A Disney Parks vacation is one of the most exciting experiences many families will enjoy. Not only will the time you spend in the parks be a delightful break from reality, but the lead-up to your adventure can be filled with almost as much magic. The planning part of your journey is the ultimate opportunity for some pre-holiday bonding, as you all share in the excitement and anticipation of the trip ahead. Making plans, researching dining locations, and making lists are really fun ways to feel connected to your traveling family ahead of your big vacation. If you are looking for more ways to add some extra-special activities to your trip for an even more magical time away, go through our list below of extra activities to level up your fun.
Start a Pin Collecting / Trading Collection
If anyone in your family enjoys a good collection, why not start a famous Disney pin collection of your own? Throughout the parks, there are hundreds of different pins celebrating attractions, resorts, characters, movies, and experiences, as well as season and event-limited-edition pins available during special events. Stop by a Disney Pin Trading location to see if you can add something unique to your collection that is no longer available for purchase by trading with a cast member.
Keep a Travel Journal
Documenting your trip can be a fun way to keep kids occupied in the evening, sharing their experiences and creating a nice keepsake they can take home. You can do a small one each or one big family one, adding in any paper tickets (oh, the good old days), coupons, photos or anything else to help you capture those magical moments along the way. Take turns writing a sentence or two of highlights for each day and you are sure to look back on it fondly later on. Even bullet points can be fun, new characters, favorite food, best ride that day, etc. I love looking back on our journals and seeing the kids’ little handwriting change over the years.
Try a DisneyBound
Ah, I love this one. DisneyBounding is where you take your favorite Disney character and use their colors, style, and story to inspire your outfit without wearing a character costume. Let your family choose their favorite characters and mix and match separates to add some extra fun to your daily wardrobe and those family photos. I saw an inspired family photo in an online group where Mom and Dad were channelling Woody and Jesse, an older teen was Buzz and the younger siblings were Aliens in blue shorts and green hats. Adorable.
Sign up for Disney’s PhotoPass Service
If you are visiting Walt Disney World, be sure to up the magic in your memories that come home with you by getting everyone in the picture. Disney PhotoPass Photographers are in all the perfect spots around each park, waiting to take those memorable shots. Add some more fun with Magic Shots and animated photos that are a cool way to share the moment with friends and family back home.
Share Positivity with Strangers
Part of the magic in a Disney Parks vacation is the pixie-dusted moments that we create for ourselves. In a world where everyone is so focused on their own lives, take a moment to compliment the person next to you on their beautiful outfit, or a lovely young person on their manners. The last ten years of my life, I’ve gotten into the habit of believing that if I think something positive, share it, because this world could use a bit more inclusion and optimism. If you see me in the parks, don’t be surprised if I am loving someone’s creative ear headband or smiling understandingly at the struggling parent whose child is having a meltdown. We’ve all been there! Spread the love and it will come back to you even stronger.
Compliment a Cast Member
In a similar fashion, much of the magic we feel in the parks is the result of the beautiful cast members that turn our family vacations into the stuff dreams are made of. If you have a good experience with a cast member, use your My Disney Experience app or Disneyland app to send the good feedback and thank them for their time with a Cast Compliment. I’ve met many cast members over the years, and while I’ve had the odd bad experience, these are few and far between, wildly outweighed by the bubbly and caring individuals who want to make every moment of your day brighter.
Add a Dining Experience or Pairing
The Disney Parks have so much more to offer than simply theme park rides and quick-service meals. If you are looking for a little something extra, try booking a specialty dining experience. Families with young ones might like character dining in an elegant setting like Cinderella’s Royal Table, while adult guests might like to look at the array of elegant dining experiences or pairing events that are on offer in public access spaces like Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort or Disney Springs at Walt Disney World. There is something special for everyone if you have the time and budget to make the most of it!
Make Shirts Before You Leave
Add some fun to the weeks before your trip by designing and creating special shirts. Whether you like matching family attire or each enjoys a custom look, buy iron-on designs or create your own at home with a printer or Cricut. Planning and making your shirts is a fun way to involve everyone in the lead up to your trip and also get a head start on that packing list with your new fancy shirts!
Collect Celebration Buttons
Once you arrive at Disney, be sure to look out for special buttons to take home as keepsakes. There is an array of buttons with options like 1st visit, birthday, celebrations that will not only be fun to have but can sometimes attract some extra pixie-dusted magic from cast members as well. If you’ve got a family of first-time visitors, a collection of them can make a great family photo as well.
Get Everyone a MagicBand+
Even though these do add an additional cost to your trip, MagicBand+ really does have such a wonderful functional value. Getting around the parks is so much easier with everyone carrying their most needed details on their wrist. Tapping your way through Lightning Lanes is fun, and there is something about the enchanting noise you hear when the booth turns green that gives you that little tingle in your heart. For me, it never gets old. If I could find a way to replicate this instead of a front door lock at home, I would. Added functionality within rides and attractions adds a little something special to your overall experience, far more than just the convenience of having access to everything on your wrist.
If you haven’t started planning, ask the dedicated team at Dreams Unlimited Travel for a quote today.
