The current environment is definitely bringing on the Disney blues for a lot of people. That’s especially true for those who had to cancel trips. However, there are some ways to keep the Disney magic going at home.
Disney Baking
There’s a lot of good food in Disney, so if you can replicate a favorite food or drink from Disney World at home that’s always a tasty activity. We tried making the Lapu Lapu drink from the Polynesian at home and were pretty happy with the results. For actual Disney recipes you can look in on of the cookbooks that Disney has released over the years. The one I have is Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs, but there are others, like In the Kitchen with Mickey, that I’ve seen on Amazon.
Disney posts recipes on Disney Parks Blog from time-to-time and they’re recipes from the parks. You can find a list of their recipes here. For instance you can make Disney churros at home by following Disney’s churro recipe or make the pineapple cream cheese spring rolls called Pongu Lumpia from Pongu Pongu in Pandora – The World of Avatar.
There are also lots of fun Disney inspired recipes that you can find by searching different social media platforms. There are some recipes that we’ve tried and posted about on the website. A couple of those recipes are Quick Minnie & Mickey Cupcakes and Mickey Mouse Marshmallow Crispy Treats. These are both easy recipes to make, so they’re good for days when the quarantine cabin fever starts to set in.
Find Creative “Disney is Closed” Videos
I am so impressed with all the creative videos I have seen pop up online. People are trying to make the best of the current situation and I think it’s great. I’ve seen a video where the kids are sitting between two logs pretending they’re on Splash Mountain. The video includes the big splash on the drop and there’s even a ride photo. So creative! That one was on TikTok.
Another family has posted a couple of videos on Youtube called “The Most Magical Quarantine on Earth.” These are pretty creative too, because they project pictures or videos from Disney World on a large wall and then walk in front like they are in the scene or on the ride. It’s a fun one and I recommend checking it out!
Make a Book on Shutterfly
After each trip I pick pictures to use for a photo book that I make on Shutterfly. Instead of doing a regular photo album I make up stories to go along with the pictures. So each book is a new adventure that stars each of our kids. They love this and if you like writing you’ll have fun putting these books together. The personalization of the stories makes them extra special for the kids and they get so excited to have a new story.
You can also make fun picture books with the different Disney templates that Shutterfly has. So even if you don’t want to write out a whole story, the Disney templates have fun Disney themed stickers, ribbons, and frames that can be added to each page of the book. Those little additions to the pictures add some extra magic to the family pictures. The different Disney templates they have are Disney Adventures, Vintage Disney, Disney Frozen, and Disney Winnie the Pooh. All the templates are cute and have a variety of backgrounds and embellishments available to add to your book. This could be a fun activity for the family to do together.
Other Disney Inspired Fun
Disney has a website called Disney Family. On this website they post different crafts, recipes, party ideas and more. So if you have little Disney fans in the house this might be a good website to check out.
Disney Family Links:
- Crafts
- Recipes
- Disney Family Sundays
- Parties
- Videos (Includes a Fun at the Parks section)
You can also check out what Disney has streaming on Disney+. There’s quite a bit of content and it’s not just Disney movies and Disney Channel shows. The Imagineering Story is a very interesting series that focus on the history of Imagineering in the Disney Parks.
Hopefully these suggestions help fill the days of being stuck in the house. The parks will reopen, but it’s nice to have Disney activities included in the days while we wait.
How are you keeping Disney magic alive in your house while the parks are closed?
Thanks for reading!
Liz
is the park going to be open April 1?
That’s what Disney is saying as of right now. If they change plans I’ll definitely post the changes.
Hello Liz,we will all get through this as one Disney family and remember this to shall pass.As always thanks for all your wonderful info..Disney Dennis.
Thank you for the words of encouragement Disney Dennis! You are absolutely right. I can’t wait to start hearing about people’s trips again.