Looking for inspiration, how do you bring the parks "home" for the holidays?

crazgurl

crazgurl

Active Member
Original Poster
I hope this is the correct forum for this. One of my best friends was supposed to be in the world tomorrow. This was going to be her first big vacation in over 10 years, but life had other plans. She got pretty sick last week and had to cancel the trip. They hope to re-book next year, but she's clearly bummed. In addition to missing out on Disney 100 AND Christmas stuff, she's at home sick.

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on something we can give her or do for Christmas that might bring the parks to her in some small way? We are in Canada, so shopping is a bit more limited/costly with the exchange rate. I'm a bit limited on budget but I'm sure I can get her husband on board if the idea is a little more elaborate.

I am well equipped for crafting (vinyl plotter, laser cutter/engraver, CNC router, etc.) , so the ideas can be DIY.

Any and all ideas of how you bring the parks home for the holidays would be appreciated!
 
JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Dont know what kind of budget there is for this but I'd go on shop disney and get some christmas ornaments. Go to Target and shop for some of the lower cost Disney items on the shelf. Hallmark has some inexpensive Disney ornaments too and other Dis decorations. There are Dis recipes online where you might cook / bake some things Disney to bring her a taste of Disney. Get a gingerbread house kit and make it, then decorate it with Disney type decorations. From Target or other shopping center get a Disney character Christmas stocking to hang up for her. You can find a CD with Disney Christmas music to play.
 
MickeyLuv'r

MickeyLuv'r

Well-Known Member
Baking is a good idea perhaps. Lots of big box stores have all kinds of inexpensive options. a slightly pricey but neat option is to find Disney art books. These are like coffee table books. There are ones for just about every movie, and a great series on the classic animators called, "They Drew as They Pleased."

Party stores also sell inexpensive decor, plus every kid party item/favor possible. A silly option is temporary tattoos.

Another inexpensive option is to print out photos from prior trips perhaps, or just fun spots around WDW. If they so choose they could display them. If you printed them on cardstock, they would be easy to put up temporarily.

OOH, along the same lines is to make a "Disney advent calendar, "where they guess location of each photo. You could do this one of many ways. Easy is to just text a photo each day, and the guess the location. You might also consider buying a Lego advent calendar. This year's options are Marvel and Star Wars. (There is also a Harry Potter one.)

There are a number of free Disney trivia games. Some involve identifying a snippet of Disney music.
 
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M

Marionnette

Well-Known Member
  • Hang a Disney Advent calendar (commercial or homemade). Even a hand-drawn calendar with Disney stickers to place over each date would work.
  • Watch the Jingle Cruise and MVMCP parade, stage show and fireworks on YouTube (use Chrome cast or Apple Airplay to play it on your TV if you don't have a smart TV). Lots of vloggers have posted videos from the first party. Some have done, or will do, live streams from the party.
  • Bake Christmas cookies in the shape of Mickey heads or use Mickey-shaped sprinkles on traditional shapes. Go for the same flavors that they're serving at MVMCP.
  • Make Mickey head ornaments by gluing 2 smaller bulbs to a larger bulb. Decorate an inexpensive tree with them.
  • Cover a table with a Disney tablecloth or table runner.
  • Do you sew? Drawstring pajama pants are pretty easy to make and there are lots of cute Disney flannel fabrics out there.
  • Replace coffee mugs with Disney Christmas mugs hung on a mug tree. Or purchase Disney Christmas wine tumblers and a bottle of good wine, eggnog or cider.
  • Decorate an inexpensive stocking with a Mickey or Minnie silhouette. Fill with small Disney-related gifts (hot cocoa mix, Pez dispenser, lip balm, etc)
  • Take an old set of ears (or buy an inexpensive new pair) and juz it up with a sparkly Minnie bow in Christmas colors. Add a jingle bell for whimsy.
  • Simmer orange slices, cloves and a cinnamon stick in a small pot for an instant holiday aroma.
  • Play Disney holiday music on a streaming device. Or purchase a CD of Disney holiday songs.
  • Watch a Disney holiday movie (Muppet Christmas Carol, Prep and Landing, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, etc.)
  • Curl up in a Disney flannel blanket. You can make a no-sew fleece blanket with Disney fabric.
  • Cover sofa throw pillows with Disney character pillows in holiday styles.
 
