name is derived from the fact that outside every stateroom on a Disney Cruise is a little fish clip that holds communications from the ship, you hang our storage hanger from the fish and then you have a fish extender! For this Disney Cruise surprise idea I would recommend surprising kids with the fish extender and then begin planning your cruise exchanges to build excitement to the cruise.

9. Disney Surprise Box or Gift Bag

This is what I did for my son's first trip to Disneyland. I filled a Disney tote bag full of Mickey ears, stickers, a countdown activity, Disney themed candy, and a Mickey Mouse t shirt. It didn't take him long to figure out why I was gifting him all these Disney themed items that we would need for a Disney trip. But just in case, you may want to also include an obvious “We are going to Disney!” item in the box like a copy of their tickets (or fake ones online!) or even just a printed out paper announcing it. 

10. Social Media Announcement

This is a nice Disney surprise idea for teens although it depends on if your teen actually follows you on social media. (My son has a tendency to “accidentally” unfollow me on TikTok) But posting a status update or even getting creative with a video and posting it to your social media announcing your upcoming Disney trip and waiting until your teen sees it can be a fun Disney surprise idea.

Considering the amount of time, money, and planning that goes into a Disney trip it makes sense to dedicate some energy to the big Disney surprise reveal. Coming from experience of a mom that has done a few of these reveals along with a few epic fails, here is a piece of advice for those of you taking first timers to the parks: don't be disappointed if they're not that excited. If they've never been to Disney before, they may not fully know how amazing it is. The excitement will come later, don't worry!

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The best way to announce a Disney trip depends on the age of your kids and how you should time the announcement. Surprising kids with a Disney trip is a fun way to announce a Disney trip or tell them in advance so they can help you plan.

You can make a Disney surprise box or gift bag full of items they will need on their trip that allows them to realize they are going to Disney!

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About Lindsay Brookshier

Lindsay is a college English instructor and has years of writing experience through various nonprofits, charities, newspapers, and online magazines. As the content director of Mickey Visit, she oversees article content and leads our fantastic team of writers to meet guest vacation needs. You can still find her writing weekly content to help make your Disney Parks trip fantastic here on Mickey Visit and Disney Dose- you can also view her recently featured posts on Disney Parks travel on Visit Anaheim, Nerd Wallet and SFGate. Lindsay comes from a dedicated Disney family and enjoys taking her son to the Disney parks as often as possible.

Great post!

A lot of create ideas. Thanks for creating this.

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14 Ideas for Doing a Disney World Trip Reveal Surprise

So you’ve booked a trip to Disney World and now it’s time to share the news with your family! Do you want to do a special surprise Disney World trip reveal so that you can capture their reactions?

This is quite common with Disney World trips and they often make for some of the best videos. Who doesn’t love watching someone scream with joy or cry happy tears when they realize their dream trip is about to become a reality?

  Here are some of my favourite ideas I have seen when doing a surprise Disney World trip reveal:

Mickey Balloons

This one works best if you are revealing the trip as part of a gift. It involves wrapping up a large box filled with some balloons, and some added magic is if the balloons are Mickey themed. When your family opens up the Disney World surprise box, the balloons will come flying out and you can include a message in the box (or attached to the string of the balloons) that says “You’re Going to Disney World!”

Scavenger Hunt

This one involves a bit more planning and preparation, but the result is super fun. You create a bunch of clues to lead them on a scavenger hunt and hide them throughout your house.

The kids often get so wrapped up in the fun of the game, that they don’t even realize that there may be a big surprise at the end. The treasure at the end is so worth it and will get some great reactions!

Reveal It When You Hit the Gates (Road Trip)

If you are driving to Disney World, then you can certainly pull this surprise off if your children are young. You tell them you are going somewhere else and then hit the road for Florida.

If they are young enough, they won’t pay attention to the road signs and will be unaware of where you are going. Once you are about to enter the Disney World property, now it is time to get them ready for your surprise trip reveal. Tell them to pay attention and look out the window. The Disney World gates are hard to miss and they’ll get pretty excited once they spot them.  

Fake Airport Drop-Off

This surprise is for parents that are really good and covert at keeping secrets. You’ll need to keep the trip a secret from them until the last minute and also manage to pack all their stuff without them noticing. You disguise your trip to the airport as a drop-off for one of the parents for a business trip, but then you let them all in on the surprise!

Play a Fun Family Game

Jigsaw Puzzle

Do you have a kid or loved one that loves puzzles? Time to get creative and design a special puzzle made just for them! You can create your own design for your puzzle for free on Canva.com .

