Disney Archives | The Sparrow's Home

Introducing (drumroll please) Homeschool Disney

June 3, 2019 by Susan 8 Comments

I’m not the biggest Disney fan in the world. My husband, however, has a good shot at that title.

My appreciation and love of Disney has grown over the years. And that is in large part to how completely stuffed the Disney parks are with educational and learning opportunities. You see, I’m a consummate lesson-finder.

Movies, TV shows, books…lessons to be found.

Walks in the woods, games, random inanimate objects…I could teach a class.

When I began visiting Disney parks with my husband, I was wowed by the impeccable attention to detail. I have long said that when you visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland, you’re being invited to be a part of the stories. And I was also pretty amazed (and surprised) by the amount of learning that can be drawn from the parks.

What’s the secret to family trips with more learning, more memories?

June 18, 2018 by Susan Leave a Comment

Summer is often the time when families hit the road. Whether it’s a vacation, visiting family, or heading off to camps and conferences… we are on the move.

The first really long road trip we made as a family was from Minnesota to Louisiana for a wedding when the boys were just about 2 and 3 years old. This was before ipads and other devices so we did what we could: We wedged a tiny TV between the front two seats and made a 6 hour video tape of Dora the Explorer and Bob the Builder episodes to entertain the troops.

Before you say, “What were you thinking…6 hours of Dora?!” We weren’t totally crazy, we also brought The Wiggles videos.

Oh, wait. Nevermind.

As kids get older, though, there is so much that you can do to make family trips more enjoyable, more memory-filled, and more intentionally filled with learning.

Disneyland vs. Disney World: When to Choose Disneyland

September 18, 2017 by Susan 4 Comments

Chances are, if you’ve thought about taking a Disney vacation, tickets to Orlando are on the menu. Disney World is far larger and more expansive than Disneyland, after all. And there is nothing like an immersive vacation at The Most Magical Place on Earth. Clearly, with its 4 parks, Disney World has more to offer in many ways. (Being a homeschooler’s dream field trip for one!)

But there are lots of reasons why a trip to sunny California and Disneyland might be a better option to consider.

15 Disney Sites the Biggest Disney Fans Follow

February 15, 2017 by Susan 19 Comments

What do you do when you wish you were at Disney World and you’re not? It’s a real problem, folks. I usually hit Pinterest and spend some time perusing what’s new, or thinking about future trip plans. My husband, who is a major gigantic ‘Dis-nerd’ does far more.

He listens to theme park music and podcasts, reads trip reports and watches videos of people we don’t know on their Disney trips (they’re actually travel vloggers, but my way of describing it is way funnier). Whether you’re like me and just want a few good review sites to check out, or want to jump in with both feet like Greg, we’ve gotcha covered.

How to Plan a Disney Trip With Someone Who Doesn’t Love Disney (Yet)

October 3, 2016 by Susan 14 Comments

I married into the Disney family. Don’t get me wrong..it’s not like I was anti-Disney. I did have every single lyric to every single Little Mermaid song memorized. What I did not do was drive around listening to the music from the Main Street Electrical Parade. But I did date someone who did. And I still married him. 🙂

Yes, he had the parade soundtrack. Listen, I’m a Disney lover now, and I still can’t stomach the synthesized harpsichord music on its own. At the parade—love it! On its own, Baroque Hoedown just doesn’t do it for me.

I also didn’t set foot in a Disney park until I was in college, and Greg and I went to California to visit his parents. And if I’m being totally honest…I was underwhelmed. My relationship with Disney parks began as an appreciation, grew into a full fledged crush, and now I’m enamored.

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Disney

August 9, 2016 by Susan 14 Comments

This is the ultimate guide to adding learning to your Disney vacation. Literature, history, geography, science, and more. You might be surprised how many educational opportunities there are!

Incorporating our real life into our schooling has always been important to us, like when we took an impromptu trip to Texas to spend a few weeks, and the ways we’ve learned about our state with fun first day of school field trips. So deciding to homeschool Disney World was a no-brainer!

Studying about an amusement park, you ask? Spending valuable school time learning about a cartoon Mouse?

If that’s what you’re thinking, you are in for a treat!