MickeyLuv'r

MickeyLuv'r

Well-Known Member
Something kind of unique would be to make a Disney themed topiary. Start by making the frame, then pick a hardy, quick growing plant to grow all over it, like maybe a philodendron.

Other options if your friend is good with houseplants: Ivy looks nice, but tricky in winter. Spiderwort or similar could work, esp if you can find a small leaf variety. Mosses and airplants could also work.
 
crazgurl

crazgurl

Active Member
Original Poster
MickeyLuv'r said:
Something kind of unique would be to make a Disney themed topiary. Start by making the frame, then pick a hardy, quick growing plant to grow all over it, like maybe a philodendron.

Other options if your friend is good with houseplants: Ivy looks nice, but tricky in winter. Spiderwort or similar could work, esp if you can find a small leaf variety. Mosses and airplants could also work.
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Cool ideas, but I'm absolutely no green thumb myself! Wouldn't know where to begin with this one! Maybe some future person reading the thread will benefit though. Good job on the creativity!
 
D

DisneyHead123

Well-Known Member
It sounds like you have a wealth of diy skills… you could no doubt find advice more specific to those on specific Reddit forums. I’m sure there’s a lot you could do with that but that’s fairly specialized knowledge. Maybe make large posters and divide the house into different areas… Magic Kingdom Movie World in the living room, Epcot Kitchen Showcase in the kitchen, etc., something like that? But I wouldn’t know the ins and outs of how to do that. I never quite mastered layering on my Cri-cut, lol.

Also I’m gonna suggest a Disney themed charcuterie board, just because I love charcuterie boards. Get an inexpensive mouse ear cookie cutter and you can cut slices of cheese, fruits, etc. into mouse ear shapes.

We did Disney trivia night for Christmas with my family last year and that was also a big hit! My brother bought the trivial pursuit style game but you could also make up your own game cards by Goggling Disney facts on the internet.
 
D

DisneyHead123

Well-Known Member
Thought of another one I like… you could make a Disney Trip 2024 Countdown Calendar, to help her focus on fun things in the new year and the fact that the trip is delayed, not cancelled. I’m not sure what your personalities are or what you like to do but it could be things like January - Make Frozen Cocoa (lots of recipes online). Maybe schedule seeing the release of a Disney movie together one month, making a Disney themed cocktail and watching Disney Prime one month, etc. Or it could be silly things like a challenge where you take her to lunch at her favorite restaurant and you have to arrange the food into mouse ears, whoever finds a way to make the most unique mouse ear combinations “wins”. If you don’t see each every month you could do a texting themed one - Disney gif day or something lighthearted like that.
 
Bullseye1967

Bullseye1967

Is that who I am?
Premium Member
crazgurl said:
I hope this is the correct forum for this. One of my best friends was supposed to be in the world tomorrow. This was going to be her first big vacation in over 10 years, but life had other plans. She got pretty sick last week and had to cancel the trip. They hope to re-book next year, but she's clearly bummed. In addition to missing out on Disney 100 AND Christmas stuff, she's at home sick.

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on something we can give her or do for Christmas that might bring the parks to her in some small way? We are in Canada, so shopping is a bit more limited/costly with the exchange rate. I'm a bit limited on budget but I'm sure I can get her husband on board if the idea is a little more elaborate.

I am well equipped for crafting (vinyl plotter, laser cutter/engraver, CNC router, etc.) , so the ideas can be DIY.

Any and all ideas of how you bring the parks home for the holidays would be appreciated!
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