How To Experience a Disney Vacation at Home

Disney fan? We get it. And we have loads of ways for you to get your Disney fix while at home — and it’s much more than binge watching Disney+. Take a walk down Disney’s Main Street, a ride on a roller coaster or learn to make imagineer magic with these virtual Disney at home experiences. It’s the next best thing to being there.

At my house, we would love to have a Disney vacation several times a year. Sadly, that isn’t possible. So, what now? If we can’t go to Disney, we like to bring Disney home. There are so many ways to experience that Disney magic — from rides to games to movies — right in our own living room. It’s one of the ways we rev up the excitement about an upcoming Disney vacation. It’s also a great way to extend our Disney vacation experience long after we come home.

Even if you don’t have a Disney vacation coming up any time soon, these virtual Disney experiences and at home Disney activities make it easy to bring Disney home.

Walt Disney World Virtual Tours

One of my favorite ways to feel like I’m there even when I’m sitting on the couch is to take a virtual tour. You can use your computer, tablet or cell phone to take a walk down Main Street and look up at Cinderella’s castle. My girls compete to see who can locate their favorite ride the fastest. The Visit Orlando website has virtual tours through EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom and the two water parks. It’s a great way to orient yourself before a visit IRL.

One of the newest virtual tours features a behind-the-scenes tour of the Imagineering Studio.

Virtual Disney Rides

Finding the rides on a virtual tour is just the first step for my daughters. Next up is jumping on the ride, virtually. Their favorite is the Frozen Ever After ride. They “ride” it over and over again. This is a really great tool for planning a Disney vacation because you can see which rides to put on your “must-do” list.

Here is a list of the rides you can virtually experience at both Disney World and Disneyland:

Walt Disney World

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Toy Story Mania
• Frozen Ever After
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Space Mountain
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Slinky Dog Dash
• It’s a Small World
• The Little Mermaid

Disneyland

• Alice in Wonderland
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• It’s a small world

Be a Walt Disney Imagineer

You can become a Disney Imagineer from home, thanks to the Imagineer in a Box from the Kahn Academy. Kids (and you — we don’t judge!) can complete project-based exercises to design their own theme park. We love this because it’s a great STEM activity — there are lessons in science, technology, engineering, and math. That’s exactly what we would expect from Kahn Academy, the terrific free online education site. Visit here to learn more about Imagineering in a Box.

Disney Coloring Sheets

I love coloring with my kids and they love when I do it. And since we’re Disney lovers, our favorite coloring sheets come from Disney. We print these great coloring sheets at home for free:

• Cinderella and Prince Charming
• Woody and Buzz
• Anna and Elsa
• Snow White
• Tinkerbell

Disney Audiobooks

My kids love audiobooks and if you haven’t tried them with your kids NOW is the time. My kids enjoy listening to these audiobooks at night before bed. You can stream them on several Amazon devices; the Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition is our favorite. Audible is currently offering 1 FREE audiobook and a 30-day free trial! Audible has a large collection of children’s books; here are some of our Disney favorites:

• Disney Pixar Story Collection
• Disney Princess Storybook Collection
• Frozen
• Disney Junior Storybook Collection
• The Toy Story Collection

Disney Play App

We love the Disney Play App for passing the time when we’re waiting in line for rides at the Disney parks. It’s a fun way to interact with the rides and even some of the lands (like Star Wars Land). But until now, the app didn’t work outside the parks. Now, however, in honor of the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride at Hollywood Studios, you can play Mickey & Minnie’s Trivia Time at home. We play against one another.

Read More: Check out these fun DIY Disney crafts to entertain the kids

Show Off Your Disney Duds

Who says you can only wear your Disney shirts and ears when you’re in the parks? If you’re going to make a full day or weekend of a Disney at home “vacation,” don your favorite pair of ears and your matching Disney shirts and embrace the feeling. Don’t have fun Disney shirts for everyone in the family? Here’s where to get a little DIY Disney shirt inspiration. Share your Disney style on Instagram and tag @travelingmom and use the hashtags #TMOM & #Disneyathome for a chance to be featured on our Instagram page.

At Home Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is an experience that makes little girls feel like princesses. As a mom of three girls, I can tell you that it’s easy to recreate this experience at home. All you need is a princess costume, nail polish, make-up and some hair glitter! Complete your at-home make-overs and the kids will start calling you their very own “Fairy Godmother.” Moms like feeling like a princess, too, so if you are feeling really brave, you can let the kids give you a princess makeover.

Read More: Make Mickey waffles and more at home with these Disney recipes.

Play Disney-Themed Games

Disney Song Challenge: This game includes songs from 90 movies and TV shows. Fair warning: You may have trouble “Letting it Go” when you finish playing.

Olafs Ice Adventure: This Frozen version of the popular “Trouble” game comes with 4 ice molds for making icy Olaf tokens. The player with the last Olaf standing wins.

Frozen Monopoly: It could be because I have three girls, but Frozen is definitely a theme that runs through our house. This version of Monopoly features locations from Anna and Elsa’s journeys through Arendelle in Frozen 2. The biggest challenge is deciding who gets to play with the Elsa and Anna charater tokens.

Incredible Game for Nintendo Switch:  I just love this super hero family!

Disney Hidden Picture Game ages 4+: What little kid wouldn’t love a 6-foot-long game board? Spread it out on the floor and let the kiddos have fun looking for their favorite Disney icons.

Binge Disney+ 

OK, this is the easiest way to get that Disney feeling at home. A night of Frozen and Frozen 2 is the easiest way to entertain my family for the night. Families with older kids can stream the whole Star Wars franchise or re-watch all of those Marvel classics. But Disney classic movies aren’t the only things streaming on the new Disney+  service. There also are fun behind-the-scenes and special experiences videos that serious Disney fans will want to devour. Start with these:

• The Imagineering Story
• Disney’s Fairytale Weddings
• Waking Sleeping Beauty
• Frank and Ollie
• One Day at Disney
• Disneyland Around the Seasons
• The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story (available May 22, 2020)
• Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy 

Shop Disney Favorites

There are so many fun Disney products that can add a little Disney into your everyday life. In fact, we’ve found 40+ items that Disney lovers will love. They are a great way to celebrate Disney at home and surprise your family with pixie-dusted gifts. We need this one more than ever:

Plan Your Next Disney Vacation

Maybe the best way to bring Disney home is to spend more time planning your next Disney vacation. There are so many things to think about — where you’ll stay, what parks you’ll visit, even what you need to pack. The excitement can build months before your Disney vacation. Also, we’re happy to share that Get Away Today is offering to hold your vacation for just $175 down! Better yet, the final payment is due just seven days before you go. So put your next Disney vacation on layaway and have fun planning your next trip!!