disneyfying on the cheap!

[pocomom]

We’re taking a trip to WDW in January with my parents and our three children. This is a bonus trip, not originally in our plan so the budget is tight! We’re taking our RV and staying at Fort Wilderness. My folks have their own spot and RV. But I’ll be making dinners, breakfast and some lunches every day for the group. I decided to spend about $50-$100 of my budget to help make the stay and dining in the RV feel special and I thought I would share some ideas and see what you do to Disney-ize your RV, or on or off-site hotel or house rental.
My purchases so far include a paper punch, some mickey cookie cutters, mickey sprinkles, some fabric, and some mickey party items, and I’m using other items (stamps, stickers, paper, toothpicks. skewers etc.) I already had.
Here’s what I ‘ve made/am making
Tablecloth for the picnic bench – white with stamped mickey heads.
Pluto pillow for couch paired with the regular red fleece blanket (no sew made from fleece from family fun pattern)
Mickey plastic party cup I’m using for a pencil, crayon etc. holder.
Dish towels- like table cloth
Filled treat buckets for kids – personalized the buckets , inside various Disney theme treats including goodie bags made with what will soon to be leftover Halloween candy , personalized water bottles and purse style water bottle holders for the two big girls.
Mickey napkin rings (made from sculptey , Mickey made with candy mold)
Mickey Food picks (paper punch outlines glue one on both sides of toothpicks)
Mickey Skewers for fruit
Donald duck feet trivet
Hidden Mickeys I’ll be hiding all over the RV for them to find.
Mickey shaped soap in the bathroom
I’ll be collecting their old WDW stuffed animals, blankets etc. and making their beds with the Cinderella’s castle blankets we got on the last trip.
I have cutters to make Mickey shaped sandwiches, and various homemade Mickey treats including chocolate covered pretzels with Mickey sprinkles. Of course we’ll have Mickey pancakes!
Sounds like a lot right now, but from the living/dining/kitchen room of the RV you’ll only see the black and white dishtowels, pluto pillow and blanket, and the cup with crayons on the table so it should be pretty subtle except at dinner Any other ideas ? What do you do to disneyfy on the cheap?

 

[Leajess99]

You may also have good luck finding some ideas on the camping board. I really like the ideas you have so far.

 

[pocomom]

Thanks!
I forgot I'm also doing the coasters made from park maps, and we made coffee stirrers too!

 

[karliebug]

Thanks!
I forgot I'm also doing the coasters made from park maps, and we made coffee stirrers too!

My dollar tree store has those magic towels in Disney characters, you put them in water and they unfold to become a washcloth.

 

[gillenkl]

Great ideas and very frugal!

 

[Zhoen]

Sounds like you're already most of the way there, way to go! I'd suggest also considering window clings here and there (don't forget the mirrors...) Oh, and speaking of mirrors, you can put an invisible hidden mickey on the bathroom mirror by rubbing a rag with bar soap and making the three circles, keep rubbing until it's blended in... it will only be visible right after someone takes a steamy shower, when the rest of the mirror will fog except for those spots...

You mentioned having a mickey cookie cutter and that you're making your meals... when we went last May, I pre-cooked and froze as much as possible, especially breakfast... You don't need anything special to make "Mickey Pancakes", but your cookie cutter can help you make mickey french toast (easier if you do the whole slice, then cool, then punch, then freeze)-- pancakes and french toast only need about 20 seconds for the first slice, 10 additional for each extra, in the microwave to warm up. You can use your mickey cutter as a mould for sausage patties, too. Where I live (Del-Mar-Va), we have a sort of sausage called "scrapple" that comes in a block... I even made that into mickeys.

You mentioned having a Mickey candy mould. If you're careful only to soften to room temperature, you can mould butter into Mickey shapes and freeze until you need them. I was never upscale enough to see the "real" Mickey butters, but I've heard folks on the board mention them longingly... YOUR RV is so special that YOU will have an amenity that even the Deluxe resorts no longer have!

It wasn't until I was planning our last trip that I realized just how much Disney stuff is EVERYWHERE! You can get Disney band-aids for your first-aid kit and disney fruit snacks for the treat buckets, that sort of stuff... I admit I'm happy that I no longer obsessively pick up that stuff everywhere I see it now that our trip is over.

 

[figmentswife]

Oh I just have to make sure you know to go to target right after Halloween and get the Mickey cheese balls( they are individual packs) tinker bell and other Mickey fruit snacks and I have also seen Mickey shaped fruit/ cheese trays.

