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50 Ways to Create Disney Magic Without Visiting the Parks


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Just because you’re social distancing doesn’t mean you have to go without your Disney fix!

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Magic Kingdom

Are you starting to feel a little stir-crazy cooped up at home? You’re not alone! We’ve been on the lookout for ways to satisfy our Disney craving while social distancing. Here are 50 ways you can do Disney without stepping foot in the parks!

1. Recreate a Disney Recipe at Home

Are you crazy about the cornbread at Hoop Dee Doo RevueHow about a classic Mickey waffle? We have recipes for tons of delicious Disney eats that you can whip up in the comfort of your own kitchen!

Recreating a meal from the Disney parks is a great way to relive some of your favorite memories, or even try something new! Plus, a lot of us are going to be doing a ton of cooking in the next few weeks anyway. Might as well make it Disney!

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Mickey Waffles

Check out our HUGE Disney Recipe list here!

2. Have a Movie Night by Streaming “Onward”

If you missed out on seeing Onward in theaters, we have good news! Disney has already released the movie to digital stores so you can stream the movie for $19.99. Or, if you can wait a little longer, you can stream Onward on Disney+ beginning April 3rd!

So, pop some popcorn, turn off the lights, and transform your living room into a movie theater for the evening!

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©Walt Disney Studios

3. Have a Disney Movie Marathon

Speaking of Disney+ there is a ton of awesome content on the streaming service (and a bunch more is being added next month) to keep you and your family entertained! And you can even get creative with the theme of your marathon. How about a Disney Princess marathon? Or a 90’s throwback marathon?

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Disney+ Streaming Service ©Disney

We put together a few of our top picks for Disney+ movie marathons if you’re looking for some inspiration!

4. DisneyBound in Your Comfy Clothes

In case you’re new to the term, “DisneyBounding” is a subtle take on cosplay, where Disney fans dress in colors that resemble a Disney character. For example, to DisneyBound as Winnie-the-Pooh, you might wear yellow pants with a red top!

So, spice up your social distancing outfits by DisneyBounding as some of your favorite characters!

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Winnie the Pooh

5. Enjoy the Musical Stylings of the Legendary Yehaa Bob

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to catch a performance by Yehaa Bob, then you know what a treat this is! Yehaa Bob performs select nights at the River Roost Lounge in Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. But with the parks and hotels closed, he’s found a new way to keep his fans entertained.

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©Disney

Visit his Facebook page to check out a performance he live-streamed back on March 22nd

And while you’re at it, go ahead and follow his page so you can keep an eye out for future live performances!

6. Test Your Disney Animation Skills

If you’re missing the drawing classes offered at Art of Animation Resort, Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s California Adventure, here’s your fix! Disney Parks Blog has released a Learn to Draw series which features a few of our favorite characters!

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Animation Experience

Check out these tutorials to learn how to draw Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell, Genie, and more!

7. Put Together a Disney Puzzle

Puzzles are a great way to pass the time, and why not get a dose of Disney along with it! You can find all kinds of Disney puzzles for sale online, but one of our personal favorites is this super detailed Disney Parks Castle Wooden Puzzle by UGears available on shopDisney!

Since we can’t make it to Magic Kingdom to see the castle right now, we might as well build one in our living room!

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© Disney

8. Read a Disney Book

Books are another thing you can find plenty of on shopDisney! Whether you’re looking for a storybook collection, a cookbook, or something a little more in-depth, shopDisney has you covered!

Wanna know what’s on our coffee table at the moment? We love the One Day at Disney Bookwhich expands on the One Day at Disney documentary available to stream on Disney+.

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©Disney

9. Have a Virtual Visit with the Animal Kingdom Residents

If you’re itching to get back on Kilimanjaro Safaris, here’s a little something to tide you over! Disney Now recently released Disney Animals, a series of educational (and fun!) videos for kids and adults alike! The videos feature some of our favorite animals, including lionsflamingos, and gorillas. 

And the best part is this online content is totally free!

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Elephant on Kilimanjaro Safaris

10. Watch DFB Videos!

Speaking of free online content, don’t forget to head over to the DFB Youtube page for hundreds of free videos on all things Disney! We’ll still be posting new videos several times a week, but you can also check out the playlist page if you’d like to go on a DFB marathon!

From Disney snacks, secrets, news, and more, we’ve got you covered!

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Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar

Check out our top TEN Disney Food Blog videos here! 

11. Rewatch Vintage Disney Commercials

Want to really kick up the nostalgia factor? Check out these Disney commercials from days past we collected! You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll remember all the warm and fuzzy reasons you love Disney!

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Disney’s Contemporary Resort

We dare you not to laugh or cry after watching these videos!!