Once you have your image created with the message “You’re Going to Disney World!” on it, you can upload it to a puzzle making service. You could use a site such as  www.createjigsawpuzzles.com  or Vistaprint . Then, once you receive it, give it to the one you are surprising and watch them piece it together.

Advent Calendar Surprise

Are advent calendars a big hit in your house during the month of December? Why not make your own and customize the contents? Make a homemade advent calendar and provide the kids with little hints throughout the month leading up to Christmas. You can then have the big reveal inside the day of the 25th which will make for a fun Christmas morning!

Gift Them Their Magic Bands and Disney Goodies

Early Morning Surprise

Give them a reason to jump out of bed! If you have an early morning departure, keep the secret up until the very last minute. Wake them up when it’s time to go with their bags all packed and ready to go.

They’ll wake up feeling like they are in a dream and you will surely have no trouble getting them out of bed once you let them know where you are going!

Mail Them a Letter

Kids love getting mail. What better way to surprise them with a letter from their favourite Mouse! Send them a letter and then have them open it and read it aloud. You can find a Disney World surprise letter template online like this one from mommytravels.net.

Disney Mad Libs

Mad libs are a fun game where you have to fill in the blanks of a story before you read it aloud. Here is an example of a printable you can use to announce your trip. Have your child give you some answers for the blank sections and then give the completed story to them to read.  

Organize a Disney Breakfast

Trick Them!

There are so many ways you can trick your kids and surprise them with a Disney vacation, but I really like how this mom orchestrated this one:

Box in a Box in a Box in a Box…..

This one is great if the surprise is a birthday gift. Make them work for it and wrap up several boxes in to each other making them go through several layers until they get to the very end. You could make the reveal their MagicBand or perhaps a letter saying “You’re going to Disney World!”. It makes for a really fun game and the anticipation really builds up as they open each layer.

Have you ever surprised anyone in your family with a Disney trip? If so, I would love to hear how you revealed it to them, leave me a comment below!

Don’t forget to sign up on my email list for your FREE access to my planning worksheets that will help you plan your magical vacation 🙂 And you can get a quote below from our favourite authorized Disney travel agency , Click the Mouse.

Our preferred travel agency is Click the Mouse. They specialize in Disney destinations and will help you plan out all the little details. Best part is that their services are FREE when you book your vacation with them. Personalized service at no extra cost to you! To get a quote from a Click the Mouse travel agent, simply click on the quote button below and they will be back in touch with you:

Laura is a mom of one adorable girl with a love of all things Disney. She traveled to Disney World with her family in 2010 and was hooked. They have since been a total of over 15 times. With all her knowledge of planning Disney trips, she now wants to share that with others. She loves giving guidance, tips and advice to others planning their magical vacation!

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We have a tradition where we go out for Chinese on Christmas Day. I removed the fortunes in the cookies and replaced them with ones I made stating we were going to disney

I love that idea, that is great way to do a trip reveal! 🙂

We got plush Mickey and Minnie head easter baskets. We put in Disney shirts, their Magic bands, sunblock, a handheld fan/misting bottle, beach towels, goggles and Mickey shaped goldfish crackers. Gave them to our girls and asked them to figure out the surprise.

I love that, such a great idea!!!

Can I ask how you swapped the fortunes?

We have never surprised our kids with a trip to Disney, but we have surprised my best friends daughter(also my daughters best friend) and our kids that my friend and her daughter were going with us on our trip last summer. I made a video at MAgic Kingdom a couple months before her birthday and for her birthday showed the video to her and my kids to reveal that they were coming with us to Disney World. My kids knew about the trip but not that our friends were joining us. I’m planning to surprise them for our spring break trip this coming year. Hoping I can hold out until it time to wake them for the drive to the airport.

If you want to make a trip to Walt Disney World a little more magical, I suggest WDW Florist Service. When I took my sons for the first time, I ordered special gifts for them that were waiting in our room when we arrived with a special message from Mickey! Was it an extra expense? Yes. Was it worth every penny? You bet!

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May 16, 2019 By Michelle Maraj 213 Comments

5 Free Boarding Pass Templates for Gifts

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that we will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase. All opinions are those of the author.

If you are purchasing a trip as a gift, don’t just give them a print-out of your order confirmation. Consider downloading one of the following free boarding pass templates, all which can be customized with your own details. Announce that you are going on a trip, or use one of the printable plane tickets as finishing touches on a tangible gift that you are giving. You can also use one of these free ticket templates as invitations to a future event.

