For me, there is almost no greater feeling than planning and going on a trip to Walt Disney World! The anticipation and excitement before you get there are palpable and once you arrive your joy explodes into a million sparkling Mickeys that hover around you throughout the duration of your vacation. They fly with you on each ride experience, and buzz around you when you eat at the spectacular restaurants, and if your sparkling Mickey’s are like my sparkling Mickey’s then they are dancing with glee at each parade and character sighting.
Then it comes. You go to sleep on your last night in your beautiful resort and while you are dozing a dark cloud descends and your sparkling Mickey’s dim. You wake up and it is not time to go to the parks, it is time to go H...O...M...E. This is true sadness people. For me personally, it means I’m going to a place where I have to cook my own meals, clean my own house, and entertain my family.
For Disney lovers, this can be a period which many term “The Disney Blues”. I have been there myself. However, I can offer you some tips and tricks to keep the magic alive and your Mickey’s sparkling between trips!
Plan Your Next Trip - This is a BIG ONE! Nothing is as full-proof as this! Listen to me! Remember all of the fun and excitement you had leading up to your last Disney trip? Let’s get that feeling going again! Get out the countdown! Contact your Story Guide with Your Story Travel Company and get that ball rolling! Pick the date and pick your resort and then plan out all those details that get your Mickey’s to sparkle.
Make Sure to Save Photos - We always come home with a ton of pictures on our phones and through Disney’s Memory Maker. I will immediately compile a photo book within a few days of our return. Between trips you can pull it out whenever the mood strikes and relive the magic at home. I find it helpful to organize the photos by days. Then you can really relive each day of your trip!
Bring Some Disney Home - So, you are planning your next trip! Awesome! Now what? Hopefully, you brought some of the magic home with you from your last trip. Maybe it was some Disney Pins, key chains, drinkware, or apparel. I find it most helpful when these are items that you can use in your everyday life! I have a key chain that I look at every day and it reminds me of all the fun I had on my last trip and all the fun I’ll have on my next trip! If you missed out on bringing things home, or you just need more, head to your favorite store (that provides Disney merchandise of course) and get shopping. Maybe you buy things for your next trip! (More on this in #3.)
Stock Up for your Next Trip - You are in the throes of planning your next trip! Hooray! Get a box, or some other suitable container and start stocking up on the little things that you need that sometimes you don’t think of until the last minute. I’m talking about things like sunscreen, ponchos, battery-operated fans for the parks, travel entertainment items for kids (and adults), and more!
Disney Vlogs, Podcasts, Websites - This is just pure Mickey sparkle inducing fun! Build a stable of infotainment sources (yes I made up that word). Search for Disney Vlogs on YouTube, Podcasts (I’d like to recommend the Mousecapades Podcast) and Disney related websites. There are tons out there! Whenever you start missing Disney just watch or listen to one of these. Most of the time they will entertain you and give you information about what is going on in the parks and resorts. You will have fun and hone your disney knowledge in the process.
Watch Your Favorite Disney Movies/Shows - A quick way to brush those Disney blues away is to watch one of your favorite Disney movies! I can’t tell you how many times I will start watching Swiss Family Robinson to cheer myself up (no judgment please). I love this movie and it helps remind me of my favorite part of the Magic Kingdom, Adventureland! If I’m in a more swashbuckling mood it might be Pirates of the Caribbean that graces my T.V. screen. Figure out which movies and shows give you that special feeling and get your Mickey’s sparkling and watch it as often as is needed.
Find Friends that Love Disney Like You Love Disney - Search out friends that share your love of all things Disney! Let’s face it, it can be hard to talk Disney with someone who doesn’t think as you do and stares at you like you are CRAZY! When you find that diamond in the rough that thinks like you do the conversations can be endless. There is always something to talk about. Share information and advice with each other, or sit down and take a stroll down Main Street, remembering all the fun times.
Are your Mickey’s sparkling yet? Mine are! Just writing this blog post got me all sparkly. I hope you can use these ideas to keep the magic alive between trips. Keep a positive attitude and remember that you can always go back to Walt Disney World.
Reach out to me or your favorite Story Guide with Your Story Travel Company to start planning that next trip!
Sarah