Like most DVC Fans, when we fell in love with Disney Parks, we found ourselves longing to return to Walt Disney World or Disneyland frequently. Even with future trips in the planning stages, a countdown calendar on the wall, and watching DisUnplugged weekly, we wanted to add more Disney fun to our daily lives. So, we created ways to revisit memories, learn more about the history of Disney Parks, and add Disney touches to family fun at home. I will share a few of those below in case you are searching for some between trip magic.
Our kids look forward to weekend breakfasts because we usually have more time then to make something warm and a little more special compared to rushed grab and go breakfasts on school mornings. Naturally, breakfasts have been an easy way to incorporate some Disney fun.
We have a few inexpensive waffle makers that we have used to make Mickey waffles at home as well as some Frozen and Princess inspired waffles. Eating Mickey waffles at a character buffet or another restaurant like The Plaza Restaurant or Topolino’s Terrace is a must-do nearly every Disney trip, so Disney inspired waffles at home bring back lots of happy memories.
The first time we stayed at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort, we rented a Surrey bike and pedaled around the resort, admiring the grounds and enjoying the pleasant spring weather. On that same trip, we also walked over to Port Orleans French Quarter Resort and had our first Mickey beignets. We loved them so much that we made a visit for more beignets on our next WDW trip and always make time for a beignet stop in Disneyland.
Our son likes to help bake and cook. Remembering the warm, delicious Disney beignets we have had, he recently asked to learn how to make beignets at home. We found a simple recipe online, made the dough, and cut it into Mickey and Stitch (my son’s favorite) shapes. They turned out really well and tasted very much like those that we have enjoyed at French Quarter as well as our favorites from New Orleans Square in Disneyland. If you are a beignet fan, I highly recommend trying to make some homemade beignets. The dough is easy to make even if you are not an experienced bread baker.
Another weekend when we were wishing that we were at Walt Disney World, we decided to make dipping sauces and naan similar to the mouthwatering bread service at Sanaa. We found some recipes online here and picked three of our favorite sauces to create. The sauces did require some special ingredients from the grocery store, and they did take some time to make, but they turned out well. We enjoyed the fun of making them together, and we polished them off over the next few days, each time remembering the fantastic meals we have had at Sanaa and the wonderful times we have had staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Reading with my kids before bedtime is one of my favorite parts of the day. We usually read several picture books as well as a chapter of a longer book each night. We have incorporated a few Disney books into our home library, and we continue to search for more. We read Peter Pan and Wendy by Anne Grahame Johnstone before our summer trip this past year. When we went on a Pirates and Pals Fireworks Adventure, our kids answered some Peter Pan trivia questions based on what they recalled from the book we had recently read. The each “won” pirate swords for their correct answers and have those as an extra memory from the experience. Currently, we are reading Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame to explore some of the inspiration behind Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, an attraction we enjoy visiting multiple times when in Disneyland.
One of our favorite books is “I am Walt Disney”. This picture book is part of the Ordinary People Change the World series. We have previously read and enjoyed several of the books from that series so when they published a biography of Walt Disney last September I knew we had to get it. Our son was so excited to read it the night it arrived! The book is well written with a positive message illustrating the importance of perseverance, creativity, and hard work. The story shares interesting tidbits from Walt Disney’s childhood, the illustrations bring the charm of the parks to life, and the timeline demonstrates how productive and influential Walt Disney was. We even found some hidden Mickeys sprinkled through the pages. The book ends with a reminder that we should each find our own happy place, search for some magic in our lives, and make our own dreams come true. As someone who really enjoys Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom, especially the message at the end of the show, I loved the ending to this book.
Leave a comment to share with me and other DVC Fans! How do you create between trip magic and make your own dreams come true?
