How do you deal with the malaise and down feeling when you get back?

I know exactly what you mean. But knowing that I will eventually get back to the world helps a lot. Writing a trip report is helpful too. It creates a permanent record that I can look at whenever I want and it gets the last trip out of my system.

On a lighter note, I am still wearing my magic band and it helps. You can't use it to pay for groceries or to open doors, but just having it on makes me feel like I am ready to hit the turnstiles.

I have all my pictures on my laptop screen saver (and not just Disney, but all my pictures of everything). I find that when it scrolls through and I see different things, I smile and remember why I loved that particular moment. It's not the same, but it helps.

I agree, it is always tough to leave WDW and then have to go back to reality. We just look forward to our next trip or live vicariously through everyone's else's trip reports here! Until the next trip.........

I suffered from post Disney blues for a few months upon our return in May, but life happens and you get back into your old routines again and I think about it less and less. As others have said, I look at pictures of previous trips or even browse the WDW app on my iPhone and look at wait times! Sounds lame, but it helps. I've been three times within the past year and a half and I know I probably will not be going back for a while and do not have any trips planned.

It is never to early to start planning though! Maybe you could begin planning a trip like two years from now? It sounds like a long time, but honestly, people do it all the time.

Hope you feel better soon!

Fortunately, I was able to start planning another trip. In the meantime, I look at our pictures or I have even gone to Google earth and looked at it from a satellite! Crazy I know, but really cool.

I agree with everyone above and look at pictures, plan another trip, read trip reports. My crazy habit is going on the Disney site and seeing where I'd be able to make an ADR that day if I was at Disney

Hi Sally-Ann, thanks and we would love to meet up again and for a longer time too. You guys were awesome!. I still have to get our trip report finished, but life gets in the way at times you know.

Now regarding your question, I never see anything Disney as painful, We are true Disney Holics! Disney is in our life some how everyday. All my computers have Disney backgrounds and Screensavers, even my work computer, We have Disney throughout the house, we pretty much always have a trip planned or in the planning, even if it may be a year out. I miss WDW everyday we are not there, but being part of this forum is a big big help with that. I also do pretty much what everyone else has mentioned. Looking at WDW on Google earth, planning on the website, Watching videos on youtube, reading trip reports, a little bit of everything! Never say never, you will get back, just keep wishing. Sending you a PM too.

I plan another trip...even if I'm not going to take it. And I don't bother with flights, just playing around with hotels and rides and stuff. And pictures for sure. My souvenir every trip is a coffee mug, so I drink out of those and remember the fun trips. Or I wear my race shirts (like today) when I need a pick me up. Just little things like that keep me going. Hang in there!

Oh, that Post Disney depression. That stinking feeling can take days or even weeks to recover from. For me, writing a trip report helps because you get it to share it with WDW fans and you'd rather share it with them as opposed to others who may not share the same WDW likes and interests as you do. Or do the non-Disney related activities you really enjoy doing that make you happy. I mean, as a sports fan, there's always games for me to watch so that helps for me personally. There's the usual things like planning another trip, listening to park music, going on YouTube and watching WDW vids, looking at your pics, etc. I would think the smartest thing is to gradually get back to your normal routine. But I would argue that what you're doing right now is the best solution: Talking about it because we've all been there. All I can really is that never lose sight of the fact WDW will always be there. It's not going away any time soon. You're not saying goodbye and never coming back ever again. You're saying, "The reality of my life is calling me so I must leave the place for now but mark my words: I will return. It may not be tomorrow. Or next month. Or next year. But I will return and that's a promise I will keep."

I very much understand how you're feeling. I was ok with not going back for a while after our honeymoon. Life was changing a lot right at that moment. Because of job opportunities and relocations, we moved 4 times in the first 6 years we were married. Staying in one place was more of a vacation at that point than going away ANYWHERE! After we finally got settled into the house we live in now in 2009, the first thing I did was start planning another Disney trip! When we came back from that trip, i was right where you are now. I couldn't wait to go back and do it again, but we had no "bounce back" trip planned because we had literally taken one other vacation since we had been married. We wanted to mix it up a little, so our next trip was a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas that was awful. (To add insult to injury, one of our ports of call was Port Canaveral and we were docked right across from a Disney boat.) We decided that since Disney gives us a consistently good vacation experience and despite the expense, we always leave feeling like we got our money's worth and then some, that we would like to vacation there more regularly and worry about seeing other places later. Some of the best times we've ever had together are at WDW and we're both committed to going as often as possible. This year we're lucky to have an annual pass and a lot of trips planned, but I know that won't always be the case. Even knowing that you're going back (and hopefully soon!) can be tough. I've become a total WDFGU junkie and that has helped tremendously!! Hang in there! You'll be back soon!!

