Adding Disney Magic to Your World (at home)

When I started this blog just over three years ago, the intent was to share simple ways to recreate the magic of Disney parks at home. I thought, at the time, that perhaps translating this magic had something to do with exercising more creativity, prioritizing fun and dreaming bigger. I still think these things are connected, but I also think at the most basic level it’s about the simple idea of promoting happiness.

Now that the majority of Disney Parks are closed, it seems like this message is even more relevant. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that adding Disney to our lives is going to erase the very real problems we’re facing at the moment. I’m just hoping to offer encouragement (healthy breaks of cheer?) to make those problems feel more tolerable. It could also serve as a list of activities for those of us who are “social distancing” in the interim.

Fair enough?

You can find lots of ideas throughout smittenwithmickey, but for today’s purposes I’ve assembled a list.

Ready? Let’s Go!

Crafts

Have some Magic Bands left over from a previous trip? This popular post may prompt some ideas on how to display them, or at least pull them out of a drawer again and reminiscence about your last trip.

Or maybe you could come up with something to do with those character autographs you collected? Just looking through old photos of a Disney parks visit may provide a smile or two.

Speaking of smiles, share one with somebody who could really use it with homemade cards.

Or consider painting or drawing to recharge your creativity. Use whatever you have to take a mental health break and create something just for the sake of fun.

All skill levels welcome.

Another great option is to organize your photos from a Disney (or other!) vacation into a photo book on Shutterfly. You can customize it as much as or as little as you want, all from your phone or digital device.

Virtual Tours

If the closed parks have you down, learn more about some of the popular attractions in the interim. Check out these posts on Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Expedition Everest, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or the newer Frozen Ever After. Or if videos are more your jam, check out the numerous point-of-view Disney attractions on YouTube.

Other virtual options include the super fun Festival of Fantasy parade or the Christmas Tree Trail at Disney Springs.

Or, view Disney World from above on Google Earth. You can literally explore World Showplace at Epcot (or other cool options) from every conceivable angle.

Food

Maybe a Mickey-shaped something could make meal time more fun again? Consider injecting a little Disney cheer into easy food items like waffles, cupcakes, pop tarts or cookies.

Or make dinner and enjoy it was a classic science fiction “horror” film to recreate the feeling of the popular Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Movies

Speaking of movies, Disney’s many options are an obvious choice for adding magic at home, especially if you have a stack of movies somewhere or access to Disney+. Make it interesting by watching Disney films in chronological order or sticking to a theme like pirates, princesses, Marvel or Star Wars.

Or, try to spot the many hidden Easter eggs in so many of the Disney and Disney Pixar films.

Disney Books

I’ve written quite a few reviews of various Disney-related books over the last three years. Many are part of a series, so it could set you up with content for a while if you find something you like. Options include the Selena Valentino’s Villain Series, Tales from the Haunted Mansion or Disney’s Twisted Tales.

Disney business-related options include the very interesting Disney War or the more recent autobiography of now-formerly-CEO Bob Iger.

Obviously there are a ton of photo books about Disney too, but I’m not sure how well they translate to the digital download format if needed. I enjoyed The Disney Book by Jim Fanning or Disney Who’s Who among others.

Games & Activities

Most of the popular board games now have a Disney-themed version. One fun option is Disney Code names. If you can’t find a Disney version, consider giving an old game a Disney twist on your own, like playing Scrabble or Pictionary with Disney-related terms.

If you’re confined at home, you could also consider downloading Disney-themed mobile games like Disney Emoji Blitz. Or you can check out some of my previous Disney trivia quizzes, like my first one on Disney song lyrics.

Plan a Future Trip

Our current situation will not last forever. Keep dreaming about that future trip someday by learning more about Disney parks, resorts and more. I’ve covered topics like the Pros and Cons of Staying on Property, tips on securing FastPasses and Character dining, among others. You’ll also find links on special events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party.

Although it’s constantly changing, you can also check out my post on coming attractions to Disney World. Who knows if the timing will work out for everything, but most are planned to be finished for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary bash in 2021.

And with that, I’ll wrap it up. Thanks so much for stopping by and hanging with me today. I hope this post gave you some inspiration on how to add a little more Disney cheer to your current situation. If you have other ideas to share with the readers of this post, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. You are also welcome to check out more options on my smittenwmickey page on Pinterest.

I look forward to hanging out with the masses at a Disney theme park again someday. Until then, we can all find ways to add some light-hearted Disney cheer to wherever we are today.

Here’s to a better tomorrow my friends.

Add a little magic to your world!