The day that Walt Disney World closed I sat at my computer and cried. Sobbing, and cancelling dozens of reservations through my tears, I was devastated our world was in such a state of turmoil and a location of universal happiness was not even an option.

Like everyone else, I’ve had my ups and downs during quarantine, the subsequent weird summer of social distancing, and trying to see enough people to make life feel as normal as it can. Today I should have been doing my usual pack/unpack my suitcase three times in preparation for our family trip to Disney, but instead I’m thinking of the ways we have kept our spirits up and the Disney magic alive even though we aren’t able to go.

If Covid-19 has disrupted your vacation plans to Walt Disney World, here are the Volpe Family’s top 12 tips on How To Beat the Disney Blues:

1. USE A DISNEY COFFEE MUG – This may be a simple thing, but this mug brings me a lot of joy and I use it every morning to get my day started.

2. COOK SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE DISNEY FOODS – We are big fans of the Mickey Mouse waffles, so throughout these past few months this breakfast treat has gotten us through the gloomy days of no vacations in sight.

3. BURN A DISNEY SCENTED CANDLE – Close your eyes and a scent will bring you right back! The olfactory delight of a Disney resort, ride, or food is sure to brighten your day.

4. GO THROUGH THE PIN COLLECTIONS – Years ago I didn’t think my kids would be into the pin collecting, but here we are, hundreds of dollars later. Honestly, I didn’t think I would get so much joy out of the pins either! We look through them together, talk about their favorites, who bought them which ones from the various vacations, and it’s something that makes us feel connected to Disney without actually being there.

5. LOOK THROUGH PHOTO ALBUMS FROM PAST VACATIONS – Not gonna lie, this is a little sad but simultaneously therapeutic. Now is also a good opportunity to put together that album you’ve had on the back burner.

6. WATCH DISNEY MOVIES – Disney Plus was a major bonus at the beginning of quarantine when we were all stuck home in the colder weather. After dinner we would decide what to watch, grab our “movie snacks” and snuggle together with cozy blankets. It was really nice family time that under normal circumstances we might not have taken as much advantage of. One of my personal favorites was Inside Out, which was kind of appropriate for the situation because if Covid-19 didn’t create some core memories I’m not sure what will.

7. MAKE A PICTURE COLLAGE – I had a bunch of Disney publications saved and wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. One morning I realized some art therapy might be good for everyone. Wow, we had so much fun choosing the pictures, cutting them out, and arranging them! We all took turns showing one another our finished products describing why we chose the pictures we did. It was very cathartic.

8. CREATE A FUN DISPLAY WITH YOUR MAGIC BANDS – This is something I want to do, however, my limited creativity skills prevents me from putting it into action. If your partner is as horrified as mine over the obscene number of bands you have around your house, check out Pinterest and do something cute with them.

9. WEAR YOUR FAVORITE DISNEY GARB – Sometimes just putting on your vacation gear makes you feel magical!

10. PLAY DESCRIBE A RIDE GAME – Each person takes a turn describing a ride in non obvious way in order to keep the contenders guessing. It is especially funny to play with a four year old who just shouts out “Ariel!” for Under the Sea. Last night we hung out in our room before bed and laughed until our faces were red…it was the best part of the day.

11. NAME YOUR TOP THREE FAVORITE RIDES – This varies with my mood, so I’m always up for this game, which we typically play around the dinner table. Splash Mountain is usually on everyone’s list but mine….as you can tell by my face. I’m more of a Soarin’ girl after a walk around World Showcase.

12. PLAY THE GAME “IF YOU COULD GO TO DISNEY FOR ONE DAY CHOOSE ONE RESORT, ONE RESTAURANT, AND ONE PARK” – Again, this is a great game to play multiple times because the answers can vary from day to day, it’s fun to see the different combinations the kids put together, and the reasoning behind their choices. What would I do? I would be happy to go at all at this point; I would stay anywhere and be up for anything!

by Ellen Volpe – Co-Owner of ET Family Travel