Sally-Ann I am right there with you. When I came back from my recent trip in Sept/Oct I was in such a funk that I didn't read anything on the forum. But I just knew I couldn't stay away for long and I started reading and participating again. I am now looking at when I can return and which resort I want to stay. I am even looking at going to Disneyland. Just remember you are in good company.

I received a Disney calendar to hang at work. It's Thomas Kincaid's paintings of various Disney movies (you can get it at walmart!). So during the day I can take a minute and stare at the calendar and get my Disney fix!

I had that calendar for last year. I think they each have different pictures.

Sally-Ann, did you read Kristen's article on the main page this morning? Made me think of you and smile!

I admit, Sally-Ann did help to inspire this morning's post.

It's really a common problem though and I'm asked about it all the time. Honestly, Disney is a state of mind. Sometimes even I have to trick myself into getting into the spirit though. Last year that I realized one very important thing though - I am ALWAYS one day closer to my next Disney trip. It doesn't matter if it's planned or if I'm just in the dreaming stages. I know for a fact that I'll be going back to Disney, and so every day checks off another one on the count down in my head.

Set yourself a goal - make it one that you know you can manage. Maybe it's a trip for next year, maybe it's a trip in five years, either way it's a trip. It's something to look forward to and that is what counts. Make yourself a piggy bank, and even if you just put in your spare change at the end of every day you are making progress and moving forward to your next adventure. What's important is to feel like you're being active in moving forward, not being stuck.

I do it in little bits that I know I can manage. After a week of putting my spare change in a jar I might have $5. Whoo hoo!! I just saved the money to tip the Magical Express Driver. Into a special envelope it goes. If I'm lucky and can toss some paper money into the piggy bank I might have $10 in the jar at the end of the week. Brilliant! There's the Dole Whip budget for hubby and I. These tiny planning steps keep me moving forward until I can get some more significant cash to book a room or buy a park ticket.

Small manageable goals add up and make for one fun trip - even if you don't have a date yet.

I highly encourage you to make yourself a little calendar to help keep moving forward. At the end of every week list something small that you think you could save up for. Go ahead - give yourself a gold star (or a Mickey head) every time you reach a goal! This is going to give you a fun visual way to remind yourself that you're getting closer to Disney all the time.

ooh!! Maybe make an actual checklist of the dollar amounts that you add to the fund! Then you can have fun price researching to create your special envelope, too! Each time you meet a goal, you get to check off a new aspect of your vacation that's paid for.

I also start planning another trip even if I don't actually have another trip in the works yet. Right now I have ADRs for a trip we haven't even booked yet, and I have no clue whether those ADRs will actually coincide with our next trip.

ahh yes, the Disney Blues, I've had it worse this time...I think because we went in December..
so now I have the "christmas rush" and "disney vacation over" blues all at the same time.

I decided to start a Facebook page like Mrhubs...it gives me a place to upload disney
pics and videos and its fun to look at other disney fans pages (Magic Mirrors Disney Page)
...

and.. as the others have said... I've started dreaming & planning for the next trip!

Woohoo!! Following you on FB!

Thanks!

I liked it too. I just saw that a friend of mine also liked it.

whoo hooo!
I hope to get a new entry on there each day
(my new years goal ha!)
(sorry for hijacking )

I understand that as well because everytime I come back from Disney am depresssed. And the only thing that helps is the pictures that are on my PC and planning my next trip even if it is 2+ years away. I read all the sites All Ears, Food Blog and etc and for me that helps. I plan what I really want to do when I do go back and after this coming May trip I don't have any plans to go back until 2017 when I hope Avatar will be completed. I will be a very long 3 years but I well read and live through everyone else that post things on this site and other until I can be there again.

Sally Ann I know how you feel. My husband and I went a very long time between Disney trips awhile back and it is very sad. What helps for me is being on a forum like this and talking to all the amazing people. I also keep a journal of all the Disney things I want to do on my next trip there. Hang in there and know we are all pulling for you to get back to Disney soon.

I think this is a very healthy thread!

I've been feeling the same. We just made a big move, new jobs, not enough ready cash to plan a trip, paying off credit cards to get those balances down. Let's add a little dark days Winter depression in there. But, I really appreciated reading the stories and suggestions in this thread.

I'm going to start my WDW envelope tomorrow, and now I'm off to read Kristen's article.