I made Disney's famous Mickey-shaped Rice Krispie treats at home, and it took me back to being at the theme park

There are plenty of ways to experience Disney magic at home, from watching virtual firework shows to re-creating your favorite rides using household objects. But I learned first-hand that making a DIY version of your favorite Disney treat is one of the best ways to do so.

After taking one bite out of the Rice Krispies I made, I was immediately transported to the Magic Kingdom. Sure, the treats didn't taste exactly the same, but they came pretty close — and making them with my family was almost as magical as strolling through the parks with them.

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After four Mickey-shaped Rice Krispies were cut out and placed on a sheet of parchment paper for decorating, I melted two XL-sized Hershey bars in the microwave for a little less than 60 seconds.

I then used this chocolate to decorate my Rice Krispies in a variety of ways. I coated one treat entirely, and drizzled the chocolate onto another. Of course, I could have decorated the desserts in any way I wanted, but I was aiming to achieve the same look as those found at Disney.

After decorating, I placed the treats in my refrigerator so that the chocolate would harden. After about 10 minutes, they were ready to eat.

When I announced to my family that I'd be making Rice Krispies for a story, I groaned about how I'd likely embarrass myself trying to cut the treats into Mickey Mouse shapes using a knife.

Immediately, my mom came to my rescue by pulling a Mickey-shaped cookie cutter out of what seemed like thin air (a kitchen cabinet). Though I'd never seen this cookie cutter throughout my 24 years of life, she'd apparently bought it years ago.

As I scooped my Rice Krispies out of the saucepan and into a baking pan, I was extremely tempted to start eating them. After all, they wouldn't be fresher than they were in that moment.

However, I mostly resisted, and tasted only a tiny bit of the leftover scraps.

Though I was disappointed by my burned marshmallow mixture, I decided to carry on with the recipe. I needed to pour six cups of Rice Krispies cereal into the saucepan, and was surprised to find that I barely had any left in the box after measuring that amount.

I initially found it tough to mix the two because there were simply so many Rice Krispies involved, though it eventually blended together just fine.

As I poured the marshmallows into my mixture of butter and vanilla extract, I wrongfully assumed that I'd need to turn the heat up slightly to ensure that they melt.

Very quickly, however, my kitchen started to smell like a backyard campfire. I thankfully didn't cause any major damage, but I was left with a golden-brown mixture that smelled slightly burned rather than a pure-white marshmallow fluff.

Though the Rice Krispies brand suggests using 40 Jet-Puffed marshmallows, Disney's treats are known for being extra fluffy, so I counted out a few more marshmallows, and added 55 to my mixture.

While watching ForeverDisney's YouTube tutorial, I noticed that one person in the comments section called vanilla extract "the key" to making homemade Rice Krispies taste like those from Disney World.

But because the commenter didn't specify how much vanilla extract to use, I had to make a judgment call. Half a teaspoon seemed like a good amount, so I poured it straight into the melted butter.

I had plenty of unsalted Land-O-Lakes butter in my house, which came in handy for this recipe.

A few months ago, I began planning a Disney vacation with my best friend. But as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, our vacation was abruptly canceled. Though I was devastated, I knew I could re-create some of the magic at home.

After taking a quick inventory of ingredients in my kitchen, I realized I had everything I needed to make Disney World's famous Rice Krispies — right down to a Mickey Mouse-shaped cookie cutter.

For my recipe, I followed the instructions listed on the side of the Rice Krispies cereal box, though I also watched a YouTube video from ForeverDisney to make sure that I was doing everything correctly.

Growing up, I was lucky enough to visit Disney World with my family on numerous occasions. And over the years, we've developed some vacation traditions; we always drive to the Florida parks from New Jersey, and my mom and I go to the Disney Springs shopping center right after checking into our hotel.

My family and I also have a list of Disney theme-park dishes that we always make sure to eat while there. While I love Disney World's classic popcorn, my sister seems to have Mickey-shaped ice cream in hand at all times.

The treat we can both agree on, however, are Rice Krispies. Not only are they shaped like Mickey himself, but they're also sold in a variety of sizes and with numerous toppings, like M&M's and sprinkles.