With theme parks across the Orlando-area closed in response to the pandemic, many of us are missing the magic and entertainment so spectacularly offered to park goers. The FOMO is real and parks have noticed and are responding in unique and creative ways.

Following social media trends – which include things like food and recipe sharing, virtual happy hours and online conferencing, many of the parks are now inviting guests to unique, online experiences.

A few of the options include:

Orlando, Florida / United States - March 13, 2018: Standing Lanes Wrap Around Waiting Lines in the Busses Area at Disney World Amusement Park

Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts

Disney has been working to keep everyone engaged at home by regularly updating their app on with new games and videos , hosting virtual watch parties and giving us sneak previews of the parks. Their new streaming television platform, Disney+ , has been releasing movies like Onward, which was still in theaters when social distancing began, ahead of schedule.

Also:

To get an at-home, front row view of the spectacular nightly fireworks extravaganza: Happily Ever After Fireworks

Ride & Learn POVs for the park’s favorite attractions so you feel like you’re on the ride again, while you learn a little about it as well: Ride & Learn POVs

Missing the Dapper Dans’ tunes from Main Street? Dapper Dans

For aspiring chefs and creatives, Disney has graced us with tons of recipes for our favorite theme park foods. They have provided in-depth drawing lessons for creating your favorite Disney characters. Disney Parks Learn & Create

Missing the park parades? Disneyland started a new parade called Magic Happens before park closures were ordered. Magic Happens Parade

Virtual visits to Walt Disney Imagineering studios in California invite you into the offices of some of the most creative people on the planet! Disney offers a five-part tour of Imagineering for us to enjoy. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

And finally, the Walt Disney Company put together a star-studded live family singalong that aired on ABC recently, featuring some of our favorite songs from the Disney movies and parks! You can take a look at it here: Singalong Part I 

If you missed the first one live, get ready and put this on your calendar: Disney’s Mother’s Day singalong, The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II, will air on Sunday, May 10 from 7 to 8 p.m.  on ABC.

Disney has been making announcements for most of their digital events and offerings day of, so make sure you are following Disney on Instagramand Twitterso you don’t miss anything!

Universal Orlando Resort #universalathome

Universal also has been working to bring theme park enchantment onto our screens and into our homes.

Most everybody knows that the attraction rides at Universal are supremely engineered, over the top experiences. To allow guests that rush again, they are releasing ride POVs on Twitter and it’s a great escape, if only for a couple minutes! POVs can be found on their Twitter pagehere

Foodies unite! Universal has also been releasing recipes to some of our favorite snacks including the ridiculous (in a good way) birthday cake milkshake from the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen. So why not take a stab at recreating one of these with your free time? Universal Recipes

For those who are homeschooling, Universal has also provided a series focused on the science behind the resort, where you can learn how some of their most famous attractions operate. I have found this extremely engaging, and great for both parents and kids alike! Science Behind Universal Resort 

Busch Gardens & SeaWorld

Other family favorite Florida parks such as SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, also are offering educational videos, both live on their Facebook and pre-recorded on their website, including a look at the animals they care for. Perfect for homeschooling lessons! Weekly live videos on their Facebook or at Educational Resources

Of course, it wouldn’t be SeaWorld or Busch Gardens without their amazing coasters. So strap on in and go for a ride with their amazing, on-ride POV videos! On Ride POVs

Jess Mack

Jess is an adventure-seeking, theme park loving, star gazing, geek from New Jersey who moved to Florida to never be bored. She is constantly outside, and you can usually find her at Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando when she’s not working.

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