Top 10 Strategies to Beat the Post-Disney Blues

There is nothing more magical than a Walt Disney World vacation.  As soon as you set foot on property, you feel your worries melt away.  The only thing that matters anymore, is making lifelong memories with your family and having FUN!  But there is one major downfall to enjoying such a carefree vacation – the POST-DISNEY BLUES.  What are the Post-Disney Blues, you ask?  Well, the Post-Disney Blues (or Disney Withdrawals) refers to the overwhelming feeling of sadness you experience at the conclusion of your Walt Disney World vacation.  The carefree lifestyle you adopted while on vacation is suddenly thrust aside by your very real-life concerns and responsibilities.  Gone are the days of smiling cast members, diligent mousekeeping, and delicious meals prepared by Disney chefs.  It’s time to get back to reality! 

Everyone experiences the Post-Disney Blues differently.  Some experience it as soon as they are leaving the park and casting their final backward glance at Cinderella’s castle.  Others feel the Post-Disney Blues riding the Magical Express (in this case, the TRAGICAL Express) back to the airport before their flight home.  Then, there are the park goers who don’t necessarily feel the Post-Disney Blues until they are already home and back to the daily grind.  Regardless of when the Post-Disney Blues set in, the sadness is REAL.  Luckily, there are some simple ways to combat the Post-Disney Blues and tide yourself over until your next magical getaway.  These are my top 10 favorite ways to beat the Post-Disney Blues!

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1. Listen to Music from the Parks

Listening to music from the parks is one of my favorite ways to combat the Post-Disney Blues.  And luckily, there are TONS of great stations to choose from.  A good place to start is by downloading the apps for DPark Radio and Sorcerer Radio.  These stations have a great mix of Disney songs, area music, and queue loops. 

If you have a good idea of what specific Disney World music you’d like to listen to (Main Street USA area music?  EPCOT entrance music loop?) you can find TONS of playlists on iTunes, Pandora, Amazon Music, and Spotify.  There are also several channels on Youtube to check out.  One of my FAVORITE area music loops is the queue music from Jungle Cruise. 

Let the Disney Park’s music transport you to your favorite locations on property.  The possibilities are endless!

2. Watch Youtube Videos of Ride POVs, Shows, and Firework Displays

Besides listening to music from the Disney Parks, we also love watching footage of our favorite rides, parades, and firework displays on Youtube.

For great ride videos, check out the channels from Theme Park Review and SoCal 360.  They offer stunning POV videos to make you feel like you are really experiencing the attractions at the parks. 

Besides reliving some of our favorite Disney World memories through these videos, we also love checking out videos from the parks overseas.  As much as I’d love to visit EVERY Disney property around the world (I’m looking at YOU Tokyo DisneySea!), I know that isn’t realistic with our budget!  Watching these videos gives us the opportunity to still experience what the other parks have to offer until we can finally make the trek.

3. Follow a Disney Vlogger

Following a Disney vlogger is another great way to transport yourself to the parks.  One of my favorite vloggers is The Tim Tracker.  Watching Tim and Jenn’s videos makes you feel like you are strolling around the parks with them.  You can expect to ride along on some attractions, check out new merchandise in the shops, and sample some of Disney’s newest snacks and treats.  The thing I love about Tim and Jenn is they are really fun to watch and they give their honest opinions about Disney’s latest offerings. 

My other favorite Youtube channel to follow is the Disney Food Blog.  DFB is constantly cranking out informative content to help you plan your next Disney vacation while offering stunning shots of Walt Disney World property.  One of my favorite things to do while watching these videos with my kids is to constantly point out everything that we did together on our previous trips.  “Hey, we ate there!”  “We rode that!”  “We stayed there!”  It never gets old for me, and the kids seem to love reliving those memories as well.

4. Listen to a Disney Podcast

There are TONS of Disney podcasters out there.  Before our last trip, I made a list of several I wanted to check out to help with vacation planning.  The first podcast I listened to was WDW Radio with Lou Mongello…and I never made it to any of the other podcasters!  I LOVE listening to WDW Radio because it is informative, fun, and Lou really makes his listeners feel like they are part of a family.  I have also joined the Facebook group WDW Radio Box People and found an AMAZING community of fellow Disney lovers there.  Listening to the podcast, following the Facebook group, and engaging with others who share my Disney obsession has been one of the BEST ways to combat the Post-Disney Blues. 

5. Breathe in Some Disney Scents

Ahhhh the smells of Disney.  They often fly under the radar of parkgoers, but BOY do they have the power to stir up fond memories of your vacation.  From the smells of fresh baked goods outside of Main Street Bakery, to the briny waters of Pirates of the Caribbean – there are a lot of Disney smells that you associate with the most magical place on earth.