Mother’s Niche Printable Plane Tickets

Mother’s Niche has these printable boarding passes in green, blue, or coral. you can print the tickets, and then hand-write the passenger’s name and the type of trip you are taking. These printable tickets are good as road trip announcements, plane boarding passes, or cruise tickets. Use a bold marker for the best look on these boarding passes.

Alyee Bits Customizable Boarding Pass Invitation

Alyee Bits makes a printable boarding pass save the date which can be edited using Microsoft Word. These free plane boarding passes are blank, and can be easily customized with your own backgrounds and text. Switch the colors or the fonts, as this boarding pass template can be made into your own creation.

Barley and Birch Printable Boarding Pass

The free printable tickets from Barley and Birch make an excellent set. This PDF set includes an airplane boarding pass, along with a baggage claim ticket. You can type right onto the PDF template to add your customized ticket details. This could be the perfect no-stress printable to attach to a gift basket.

Unoriginal Mom’s Free Disney Themed Passes

These free Disney boarding pass templates from Unoriginal Mom are the perfect way to gift a trip to Disneyworld. While these PDFs are not editable, you can use Photoshop or hand-write names onto these passes. Unoriginal Mom also shows you how to glue together the perfect envelope to go with your passes.

Free Printables Online Wedding Invite

The boarding pass save the date from Free Printables Online is a PDF download where you can quickly type in your details to print. You cannot change the color or the fact that it says ‘Wedding Date’, but these are still a high quality printable that are the perfect way to announce your special day.

Free Printable Passes

Whether you are delivering a travel themed gift or making an announcement, one of these printable boarding passes could add the perfect customized touch.

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Mom on the Side

Self Care and Scavenger Hunts

Exciting Vacation Announcement Scavenger Hunts for Kids

June 2, 2016

I partnered with Scholastic to share these exciting vacation announcement scavenger hunts for kids!

As Alexander Graham Bell said “when one door closes, another opens”. Right now, the classroom doors are closing and the family vacation doors are opening.

Saving, planning, prepping, packing, and everything in between. Part of that in between may include surprising kids with a vacation!

If you have Can’t Wait for School Break-itis you’re going to love these Vacation Announcement Scavenger Hunts for Kids to help you plan a fun vacation reveal!

Printable Vacation Announcement Scavenger Hunts for Kids

Are going somewhere unbelievably amazing like Disney World or an amusement park? Headed to the beach or cabin on the lake? Maybe taking a scenic road trip?

I have Vacation Announcement Scavenger Hunts for Kids that will help you with a surprise vacation reveal! Pick whichever scavenger hunt fits your family vacation, and get ready to watch the kids smile.

–> Beach Vacation  <–

These beach vacation scavenger hunt clues also work for other water themed vacation. With water and swimming clues leading to the reveal of the destination.

Want to leave gifts with your beach vacation scavenger hunt? Googles, beach towel, swimsuit, and sandcastle tools are great options!

If you don’t have a printer, here are the Beach Vacation Announcement Scavenger Hunt Clues to write down on paper:

• Boy do I have a surprise for you! Where you “swim” in the house is the next clue. (Give this clue to your child)
• Great job, world class swimmer! Ride the waves to where you eat dinner. (hide clue in the bathtub)
• Grab your goggles and dive deep! Find the next clue where you sleep. (hide clue somewhere on/under the dining room table)
• No resting yet, you’re almost done. A surprise is waiting where there’s movie fun. (hide clue in pillowcase or on/under bed)
• Hide surprise near home movies, DVD player, TV stand, couch, etc.)

–> Amusement Park Vacation  <–

Want to surprise your kids with a Disney vacation or theme park trip? Use these amusement park vacation scavenger hunt clues teasing rides and excitement.

Want to leave gifts with your amusement park scavenger hunt? Items themed to the park, printables or special discounts from the parks website, and DIY family vacation t-shirts are great ideas.

If you don’t have a printer, here are the Amusement Park Vacation Announcement Scavenger Hunt Clues:

• A thrilling adventure awaits. Find the next clue where germs hate. (Give this clue to your chilld)
• Get ready for a bumpy ride. The next clue is where food hides.(hide the clue near the bathroom sink or soap)
• Buckle up and hold on tight. Another clue coming, look for the light. (hide clue in the fridge, freezer, or kitchen cupboard)
• You’ve reached the end of this ride. Head to the porch for a heart-pounding surprise (hide clue under a lamp or in a light fixture)
• Hide surprise on the porch or in the mailbox)!

