While it is still an exciting time to visit Disney World, we understand that not everyone can or wants to go to the Disney parks right now. So, we wanted to share some ideas with you on how you can have a Disney Style Not So Scary Halloween at home. As always, we are here to help you get your DISNEY FIX, even if the fun is at home this year!

Disney Style Not So Scary Halloween At Home

As you may have heard, this year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World has been cancelled. Halloween fun will continue down Main Street U.S.A., but it will just be in a different way this year. Of course there are decorations throughout, as well as the yummy sweet treats we all love to eat. Mickey & Minnie and all their friends will pop up from time to time in parade cavalcades all dressed up in their not so scary Halloween costumes. All while dancing and celebrating to our favorite Disney Halloween themed music. So, if you are missing the Spooky magic this season, we are here to help you create it at home.

Make Your OWN Decorations

This will be fun for the whole family! Use your imagination to create your own or check out some super easy crafts from Disney Family. Our family likes Mickey’s Halloween Bat Mobile, Haunted Mansion Hitchhiking Ghost, or Disney Villains Halloween Banner. After you have designed your decorations, hang them throughout the house. You can even string up orange and purple lights to give it an even spookier feel. Of course you can always add in Disney merchandise decorations you may have from the parks or find some on Shop Disney.

Play Disney Themed Halloween Music

Give your home a not so scary party feel by playing the music that we hear while visiting Disney World during the Halloween season. You can purchase a Disney Halloween Party CD or look up Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parade sound track over on You Tube. Disney Halloween music will get everyone in the house in a holiday mood. 

Make Some Disney Inspired Sweet Treats

Alright we have the decorations up and the Halloween music on, so it is time to get on our festive aprons so we can make up some delicious sweet treats. There is no such thing as too many sweets so let us head back over to Disney Family to try a few. Our family is looking forward to making Mickey Mouse Halloween Cupcakes, Evil Queen’s Villainous Apples & Sparky Cake Pops There are many recipes to choose from.  I plan on sharing our creations over at Disney Express Lane once we make them. So head on over and join us! Feel free to share your Halloween treats and ideas with us too!

Make A Disney & Halloween Themed Movie Night

Now that we have set the Not So Scary Halloween mood in the house and we have our favorite sweet treats made, it is time to grab a blanket and cozy up on the couch for a Disney Halloween Movie Night. Some of our favorites to watch this time of year is The Haunted Mansion, Hocus Pocus & The Nightmare Before Christmas. There are many, many more Halloween themed Disney movies as well. Just search for titles on the internet or on Disney Plus. Another idea is to watch videos of past Disney Halloween Fireworks from inside the parks on You Tube.

Make Your Own Trick or Treat Stations

A fun part of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is trick or treating around the Magic Kingdom. Bring this fun activity into your home by setting up trick or treat stations throughout your house. You can choose just a few rooms or utilize them all. Either way, the kiddos will enjoy dressing up and going around the house to collect candy or other treats. You can get creative with these stations. Not all of them have to be candy. Maybe add some cute stickers or fun little holiday toys from the Dollar Tree.

A Little Different, but STILL FUN!

The holidays are different this year because we all need to stay socially distanced. That does not mean that we cannot still have fun while making new memories. We hope these ideas help you to create a fun Disney inspired Halloween! Don’t forget to come share your creations and ideas with us over at Disney Express Lane. We can’t wait to see how you are celebrating! We hope you get to enjoy some Disney Style Not So Scary fun at home or in the parks this year! If you are heading to the parks, be sure to find out about these 5 things you will NEED to bring with you!

We also have some amazing friends over at Walt Express Travel that would love to help you plan some magic.

The post How To Have A Disney Style Not So Scary Halloween At Home appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Our family loves to go to Disney World anytime, but we really love to go during the Christmas season. In my opinion, no one does Christmas like Disney World. While we enjoy all four parks during this time of year, there is something our family looks forward to every year and that is resort hopping! Take a peek and find out why you should Resort Hop At Disney World!

Resort Hop At Disney World

Every resort has it’s own unique theme and you can find Christmas trees, elaborate decorations and even Gingerbread displays which are amazing to see. Plus, they smell soooo good. You can also find many sweet treats that only come around at Christmas time. Since the weather is a slight bit cooler this time of year, enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate, coffee or even eggnog in front of a fireplace or outdoor fire pit just makes it feel even more like Christmas.   

Resort hopping is completely free to do and is a nice break away from the parks. It allows you to see more of what Disney World has that you may not have known about. Of course, each location has plenty of dining and shopping options but one of our favorite things is relaxing in one of the chairs, couches or rocking chairs either in the lobby or throughout the resort. We love to find a cozy spot and just take in the atmosphere.

If you love to find fun and unique Christmas gifts, the resort shops are the way to go. They are typically less crowded and since Christmas begins at Disney World in November, it gives you plenty of time to pick out those special Christmas presents. 

To get the most out of our resort hopping experience, we pick out four resorts to visit for the day. This way, we can take time at each location to really enjoy all the Christmas fun that each one has to offer. Let me share with you our trip from last year and how we used the Disney Transportation System to get to each one. Plus, some of the highlights we enjoyed during our time at each of the four resorts we chose.

Coronado Springs

We parked our car at Disney Springs where we then caught a Disney Transportation Bus to head over to this resort. The tree here was beautifully located in the lobby near the check in/out desk.  They had small gingerbread displays that the cast members made. It looked to be a fun competition as each one was labeled by department.

Fort Wilderness Lodge

We took a bus from Coronado Springs to the Magic Kingdom and then took the boat over to this resort. To us, this resort feels the most like Christmas with the roaring fireplace, a beautiful tree that stands right in the center of the lobby and reindeer decorations displayed above the entrance. We spent the most time at this resort. Just enjoying rocking in a rocking chair and sipping a warm delicious hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. Christmas music in the background and the sound of people laughing and having a good time on vacation made for a very enjoyable and relaxing experience.

