Reviews

Disney Must Do: Matching Shirts

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Featured Etsy Shop: The Mouse Boutique

It’s okay to wear matching shirts in Walt Disney World. Actually, it’s highly encouraged!

For those of you who have been to WDW, you’ve probably noticed the startling amount of families and groups wearing matching shirts around the parks and resorts (some families even start on the plane ride to Orlando). It seems that every year we go there are more and more people that wear them, and they get more clever too!

Mary’s Magical 21st Birthday shirts

My family has worn matching shirts for years, but our shirt selection has evolved. Initially, we started by making custom t-shirts for celebrations (“Mary’s Sweet 16,” “Mary’s 21st,” etc. – her birthday is in August when we always go to WDW, so she’s had a lot of birthdays there!). Then, we moved into purchasing actual Disney shirts, and we would all get the same one (Disney usually offers men/women versions of the same shirt).

Now, we’ve stepped up our game. Ben and I went to our very first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and had the cutest shirts ever from The Mouse Boutique (see the pic above). This Etsy shop has TONS of character and seasonal options, and one is just better than the next.

They have everything from Star Wars to Frozen to the Lion King to Epcot Drinks Around the World to the Hitchhiking Ghosts to the Disney Cruise Line. They have shirts for every size group for every type of event, and they’ll customize them just for you! The shop owner, Michele, is wonderful to work with and is always coming up with new, clever ideas.

If you haven’t been to WDW and are planning a trip there, this is a Disney Must Do. It’s a fun way to get your family excited for your magical vacation and even more fun to wear them in the parks. And as a bonus, it helps keep track of everyone in your group in the crowds!

Check out The Mouse Boutique on Etsy

Use the code “bloggerfree” for FREE SHIPPING on your next order!

Reviews

Restaurant Review: ‘Ohana

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WDW Park Planners Rating:

Location: Polynesian Village Resort

Dad and the girls, 2015

“‘Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” This famous Lilo & Stitch quote is one of our family’s favorite lines, and couldn’t be more true. For us, Disney is about family, and our WDW vacations hold some of our best family memories, especially at ‘Ohana.

The ‘Ohana restaurant is a very family-friendly spot, and one of our go-tos in WDW. The atmosphere is fun and engaging, with games for the kids and live island music throughout the night. You definitely want to come hungry to this meal – the Polynesian-inspired cuisine is delicious – and never ending!

The meal is primarily family style; your server will bring big portions to the table for the appetizers, sides and dessert. For the entree, they come around with meat and shrimp skewers and serve you individually. Pace yourself for this one, since each course is better than the last!

This restaurant is always jam-packed, so be sure to make your reservation far in advance (we would not recommend just walking up and putting your name in). Even with a reservation we always end up waiting a while for our table. But while we wait, we always like to order fun tropical drinks – they have options for the whole family!

WDW Park Planners Tip:

The Polynesian is directly across the lagoon from the Magic Kingdom, so you can see the fireworks show from many locations at the resort, including inside ‘Ohana. The restaurant plays the music for the show, so if you time your dinner correctly, you will get an awesome viewing of the fireworks.

Check the times guide on Disney’s website and try to coordinate your reservation around that – it makes the evening even more magical. Tables by the window have the best view, but you can always just get up from your table to go watch, too!

Reviews

Resort Review: Animal Kingdom Lodge

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WDW Park Planners Rating: 

Location: Animal Kingdom Park Area

Resort Category: Deluxe Resort

Our family has stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge twice over the years, and each time it did not disappoint. This top-tier resort is one of the best Walt Disney World has to offer. Having your morning coffee on the balcony while watching the giraffes pass by is truly breathtaking. You never know what you’re going to see when you look out your bedroom window – the animals are always moving and changing based on the time of day. It never disappoints, and you really do feel like you’ve been transported to the Serengeti.

The resort itself is great, but if you’re going to stay there, you definitely want a savannah-facing room. Half the fun is coming back to your room after a day at the parks and just relaxing while you watch the animals roam.

The rooms themselves are nice and the resort also has some great restaurant options. We’ve tried Sanaa and it was delicious – it also has great views of the savanna, although we went for dinner in January and it was dark already! The property also has viewing areas for the animals which are fun and educational, especially since they always have an animal expert stationed out there to talk and answer questions.  

Our family highly recommends this spot to anyone. The animals aren’t just for the kids – the grown ups love them too!

WDW Park Planners Tip:

The one “con” of this property is that it’s a bit farther away from most of the parks. It’s a short bus ride to Animal Kingdom which is convenient, but our family usually only spends one day at that park (maybe two now with Pandora). One of our family trips was split between the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Beach Club, which was a great way to do it. A few nights at AKL was perfect, and then we resort hopped to a better location for the other WDW parks!