If there is one thing I want Disney fans to walk away knowing after visiting Hello Whimzy is that magic doesn't have to stop when you leave the Disney gates.
There is such a special energy when you visit the park that, for lack of a better word, is pure MAGIC. For a lot of us, it's like the ultimate runner's high. Its utterly addicting!
But many of us fans don't live anywhere NEAR the parks so getting there can be.... hard. Sure- some fans have annual passes, some only make it to the park once in their a lifetime- some don't get to go at all.
But my goal is to teach you how to bottle up that magic, put it in your pocket and sprinkle it like pixie dust where ever you go.
There's so many ways to do that, but today, we are talking about Disney on Ice.
Why Disney on Ice?
Disney on Ice is "a series of touring ice shows produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company." Which means... They do NOT cut corners when it comes to making magic.
While it's target audience is children, it's fun for the ENTIRE family.
I would equate the quality of the show to be on parr with Broadway level performances but WAY more child-friendly. The lights, sets, costumes, talent, pyrotechnics (!!!) was an absolute treat for ALL of your senses.
And because it's a traveling show- it means it comes to YOU! If that's not a great way to experience the Disney Magic from home, I don't know what is.
How to make Disney on Ice MORE magical
Now that I've plead my case for attending Disney on Ice... Let's talk about MY favorite way to make it even more magical.
If you're a regular here, it will come as no surprise that it's DISNEYBOUNDING.
Remember years ago when a mom wore a Buzz Lightyear costume and was asked to leave? While costumes are allowed for those 14 years and under, Disneybounding is a way to make sure you are safe from the long walk back to the car to ditch the costume.
Disneybounding is when you wear normal clothes but style them in a way to give off Disney characters "vibes."
Dressing up always seems to make things more fun and magical. It's more immersive, it shows off parts of character personalities you identify with, or with qualities you want to develop more.
"Clothing impacts how people think and behave. Putting on a ‘work’ outfit might help with motivation and concentration, and wearing something special might help to break the monotony of lockdown, and lift people’s mood."
-Rose Turner, fashion psychologist at the London College of Fashion.
We opted to do Disneybounding for us AND our kids purely because of the fact that those costumes can be soooo uncomfortable. My kids will 100% of the time complain about it half way through the show. I know... because I'm a smart mom. 😜 (most the time.)
Prepare with Me!
This time I decided to raid the kids closets to see what we had on hand and NOT buy anything. I'm a frugal person, but I may have a problem when it comes to doing whole new character Disneybounds whenever possible. So in a way- this was a fun challenge for me.
I have four kids all with very different personalities and preferences. My oldest will NOT wear dresses or skirts. She doesnt like to be girly at. all.
My second is very much a girly girl and wants all the dresses, sparkles and accessories.
My son just wants to look cool and my three year old can pretty much be convinced of anything (for now.) 😆
I started with my daughter and gave her three different options: Cinderella in rags, Tiana or Rey from Star Wars. All were using various overall type outfits and suited her personality very much. (WHY DIDNT I TAKE A PHOTO OF ALL THE OPTIONS!?) #momfail. But she LOVED the Rey option.
First, we took a simple white shirt, a white scarf, a tan belt, tan pants and brown boots. We criss-crossed the scarf and did her hair up in the iconic Rey buns and we was gold. I could literally see her confidence boost when she put it all on.
My next daughter would be the easiest so I basically let her decide what she wanted to be. She narrowed it down to two options, Lady from Lady and the Tramp or Mary Poppins. (PROUD mom moment when she literally came up with both outfits on her own. I just helped a LITTLE bit with a suggestion or two on accessories.) She chose Lady because she wore braids in her hair earlier that day and thought they'd make awesome, puffy pigtails to mirror Lady's ears.
We focused on the color palette of browns, tans and blue and she came back with this...
The fact that she did this all on her own just blows me away.
Of course, you cant take ALL the country out of her, she wore her cowgirl boots too. And I love how it helped her OWN this Lady inspired look.
We recently watched Indiana Jones for the first time as a family and so making my little guy Indy seemed like a no brainer. I bought this leather jacket second hand months ago because I KNEW he'd love it. We paired it with a simple brown button up, his school pants and his beloved cowboy hat that still worked amazingly for Indy.
He was a little disappointed I wouldn't let him bring a toy gun or whip but what's a five year old to do? 😂
Last was my little caboose and she just loves this outfit so much, we decided to do it again. (She recently wore it to Disneyland and honestly, I'm thrilled she loves Peter Pan as much as her mama.)
This outfit was a lot more subtle with greens and browns that remind me of the Neverland forest, but it's really the Second Star hair clip and DARLING acorn purse I had to get a couple months ago, that's the cherry on top. I mean- COME ON!!!!
I should like to give you a kiss. 😊
Dressing myself and my hubby are usually my last priority, as it should be. One, because I want the KIDS to feel magical. That makes it magical for me. Second- not to sound braggy, I have so much stuff, I could grab anything and make it work. Third- hubby is probably the PICKIEST when it comes to Disneybounding... but that's a whole other post for another day. 😆
Since we were getting short on time, I searched his closet first found a blue shirt and said, cool. I'll be Rapunzel to His Flynn Rider and OFF WE WENT.
Practicing his "smolder." Smile and tell him how cute he is. 😆
We all had SUCH a wonderful time and dare I say- some core memories were made.
ONE LAST TIP! They dont allow purses in AT ALL. So spare your hubby the long walk back to the car and just leave it in there. We saw so many disgruntled men walking back through the parking lot before the show started.
So if you need a bit o' magic in your life, I cannot suggest Disney on Ice enough. Go get a shot of serotonin and thank me later.
Disney on Ice Dream Big will run March 3-6 in SLC at the Vivint Arena
Tickets can be bought here.