–> Road Trip Vacation Scavenger Hunt <–

Packing up the car  for a family road trip vacation to somewhere special? Use these road trip vacation scavenger hunt clues for kids to break the news.

Want to leave gifts with these adventurous clues? Road trip car games, sunglasses, and a snack box filled with their favorite treats are great ideas.

If you don’t have a printer, here are the Road Trip Vacation Announcement Scavenger Hunt Clues:

• Adventure is waiting, let the fun begin! Find the next clue where the mail comes in. (Give this clue to your child)
• Fun around every corner, so much to do! Better hydrate with water, like your next clue. (hide clue in the mailbox)
• Nooks and crannies, new places galore. The next clue is hiding behind a closet door. (hide clue near a faucet, water jug, or home water dispenser)
• It’s the end of the road but it has been fun! A surprise awaits where laundry gets done. (hide clue taped inside a closet door)
• Hide surprise in the washer or dryer or laundry basket)

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How to Give a Trip as a Gift (and have it be thrilling!)

Giving gifts of experience.

Giving experiences as gifts is widely accepted as a wonderful alternative to giving material objects. But have you ever wondered how to give a trip as a gift, and have it still be thrilling and fun to open?

Make opening the gift an experience of it’s own.

One of the challenges with giving an trip as a gift is making it fun to actually open. Especially on holiday with big expectations, like Christmas morning, you want your kids to be over the moon about their presents, not confused why they only got this piece of paper saying they’re headed out of town.

With a little creativity you can make the gift opening an experience of it’s own. Think of the wrapping as a game or a puzzle. Some ideas for this are:

• Wrap in multiple boxes and with different paper.
• Make it a treasure hunt with clues.
• Go big with a box filled with helium balloons or beach balls.
• Fill a stocking with different items that give clues as to the location.
• Wrap a piece of twine or yarn all around the room or house (or yard) that the recipient has to follow to get to the trip at the end.

You want the kids (or friend, spouse, partner) to think the actual opening of the gift is a fun, unique, and magical experience! That way, even if you aren’t leaving on the trip right away, the gift opening moment feels special.

Stick with a theme.

One of the easiest ways to give a trip as a gift is to give some accessories that one may need for the trip along with the announcement.

For example:

• Wrap up a swimsuit and sunscreen for a trip to the beach.
• Give some new snow gloves and a hat for a ski trip.
• Buy a couple Disney tee shirts and mouse ears (for way less than you will at the park) and wrap them up to announce a trip to Disneyland.
• Get some food or drinks from the region or city to announce the trip.
• An instax mini camera is a great catch-all for a vacation gift opening, if you can’t think of anything else on theme!

Learn about the location.

Another fun way to give a trip as a gift is to give some guide books, movies, or other items that will teach the recipient about the location before you go.

It is always so much more fun to learn about a new place before you visit, and usually enhances the experience a lot. Planning to to some learning ahead of the trip can add so much to the fun of the gift!

If you aren’t leaving on the trip for a while, a fun way to accomplish this one is with a paper chain counting down to the trip date. You can add experiences or adventures that will help you learn about the trip each week until you leave, making your gift even more impactful and long-lasting.

Our Family Christmas

For Christmas last year, we gave the kids a trip to Italy–but the trip wasn’t until months later for Spring Break! We used all three of the above tips to make Christmas morning exciting for the kids (without buying any material gifts, as we were still finishing a year of not buying stu ff.)

Consumable Treats

First, we bought a few different Italian foods to pack up into different boxes. Then, we made a treasure hunt that began with the first gift box and a clue to the next one, and so on. The kids were so excited to follow each clue and unwrap each different little Italian treat. After the kids had run around the house finding the clues, they were led back to the Christmas tree where we had left a big box.

Inside the last box they found some Italian pasta and sauce for a big, authentic Italian meal, and a paper chain counting down the days until we would “GO TO ITALY AS A FAMILY!”

Paper Chain

The chain had one link for each day until we leave, with red links on Mondays. We had come up with a family activity to complete each Monday for family night that would teach us something new about Italy!

There are three weeks left until our trip, and so far we have: eaten Napoli style pizza, watched Italian opera, learned some Italian words, visited the Art Museum to look for Italian artists, celebrated Italian teams in the Olympics, made Italian Sodas, learned about Italian geography and watched a cartoon in Italian. We have yet to go driving to find Italian inspired architecture in our city, go get gelato, and learn about Italian fashion before we pack up to go.

Ongoing Experiences

The kids had an amazing Christmas morning opening their gift with a treasure hunt, clues, treats, and this cool paper chain. And we have also continued to benefit each week from the gift as we learn, play, and experience things together to prepare us for the trip that is still ahead!