12. Make Your Own Disney Meme

As you may have noticed, memes are dominating the internet these days! Try entertaining yourself by creating your own Disney meme. Just find a screenshot from one of your favorite Disney movies and add your own caption!

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Yoda vs. Baby Yoda Meme

If you’d prefer to look at memes rather than make one (or if you just need some inspiration!) here are 14 Disney memes we love!

13. Make Your Own Mickey (or Minnie!) Ears

Hey, if you’re social distancing, there won’t be anyone to judge you for wearing your Mickey Ears around the house!

There are a ton of tutorials available online to walk you through the steps. And whether you choose to buy a plain black pair of ears to spruce up, or create your own ears from scratch, when you make it back to the parks you’ll have a custom accessory to rock!

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Pirate Minnie Ears

Find out more about how to make your own Minnie Ears here! 

14. Build Your Own Forky

The debut star of Toy Story 4 is famously homemade! To recreate your own Forkey, you’ll need a plastic spork, a popsicle stick, putty, a red pipe cleaner, googly eyes, and red and blue plasticine for his eyebrow and mouth.

And since Forky is a pretty easy guy to make, this is a craft that the kiddos can enjoy as well!

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Forky Photo Opp

Check out more DIY Disney projects here! 

15. Follow Your Dreams of Becoming an Imagineer

We previously shared the Imagineering in a Box curriculum, which is available online for free! The series includes 32 videos that teach viewers about topics including story development and conceptual design, math, physics, and engineering!

And it even includes some hands-on elements as well so you can really get a feel for what it’s like to be an Imagineer!

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©Disney

Learn more about Imagineering in a Box here! 

16. Watch Ride-Through Videos on YouTube

Is there a particular ride that you’re missing the most? Well, chances are there is a ride-through video of that attraction on YouTube!

Try searching for videos of your favorite rides to recreate a bit of the magic. It may not be the same as actually being there (especially if your favorite ride is a coaster!), but it should make the time on your couch a little more exciting!

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©Disney

17. Check Out Story Time With a Disney Star

While we’re all stuck inside, several Disney stars have hosted “story time” on their social media accounts to help pass the time!

One of our personal favorites was Josh Gad. There’s nothing quite like hearing a story directly from Olaf/LeFou himself!

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©Josh Gad

Check out a full list of Disney Star live streams here! 

18. Start Planning Your Dream Trip

The parks might be closed now, but one way to get over the Disney-withdraw is to look forward to your next trip!

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Pick up a copy of our 2020 DFB Guide to Disney World Dining!

Check out our Disney Food Blog Store for all of the info you need to plan the ultimate Disney vacation!

19. Listen to Park Music Loops

There’s something about the music in the Disney parks that makes everything feel so much more magical!

Whether you want to feel like you’re preparing for flight on Soarin’, stepping through the gates at Magic Kingdom, or sipping a margarita in World Showcase, you can find tons of music loops for free online!

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Philharmagic

20. Play the Disney Version of A Classic Game

You’ll find tons of Disney-themed games at shopDisney! There’s Disney Theme Park Edition Candyland, Pirates of the Caribbean Battleship, The Lion King Monopoly, and more!

These will add a nice touch of Disney to your next family game night!

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©Disney

21. Create Scuttle-Approved Names for Everyday Items

Scuttle is one of our favorite characters in The Little Mermaid. We love the “creative” names he has for trinkets from the human world. Who else calls their forks dinglehoppers??

Try coming up with your own terms for the items you use that would make Scuttle proud! We can’t wait to hear how creative you can get!

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Voyage of the Little Mermaid

22. Recreate A Disney Hairstyle

Have you always wanted to rock Mulan’s perfect bun? Or braid flowers in your hair like Rapunzel? Well now is your chance to try!

There are plenty of awesome hairdos to pick from, and since you’re social distancing, no one will know if you don’t nail it on the first attempt!

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Princess Jasmine

23. Watch The Twilight Zone

Any fellow Tower of Terror superfans out there?? Even though the ride isn’t based on an actual episode of The Twilight Zone, the inspiration for the storyline was drawn from the show.

If you love the creepy vibe you get inside The Hollywood Tower Hotel, then this series might be right up your alley! You can check it out on Netflix!

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The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

24. Plan a Disney Meal

Like Cinderella says, “They can’t order me to stop dreaming.” Even though the parks are closed, you are still able to make dining reservations for future trips!

Check out our restaurant guidewhich also has links to the menus for you to peruse. Order up!

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The Wave…of American Flavors Entrance

25. Watch Your Favorite Firework Show

Not in person, of course! Search for videos of your favorite firework show online to relive those priceless memories. We love them all, but Happily Ever After is the first one we’ll be watching!

