Matching outfits at Disney World is nothing new, but it has certainly evolved from when I was a kiddo back in the 80’s/90’s. Speaking of, have you seen the new, I mean old, Mickey Mouse Club apparel? { Disney Store MMC Awesomeness HERE } I got the crop sweatshirt for Christmas aaaaaand now I want the denim backpack. Just in case anyone feels like sending me a quarantine surprise *wink*
May 1997 Trip - Walt Disney World Resort's 25th Anniversary
Being the oldest of three girls, we matched A LOT! Mom-made puff paint t-shirts for Easter, custom jumpers for Christmas, awesomely neon nylon windsuits, pajamas that also matched our doll's pajamas. And let’s not forget the accessories… hairbows, shoes, scrunchies (which have apparently resurfaced #VSCOgirl, but will probably be back out of style by the time I finish writing this *giggle*). So of course we matched on our Disney vacations! There was the TEAM AMERICA shirt day, coordinating character shirt day, swim team shirt day, and many, many more. I loved it. I still love it!
(left) Christmas 1990 (right) 1995 WDW Trip - In front of the original Epcot prism fountain rockin' our Midwest Swim Conference Championships t-shirts!
Thanks to some of my fav Etsy rockstars, our most recent visit to Walt Disney World kept this tradition alive. In an effort to be a little creative and different, we didn’t 100% match. The goal was to coordinate based on a common theme and/or color scheme. I know, I know… this isn’t some mind-blowing, no-one’s-ever-thought-of-this-before idea or anything but maybe some of our themes will get your creative juices flowing for your next Disney visit. Hopefully the parks can safely reopen soon!
Day 1 // Disney Bound
This trip was very special because we were getting to share a place we love with people we love… for their first time! I’m sure they thought I was a little silly when I suggested matching shirts, but they happily went with it.
Now, Disney Bound shirts have been popular for years. To give each person the ability to have a say in their shirt, everyone chose their own color and we gave the boys and the girls different designs. The adorable icing on the cake… little bear’s shirt said “Let’s Do This”.
Ah-ha Moment: If color coordinating with a large group, also think about how your smaller family unit will look together in photos. Make sure you coordinate not only as a large group, but also your individual family.
Disney Springs with the whole fam + our little family unit.
Day 2 // Animal Kingdom
Did anyone else have a love/hate relationship with those Extra, Extra Magic hours this fall? More Disney park time is ALWAYS great but if you have any hope of a short stand-by line for Flight of Passage with a 7am park opening time, that means you’re at the resort bus stop at 5:50am. Holy Hera. But the beauty in arriving at the parks before sunrise… the most incredible lighting for photos. There’s always an up-side :)
Only our small family unit coordinated on our park days. So for our Animal Kingdom day, we chose to go with Lion King as our theme. Festival of the Lion King is a family favorite so that was our inspiration. My shirt said “Hakuna”, my hubby’s said “Matata” and little bear’s said “Workin’ on my ROAR”.
Yes, sometimes the best photo of your two-year old is indeed in the Pandora bathroom.
Day 3 // Magic Kingdom
This trip had a bonus. Not only did we get to share our happy place with first-timers, but we also met up with some of our bestest friends that we rarely get to see!! *happy dance*
We will 100% be repeating our MK shirt theme on another trip! Each of us chose an attraction and looked for shirts to represent that ride.
** Unpopular Opinion Alert ** I could take or leave Dumbo the Flying Elephant… Eek! I said it. I don’t have heart-string tugging memories tied to it and I think it’s… fine. Just, fine. BUT I do think it’s an iconic symbol and love how whimsical it is soooo I chose it as my attraction inspiration. Plus, my girl @minniemariamouse @lakebuenavisitors had a super cute shirt that I just couldn’t pass up. // Pop into their Etsy Shop // My prince charming chose to represent the mountain trifecta and Peter loved our little bear’s “Never Grow Up” shirt.
(left) Some of our favorite people at our favorite place. (right) Fun Fact: When Peter is busy chasing his shadow, this backdrop is a cute IG wall. You can find it on the wall as part of the extended queue for Peter Pan's Flight, on your way towards Columbia Harbour House.
Day 4 // Hollywood Studios Day
I’ve been waiting to share this one… THIS was my favorite shirt day! Little bear is obsessed with all things Cars. So naturally, we. could. not. wait. to take him to Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy. And while everyone was packed into Galaxy’s Edge with looooong wait times, we enjoyed multiple near-empty shows with the happiest little boy at Disney World.
Our theme today was a no-brainer. We all pulled a #outfitrepeater from little bear’s 2nd birthday party — except I altered my shirt to a crop-top. And shout-out to Traci for my adorable checkered flag headband! Bonus: Hubby loves his Mater shirt so much, he wears it at home.
(left) We didn't really match Donald's beach attire. (right) Lightening McQueen's Racing Academy is a must-see for any Cars fans! And, it's a nice break from the heat.
Day 5 // Epcot
Ya’ll, I went deep with this one. Are you ready? Since World Showcase represents different countries, we felt it would be appropriate for us to represent our hometown. Clever, right? Just say yes :)
We rocked our @archapparelstl outfits and looked like a family billboard for St. Louis, MO. HA! But you know what’s great about wearing something from home? You never know who might run into. The entire day, fellow Blues and Cardinals fans made themselves known, allowing us to connect for a brief moment. I love that about traveling.
Confession - It was our fourth park day in a row with a 2-year old in the highest humidity I think I’ve ever felt in FL. We never walked to the front of the park to get a nice family photo so below is as good as it gets. You get the idea.
I know, St. Louis overload. haha! But we're proud to support local and rep our hometown.
Moral of the Story // Think about how you can give others a say in what they get to wear (and do). I know us planners tend to have a vision for our trips. We LOVE to research, Pinterest ideas, make plans, AND THEN share what’s happening with the rest of our family or group. *raises hand* I’m guilty of it for sure!! There’s nothing wrong with that, someone has to take lead. But my planning journey became so much more enjoyable when I was able to share the decision-making with my family. After-all, the anticipation is half of the excitement, right?
With whimsy & wonder,
Jackie
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