I hope these ideas help you think of how to give a trip as a gift in a super fun way to someone you love. We’ll never regret the memories made!

You might also like:

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Supervisory Travel Management Specialist

This vacancy is for Supervisory Travel Management Specialist in the Office of the Secretary within the the Travel Management Division, Office of Financial Reporting, Internal Controls and Travel, Office of Financial Management, Department of Commerce located in Washington, D.C. We seek bright, innovative, and results-oriented individuals to join our fast-paced organization. Make a difference by joining our team!

• Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

08/28/2024 to 09/04/2024

$163,964 - $191,900 per year

Pay scale & grade

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Washington, DC

Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.

Travel Required

Not required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type, work schedule.

Competitive

Promotion potential

Job family (series).

• 2101 Transportation Specialist

Supervisory status

Security clearance.

Not Required

Position sensitivity and risk

Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process

• Credentialing
• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

Bargaining unit status, announcement number.

OS-OFM-ST-24-12528979

Control number

This job is open to.

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

Current or former competitive service federal employees.

Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.

Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service; former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) eligibles; applicants eligible under special hiring authorities; veterans who are preference eligible, or separated from the U.S. Armed Forces under honorable conditions after 3 years or more of continuous active service (VEOA).

• Develops, recommends, and implements Departmental travel policies in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation, Employee Relocation Service Program, Smart Pay Travel Card Program, and eGov Travel Program.
• Provides training on all aspects of travel, develops training materials, and delivers presentations.
• Performs studies and revises existing policies and procedures to ensure the effective implementation and execution of the multifaceted programs of an organization.
• Develops and monitors customer service standards and provides timely, reliable, and accurate service and support for both internal and external customers.
• Leads and manages an office with Bureau/Division level responsibilities.
• Manages and executes program annual budget, procurement, and personnel and/or provide oversight to other administrative functions.

Requirements

Conditions of employment.

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs.
• A probationary or trial period may be required.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/).
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Drug Test: No
• License required: No
• Pre-employment physical required: No
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): No
• Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: Will Not be paid
• Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. This position is being filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). The system replaced the Federal GS pay plan structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. Non-supervisory positions cap out at interval 3 of the band. The ZA-5 is equivalent to the GS-15 grade level. To qualify at the ZA-5 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 (or equivalent pay band) level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Managing a travel management program (i.e., development, analysis, and interpretation of complex travel regulations and policy issues).
• Maintaining and managing resources within an organization including budget, procurement, personnel, and oversight of other administrative programs.
• Planning, directing, reviewing, and monitoring work.

There is no positive education requirement for this position.

Additional information

The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.

• Veterans Recruitment Act (VRA)
• Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA)
• 30% or more disabled veterans
• Persons with disabilities
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)

ICTAP and CTAP Eligibles: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

• A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
• A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
• A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
• Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:

• A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
• A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc;

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits .

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

• Travel Management
• Program Management
• Customer Service
• Classified or government sensitive information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

• Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume should list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Refer to the "How you will be Evaluated' section for types of information not to include in your resume/application.
• SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," supporting your eligibility, showing tenure code, position occupied and highest grade and step.
• If applicable, performance appraisals and/or Incentive award documentation may be submitted and will be forwarded to the selecting official as support in consideration of your application in the evaluation process. To receive due weight, you must submit a recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (do not submit a performance plan) and/or incentive award documentation (i.e. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increases, etc.)
• Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) documentation, if applicable. For more information, please go to: https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans/special-hiring-authorities/#VEOA
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable (see other information).
• Education. If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http : //www.opm . gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.
• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply button and follow the prompts to register/sign-in into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents.

To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply to continue.

For instructions on submitting your application in an alternate format, please contact the Agency Contact listed in this vacancy announcement.

Agency contact information

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." The four points of notification are:

• Application Received or Application Incomplete
• Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Not Met;
• Eligible (Application Referred to the Selecting Official) or Ineligible (Application Not Referred to the Selecting Official); and
• Selected or Not Selected.

By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request

Required Documents

How to apply, fair & transparent.

This job originated on www.usajobs.gov . For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/806923200 . Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.

Learn more about

Office of the Secretary

The Office of the Secretary is the general management arm of the department and provides the principal support to the Secretary in formulating policy and in providing advice to the President. It provides program leadership for the department's functions and exercises general supervision over the operating units. It also directly carries out program functions as may be assigned by the Secretary and provides - as determined to be more economical or efficient - administrative and other support services for designated operating units. The Office of the Secretary consists of the Secretary, certain secretarial officers, designated staff immediately serving those officials and a number of offices which serve department-wide functions or perform program functions directly on behalf of the Secretary.

