Do you tear up as you exit the park on the last day of your trip? Maybe the tears hold off until you’re in the car and driving away or on the plane to head home. You might even be lucky enough to survive a couple days until the post-Disney blues really set in. Whatever time frame the feelings hit you in, they aren’t fun. If you’re looking for a way to cope with missing Disney, here are some things that are helping me get through until my next trip, which might just help you, too!

1. Dream About Your Next Trip

Pretty much as soon as I leave I’m dreaming about the next time I can come back. Doing this helps me not feel as bad, because I know that there will be another trip in the future, even if it isn’t for a long time. It gives me something to look forward to and that really helps me. When it finally comes time to start really planning things, like travel and accommodation, I get even more excited! And don’t even get me started about fastpass day. I set my alarm so I’m up right away to make the best selections.

2. Plan Disney Outfits

Whether or not you have an upcoming trip planned, I think it’s still fun to plan Disney outfits. Sometimes I’ll choose a pair of my ears and come up with an outfit that matches it. Or, I’ll find a cute Disney top and pick ears to match. Another fun thing is to think up some Disney bounds! Choose a character and create an outfit inspired by that character. An easy example is Pooh. You could wear a red shirt with yellow bottoms, then throw in a cute Pooh hair bow or other cute accessories. When The Last Jedi came out in theaters, I went to see it in a Princess Leia inspired outfit that I would totally use in Disney World if it wasn’t so hot! I dressed for Hoth (aka snowy winter in Pennsylvania), not Florida!

3. Look Through All Your Photos and Videos

It seems to me that most people take a TON of pictures when they’re in a Disney park. I find that scrolling through my camera roll on my phone to see all the pictures and videos I took during my trip makes me smile because I remember those moments. Silly videos captured how much fun I was having with my best friend on my past trip and now I always laugh when I watch us goofing around having the best time. Whether you have Memory Maker or not, look at the pictures on your Disney account. You can view them for a little while after they were taken and seeing the faces you made (or other ridiculous things you did) on ride photos can cheer you up, too!

4. Youtube Everything

Youtube is a life saver. I find myself watching ride throughs of my favorite rides when I miss them. I pull up the music that’s played in different areas of the park and just listen. I watch videos of Paint the Night, the Electric Light Parade (RIP), Happily Ever After, and Wishes (RIP again) when I’m missing the fireworks and really need that Disney magic! Something else that cheers me up? Watching others’ excitement over going to Disney. I’ll search for Disney Trip Surprise Reveal and watch parents tell their kids that they’re taking a Disney trip. The excitement of the little kids always makes me happy and reminds me how magical a Disney trip really is.

Picture courtesy of my brother, Alex.

5. Watch Disney Movies

If you were born in the 90’s like me or even before that, then you might understand the struggle of repurchasing all the Disney movies you had on VHS as a DVD or Bluray or digital copy, but that’s a different problem. If you’re a huge Disney fan, chances are you’ve at least got a few movies at your disposal. Whether they’re physical copies, digital copies, airing on TV, or available on a streaming service, queue them up and start watching your favorites. Throw yourself a Disney movie marathon. Curling up with some popcorn while you watch a Disney movie can chase away your Disney blues for a bit.

6. Shop! (Or Maybe Just Window Shop)

If you somehow have money left over after your Disney trip, kudos to you! You have better self control than I do. I love Disney merchandise and always have to get myself some sort of souvenir (or a few) on each trip. New ears, a spirit jersey (or two), a new magic band. These are the things that I fell for while in Disneyland and Walt Disney World this year. We won’t even mention all the things I bought from Disney small shops that I discovered through the Disney Instagram community. So if you’ve got some extra cash or you’ve been saving some money to treat yourself, buying some Disney merch will definitely lift your spirits! Whether you shop straight from Disney or from one of the endless small shops that have amazing Disney merchandise, you’re sure to find something you love!

Hi! I’m Erin and I’ve been a Disney addict pretty much since I was a baby. 24 years later and I’m  nannying in Florida and going into my second year as an WDW annual passholder! You can find me on Instagram @disneyrebelprincess.