For those of us who are complete Disney addicts, the time between our Disney vacations can be very traumatic. Person¬ally, I plunge into a pretty deep post-Walt Disney World slump before the wheels are even up at MCO. Over the years, I have developed some strategies to help me deal with my Walt Disney World depression between visits. If you also suffer from Disney withdrawal between your visits to a Disney destination, I suggest adding a few of the fol¬lowing ideas to your daily life.
Podcasts/Blogs My most preferred way to keep the Disney magic alive between trips is to listen to my favorite Disney-related podcasts. This is also a fantastic way to keep up with any changes happening in the parks. I currently have 3 go-to podcasts for Walt Disney World: WDW Radio, WDW Today, and Be Our Guest Podcast. There are so many terrific Walt Disney World podcasts to check out; it is impossible to keep up with them all, and can actually begin feeling overwhelming! I suggest giving several a try and then choosing a few to follow regularly. The same can be said for the multitude of awesome Disney-related blogs available for Disney fans.
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram Following my favorite Disney news sources on Twitter, Face-book, and Instagram is another one of my Disney pastimes to keep the magic alive between visits (don’t forget to follow @ WDWDailyNews and me, @ diane_m_butler on Twitter). I love keeping up on the breaking news and following along on others’ journeys (I felt like I was experiencing that Seven Dwarfs Mine Train fire live from New Fantasyland a few weeks ago).
There are also many fantastic Walt Disney World fan Facebook groups to join. This is a nice way to make some new Disney friends (especially if your family and friends are sick of hearing you blabber about WDW all day like mine are) and is also an effective means of wasting a lot of time. Instagram has been my most recent Walt Disney World obsession. I can spend hours pouring over the amazing Walt Disney World photos posted by those individuals with dedicated Disney accounts and love searching through my thousands of photos to post just the right one (check me out at disneyluv4life).
Books I am an avid reader, so I enjoy adding in some Disney-related literature to my book list. There are so many great titles to give a dose of Disney magic any day. I have read several Walt Disney biographies, as well as autobiographies from well-known Disney Imagineers (such as Marty Sklar’s Dream It! Do It!). My current favorite non-fiction Disney title is How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life by Pat Williams. There are many great Disney-related trivia books available as well. For a Disney-related fiction fix, Ridley Pearson’s Kingdom Keep¬ers series must not be missed.
Trip Planning Like any true Disney addict, I am always planning a trip to my favorite Disney destination, either for my family or for others. I am not ashamed to admit that I can even spend a whole afternoon daydreaming and planning an imaginary trip (come on… I know I’m not the ONLY one who does that,right??). I always have figures for future possible Walt Disney World visits scribbled on scrap pieces of paper on my desk. If finances don’t allow for a trip right now, spend some time imagining what you would do on a perfect Disney vacation. It can be fun to put aside the reality of expenses and shoot for the stars! Pestering family and friends until they agree to take a trip just so you can plan it for them is another great way of getting your Disney fix between visits.
Total Disney Takeover My last strategy for keeping that Disney magic alive is what I like to call “TDT”- Total Disney Takeover. This is where everything I see and do in my daily life is some¬how related to Disney. Wake up, take a shower in the Mickey Mouse themed bathroom while listening to Mouse World Radio, put on a large quantity of Mickey clothing and accessories, make some Mickey waffles for breakfast using the Mickey measuring cups, cue up a Disney movie with the kids… you get the idea. From the ridiculous amount of Mickey Mouse apparel I own to the abundant Disney-themed home décor (not to mention my Mickey tattoo on my foot), it is impossible for me to go 5 minutes without thinking of my beloved Walt Disney World! Sure, my family and friends all think that I am a complete nut, but I don’t care one bit. I have no problem waving my Disney Side flag high for everyone to see!
Obviously, I have a bit of a Disney obsession. I have been able to employ the above strategies in order to keep from going insane with withdrawal between trips to Walt Disney World. I find that keeping the Disney magic alive between my trips to WDW helps me deal with being so far away from my favorite place. I hope that my list can help fellow Disney addicts manage their Disney withdrawal symptoms! What do you like to do to keep the Disney magic alive between visits to your favorite Disney destination?
