For spring break, we didn’t have the great fortune of going to Disney World like many families. The girls asked me over and over again if we could go to Florida because their friends were all talking about going. So I did the best I could and we had “Disney Day” at home, where we rode roller coasters, played games, and visited with Elsa.
Here’s a step-by-step guide, if you want to create your own theme park day at home!
Print custom character signs for their doors (here’s a free one). That way when they wake up, they know the day will be special. Make sure they know that you are pretending, and they aren’t really going to Disney World. Otherwise this day will be a huge disappointment.
Go to the airport. When you arrive, hand your child a boarding pass. You can print your own for free and customize the fields using this template.
Then you’ll need to go through security. I used a closet for the scanner at the airport, and I made templates for where their feet should go and for where they should hold their hands above their heads.
It was easy to find a script to read and pretend to be the flight attendant. I printed safety cards for the seat back pockets (I just laid the on the couch, rather than rigging up rows of chairs, but you could do that, too).
Once they were seated, I put on a short TV show for them to watch, and served in-flight snacks.
Then we landed and as they deplaned, I gave them their tickets for Disney World. These were also a free printable. When we arrived at the park, I gave them each a wrist band so they could get on the rides. Unfortunately, I don’t have a printable for this, but it was easy to create a bar code online and copy and paste a Mickey head and print it at home.
We had lunch first, then they got face paint (my best efforts with the make up I had on hand).
Afterward, we played “Kiss the Frog” with a printable picture of Tiana’s frog from the movie. It’s like pin the tail on the donkey, but instead of pinning lips, they have to kiss the paper with their bright lipstick. This is easy to Google.
Next we had to wait in like for the Roller Coaster. I “scanned” their wrist bands, and I planted signs ahead that told how much longer they had to wait (we pretended it was long, but it was only about 5 minutes).
Then we watched some YouTube videos filmed from the front row of roller coasters. They’ve never been on a roller coaster, so they didn’t know what they were missing. We screamed and put our hands in the air, and they loved it. You can try this video, this one, and this one.
After the rides, we sent a postcard home from Disney. These I created and printed from a few Google searches. While each one worked on their postcard with Mom, the other went to the souvenir shop and picked out something to remember their trip. The souvenirs were craft kits from the Dollar Store that my husband shopped for earlier in the week.
Then we had our regular quiet time (no naps anymore for my 5 and 6 year old, but alone time is essential for everyone to get along). They worked on the craft kits they had just opened. Another idea might be to visit Target and shop for a Disney stuffy, or go to Build A Bear and build their own. This can be as involved as you like or have budget for.
When we got up, we walked to get ice cream (could also just have ice cream from your own freezer). Then we met Elsa on Zoom. We scheduled a call with Golden Rule Events, and Elsa was wonderful. She told the kids a story and played games with them.
Now we’re finishing the day with a Disney movie and popcorn. I highly recommend having your own Disney Day, especially if spring break is feeling a little stale.
For more posts on momming, check out these ideas.