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Learn more about what it's like to work at Office of the Secretary, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

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Nasa decides to bring starliner spacecraft back to earth without crew .

Jessica Taveau

Nasa headquarters.

NASA will return Boeing’s Starliner to Earth without astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the spacecraft, the agency announced Saturday. The uncrewed return allows NASA and Boeing to continue gathering testing data on Starliner during its upcoming flight home, while also not accepting more risk than necessary for its crew.

Wilmore and Williams, who flew to the International Space Station in June aboard NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, have been busy supporting station research, maintenance, and Starliner system testing and data analysis, among other activities.

“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “I’m grateful to both the NASA and Boeing teams for all their incredible and detailed work.”

Wilmore and Williams will continue their work formally as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew through February 2025. They will fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Starliner is expected to depart from the space station and make a safe, controlled autonomous re-entry and landing in early September.

NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters on June 6 as Starliner approached the space station. Since then, engineering teams have completed a significant amount of work , including reviewing a collection of data, conducting flight and ground testing, hosting independent reviews with agency propulsion experts, and developing various return contingency plans. The uncertainty and lack of expert concurrence does not meet the agency’s safety and performance requirements for human spaceflight, thus prompting NASA leadership to move the astronauts to the Crew-9 mission.

“Decisions like this are never easy, but I want to commend our NASA and Boeing teams for their thorough analysis, transparent discussions, and focus on safety during the Crew Flight Test,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate. “We’ve learned a lot about the spacecraft during its journey to the station and its docked operations. We also will continue to gather more data about Starliner during the uncrewed return and improve the system for future flights to the space station.”

Starliner is designed to operate autonomously and previously completed two uncrewed flights. NASA and Boeing will work together to adjust end-of-mission planning and Starliner’s systems to set up for the uncrewed return in the coming weeks. Starliner must return to Earth before the Crew-9 mission launches to ensure a docking port is available on station.

“Starliner is a very capable spacecraft and, ultimately, this comes down to needing a higher level of certainty to perform a crewed return,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “The NASA and Boeing teams have completed a tremendous amount of testing and analysis, and this flight test is providing critical information on Starliner’s performance in space. Our efforts will help prepare for the uncrewed return and will greatly benefit future corrective actions for the spacecraft.”

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program requires spacecraft fly a crewed test flight to prove the system is ready for regular flights to and from the space station. Following Starliner’s return, the agency will review all mission-related data to inform what additional actions are required to meet NASA’s certification requirements.

The agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, originally slated with four crew members , will launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24. The agency will share more information about the Crew-9 complement when details are finalized. 

NASA and SpaceX currently are working several items before launch, including reconfiguring seats on the Crew-9 Dragon, and adjusting the manifest to carry additional cargo, personal effects, and Dragon-specific spacesuits for Wilmore and Williams. In addition, NASA and SpaceX now will use new facilities at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to launch Crew-9, which provides increased operational flexibility around NASA’s planned Europa Clipper launch.

The Crew-9 mission will be the ninth rotational mission to the space station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which works with the American aerospace industry to meet the goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.

For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy , NASA’s Artemis campaign is underway at the Moon where the agency is preparing for future human exploration of Mars.

Find more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

-end- 

Meira Bernstein / Josh Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 [email protected] / [email protected]

Steve Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott / Stephanie Plucinsky Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-867-2468 [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]

Leah Cheshier / Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 [email protected] / [email protected]

Related Terms

• International Space Station (ISS)
• Commercial Crew
• Kennedy Space Center

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ALTY V OLDHAM | THIS SATURDAY | BUY TICKETS

Free coach travel to Yeovil courtesy of AO

WE'RE delighted to announce our front-of-shirt sponsor AO has agreed to pay for a supporters' coach for next month’s Vanarama National League clash at Yeovil Town.  

The generous gesture will allow up to 57 Alty fans to make the 440-mile round trip to Huish Park, on Saturday 14th September, free of charge.

"I am always filled with pride at away games when I see our supporters in place, singing for the whole 90 minutes. And our numbers of travelling supporters has been growing significantly over the last 12 months.  This superb gesture from AO rewards our travelling fans for their commitment and will encourage a new cohort of young supporters to join "Alty Away" on our travels.  Amazing generosity - thank you AO" - Bill Waterson “When we started working with AO and building our relationship we were both aligned with the desire to give something back to our fans.  When we discussed this opportunity with AO to give something back it was decided in a heartbeat. Thank you to AO and thank you to all our travelling fans. Your support has been fantastic" - Sam Mackenzie

The coach will depart from outside Station House on Stamford New Road at 8:30am, on Saturday 14th September.

