When we moved back to Florida in the summer of 2018, we became Walt Disney World Annual Passholders. We weren’t sure how much we’d be up there but when we had planned a trip with Margaret before Catherine was due, for a little finale of her only child life, we upgraded our tickets and figured why not?
Turns out we loved it. A little less than two hours from our door, it has been a blast to hop up to the house of mouse for a weekend getaway or even a day-trip on a whim and we feel so fortunate to be able to do so.
This Spring Break we had finally convinced Jin Jin and Poppy, Curtis’s parents, to do a few days with us and Margaret was counting down the days. With COVID-19 those plans came to a screeching halt and our priorities have shifted from grabbing Fast Passes to doing our part to flatten the curve and practice social distancing.
It has been a while since we hunkered down, so we decided to add a little lighthearted fun to our weekend and have an at home Disney Day. Whether you frequent WDW and need your fix of pixie dust, or you are missing it from afar, here is how we brought the Disney magic home.
Mealtime Magic
Disney details at meal time was an easy win. For breakfast, Mickey Eggo Waffles with whipped cream and sprinkles. Lunch was hot dogs and corn dogs like Casey’s Corner. Afternoon treats included Millennium Falcon ice cream sandwiches that we jazzed up with more sprinkles. Plus, homemade Dole Whips using there official recipe you can find here. I linked a reusable patry bag and tips you can use to get that swirled look, but we just scooped ours out of the blender. We also had our own Epcot inspired cocktail hour with the Grand Marnier slushie you can find in France. Here is the recipe we used, though like the real thing it is a sugar bomb, so we’re trying to tinker the taste a bit to get it a bit less in your face. To read more about it, read the write up on Disney Food Blog. If you have a Disney popcorn bucket, get it out and use it for popcorn snacks throughout the day. If you don’t, popcorn is still a park favorite and just the smell alone reminds me of Main Street USA! And, turns out character dining is easy and cheaper when your five year is the cast member! Margaret even suggested signing an autograph book for us! Whip out your Disney one or make one yourself with computer paper and staples.
Music
If you haven’t seen the Disney Sing-A-Long on Disney+ yet, an at home Disney day would be the perfect time! Here are instructions on how to re-watch it if you missed it when it first aired on ABC. Otherwise for magical music around the house we use Spotify search “Disney Classics”.
Parade
Enjoy front row to the parades, shows, and rides thanks to YouTube. We watched the Festival of Fantasy, in particular this recording. Here is the DisneyLand Magic Happens parade. Disney just released the DapperDans singing from home – they’re always a classic!
Bippity Boppity Boutique for Princes, Princesses, Pirates and Knights
The highlight of Margaret’s Day was the Bippity Boppty Boutique. The information on the real deal can be found here, and it is a memorable experience for sure. We did it with Margaret on that “big sister trip” and she is still chasing the makeover high. First they pick out an ensemble, she chose Aurora the first time and this time she grabbed Jasmine out of her closet. Then a fairy Godmother does princess hair, make-up, and a manicure. At the park, the signature BBB look is a bun resembling a donut on top of their head. Poor Margaret barely had any hair the first time we did it and it was just a naked foam donut sitting there. To her delight, they covered it with a pink scrunchie weave. With the glitter, make-up, manicure, sticky gem tattoos, and hair do – the boutique is sure to wow. At Magic Kingdom there was a selection of knight costumes and accessories. To have your at-home boutique, pirate and prince charming costumes plus tattoos, swords, and shields, are a fun way to have a variety of magical options for your family. A lot of what we used we had around the house. You could go crazy and order a whole home salon’s worth of stuff, or pull what you already have! I really was just winging it, but if you’re interested here is a tutorial.
Here’s what we used:
Here are some costume ideas:
Rides
Catherine’s favorite ride is It’s A Small World and so that is what we rode. Then Margaret got into the spirit by picking Catherine up and spinning her around claiming it was an at home tea cup ride! Next time I’m thinking Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and an Animal Kingdom Safari.
Fireworks
Disney released an official video of their Happily Ever After Fireworks on their Instagram and both girls were enthralled. You can find it here on YouTube. I always love them and never fail to get emotional – usually around the time the music is “You’ll Be In My Heart” from Tarzan I’m choked up!
Disney At Bedtime
Bedtime Hotline: Until April 30 – though I hope they extend it – you can call the Disney Bedtime Hotline and a character will wish your little one goodnight.
Disney Books: The 5 minute Stories are a great little collection and they come in a variety of themes from Princess to Mickey & Friends.
Disney Pajamas: If you’re favorite little Disney lover has a beloved character, now is a great time to pick out some fun PJs. Margaret LOVES the princess dress style pajamas.
Doll Dress-Up: 18″ Doll dress up options are super affordable on Amazon and Margaret loves hers. I linked Belle below but there are many others.
Disney Days Continued
After a super fun day – where we were almost as exhausted as if we’d gone to the park – we knew we’d be trying this again. Maybe an entirely Star Wars themed day, all Toy Story, or totally dedicated to Animal Kingdom. The possibilities really are endless! Or instead of doing a full Disney Day just add in a little bit of Disney to meal time, or do a themed crafting activity. We’re so lucky to be able to stay safe at home during this time and are motivated to keep our spirits high while we hunker down and for us, having a little at home magic was just what we needed.