Fort Wilderness Campground

Just a boat ride away from the lodge we headed over to the campgrounds and it is just as beautiful. The Christmas tree here is outdoors and with the weather being cooler this time of year again makes this resort feel like Christmas. We packed our own lunch and enjoyed an outdoor picnic here. After lunch we walked over to Tri-Circle-D Ranch  to visit Cinderella’s Ponies and the majestic horses of Main Street, U.S.A. This ranch is amazing!

We took the opportunity to explore the ranch as this was the first time we had visited this part of Disney World. The horses are beautiful, and it was amazing to see the cast members interacting with them. We happened to be there at the time that some of them were getting fed and others were getting their baths. For us it was amazing to see all the behind the scenes being done. The horses we all love to see on Main Street pulling the trolley and Cinderella’s carriage during the parades have their own home here and for the longest time our family never knew about this amazing location. Here on this ranch they also offer wagon rides, horse drawn carriage rides and horseback riding which come with a cost. However, exploring the ranch is free. If you love horses, this is a must do.

FUN FACT: The horses are treated as cast members and have their own cast member badges. SO awesome!

Contemporary Resort

After a boat ride from Fort Wilderness Campground, we headed over to spend time at the Contemporary Resort. While they have Christmas trees throughout this resort, they did not have a huge tree like the other resorts. I think this is because they are known more for the amazing gingerbread displays. Last year the theme was Cinderella. They have been known to change the theme which is exciting because each year that we go we may get to experience something new. Real ingredients are used to bring the gingerbread displays to life. The list of how much of each ingredient is used is displayed nearby. Let’s just say it is way more than we would use baking our own cookies at home. We enjoyed some gingerbread cookies while we were there mine of course were gluten free, but the rest of the family enjoyed the regular ones. We ate them out on the patio and enjoyed the view of the Magic Kingdom.

Doing The Resort Hop At Disney World

We really enjoy using the Disney Transportation System to resort hop but you can drive your own vehicle as well if you prefer. Day guest can enjoy complimentary standard self-parking while visiting the resorts.

We are so excited for this year we cannot wait to visit four different resorts. If you are a Florida resident like me, you can enjoy resort hopping even if you are not planning on going to the parks. If you are not from Florida but your magical vacation is in November/December, think about taking a day in your vacation to resort hop. We chose four to explore but you can choose what works best for you. 

Resort Hop At Disney World Extra Tips

• Make sure you take your camera and autograph books. You are likely to run into some of your favorite characters all decked out in their Christmas best while visiting the resorts. This is a great meet and greet opportunity with much shorter lines than in the parks. A photo with your best pal in front of a beautiful Christmas tree would not only be a great memory but could be used to make an amazing Christmas cards to send to your loved ones.
• If you choose to use the Disney Transportation System to resort hop, make sure to allow that travel time in your day. This is especially important if you make any dining reservations at the resorts you choose to visit. Transportation usually runs every 20 minutes however sometimes it can be longer due to guest demand.  
• Money saving tip: Don’t want to spend a lot while enjoying a free resort hopping day? Pack a lunch to take with you. There are plenty of places at every resort that you can find to sit down and enjoy lunch. Also, bring a refillable water bottle you can refill at the water fountains or you can walk up to a quick service restaurant and ask for a cup of ice water and pour it in your bottle. Just like in the parks, a cup of ice water is free.

 We think you will LOVE resort hopping if you give it a try! If you are heading to the magic during this holiday season, be sure to check out MICKEY’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY!

We would love to have you visit us in our Facebook Group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE!

The post Why You Should Resort Hop At Disney World During The Holidays appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

13 Ways to Have a Disney Themed Christmas

Sweet Treats

If baking is your thing, then these recipes will be sure to knock your socks off! From cookies to cupcakes and pretzel bites galore, your Holiday party will be kicking it! Take a peek! You will WON’T be disappointed!

Disney Christmas Cookies How-To

http://www.twosisterscrafting.com/mickey-mouse-santa-hat-cupcakes/

Christmas Mickey Mouse Pretzel Bites

Christmas Ornaments

Ah the ornaments are the highlight of the festivities. These crafts are for sure to make memories and bring the family together!

Disney Princess-Inspired Christmas Ornaments

Disney Glitter Christmas Ornaments

Disney Souvenir Ornaments

I love these! They are originally patches, but could be made into ornaments very easily! Just add an ornament wire hanger and voila! Instant Disney Christmas ornament!

DIY Disney Patches

http://www.mouseandmonorail.com/parkmapornament/

Christmas Disney Crafts

Everyone needs more Christmas crafts in their life! It’s a time when the family comes together and brings their best imagination to the table. We love these printable coloring pages and Disney snowflakes.

Disney Snowflakes

http://www.honeyandlime.co/2012/12/free-disney-christmas-printable-coloring-pages-for-kids.html

Disney Inspired Decorations

Everyone needs to deck their digs out in Christmas. What better way than to add in those Disney touches? If you are a super-fan, go all-out Disney.

https://family.disney.com/craft/mickey-minnie-diy-holiday-wreath/

https://family.disney.com/craft/mickey-minnie-sweet-jar-centerpieces/

Extras

Mickey Mouse Bokeh for Night Photography

How do you decorate for Christmas? What ways do you incorporate a Disney theme into your holiday decor? Join the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics.

photo credit: Knowsphotos Disney, Christmas Tree at Hollywood Studios (HDR) via photopin (license)

photo credit: Justin in SD Christmas on Main Street via photopin (license)

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