Keeping the Disney Magic Alive in Quarantine

Here in Washington our governor just extended the lockdown to May 31st, much to our dismay. My kids didn’t take the news too well (and let’s be honest, neither did we) because that cancels our birthday weekend trip for this year and they were really looking forward to it. Since we can’t yet reschedule the birthday trip, they’ve been focused on our next Disneyland trip. For those who haven’t hung around the blog long, our family goes to Disney every 12-18 months; we thrive on the Disney Magic. And yes, we drink the tea.

Film scan of my dad and kids from our Disneyland trip in 2015

As you can imagine, not knowing if we have to postpone our December Disneyland trip, makes us all miss the magic more than usual. When the lockdown first happened, we “went” to Disneyland for a day via YouTube videos. Since then, I’ve been gathering all the ways to bring Disney into our homes on a regular basis. I’m pretty sure my kids will remember quarantine as the year of Disney treats. Haha!

As a kid, I grew up on Disney. My dad signs his emails with various quotes from Walt Disney, and my family took almost yearly Disney trips as well. I remember Disneyland BEFORE California Adventure was a thing. My ex-husband and I discovered the park’s special holiday events completely by accident. The magic runs deep in our blood here and I love being able to pass my love for the mouse on to my kids. Without further ado, here are all the goodies we’ve found to keep Disney alive in our home.

Film Scan from our 2015 family Disneyland trip

Disney Secrets for the Curious

From secret apartments and underground tunnels, to the hundreds of hidden Mickeys throughout the park, we love learning all the secrets at our house. Ever wondered why you never see an out of place character? Or what the light in the Main Street fire house window is for? All your questions are answered in these videos!

Favorite rides, breakdowns and homemade fun

Everyone has their favorite ride at Disneyland (and one day we’ll add Disney world to those favorites!) and for those who’ve never been, you can “ride” them at home. Maybe that’s not quite as fun, but there are a bunch of creative families who’ve made their own Disney-ish rides at home. We may or may not have had a jungle cruise through the kitchen this morning ourselves.

All the Magic Eats

Years ago (before blogging was a thing) finding recipes for anything cooked in the park was impossible unless you bought one of their cookbooks. The kicker was those cookbooks didn’t have the secret recipes in them. Now, not only are food bloggers making some pretty amazing replica foods, but Disneyparks blog has started releasing some recipes from around the parks so you can have your own Disney Magic Moments at home. We started with a delicious breakfast dish from the PCH grill, and moved onto all the goodies and treats for dessert. I may or may not have plans for Mickey shaped bread later this week, because why not?

Disney Dole Whips at Home – Still working on these
PCH Grill Chocolate, Peanut butter, Banana French Toast – My kids fav
Mickey Mouse Shaped Beignets – Haven’t tried these yet!
Churro Bites – On my list to try
Lil Luna’s take on the Grey Stuff – My kids loved this
Disneyland’s Monte Cristo Sandwich Remake

Goodnight Disney Magic Style

Being quarantined for my birthday this year, I decided I wanted fireworks. Lucky us, Disneyland’s fireworks shows are on YouTube, along with other park’s shows! So fireworks, dole whip and snuggle time closed out my birthday. Of course, this opened the doors to watch the many Disney Magic shows my kids also found available. Grab your popcorn, put on your Mickey ears and enjoy the show.