One big lesson that I have learned this year is that it is so important to focus on what you love and to create your own happiness. Today I am going to tell you a story of one way that I have done just that over quarantine!
I am a huge fan of everything Disney! I spend a lot of my free time watching Disney movies (Tangled and WALL-E are my favorites)! In almost every outfit I ever wear, there is a Mickey Mouse somewhere. Even my college essay (the one that got me into MIT!) had a Cinderella spin to it! I really really really love Disney. My biggest passion with Disney, though, is the theme parks! It is actually my biggest dream that after I graduate from MIT, I will become a Disney Imagineer and design the future of the Disney theme parks! I was supposed to go visit Walt Disney World in Florida this year with my family, but unfortunately, due to the pandemic, that did not happen. Of course, I was crushed. But then, over quarantine, I decided to create my own happiness and make my own magic!!
If I couldn’t visit the Disney parks in person, what was the next best thing? To create my own little Disney World all from the comfort of my own home! So...I loaded up my trusty Webkinz account from when I was a kid and got to work. I ended up creating seven of my favorite Magic Kingdom attractions within Webkinz: The Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Swiss Family Treehouse, and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin!
The Haunted Mansion
One of my favorite parts of the Haunted Mansion is the graveyard scene, so I emphasized that within this room! I also tried to tie in other smaller details from the rest of the attraction with the creepy clock and the bride with her late husband! The Webkinz also take in the scene from the top of a black bat!
It’s a small world
It’s a small world is known for its dolls! So I tried to recreate that in this room with lots of cute Webkinz plushes, including my favorite: Arte from the Curio Shop! The attraction also has a big emphasis on acceptance and unity, so I included a rainbow theme for the room. Finally, of course I could not forget the iconic small world clocks!
Jungle Cruise
For the Jungle Cruise, I tried to focus a lot on the jungle theme with the jungle wallpaper, venus fly traps, the river, and the giant waterfall! Then, I also included some other details from the ride like the boat, the campsite, and the Jeep!
Pirates of the Caribbean
This was one of the most fun rooms to build! I included a lot of fun pirate items! I even included Captain Jack Sparrow with his treasure like at the end of the ride! Another cool detail about this room was that the pirate ship that the two tourist Webkinz are on even drives around the room like a real ride vehicle!
Space Mountain
Space Mountain is one of the most iconic Disney attractions! For this room, I focused on space-themed walls and flooring with a main focus on the mountain (that the Webkinz can actually ride on)! Of course, I also have a spacesuit that the Webkinz can wear when they go on the ride!
Swiss Family Treehouse
An underrated Disney attraction, Swiss Family Treehouse is one of my favorites! For this room, I included a treehouse that the Webkinz can actually climb up and explore!
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
I always love riding the Magic Carpets of Aladdin when I visit Disney World! It really feels like you are flying through the skies of Agrabah! For this room, I tried to focus on that feeling of flying through the sky with the cloud wallpaper! Then for the ride itself, I had four magic carpets that the Webkinz can sit on with their partners all around a central fountain!
Thank you for joining me on this tour of my homemade Webkinz Walt Disney World!