Just be sure to keep the tissues handy because the tears might start flowing!

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Happily Ever After

You can watch our video of the last Happily Ever After Show (for now) here!

26. Search for Hidden Mickeys

One of the many incredible details in Disney parks is the use of hidden Mickeys throughout the resort. Guests can often find Mickey in the wallpaper, carpeting, artwork, and more! Here’s a look at hidden Mickeys we’ve found in Disney restaurants.

But hidden Mickeys can be found anywhere! Whether it’s water droplets on your coffee table, bubbles in your soda, or a stain on your shirt, be sure to keep an eye out for hidden Mickeys to pop up!

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We spy a hidden Mickey!

27. Start Watching a New Disney Franchise

It’s no secret that Disney has been buying up a bunch of new franchises in recent years. With all of the content on Disney+, now would be a great time to get into a franchise you’re not familiar with yet!

In addition to the classic Disney and Pixar films, you can watch Star Wars and Marvel movies on Disney+! Plus, now that Disney has purchased 21st Century Fox, you can also watch The Simpsons on the streaming service!

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©Disney

28. Fill Out A Disney Food Blog Snack Madness Bracket

Have you heard about DFB Snack Madness?? Voting kicked off on our Instagram stories @DisneyFoodBlog on March 24th, but even if you’re late to the live voting, you and your family can still fill out and compare brackets!

But you might want to designate a referee in case you run into any heated discussions about which snack truly reigns supreme!

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CLICK HERE to PRINT Your Snack Madness Brackets!!!

Get the bracket printable HERE!

29. Find a Match for Your Favorite Disney Scent

Certain scents can take us right back to our happy place! You can bake cookies to mimic the smell of fresh baked goods from Main Street Confectionery in Magic Kingdom. If you have a fireplace, build a fire for a scent reminiscent of the Rome scene in Spaceship Earth. Or, try a candle or fragrance with a light, citrusy smell like we experience on Flight of Passage.

Think of some of your favorite Disney scents and see how you can recreate them at home!

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Rose Cake Pop

30. Host Your Own Mini Flower and Garden Festival

We were bummed to be missing out on the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. But luckily, we have recipes for 11 festival favorites! Pick several of these favorites to recreate and make your own Flower and Garden food booth!

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Frushi

Check out some Flower and Garden recipes here! 

31. Play 20 Questions with Disney Attractions

The classic “20 Questions” game is a staple for passing the time! One person thinks of a person, place, or thing, and another person asks yes or no questions to try to guess what word the first person is thinking. As the name suggests, they only get up to 20 questions until they have to guess!

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Slinky Dog Dash

Try playing this with your favorite Disney attractions! If you want to make it more difficult, you can limit the number of questions even more. And if you’re getting really good, you can expand it out to include restaurants, hotels, and shops!

32. Mix Your Own Margarita

La Cava del Tequila is one of our favorite spots in Epcot! We LOVE their margaritas so we’ve definitely been missing them since the parks have been closed!

Luckily for us, mixologist Gustavo Ortega will be taught us how to make our own margaritas LIVE on La Cava del Tequila’s Instagram page! And don’t sweat it if you missed the live stream. La Cava del Tequila has also been posting the final recipe to their Instagram as well. CHEERS!

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Cheers to Mexico!

33. Buy Ready to Eat Disney Treats

Did you know that you can find Mickey Premium Bars in grocery stores?? It’s true! In addition to Mickey Premium Bars, we’ve also spotted Millenium Falcon Ice Cream Sandwiches, Mickey Mouse Classic Vanilla and Fudge Light Ice Cream, Monsters Inc Cookies and Scream Light Ice Cream, and MORE all at the grocery store!

So if you’re looking for a little treat to remind you of the Disney parks without the effort of whipping it up yourself, keep an eye out for these frozen treats on your next grocery run!

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Mickey Ice Cream Bars at Home

See what Disney snacks you can find at your grocery store here! 

34. Trade Pins With Your Family

In Disney parks, guests can trade pins with Cast Members, and even other (willing) guests! If your family enjoys pin trading, have a mini pin trading party at home!

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Ink & Paint

35. Color Your Favorite Characters

Coloring is a super relaxing activity, no matter what age you are! You can find Disney coloring books for sale online or in-store (we’ve even spotted them in grocery stores before!).

If you have a printer at home, you can find printable coloring pages online as well. Which is the best-case scenario for social distancing!

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Ink & Paint Watercolor Book

36. Break Out Those Disney Mugs

This is the perfect time to put all of those Disney souvenirs to use! Use your Disney mug for your morning coffee to start your day with a little magic!

