Yes, the Disney Store is fantastic, but my most prized Disney apparel items have come from small shops on etsy, and some that have branched out to start their own website. Keep in mind, if you are planning a trip to Disney and want to wear small shop items, you MUST plan ahead. Some of these shops are "made-to-order," meaning that they will not begin to fill your order until after you place it. This will result in longer turn-around times perhaps even close to 3-4 weeks, depending on the shop. Other shops are "restock shops," meaning that they will restock a specific item or a couple of items on a specific date and time. That means, if you have your heart set on a particular item, you might have to wait a bit for the item to be restocked in their shop. The BEST place to keep an eye out for these notices is on Instagram. All of the shops that are highlighted below, I found on Instagram. They do most of their advertising, and even some of their sales through this social media website. Here are a few of my favorites and must-haves. All of the following store names have been linked to their etsy or their website if those are available.
- Deep in the Heart of Disney Tees
- Her shop sometimes does openings on ETSY, but you can Direct Message her on Instagram to order any shirt. These shirts are very soft and lightweight. The shop owner is just the sweetest, and I absolutely LOVE everything that she puts out. These are two of my favorites though. Her instagram is @deepintheheartofdisneytees (pictures taken by me and paired with my Mickey Ears)
- Happily Ever Tees
- I swoon over some of the styles and innovative designs of this cute shop. Again, Instagram is one of the BEST places to follow this shop and check out openings. She just recently opened her shop with a new Enchanted Collection geared towards the Beauty and the Beast movie premiere. She will usually restock items at a specific time every couple of weeks with a few types of shirts. I worked really hard to make sure I was online at 7pm eastern February 28th to snag the "Antlers" shirt, but here is a preview of some of her Enchanted Collection. Their instagram is @happilyevertees (Pictures are from their website)
- Ever After Tees
- This shop has some super cute t-shirts that I love! Her flower and garden t-shirt below only has a small amount of left, so buy yours now! I'm also a sucker for a good Rapunzel tee, and I love the one that they created. Their instagram is @everaftertees (pictures are from their website)
- Walt's Wardrobe
- This shop also has its own website, but is a restock shop- meaning, that they will advertise on Instagram a release of a particular shirt or a couple of shirts for a specific date and time. Then, it is first come, first serve for purchase. These are a few of my favorites. Their instagram is @waltswardrobe (all pictures from their website).
- Carousel Tees
- My absolute FAVORITE Rapunzel tank came from this shop, so even if they are still on a break right now from production, I couldn't NOT mention them! Check them out on Instagram @carouseltees . There is no official word on when the shop with re-open, but if it does, I can vouch for the fact that it is a quality product! (pictures taken by me and paired with my Mickey Ears)
- Pretty Little Monograms
- If you love anything monogrammed, you will live for this shop! She has started a new line of leggings that are beautiful. I love almost every shirt that she creates, and it is the epitome of cute, girly, fun, and bright. She has way more to offer than just t-shirts, including decals, pullovers, raincoats, and more. Her instagram is @prettylittlemonograms (all pictures are from her website).
Next to your Disney t-shirt, your Mickey Ears are probably one of the most important pieces of your wardrobe for your next trip to Disney. There are SO many Mickey Ear shops on Etsy and Instagram, but I wanted to highlight a few that are so incredibly unique and different and also mine- DUH- shamless plug inserted here!
- Simply Darling
- I began my Etsy shop back in May of 2016 mostly selling Mickey Ears and little girl dresses. Because I am a teacher, I was able to fill 20-30 orders every two weeks or so, but once I went back to school at the end of the summer, my life changed drastically. I was not able to keep up with the demand of the orders, and I have a wonderful husband and 3 kids under 6 who were losing time with Momma due to my need to fill orders. Something had to give! I looked into some of these other "Boss Babes" and "Mompreneurs" that I have mentioned above to figure out how they are able to juggle business and life at the same time, and then came up with a plan that worked for me. I have now become a restock shop of ready-to-ship items- this means that about 1-2 times a month, I open my etsy store with items that I have already made. I always advertise these dates, times, and items on my instagram (@simplydarlingus) and my facebook page (Simply Darling Designs), and then when the shop is restocked, it is first come, first serve. Here are a few of my most popular ears.
- Now Ur Talkin
- This shop was one of the first to reach out to me in the beginning of my Etsy venture and be helpful, supportive, and always throw some kind words my way. It is run by the sweetest Mompreneur ever! Her shop has more than just ears, but her ears are the most unique ones I have seen! They are "autograph" ears that come with sharpies! While you are meeting your characters, you can actually have them sign your ears!! It is the cutest idea, and ones that I could not make myself. Here are some pictures of my favorites from her etsy shop.
- Aloha Ears Design
- This another shop that when I saw their newest 3D designs, I swooned! I was so in love with her new ears and in awe of the detail and craft that went into them. She is currently sold out of these 3D ears, but they are restocking on March 7th! They use a 3D printer to create these amazing designs! You can customize them with either a flower crown or a traditional bow. Make sure to look out for updates on instagram @alohaearsdesign Here are some images from their website of these amazing ears!
- The Mermaid Harp
- The wire ears are becoming so popular because they are sleek, classic, lightweight, and super cute. There are several shops out there who make wire ears, but I am in LOVE with some of these from the Mermaid Harp. Their instagram is @themermaidharp (these pictures are taken from her website)
For me, PLANNING our Disney trip was one of the most exciting times, but I know how expensive Disney can be!! When buying Disney apparel for our trip, I try to pace myself and make one purchase each month or so. Buying 5 t-shirts and 5 sets of ears in the month before you leave for Disney is going to bleed you dry of all of your souvenir money! Try to pace your purchases out so that you are not blowing your budget before you leave.
I hope you loved some of these shops that I highlighted as much as I do. I absolutely LOVE supporting small businesses and people who love their craft, their designs, and their customers. Some of these shop owners, I have enjoyed getting to know and do business with, and others I feel like I DO know them through their social media accounts. They are easy to work with, kind, and always put their customers first!
Until next time! I plan on putting up Part 2 in the next few days! See ya real soon!