There are several candle companies that aim to bring some of that Disney magic into your home with their scents.  My two favorites are Magic Candle Company and Core Memory Candles.  Both companies offer candles, wax melts, fragrance oils, and air fresheners inspired by various Disney smells and experiences.  They are so much fun to collect!

One of my FAVORITE scents from Walt Disney World is their H2O personal care products they offer in their resort rooms.  Smelling the H2O shampoo, conditioner, and lotion immediately transports me back to Walt Disney World and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Most resorts have switched over to offering the large stationary bottles.  However, if you are lucky enough to have the single-use bottles offered in your resort room, stock up on as much as possible to bring home with you!!!  Luckily, Disney also sells these products on shopDisney.  They are pricey, but if you are REALLY missing Disney and love the H2O scents, the splurge can be worth it! Unfortunately, H2O retired this popular skincare line at the end of 2022. We are hoping for an equally awesome product to debut in the Disney Parks soon!

6. Recreate Your Favorite Disney Recipes at Home

Do you have a favorite snack or treat from Walt Disney World?  Try recreating it at home!  There are TONS of copycat Disney World recipes on Pinterest as well as official Walt Disney World Resort Recipes!  There are also some great Disney World cookbooks available to purchase on Amazon, some featuring copycat recipes while others contain ACTUAL recipes from the parks!  I have found some great recipes from the following cookbooks:

By using some official recipes from Disney Parks Blog, we hosted our very own Walt Disney World Chocolate Chip Cookie Bakeoff! We tested out recipes for Jack Jack’s Num Num Cookie from Hollywood Studios and Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Grand Floridian. You can check out the full post and get links to the recipes HERE!

If you don’t feel like cooking, you can simply pick up some Mickey Premium Bars from the grocery store.  While they may be smaller than the ice cream bars offered in the parks, they taste just as good!

7. Watch Your Favorite Disney Movies

We wouldn’t have the Disney Parks if it weren’t for Disney movies!  They are the source of the magic we love experiencing on our vacation.  And enjoying them is now made incredibly easy with the Disney+ streaming service!  There are countless movie options right at your fingertips!  If you are feeling those Post-Disney Blues, queue up your favorite Disney movie and snuggle up with your loved ones.  Be sure to pop some popcorn and fill up those souvenir popcorn buckets!  You’ll be feeling all warm and fuzzy in no time.

8. Get Crafty!

Get crafting with some fun Disney DIYs!  There are so many great ideas circulating on Pinterest.  You can find craft ideas to make in preparation for your next trip, to commemorate your vacation, or simply Disneyfy your home décor.  Here are some fun ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

In preparation of our last trip, I painted wooden Christmas ornaments for characters to autograph.  It made displaying our autographs a little more fun than the standard autograph book (which unfortunately just sits in a drawer, forlorn).  You can find the same wooden ornaments on Amazon HERE!

I also included a photo from each character interaction on the back of the ornaments, so every time we admire them we can relive that fun experience!

To commemorate our last trip (and our wedding at Disney), I ordered a shadow box frame from Amazon and filled it with some of our Disney souvenirs!  You can check out the shadow box I ordered by clicking HERE!

Shadowboxes are a great craft to show off your Disney treasures and admire them each day.

9. Throw a Disney Themed Dinner Party

We love throwing Disney themed dinner parties at my house.  Not only is it a great excuse to watch our favorite Disney movies, but it is also an opportunity to try new menus and fully immerse ourselves in the films!  Check out some of our Disney Themed Dinners HERE!  You can throw your own Disney dinner parties with your friends or family.  Simply plan out some apps, entrees, sides, and desserts inspired by your movie of choice.  Bonus points if you can put together some movie themed décor and dress for the part!

10. Plan Your Next Vacation

Even if you have NO IDEA when you will make it to the parks again, start planning your next vacation!  Keep yourself updated on Disney news and events.  Start compiling lists of all the restaurants, resorts, and Disney snacks you want to try out. 

I spent over THREE YEARS planning our last Walt Disney World trip.  Just researching and reading about Disney and knowing that SOMEDAY we’d be back filled my days with a little more Disney magic.  Yes, things are constantly changing in the parks (and your plans will have to evolve), but that’s part of the fun in planning!  I can tell you, the end result looked NOTHING like the vacation I had initially planned out.  But, because of careful and attentive planning, it was one of the BEST trips I’ve ever taken with my family. 

Plan that trip (even if it’s just a fantasy trip), continue to immerse yourself in all things Disney, and those Post-Disney Blues will melt away!

I hope some of these ideas will help you beat those Post-Disney Blues, or even just add a little Disney magic to your day!

Do you ever experience the Post-Disney Blues?  What are some of your favorite ways to add Disney magic to your day?  Let me know in the comments!

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