Living in Arizona makes a California getaway pretty easy — we’ve grown to enjoy the drive, but we’re always looking for fun ways to stay entertained in the car. We’ve made many Disneyland trips over the years, and I always try to sprinkle a little pixie dust during the car ride. Besides, the more creative I am, the less time I have to spend playing the license plate game for the millionth time.

My daughter is a teen now, but I have created Disney magic on our road trips to The Happiest Place On Earth since she was a toddler. Keep reading for some ideas you can make into your own, and free downloads of our latest car games.

The drive to Disneyland from Phoenix is about 6 hours—just enough time for a little road trip magic. We usually make one quick stop for food or a bathroom break, then it’s back to the highway and the countdown to Disney. I love to plan simple surprise activities that fill at least 1–2 hours of our travel time, breaking up the drive and building the excitement as we go. I tuck each activity into a brown paper bag and let someone open a new one every hour or two, depending on how many I’ve made. I’ll dress them up with a few fun stickers or washi tape, but I don’t stress about making them Pinterest-perfect—I’m a working mom, and the goal is giggles and memories, not staying up all night crafting.

Recently I made this whiteboard to keep score for games, out of a dollar store white board, temporary tattoos and some leftover washi tape I had. Again, it is not perfect, but it helped us keep score, and I won’t be sad if it falls out of the car at the gas station.

Here is a list of things I have put in the bags:

Disney Mad Libs

Disney-themed snacks, popcorn, & a surprise download of a movie to watch

Thrifted Disney Books or Games that you can remove Disney trivia cards from and read together

Disney Song Game – Download Pandora, pick a Disney station, cover the screen that shows the songs (if you have one), then as each new song plays everyone yells out the song title. Whoever gets it first gets a point, and whoever gets to 5 points first wins.

Dollar Store Disney Puzzles or Matching Game- buy a metal cookie sheet and put magnet tape on the back, then the kids can play without losing pieces

Disney Temporary Tattoos, or sheet masks for Tweens

Play the free printable card games I have below!

I hope this post gave you some ideas on how to add some Magic to your next Disney Road Trip. Add and new ideas you may have in the comments!

Wander Wisley,

The Saguaro Storyteller 🌵