*sad music playing*
Well, your long-awaited Disney trip is over. The plane has landed, bags are unpacked, and your MagicBand won’t unlock your front door.
Weird, right?
If you’re anything like me, you tend to fall into a bit of a slump after a Disney vacation. Actually, I was in tears as I talked to my husband on the Magical Express Tragical Express on the way back to the airport after my solo trip in April. I was also holding back tears as I went through airport security and found my way to my gate.
The Disney Blues are REAL, guys. And, if you’re reading this, you probably already know that!
In all of my Disney trips, to both Disney World and Disneyland, I’ve come up with a bit of a coping strategy for dealing with the letdown that comes after a Disney trip. I hope that, in sharing them, I can help you overcome the Disney Blues, too!
Book Your Next Trip
Am I the only one who begins planning my next Disney trip before the last one is even over? (Sometimes I start thinking about it even before the trip in preparation of the Disney Blues.) Something about having another trip planned just makes it a little easier to leave the Parks for the last time before heading back to the airport!
One thing that’s extra magical about booking return trips is called a Bounceback Offer. The bad news is that you’re only eligible for a bounceback offer if you’re currently staying in a Disney resort, but the good news is that you’re eligible if you’re staying in ANY Disney resort (even if you don’t find a flyer in your room advertising it).
Bounceback offers tend to vary (sometimes they’re a percentage off of your next resort stay, sometimes they’re for free dining if you return within a specific date range), but certainly any offer is better than none (especially when it comes to getting over the Disney Blues)!
If you didn’t stay in a Disney resort, you can still go ahead and begin thinking ahead and planning for your next trip! If you liked the place you stayed, start pricing out what another trip would look like and when you could do it. And then, check out my post about saving money on your next trip!
Watch YouTube (Resort TV, ride videos, music)
Now, I don’t mean go down the rabbit hole of useless videos that YouTube has to offer…
Instead, I’m referring to Disney YouTube! There are thousands of videos on YouTube to help sooth your Disney Blues. Some of my favorite things to indulge in when I’m feeling sad are the Pirates of the Caribbean Queue playlist, the Jungle Cruise queue playlist, and the Magical Express music.
There are honestly so many more options, though, and you can find playlist after playlist of all the Disney music you could possibly want to hear!
I use this music as a background when I’m working on school stuff, writing blog posts (now playing: The Land Pavilion Interior Loop), cleaning, reading, and… well, kind of everything!
Eat your Snacks
Whenever I go on a Disney trip, I always make sure to bring snacks home! They’re cheap souvenirs (I got Minnie cookies for 10 coworkers and spent $40- for 10 people!) and it’s so dang nice to be able to sit down and eat something Mickey-shaped from the comfort of your own home! Goofy’s Candy Co. items also always end up in our carry-on bags to take home and share.
If you’re in the throes of the Disney Blues and you haven’t been to the parks recently, you might be able to find these Mickey Ice Cream Bars at your local grocery store! I was able to find them in central Ohio a few months back and have seen them several times since. They’re a little smaller than the ones in the Parks but they’re still oh so good.
Look at your Photos
I love taking tons and tons of pictures (and videos!) when I go on a Disney trip simply because I know how much I love looking back at them once my trip is over!
During my recent solo trip, I took well over 1,000 photos in 2.5 days. Some were duplicates (like snapping several pictures during a parade in hopes that the 19-foot tall man standing in front of me is out of the frame for at least one of them), but when all was said and done, I had over 400 totally unique photos that I use for social media, blogging, and my own personal use. (The picture that’s in the cover photo for this blog post is one that I took myself!)
I also love taking videos: videos of characters, of rides (like the People Mover), and videos of just walking around amongst all the people and the magic of the atmosphere. Sometimes, those are my favorite things to go back and look at!
Sure, I could YouTube a video of Roz at the end of the Monsters, Inc. ride at Disneyland, but it’s way more fun to look back at my own video of the time that she called me out for recording a video and I thought I was getting in trouble for taking said video (but really, she was just wanting to make sure I got her “good side”). It’s such a fun memory and is way better than anything I could pull up on YouTube!
Watch Vacation Planning Videos
Ahh, yes, a one of my guilty pleasures: Disney Vacation Planning Videos! I have watched these for years and years (you can find them on YouTube) and never get tired of them!
These videos are essentially for people who have never visited the Parks and have no idea what to expect, so they take you through all of the Parks for whichever location you choose (I’ve seen Disney World and Disneyland) and tell you what to expect, share Cast Member stories, and tell you all about the different rides and experiences you can expect! You also get to see the water parks (at WDW).
These videos also take you through the different levels of resort options (budget, moderate, deluxe, etc.) and talk about the pools, food options, and anything extra you would need to know. They’re so informative but can also spur a lot of memories (Oh, look, remember when we stayed at Port Orleans?) and can be a lot of fun to watch after your trip!
Make a Disney Bucket List
Is there something that you’ve wanted to do but never gotten to do? A tour, perhaps, or a certain dining experience? Maybe you want to visit a Disney property overseas? Or perhaps embark on your own solo trip?
Well, what are you waiting for?! Get out your notebook (or laptop) and start making a list!
You can use the Vacation Planning videos as a starting point, and you can also check out the post I wrote about unexpected things to do in Walt Disney World.
Relive Your Trip
Now, maybe you’re thinking, This girl’s crazy; she’s totally repeating herself!
And, I mean, the first part of that statement is definitely true.
I know I’ve already mentioned going through your pictures and videos, but when I say Relive Your Trip, I mean Relive Your Trip! Tell someone about it! Make a video! Write a blog post! Help someone else plan their own trip! You have all of this knowledge and experience and your own memories, so get them out into the open so they can help someone or bring a smile to their face.
Subscription Boxes
I’m dropping this one in last simply because I don’t have any experience with it, but there are many, many different Disney subscription boxes available right now! Some have general Disney merchandise, some have Disney snacks, others have pins or ornaments… there are so many options that you’re to find one that suits you!
I can’t justify spending the money on a subscription box right now, but I have my eye on a few that I’ll certainly drop into a conversation if asked what I want for Christmas/my birthday/etc. 😉
You can find a list of 10 Disney subscription boxes at Urban Tastebud’s site here!
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