Three, Two, One: Fun Ways to Countdown Your Trip to Disney
Heading to a Disney park in the foreseeable future? Want to add a little more magic to your wait? Consider creating a Disney countdown!
Whether you booked your plans a year and a half ago or you just snagged a deal two weeks ago, a Disney countdown can help you and your travel companions (yes even the reluctant ones!), get into the right mindset for an awesome trip. It’s not a requirement, of course. But if you want to add a little something to your trip and you have an extra hour of time, you can easily create any of the Disney countdown ideas in this post.
That means you’ll still have plenty of time to pack and relax before heading to the magic.
Sound good? Here are a five fun (and completely doable!) ideas for a Disney countdown:
(1) Calendars
So maybe the most obvious choice is the old, paper calendar with the big black X’s covering each day. Effective, but um, not quite as fun as it could be. You could spice it up a bit with a Disney version, like this fun daily one at Amazon or this Disney World one from shopDisney.
Another option is to make one yourself. I used Mickey-shaped sticky-notes to mark the days in the photo. You could also find pre-cut Mickey shapes at Jo-Ann’s and other craft stores.
Or, you could cut out the shapes yourself and make the calendar whatever size you choose. (Template above.)
Once you’ve purchased or created your calendar, hang it somewhere you’ll see it often, like the fridge, a cubicle wall or a playroom bulletin board.
(2) Paper chain
Another easy way to countdown to Disney is with paper chains. Yes, like the ones you used to make in grade school! All you need is a few sheets of construction paper, scissors and a stapler. I chose Mickey and Goofy for the examples in the photo, but you could easily adapt the chains for your family’s favorite characters. For example, you could use pink, purple and yellow for Rapunzel or blue, black and white for Dory.
Making the paper chain is a great activity to share with your younger travel partners. It can also provide kids with a visual for understanding how many more days (or weeks) they have to wait for their trip. If you’re lucky maybe it will even reduce the number of times you have to answer “When are we going to Disney World?!?”
Each link of the chain can represent a day or a week, depending on how long you want to countdown before your trip. You could also add messages within the links you can read each time you remove one, if you wish. Consider draping the chain across a banister, the family room mantle, the dining table chandelier or on a Christmas tree if you’re counting down during the holidays.
(3) Countdown bowl
Another fun way to add to the excitement of your wait for Disney is a countdown bowl. There are so many fun variations of this theme. Basically you fill a bowl with Disney-inspired messages that you select each day (or week) of your wait. You don’t have to number them. Just count them out when you’re adding them to the bowl so you know you’ll have enough.
The “messages” could be activities such as watching a Disney movie or drawing your favorite Disney character. Or you could try writing Disney theme park attractions, such as Space Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean to add some excitement for experiencing these rides on your trip. Another idea is to create short questions that your family can answer and discuss together. Examples include: Mickey pretzel or Mickey waffle? Splash Mountain or Thunder Mountain? Epcot or Animal Kingdom? You get the idea.
You also have options for what types of items to use within the bowl. I wrote my messages on colorful pieces of paper. If you want to try something different, consider writing the messages on ping pong balls or wooden blocks. Another idea is to use travel size bags of Disney treats, like Frozen fruit snacks or Star Wars graham crackers, and attach the messages with a stapler.
See what I mean? There are so many different fun variations on this theme, and they really don’t take much time to complete.
I love the countdown bowl idea because it helps your travel party start talking about the details of your trip as a group, which adds to the excitement for everyone.
(4) Picture frames
A fourth idea for an easy Disney countdown is a picture frame. Just print the numbers you need for your countdown timeframe and place them within a desktop frame that everyone can see. You could also consider writing the numbers yourself or using a Disney image in the background. Obviously you can use a larger frame if you have double-digits (or triple?!?) left in your wait. If it’s too cumbersome to change out the date each day, consider counting down in 5 or 10 day increments.
Here’s the link to the Disney Blog images I used in the frames above. These images are also great for notes you can tuck into lunch boxes or back packs to surprise family members on the go.
(5) Countdown cards
My final idea for a Disney countdown involves cards. This one is super flexible because you can cover as many or as few days in your countdown as you want. You can also use items, like Disney stuffed animals or books, that you already have on hand to decorate.
A few years ago I used this option for my family’s October trip to Disney. I didn’t plan it. (The countdown tactics, not the trip itself!!) Whenever I had a little extra time before my kids got home from school, I’d make a sign and decorate the area where they ate their after school snack. It wasn’t fancy, but my kids enjoyed the randomness, I mean surprise, of the cards. It also led to some fun discussions about our upcoming trip.
I also used the countdown as an opportunity to give them small Disney gifts or items we’d use on our trip. T-shirts, autograph books, Mickey Ears and Magic Bands, seem more fun when they are revealed over time.
So, what do you think? Ready to make a countdown of your own? Hopefully these five ideas inspired you with easy ways to add a little more fun to the weeks leading up to your Disney vacation.
Hope you have an awesome trip! Add a little (countdown) magic to your world!