When the Magic Kingdom is far, far away, and you cannot seem to stop pining for the smell of freshly made popcorn or just one more ride on the Peoplemover or the Haunted Mansion, there are some activities that can give you that Disney fix, even if you are hundreds of miles away from Florida.
First, you can look through your DVDs and choose a classic Disney animated feature to view. This activity won’t transport you back to the parks, but it will help to dull the sting of having to leave all of the magic. Next, you could start compiling a list of Disney trivia questions to quiz yourself or your family on car rides or walks around the neighborhood. You could also read Disney blogs or follow fellow Disneyphiles on twitter. Many people post pictures of their vacations, and you could live vicariously through them while they are on their trips. You could also listen to Disney podcasts. These types of broadcasts usually contain Disney news or history or just some Disney related chatting that will help put you in a zip-a-dee-do-dah spirit. Before we moved to Florida, we really enjoyed re-watching Disney planning DVDs that you can order for free from www.disneyworld.com. The Travel Channel also has some fantastic specials about the Disney Parks that can help you deal with a lack of pixie dust.
If you like to cook, you could make some of the recipes that appear in Disney cookbooks that can be purchased online or in the parks. You can also ask for a recipe at any Disney restaurant. We enjoyed the rice at the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, so we asked for the recipe. We were given the recipe on a piece of cardstock that we could take home. If you are not a master of the culinary arts, you could create a countdown chart until it is time for your next Disney vacation. You could staple links of paper together to do this or simply use a whiteboard; you could even make a tear off calendar for your Disney countdown chart. This would be a fun activity for the whole family, and you would feel the accomplishment of making it yet another day closer to your next trip.
For crafty folks out there, you could create a scrapbook of a previous trip by using maps, pictures, or any other paper products from the parks. You could also organize Disney pins or Vinylmation if you are a collector of either of these items. I enjoy setting up corkboards to display pins or organizing pins onto different lanyards. If you enjoy writing, you could start your own blog chronicling your love for Disney or just as a way to share photos or pass the time until your next vacation.
All of these options are sure to help stave off the Disney blues until it is time for you to make your way down to the happiest place on earth again for another magical escape! Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!
