This year has been a sneaky one. Slowly bumbling along, less eventful than last, minding its own business, and then BAM! It’s Mother’s Day. If you had forgotten or simply left your planning until the last minute, this one is for you!

Most of us swirling around The DIS universe are here for the same reason, Disney fandom, so it’s a safe bet you can use that to your advantage when stumped for something to do on Sunday. Here are three ideas that you can use to make it through the day as if you have had everything planned for months.

Turn Your Queen Into a Princess

Many of us Moms (Mums) have a favorite Disney story with a female lead; for some, it might be a princess tale; for others, it could be something more adventurous like Elizabeth Swan from Pirates of the Caribbean or Jessie from Toy Story. In any case, I will elaborate on this idea of transforming your Mother’s Day into an experience fit for royalty by using one of my favorite Princesses, Tiana, from The Princess and the Frog.

Queue the music (Fairy Tale / Going Home) as you greet her in the morning with a hot cup of coffee some blueberry pancakes. Or if you are feeling like upping the wow factor, whip up some of Tiana’s Famous Beignets! These aren’t as hard as they look, so don’t be scared. Try this recipe for Mickey Mouse Beignets from Disneyland’s New Orleans Square and Walt Disney World’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort.

While she is leisurely getting up, do a speed-clean around the house to make sure everything is tidy, then spend the day making her feel like royalty. Go for a stroll, give her time to read a book, watch that movie that she loves so much, you get the idea. If you have little kids, have them design and decorate a paper crown to present to Mom at dinner time before serving that perfectly themed dinner. In the case of Tiana, homemade gumbo or some delicious creole food if you prefer delivery. Be sure to create some ambiance with a table setting that includes recycled Christmas lights and music from the movie soundtrack.

Don’t forget to finish the evening with a dance. Ma Belle Evangeline is a great one to take her hand and enjoy a slow dance with the kids or an adoring partner that appreciates all her efforts. Whatever you do, do not let her do any of the cleaning up!

Create a Disney Family Fun Day

If Mom loves having fun and doesn’t want to make the plans, give her a day of excitement with games and silly family activities. Start with a family photo session where everyone wears their best Disney attire and get some fabulous shots that everyone is a part of.

Next up, it’s trivia time. As questions about her favorite Disney things and have everyone write down the answers, including Mom. Whoever gets the most correct answers wins! If you are short on time, take turns making them up as you go around. If you have a few hours up your sleeve the day before, make a list of questions that you can ask and find out who in the family knows her best.

Feeling hungry? Let’s make your favorite things from the Disney Parks! Brainstorm as a family and narrow down your options using any of the online recipes available; you can even have a crack at one of Deni’s Saturday Snacks. Head to the grocery store for the ingredients, supermarket sweep style. Get in and get out; no boring laundry powder or toilet paper allowed. Nothing practical! Then put on some park music and start cooking.

If you need a little inspiration, watch an episode or two of the Disney+ Family Cooking Show, Be Our Chef, a fun little game show where families compete for a major prize by creating Disney-themed dishes.

After you’ve had time to digest, who’s up for a rousing game of Headsup using the Disney deck? Keep score so you can congratulate the winners. This is a great game for kids to play while working on their communication skills and practicing articulate, descriptive language; not to mention, it’s a heap of fun!

Plan Your Return to the Magic

Many Disney Parks lovers will tell you that the planning is half the fun. If your Disney Mom loves putting together the next vacation, make it a family affair and get down to business.

First stop, the planDisney Video Library to help set the mood and get everyone excited. If you have a smart TV, cast them to the big screen and get everyone feeling the enchantment come to life in your living room. This will also help you decide on your destination. Will you be returning the Disneyland, preparing to book your sailing on the Disney Wish, or enjoying the magic and wonder of Walt Disney World?

Once you’ve made everyone suitably excited, it’s time to throw on the background sounds of the WDW Today Channel app available on both Google Play and the App Store and get planning! Even if you aren’t ready to lock in those dates or put down your deposit, planning the next adventure to look forward to can be all we need to get through the hard times.

When you are happy with your outline of where you want to go and when, contact Dreams Unlimited Travel and check in with your very own travel agent who can do all of the leg work for you, keeping a close eye on all your plans up until the very last minute. It costs you nothing to engage them but can save you lots of time and money as they give you all the best options going forward.

Set the scene with your favorite homemade Disney drink; for me, it would have to be a Mint Julep in the vein of Princess and the Frog above. Needing a “Disneyland” version (no alcohol) for the kids? Pete Werner has you covered here.

If you are having trouble coming up with your princess-themed ideas, let me know your character in the comments below and I will give you a hand.

Another option for music is the Mother’s Day Love Songs playlist put together by Disney themselves. You can find listening options here.

I want to give a quick shout-out to everyone out there celebrating the hard work and love of someone who takes care of them. It may not be a mother, perhaps an aunt, a sister, a father, or a friend. Whoever that person is, spoil them on Sunday with love, laughter, and fun.

I hope you all have a great weekend. I will see you bright and early on Monday for the Merch Meeting!

Feature Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash