By Kaylee Johnson
Campus News
I have appointed myself with a very prestigious title, Disney Parks Expert. I am also known as a “Disney drill sergeant,” but because of that perseverance I have never planned an un-magical vacation. In August I will be attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for the first time. Normally the Halloween Party’s days collide with my academic calendar, or I have another trip booked. This year Disney added a couple of August dates to the Halloween Party schedule, and by chance it was the same week we had booked our vacation.
After finding out I will be attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, the first thing I did was endlessly browse Pintrest in search for the most obscure and elaborate costume. All of these costumes had the same issues. If they were not overpriced, they only carried small sizes. Of course there were the ones that required hours of heavy duty DIY work. I have tried to DIY many things before, and I end up spending more money at the craft store to make a mediocre version of what I actually wanted than I would have if I ordered it online.
Somewhere along the line I came across a wonderful Etsy shop called KawaiianPizzaApparel. I was in love with their lightweight and beautiful costumes. They were kind enough to send me a Belle costume to sample, and I was very pleased with the results. Throughout the whole process of picking a dress and shipping it, the shop owner, Alec Dale, was friendly and accommodating. The costume was better than anything I could find in retail stores, and it’s not over the top. I did not want a ball gown for the Halloween Party; it is going to be late August in Orlando, therefore I will be sweaty within ten minutes after leaving my air conditioned resort. The costume is lightweight, and the material it is made out of seems like a thicker version of the shirts that runners wear to absorb sweat. The dress I received costs about $50, which is very affordable compared to some of the other costumes I was looking at online, and also considering how much work goes into making each dress or shirt.
It was very difficult for me to decide which costume I liked best. Any of them would surely turn heads at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, but I wanted a costume that represented my personality. I chose Belle, because, like her, I am a reader, introvert, and, most of all, a dreamer. I did not want the typical Ariel costume that every twenty-something buys from grungy stores like Hot Topic or Spencer’s. KawaiianPizzaApparel is also a wonderful shop to buy family costumes from. They have obscure costume shirts like Cogsworth, Lefou, and Lumiere.
Now, I’ve looked at pictures of brave hearted men and women who wore heavy costumes to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and wonder how they survived all night. I want to be able to move freely and ride on Splash Mountain without worrying if my hoop skirt is going to pop up just as we are falling down the mountain, although that would make a very interesting ride photo. Since I’m going to stay up until midnight partying with my favorite mouse, I knew I needed something comfortable, yet festive. I was always the girl with a wardrobe full of Christmas sweaters, Halloween leggings and sparkly shamrock shirts.
KawaiianPizzaApparel is hardly a newbie; they are closing in on 5000 sales, which is extremely successful for an Etsy shop. They have also earned five-star reviews from their customers, who rave about the quality of the products. The shop is family run from Eureka, California. Their apparel can work as costumes, or Disney-bounding outfits. Every Disney lover has attempted to throw together an outfit that kind of resembled the dress their favorite Disney character wore. The issue is that the outfits are usually unrealistic for a day in the unforgiving sun. Sure, they look good in photos, but they are not comfortable. It’s so much easier to have a dress that is comfortable, lightweight, and photogenic. I can’t wait to show off my charming Belle dress at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
I hope you have as much fun as I did browsing for the perfect Halloween costume from KawaiinPizzaApparel. Just don’t show up to the Halloween party wearing the same costume as me. That would be a catastrophe. Here’s a link to KawaiinPizzaApparel: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KawaiianPizzaApparel.
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