Hey Disney friends! Picture this: it’s been an amazing Disney vacation. You’ve made memories with the people you love, developed new connections, and maybe even learned a few things along the way. You’ve laughed, you’ve probably screamed, and it’s been a journey and a half. Then, after the twinkling lights, the fireworks, someone making your bed for you, and a professional chef creating far more of your meals than you normally enjoy, suddenly it’s the last day. Are you feeling the feels? The vibe is strong just writing this. It’s sad!
You’ve got one last day in the Parks, and you desperately want to enjoy every second, but it can be surprisingly difficult not to feel that little cloud hanging over you as you think about leaving and returning to reality. It’s the side of a Disney vacation that nobody really talks about, so I thought I’d share five little tricks I use to make the most of that final day and, hopefully, send myself home with a little more excitement than sadness.
1. Make a Next-Time List
This is something we actually do while we’re still in the Parks. We keep a short list on one of our phones of all the things we want to do next time we visit. You can make it while standing in line for one last spin on your favorite attraction, waiting for the final parade or enjoying a snack.
Maybe it’s the attraction that was closed for maintenance, the restaurant you didn’t quite get to or the meal you absolutely have to have again. Whatever makes the list, it becomes a little reminder that this isn’t the end. It’s just a brief interlude at home before you get to come back again.
2. Get Those Photos
You’ll be on your way home before you know it, and apart from the memories themselves, those photographs are some of the best things you get to take home with you. The candid selfies, attraction action shots, silly family pictures, and those wonderful professional Disney PhotoPass moments can all bring back those little vacation flashbacks months or even years later.
So, take the time to get everyone in the picture before you leave. Yes, even the teenager who is suddenly very busy pretending not to hear you. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
3. Do One Last Round of Disney Snacks
Grab a few of the favorites you’ve discovered during your trip, pull them apart, and share them around. There is nothing quite like eating your feelings, and Disney is one of the few places where I happily allow myself to indulge in that particular behavior on the last day!
Get a little bit of everything and celebrate those new discoveries together. Sometimes the final snack tour ends up being one of my favorite memories of the whole trip.
4. Do Something New
This might sound completely backwards on the last day, when every part of you wants to somehow recreate the entire vacation in a few precious hours, but hear me out. Do something new.
Choose a show you’ve never seen, an attraction you’ve somehow always skipped or even something completely different from your usual Disney routine. Ending the trip with a new experience gives you one more memory to take home, rather than spending the entire day trying to repeat everything you’ve already done.
5. Start Planning
In our family, the long journey home is useful for one thing: planning the next trip! Now, they aren’t always Disney trips. We like to keep exploring the world in between our Disney adventures, but thankfully we have enough Disney visits sprinkled through our travels that there is usually something to start planning for.
Turn that sadness about leaving into fuel for a grand return. Think about what you learned, what you loved, what you would change and what you absolutely have to do next time while it’s all still fresh in your mind. Suddenly, that last day starts feeling a little less like an ending and a little more like the beginning of your next magical adventure.
Alright, friends, now it’s your turn. What are your last-day Disney traditions? Are you the family that squeezes in one final attraction, goes all in on the snacks, buys that last souvenir or starts planning the next trip before you’ve even left the parking lot? Share your last-day traditions with the class!