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Ink & Paint Color-Changing Mug

37. Look Through Photos From Your Last Trip

Even though we can’t go into the parks now, we can still look back on our happy memories from our previous trips! If you have paper copies of your photos, now is also a great time to get them organized into an album!

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©Disney Parks Blog

38. Create a Disney Playlist

If you have a music streaming service like Spotify, create a Disney playlist with all of your favorite jams! This can come in handy even after social distancing. Use it as your workout playlist, road trip tunes, or cleaning soundtrack!

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Dapper Dans

39. Channel Your Inner Disney Princess

One of the most common indoor activities seems to be cleaning. And since many of our favorite Disney Princesses conveniently have chore-related tunes, sing-along while you (or the kiddos!) clean! You can put “Whistle While You Work” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, “Sing Sweet Nightengale” from Cinderella, and “When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled all in rotation!

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Snow White

40. Host a Disney Award Show

This is one you can send out virtually to friends and extended family to get even more people in on the action! Create a ballot with Disney categories for people to vote on (Best Villian, Best Disney Dog, Best Live Action Movie, and so on!).

Then tally the votes and host an “award show” in your living room! If you do have friends and extended family participating, you can stream your award show on social media so they can join, or send out the results to them later!

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Piston Cup

41. Have an Unbirthday Party

When Alice first meets the Mad Hatter and March Hare in Alice in Wonderland, they’re in the middle of an unbirthday celebration. Have an unbirthday celebration of your own, complete with tea, cookies, and Alice in Wonderland on Disney+!

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Mad Tea Party Tea Cups

42. Follow Disney Icon Joe Rohde

If you want to feel close to the parks while the gates are closed, you have to follow Joe Rohde on Instagram! He’s a legendary Disney Imagineer and he had a huge hand in creating Animal Kingdom. His posts give insight into the unbelievable attention to detail that went into every element of Animal Kingdom. The next time you see the Tree of Life, you’ll definitely have a new perspective!

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom

43. Share Your Stories With Us In the Comments!

It’s an incredible feeling to share stories and memories about our Disney trips. And we always encourage our readers to share their comments with us! Continue to chime in with article comments so we can hear each other’s wonderful Disney stories and keep the magic alive!

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Disneyland

44. Have A “The Great Movie Ride” Marathon

If you’re still mourning the loss of The Great Movie Ride, you can ease the pain with a marathon of movies depicted in the attraction!

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to rely on Disney+ for most of this marathon (although you can find Mary Poppins there!). But with classics like The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, and Alienit’s worth rounding up the movies for this marathon!

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Great Movie Ride

Wondering what Disney flicks you can find on Netflix? We have the details for ya here!

45. Rock Out to Aerosmith

For all of you out there can’t wait to get back into that super-stretch limo at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, some Aerosmith music might make you feel right at home! You won’t get the same thrills from your couch but at least there’s no line there either!

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Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

46. Have the Kids Earn Disney Money

When getting ready for a Disney trip, we like to give our kiddos a budget so they know how much souvenir money they have. If your kids are cooped up these days, have them work on chores, projects, or learning activities to earn “Disney money” for your next trip.

We suggest loading the money on a gift card so they have a fixed amount in one place!

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©Disney Gift Card

47. Choreograph a Dance to Your Favorite Disney Song

We fully support dancing around the kitchen at all times, but ESPECIALLY at times like this!

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Flower and Garden Topiary

48. Have Your Own Garden Rocks Concert

The Flower and Garden Festival was interrupted by the closure this year, which means the Garden Rocks Concert Series was cut short with it. Make your own playlist featuring artists scheduled to perform like Rick Springfield, The Pointer Sisters, and Plain White T’s, and have your own virtual Garden Rocks Concert!

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Garden Rocks Concert Series

49. Create Your Own “Crazy Milkshake”

We’ve been seeing crazy milkshakes pop up at Disney parks on both coasts! Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes at Downtown Disney in Disneyland is a pioneer of over-the-top milkshakes, but Beaches and Cream at Disney’s Beach Club Resort in Disney World is giving them a run for their money!

Put together your own crazy concoction and see if you can outdo the Disney shakes!

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Beaches and Cream Shakes

See a few of our favorite over-the-top shakes here! 

50. Sprinkle a Little Extra Pixie Dust

Look, we know that things are tough out there right now. But by taking care of each other and being extra kind, we can brighten someone else’s day. And that’s the most magical thing we can do right now!

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Mickey Mouse

We hope this list gave you some good ideas for doing Disney while social distancing! Everybody stay safe out there and we’ll see you in the parks real soon!

How are you “doing Disney” while social distancing? Let us know in the comments!

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