“We’re hugely grateful to AO for their generosity. The way they’ve engaged with fans since coming on board has been brilliant to see.  It would be great to see some new faces on the coach and hopefully this offer will allow people who may not always be able to afford it to make the trip down to support the lads"   -  Andrew Flynn  (Union Golf Road supporters group)

Seats will first be offered to frequent travellers who have used Union Golf Road away travel for 50 percent or more of the trips since the beginning of the 2023/24 season. Qualifying supporters will be contacted via email.

The remaining seats will be made publicly available  here  at 3pm on Thursday, August 29.

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Qantas pilots prepare for launch of ‘longest-range’ Airbus A321XLR aircraft

Qantas pilots are preparing for the launch of Australia’s first “longest-range” plane, which will allow for more non-stop routes.

Qantas reveals ‘free’ passenger perk

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Qantas Group has announced pilots are training ahead of the launch of Australia’s first “longest-range” Airbus A321XLR aircraft, which will allow for more non-stop routes.

The aviation group will add 28 of these aircraft as it progressively replaces its Boeing 737s over the next 10 years.

The first of the planes is set to be in circulation in April next year.

The announcement was made on Thursday when the group posted its end-of-year results, delivering a 28 per cent drop in statutory profit after tax to $1.25bn that chief executive Vanessa Hudson said reflected a “balance” between financial stability and reinvestment into customer service initiatives.

While more than 240 pilots will be trained to fly the aircraft over the next three years, the first cohort has already begun training on an AE 7000XR Series A320 simulator that was specifically shipped to Sydney from Montreal, Canada.

The groups’s chief financial officer Rob Marcolina said the new aircraft would open more domestic opportunities as well as routes into Southeast Asia, plus “exciting” plans for direct routes between Perth and India.

In-flight amenities will also be expanded, including wider economy seats compared with the Boeing 737, free wi-fi for all customers in-flight, and the largest overhead bins of any single-aisle aircraft.

Ms Hudson said the new aircraft would also lead to “more jobs, training and promotion opportunities”.

“Qantas will be one of the first airlines in the world to operate the A321XLR and ahead of the arrival of our first aircraft next year, we’ve started pilot training and finalised the details of the customer experience,” she said.

“Nearly half of all the customers Qantas carries each year travel on our 737 fleet, so the A321XLR aircraft that we’ve ordered to replace them will be incredibly important for our future.”

Posting its FY24 results on Thursday, Qantas revealed an underlying profit before tax of $2.08bn, and a net debt of $4.1bn which was in the bottom half of Qantas’s target range of ($3.9 – $4.9 billion).

The group will also deliver up to $400m to shareholders in the first half of FY25.

While Ms Hudson acknowledged the figures were lower than the previous year, she said this was due to lower airfares, the airline reinvesting in customer services and lower freight revenue.

“We present those results today and have delivered not only a strong result but we are also underpinning that, delivering improved on-time performance and also customer satisfaction,” she said.

“This is about getting the balance right.”

Ms Hudson also spruiked the improvements in customer satisfaction metrics and said the year ahead would result in the group increasing its fleet by 20 aircraft and rolling out wi-fi on its international planes.

Both Qantas and Jetstar improved their on-time performance, with Qantas increasing by 10 points and the budget carrier improving by 8.8 points.

Customer net promoter score for both carriers also improved by 22 points (Qantas) and 19 points (Jetstar).

“Both Qantas and Jetstar saw significant uplift in satisfaction,” Ms Hudson said.

“I speak a lot, a lot to customers on planes and in airports, and what I hear and what they say to me is that things feel different, and that is actually a reflection of the incredible work of our people.”

Commenting on the formation of a new aviation industry ombuds scheme and a charter of customer rights, as detailed in the federal government’s aviation whitepaper released on Monday, Ms Hudson said the airline group would aim to proactively improve performance; however, it would not put “schedule ahead of safety”.

“We’ve been investing in lifting on-time performance and lifting reliability so that we don’t have to recover in those moments,” she said.

“There are going to be times where there are disruptions (like) yesterday (Wednesday) in Sydney. We all would have seen the massive weather events, and communication and managing customers in those moments will always be something that we focus on and drive ourselves to get better at.”

