What's up with the matching shirts?

I was on the phone just the other day with a friend and fellow Disney fan discussing the difference between Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter. The question was really about laundry facilities. . . and whether or not we do laundry while at the "world." While I am aware of the on-site laundry facilities, we have yet to use them. The comment then came, "You guys have matching shirts for every day and don't need to do laundry." True enough!

So what's up with our matching shirts? First, it helps us stand out and find each other in crowds. It also helps cast members know how many in our party, who is with who, etc. when loading rides and attractions. And, the matching shirts didn't hurt when we were selected as The Family of the Day at EPCOT--see photo.

Second, it helps with packing and deciding on what clothes to wear each day. I just make a list of our matching shirts, decide on the whether we need long sleeves, short sleeves, or both, then pack what we need. Then while we are traveling, it is easy to decide what will be worn each day. The boy typically asks if we are wearing matching shirts. Of course, the answer is yes!

Third, it makes organizing photos easier after the trip. I know which photos were taken on which day and in which location based on the shirts.

Fourth, it is fun! Only at Disney is it OK to wear silly hats and matching shirts. Conversations with no longer strangers have been had because of our matching shirts. The husband has even noted that we don't have a pink set of matching shirts and he is willing to wear pink. . . at Disney.

Friends have commented that our time is running out on the boy being willing to wear matching shirts while traveling as a family. At the same time, we have seen families with teens and young adults still in the spirit and wearing the matching attire of the family. Yes, we are not the ONLY ones! I am going to cross my fingers and hope for many more magical matching Disney memories.

Where do we find our matching shirts? Various places. One place is Disneystore.com which is the on-line store for all things Disney. Another is Zazzle.com where you can customize your shirts. The shirts shown in our photo were made at Zazzle.com. We have also purchased matching shirts while at the Parks or on the Ship. The trick is to find a design you like in the sizes you need. Often selections are only in adult or children sizes and we are lucky when we find a shirt design offered in both children and adult sizes.

We have also bestowed on our family and friends their own matching Disney apparel! Maybe the bug will catch!