When traveling to Disney around holidays like Halloween, I end up in two modes: excitement with all the decorations and theming of the parks, and disappointment, missing all of my ornaments from home back in my resort room. I get pretty elaborate with the decor around holidays in my house, with everything from themed wreathes to unique linens on display. There is usually some sort of lighting display both inside my house and outside, and I get slightly overexcited when it comes to decorating in general. When I travel over Halloween, I miss coming home to those decorations that make the occasion feel even more special.
Did you know that with some creative thinking and planning, you can feel like some of that spooky magic from home is in the air in your Disney resort room? Here are five things I like to bring with me that are light, easy to carry, and can make a significant impact on the ambiance of your resort room.
Battery Powered Fairy Lights
You can find long strings of fairy lights just about anywhere these days, most with the option to add two AA batteries as your power source. I like getting a few longer strings of these and bringing them to lay over flat surfaces, bed heads, countertops, or the entertainment unit. If you select the wired ones, you can bend them into any shape you like, and the more erratic that pattern, the more effective they will appear when turned on at night. I’ve even been known to wrap these around lampshades and use them instead of turning on the lamp.
Photo by Marcus Wallis on Unsplash
Halloween Tinsel
There are so many designs of Halloween tinsel for sale, usually featuring flying ghosts or bats, that can give your room an entertaining look. Wrap it around anything you like, lay it on the windowsill, or wrap it around itself in a circular shape to make your own wreath. There are so many uses for this stuff, and it can be discarded when you are finished, leaving lots of room for those Disney souvenirs you collect on your vacation.
Wear Your Matching Family PJs
You will be bringing pajamas for your family anyway, so why not get your spooky ones? Wearing your Halloween sleepwear is a great way to add some extra theming to your resort room without packing anything additional. My kids and I have matching Disney PJs for Halloween, and I love taking them with us when we travel at this time of year. You can likely get some adorable photos together in them as well.
Blu Tack Some Paper Pumpkins & Bats
Thin paper or light cardboard decorations like pumpkins and bats are easy to buy and super lightweight to bring with you. Utilize a little bit of Blu Tack (I’ve added a link in case you aren’t familiar with this cheap, no-damage, reusable sticking product), and add these spooky shapes to doors, window frames, or any hard surfaces on furniture. Blu Tack easily comes straight off, cleanly, and quickly, unlike command strips that can hold more weight.
Set The Scene With Background Music
Put on some Halloween background music if you have time to kill in your room while everyone is getting ready for dinner. If you can bring up YouTube on your television or cast from your photo to the TV, here are a few suggestions I like to use. There are so many ambiance tracks to choose from that it is hard to know where to start. You might want something a little bit edgy or more relaxing for a cozy Fall feel. Of course, you can always pick something a bit more Disney-inspired from Magic Kingdom or Disneyland.
I hope that gives you a few ideas for dressing up your hotel or resort room around Halloween to enjoy the spooky season. If you have any great ideas to share with our DIS community, add them to the list in the comments below to spread the seasonal cheer.