Ms Hudson said she welcomed the white paper, and said it took a “very balanced approach”. While the paper left the door open for customers to receive compensation, Ms Hudson warned that these initiatives could increase prices.

“When we look to the other jurisdictions that have these broader consumer compensation schemes, we actually think that they add cost to airlines,” she said.

“They add cost to fares, and so we think that the government is taking a very measured and a very balanced approach to the way in which they are viewing this.”

Qantas Group has posted its first full year results with Vanessa Hudson at the helm, with the new CEO unveiling a welcome new addition for flyers.

An Aussie man has revealed the insane reason he’s able to fly business class for free, more than 100 times.

Aviation experts have described the shake-up to the industry as “disappointing” saying it shows where Australia is falling behind.

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Virologist joins Bond LSC, takes on LIDR leadership

By Sarah Rubinstein | Bond LSC

Growing up in ’70s and ’80s Britain, 10-year-old Anthony Griffiths’ brain had the dangers of rabies seared into it during European vacations. At the time, rabies hadn’t made its way to Britain but was present throughout the continent, and the public service announcement posters were a fearful reminder to remain vigilant. While messages warning against smuggling unquarantined pets into the country scared most children with statements like “rabies means death” and “rabies is a killer,” Griffiths was curious. He went to the library instead, checked out a book — “Rabies: The Facts” and his interest in virology was born.

“I’m the luckiest person in the world, who’s done exactly what I have always, always wanted to do,” he said.

The British native arrived at Mizzou in July to become the newest director of Mizzou’s Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research (LIDR) and a principal investigator at Bond Life Sciences Center.

Griffiths has spent his career researching viruses in high and maximum biocontainment labs, working to understand how they cause disease and how the information he finds can be used to develop vaccines and therapeutics for those viruses.

“Viruses are so simple, they are not even alive, but they are so devastating,” he said. “Understanding how something so simple can have such an impact is fascinating.”

He received his Ph.D. in virology at the University of Cambridge and studied herpes viruses at Harvard Medical School, focusing on the cellular biology of herpes and using antiviral agents to probe how the virus causes disease. Then he began his own infectious disease laboratory at Texas Biomedical Research Institute where his team mostly analyzed viruses at biosafety levels three and four (BSL -3 and BSL-4). Biosafety level four is the highest classification of biological safety for working with the highest risk viruses. In Texas, he looked at a pathogenic zoonotic virus that causes herpes B virus. He also worked on more “famous” viruses like Ebola.

After that, Griffiths was recruited to the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University that had a BSL -4 facility. He worked in Boston through the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, where he looked at ways to recycle personal protective equipment used in labs and began looking at passive ways to inactivate the virus on surfaces then tested drugs and vaccines as they started to be developed.

Coming to Mizzou, Griffiths is fascinated with Bond LSC’s ambitious nature that pushes for collaboration with other parts of campus including the School of Medicine and the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Every university would tell you it values collaboration, but I think Mizzou really strives to have everyone work with each other,” he said.

Griffiths looks forward to the possibility of working with students and hopes being located on the main campus will help facilitate interactions with them. Unlike the work he did in Boston, Griffiths is interested in putting on his biologist hat to investigate animal modeling in his academic lab at Bond LSC where he can recruit students to study the intersections between humans and animals.

While half of his time will be at Bond LSC, directing LIDR also is a substantial undertaking.

LIDR, one of only 13 federally supported Regional Biocontainment Laboratories in the U.S., has research laboratories for studying basic biology of infectious diseases in high biocontainment, such as plague and avian influenza virus. But LIDR also serves as a regional resource of the federal government in the event of infectious disease outbreaks.

As LIDR’s director, Griffiths will focus on outreach to campus and spreading awareness of it as a fundamental resource to the area. He also will represent the lab in national and international conferences. He is most looking forward to bringing in new viruses and techniques to study. As a federal and regional resource, LIDR will study whatever pathogens are most important and relevant for public and animal health to the U.S. at any point in time. Therefore, he and his team will be ready to respond to whatever is needed. He likens this to transitioning a lot of his former work to studying SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

From a scientific standpoint, he is most excited to study hantaviruses because he’s never had the chance to study them before, but notes that this could be pushed down on the priority list as new things arise.

“Reacting to what’s happening is part of the job, that’s why you recruit lab members with a variety of expertise,” he said.

Coming onto campus with two big roles, Griffiths wants his future colleagues and students to understand why he chose Mizzou. He believes that the school’s friendly nature, field of opportunities and push for collaboration makes it the ideal place for him.

Article originally published on Decoding Science August 6, 2024

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