My family is local to Walt Disney World. As in, watching Magic Kingdom fireworks from the backyard kind of local.  

Having a little guy who has spent more days at Disney World than any 5-year-old has the right to, it’s been super difficult for him to be confined at home right now. He doesn’t understand what is happening in the world today. He just wants to go back to Preschool, see his friends, and go to Walt Disney World of course.

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
Johnny waving goodbye to Cinderella Castle on March 15, the last day Magic Kingdom was open.

Although I have a bunch of recipes from around the WDW resort downloaded, I ironically haven’t had the time to make them. And not being a creative person, I haven’t recreated rides throughout my house, or made replica theme parks in my living room like I’ve seen in so many viral videos. The closest we came to that was cutting up some leftover park maps we had to create our own idealized version of a WDW park.

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
Johnny created his own theme park by cutting out his favorite rides from the each park.

As Florida is beginning to reopen, the parks won’t be too far off. So, how can we keep ourselves in the Disney spirit until then? Here are just a few of the ways we have managed to keep some of the Disney Magic in our lives.

Disney Attire and Accessories

Johnny loves to wear Disney shirts, pajamas and more. Johnny picks out his clothes and more often than not he is choosing one of his Disney shirts . . . or taking walks with a Mickey umbrella, just for fun.

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
A few of Johnny’s Disney shirts from dressy to homemade.

One of the rare treats we purchase at the parks is a Disney Balloon, Johnny LOVES them. So his sister bought him an Olaf balloon, which now must go everywhere with us.

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine

One of Johnny’s favorite free-time activities has been to watch ride videos. His favorite has become Ratatouille from Disneyland Paris. We are very excited for Epcot’s version to open in the France Pavillion in the hopefully not-too-distant future.

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
Photo of the construction for the new ride taken just days before the parks closed. For more about the delayed projects around WDW, read HERE.

We have also been on social media following Disney’s various platforms. One of our favorites videos from Disney has been the Dapper Dans and their wonderful medleys.

A few highlights include creative tour-de-force Joe Rhode, who provided an amazing picture tour of Animal Kingdom.

As well as Walt Disney Imagineering providing a Journey into Imagineering series on Instagram. 

And of course spending time on MiceChat with our own Ten Minutes of Magic, videos of ambient theme park zen. My family loves to walk through Pandora and see the floating mountains. So this video has become a go-to for us.

For the full selection of Ten Minutes of Magic, check them out HERE.

Playing with Disney

We have an abundance of Disney puzzles and games to occupy our time as well. From Disney’s Guess Who to Trivia our games cabinet is full of Disney offerings. 

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
Disney games and puzzles for all ages!

And if all else fails, we have our Fisher-Price Disney Theme Park playset.

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine

Visiting Our Beloved Closed Parks

While we cannot get into our parks, the Walt Disney World property remains open to drive through. We have made many drives through the property. Johnny’s favorite areas are the Skyliner Gondolas and to check out the Tron construction. Personally, I wishfully gaze at the half-painted castle hoping that its radiantly golden makeover will be completed for the re-opening.

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
Entrance to the Ticket and Transportation Center.
, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
Spaceship Earth from a distance.
, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
We have seen a lot of wild animals such as deer, ducks, and the occasional alligator, we’ve even seen quite a few wild turkeys lately.
, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
Can you spot the Skyliner Gondolas?

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Construction stalled on Tron.
, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine
A glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle, half painted.

Perhaps our favorite thing to do is to watch shows from the different parks. Each Friday night, we pick a show, put some popcorn in our Disney bucket and hunker down on the couch. From World of Color at California Adventure to the dearly missed Happily Ever After at Walt Disney World, Johnny’s favorite so far has been the Illuminations show at Disneyland Paris. I see a trip in the future!


Make Future Magic

Theme parks will reopen, and there’s no better time to lock in low rates on future travel. Special comeback rates are now available at some of your favorite theme park hotels – discounted up to $100 off their regular nightly rates. 

, How I’m Keeping My Disney Family Sane in the Age of Quarantine

Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park shutdown concerns and rescheduling plans. We know you’re as uncertain about the future as we are. That’s why Get Away Today is offering the most flexible Disney travel options available:  

Price Protection – If a better special comes out after you have booked, you’ll get the better deal. 

Peace of Mind – Make hotel changes, reschedule dates, drop nights, change ticket vouchers and more, as many times as you’d like for a small, one-time fee.

Layaway Plan – Lock in your 2020 or 2021 Disneyland Resort vacation for just $175 down. By booking early, you secure your availability and have the flexibility to pay as you go. Make as many interest-free payments as you’d like, whenever you’d like, with final payment due just seven days prior to travel.

Give your family something to look forward to
Visit Get Away Today HERE  Or fill out a request form and they’ll call you back:  Vacation Information Request Form HERE


Let’s Hear From You

It goes without saying that this is a difficult time for everyone. While we may not be able to visit our favorite theme parks at the moment, we’re finding ways to keep the Disney magic alive in our family. What are some of the ways your family is remembering the Disney Parks at home? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


More Disney News Not To Miss

REOPENING UPDATE: Theme Park Industry Rolls Out Extensive Guidelines for ‘New Normal’

UPDATED! Disney Springs Begins Phased Reopening May 20th at Walt Disney World

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Laura Gonzalez
Laura is a recent transplant to the Orlando area. She grew up going to Disneyland and now proudly owns an annual pass to Walt Disney World. In her free time, you can find her in one of the many theme parks, the Central Florida beaches or traveling with her family. Family vacation planning is her thing! Follow Laura on Instagram @laurajgonzalez10 and @jwlovesdisney