How to Cure PDD (Post-Disney Depression)

"Post-Disney Depression.” For many Disney World fans it’s that feeling of disappointment or sadness experienced after a trip to the most magical place on Earth. It’s the sudden reality that your Disney trip is over. All of the planning and excitement before and during your trip has come to a screeching halt. Many of us have experienced it, but how do we get over it?

I've heard many suggestions and theories on how to get over "Post-Disney Depression." Some suggest scrap booking your past trip, watching family trip movies, writing a trip report, etc. For my family, the only known cure is to plan another trip. The trip can be years down the road- but just knowing it's there makes all the difference in the “world”.

There is a rush of activity when you plan a trip to Disney World. When to go? Where to stay? What kind of tickets to buy? Dining Plan? No Dining Plan? Once these decisions are complete, up pop more. Which airline to fly? Early or late flight? Rental car or Disney transportation?

When the next trip is unknown or far down the horizon... there are many things you can do to keep the magic alive in your heart and home!

Disney Movie Night. Get your family ready for the characters they'll meet with some Disney films. Chip and Dale are everywhere in the parks, but kids who don't watch Rescue Rangers may not be familiar with these popular park favorites. Pick up some collections that include Mickey, Goofy, Pluto and the rest and your kids will be revved up when they finally have the chance to encounter the gang. Some suggestions that will add to your trip include: Swiss Family Robinson, all Mixable Animation films, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Snow White, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tower of Terror and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Disney Treats. Fill lunch boxes with rice krispie treats in the shape of Mickey Mouse. Buy Mickey shaped cheese and Disney fruit snacks. Plan meals in the theme of your resort. If you're staying at the Polynesian, try a dinner featuring South Seas accents. Is the Animal Kingdom Lodge your destination? Do an internet search for African Recipes and give them a spin! Search for Disney World recipes and pick some from restaurants you plan to visit.

Disney Shopping. If you have a local Disney Store, spend some time there picking up small items as they go on clearance. Collecting Disney clothing for the trip and small gifts and toys to keep your kids excited now and entertained on the airplane or in the car can really get you in the mood. No Disney Store nearby? Try hitting disneyshopping.com to find some real treasures.

The family motto on our last trip was “leave them wanting more”. We were relaxed and confident that we didn't need to see and experience everything on that particular trip. With the knowledge that we would be returning... we enjoyed the trip that much more and in a less exhausting way!

When we get to Disney- we don’t want to leave. Ever. But getting there really is half the fun! The anticipation and planning is part of the enjoyment we get out of each trip.

I helped plan a trip for a friend last year and before she landed on Disney’s magical soil, she figured one trip to Disney would be good for a lifetime. She could check it off the parenting list as a “been there, done that.”
But at Walt Disney World she learned that there are a lifetime of vacations waiting for you. There is so much to do and enjoy, you could go for a dozen trips and still not have done it all!

We met visitor after visitor who return every year to Disney World. I met a mother with an autistic son who brings him a few times every year. “He comes alive at Disney World. He loves it here. It is our thing that we do together.” she told me.
I asked another father what made them come back every year. “It is the best place for family vacations,” he explained, “Everything is accessible, convenient and self contained. It is safe, clean and family friendly. It just makes vacationing so easy.”

Returning from a trip to Disney is like the day after Christmas. The idea that there is only 364 days to go! Certainly keeps the optimist alive in anyone.