And going after Halloween you will get them at a discount as they are Halloween items.... Unless you don't want Halloween stuff on your trip.

And as a pp said you can make some stuff before hand and do the Mickey cut outs.... Sandwiches, cookies, pancakes, pineapple snacks, brownies,

Oh and I just remembered that there is yoplait yogurt with Mickey on it.

So many good ideas ..... Take me with you!!!!!

 

[SC Minnie]

Thanks!
I forgot I'm also doing the coasters made from park maps, and we made coffee stirrers too!

How do you make coasters from the park maps?

 

[CluelessDisFan]

pillsbury mickey and minnie cookies are a yummy treat.

 

[pocomom]

How do you make coasters from the park maps?

I saw actual plans, somewhere... maybe family fun magazine online? But I am just cutting and gluing the maps to some cheapo cork coasters I bought at ikea forever ago, and using modge podge over the tops and sides. I think if you were using them more than one trip you would probably need a spray on gloss to help with waterproofing.

 

[pocomom]

Oh I just have to make sure you know to go to target right after Halloween and get the Mickey cheese balls( they are individual packs) tinker bell and other Mickey fruit snacks and I have also seen Mickey shaped fruit/ cheese trays.

And going after Halloween you will get them at a discount as they are Halloween items.... Unless you don't want Halloween stuff on your trip.

And as a pp said you can make some stuff before hand and do the Mickey cut outs.... Sandwiches, cookies, pancakes, pineapple snacks, brownies,

Oh and I just remembered that there is yoplait yogurt with Mickey on it.

So many good ideas ..... Take me with you!!!!!

Thanks Great Ideas, Love post holiday clearance! I'll definitely hit up Target!

 

[pocomom]

Zhoen, and everyone such great ideas! LOVE LOVE LOVE the Mickey butter idea! The kids are used to mickey pancakes so I doubt that will be too special to them but Mickey butter will be a surprise!

 

[SC Minnie]

I saw actual plans, somewhere... maybe family fun magazine online? But I am just cutting and gluing the maps to some cheapo cork coasters I bought at ikea forever ago, and using modge podge over the tops and sides. I think if you were using them more than one trip you would probably need a spray on gloss to help with waterproofing.

Thanks! I have some friends that are Disney fanatics as well and this will be a good idea for part of their Christmas gift.

 

[Charitycase20]

Where I live (Del-Mar-Va), we have a sort of sausage called "scrapple" that comes in a block... I even made that into mickeys.

Hi Zhoen!! I'm from Delmarva too! Salisbury to be exact!

Pocomom - great ideas! We stayed at FW this past January and didn't have any problem "feeling the magic" by staying in an RV. Make sure you schedule some downtime for the Campfire Movie with Chip and Dale. So much fun! And just "looping" is the best part about staying at FW. Of course, we had a great time watching Wishes everynite from Clementines Beach.

 

[Jedana]

Not necessairly on the cheap, but Amazon has the Mickey Fruit Crisps. They travel really well (and made by Brothers--which are the ones that we buy).

http://www.amazon.com/Brothers-ALL-...1013146&sr=1-1&keywords=dried+fruits++disney]

Or

http://www.amazon.com/Brothers-All-...1013146&sr=1-5&keywords=dried+fruits++disney]

They have Apple, cinnamon apple, pear, peach, strawberry/banana and Pineapple in Disney packages.

 

[auger]

You said you did not have a lot for the living areas of the RV.
A few years ago, when we stayed on property and wanted to decorate our room, I made window dec's by taking the Home DEpot mickey head paint swatches and attaching them to curling ribbon.

I made the strands long enough to hang the full length of the windows in our room. You could do the same for the windows in the RV.

I placed 2 heads back to back with the ribbon between, and spaced them about 12" apart down the length of each ribbon. They were very colorful, as I alternated a bunch of different colors of heads and ribbon.

Then I hung the strands about 6" apart on the window.

Another idea would be the Disney window clings. You could stick those to any number of things around the RV to liven it up.

Sounds like you have a fun budget trip planned!! Hope you have a great time!

 

[gillenkl]

If you search on the Creative Disigns board there is a printable Chip/Dale banner you could hang up along with Chip/Dale bag toppers for smores kits, etc....

 

[pocomom]

More great ideas! thanks guys!