A little Disney magic makes Christmas even better :)

Hi gang! Sorry I've been M.I.A. for the past couple months, but it's been that time of year and well, you know how it is. Even has hectic and crazy as the season can be, this year I couldn't resist taking the time to make it extra magical for my sisters-in-law. For their Christmas gifts, I knew I wanted to get them something for our trip, but everything I thought of just didn't seem quite special enough for that first time visit. Then it hit me: Why not put together a pack of Disney World essentials? A Disney Survival Kit sprinkled with love and advice from an older sister and WDW veteran :). Inspired by all the tiny, extra magical Disney touches, the gift became a piece of art. I think I had as much fun making it as they had opening it.
So if you're looking for some creative ways to get your kids even more excited for a Disney trip, or if you just want the magic to start right away, maybe this will give you some ideas. It was definitately a big hit with Kayla and Ashley. I think they are still wearing their Minnie Mouse boggins!


I decided to use a Neverland theme to tie all the parts of the gift together. I found a treasure chest at Hobby Lobby big enough to hold everything and painted the outside and inside of the lid. I also attached tags to each item inside, with a poem explaining why it was in the box.

When the girls opened the chest, the first item they pulled out was an envelope filled with customized maps of all four theme parks. You can order them from the Disney World website personalized with your favorite attractions lists. And best of all: they're FREE! Once you've ordered them, Disney will mail them to you in about 3 weeks.

Next, they found two Mickey ear pens (one of my favorite souvenirs) and an autograph book, as well as two disposable cameras.

 

Since we're going in Feburary, I wanted to get them something cute to keep warm with. I found adorable Minnie Mouse boggins at Wal-Mart and paired them with some plain black gloves.

The last surpise took me almost a month to complete. I had seen some "I'm going to the Walt Disney World Resort" T-shirts on the Disney Store website and loved them for a gift idea, but I really didn't like the ones from the store, so I made my own :). I bought two plain shirts at Hobby Lobby and a special paint medium to make my acrylic paints suitable for fabric. (You can also use ready-made fabrice paint, but I wanted more control over my colors and I have TONS of acrylics already.) For the front of the shirt, I painted an artsy version of Cinderella Castle on a background of paint-splatter fireworks, based on my own "Wishes" painting. On the back, I painted Mickey ears and "Disney Bound!"

The best part was seeing their faces when they first opened it. It's that look of magical anticipation, and I can't wait to see it again the first time they walk down Main St. at the Magic Kingdom. If it's possible, I think they are even more excited now! Seeing them excited makes me excited. I'm so glad I could bring a little Disney magic to their Christmas morning.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Miranda