A Beginner’s Guide to Disneybounding: 10 Easy Tips
(Photo: BrittReneePhotography via Flickr)
Disney parks enthusiasts have built a thriving culture around their love of all things House of Mouse, a.k.a. the Walt Disney Company. From their obsession with iconic walls in the park to the subculture of character-themed “Disney Gangs” roaming Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom, fans constantly find new ways to enjoy their favorite films and characters.
It’s no surprise that fashion plays a big part in Disney culture, especially when more adults than ever are shopping for apparel and accessories themed after their favorite characters. One of the most fun trends to grow out of this fusion is Disneybounding. Whether you’re familiar with the term or hearing about this for the first time, we’ve compiled a perfect beginner’s guide to Disneybounding to get you started on your very new favorite Disney-inspired looks!
What is Disneybounding?
Disneybounding is the art of fusing fashion and fandom to look like a Disney character or – in most recent years – an attraction, place within the park, or even a favorite iconic treat. Instead of wearing elaborate costumes like cosplayers, Disneybounders recreate Disney character outfits from everyday clothes they can incorporate into their daily wardrobe.
The term was coined – accidentally – by Disney fan Leslie Kay back in 2011. She ran the DisneyBound Tumblr and originated the concept as well. As Leslie was a huge fan of fashion and design, the movement originally centered around the fashion-forward facets of dressing up while remaining true to your style.
Disneybounders refer to their outfits as their “bounds” instead of costumes. They are popular to wear to the parks as a way to share our love for a certain character or to pose for fun Instagram photos. Today, the #disneybound hashtag on Instagram alone has over one million posts from people all over the world. It’s become a global phenomenon!
So, if you’re planning a Disney vacation and wonder what to pack, we have some great tips and tricks to get you started on your first Disneybounding experience!
Disneybounding is for Everyone!
This is the best part of Disneybounding; anyone can join in on the fun! There are no hard and fast rules on participating or what makes an outfit a proper Disneybound. It doesn’t matter your age, size, race, or gender. If you’ve ever thought about giving it a try, then it’s absolutely for you!
Pick a Character that Speaks to You
When starting, it’s much easier to choose well-known and well-loved fan favorites like your favorite prince or princess. However, you shouldn’t feel confined to only the Disney mainstays for your bound. You shouldn’t even feel like you have to choose a character that looks like you or is the same gender! Be a villain! Be a cartoon duck! Be your favorite teacup! It’s all up to you!
It ultimately comes down to whatever character you feel would be the most fun to dress like for the day.
Always Check the Dress Code!
Before you even begin planning your outfit, the first thing you should do is read through the official Disney Parks dress code. Disney does not allow adults (or anyone over the age of 14) to wear full costumes in any of their American parks. That means no masks, no capes, and no character wigs. So before you get started on your perfectly coifed Elsa wig, make sure you won’t be turned away at the gate!
There are special events where exceptions are made. For example, the Boo Bash Halloween party at The Magic Kingdom allows all guests to wear costumes but still has certain restrictions in place. The same is true for their Villain’s After Hours Events and their Star Wars Weekends.
Don’t Overspend!
We all know planning a perfect Disney trip isn’t always cheap. This is especially true if you’re traveling from any distance. So it’s just as important to budget your park attire as well. You’ll likely find tons of pieces already in your wardrobe that you can build from without going out and purchasing entire outfits.
Most of the fun in putting together a good Disneybounding outfit is doing it in your style, so don’t worry about being too fancy or replicating anyone else’s look. Instead, work on your budget and in your own way!
Start with your Color Palette!
Once you’ve settled on a character, it’s easy to get overwhelmed in choosing your actual look. So, we’re going to let you in on the biggest secret to a successful bound – it’s all about color blocking. That’s the best piece of advice we can give when you’re getting starting. Keep it simple, especially at first.
Focus on colors first and then begin to incorporate one or two other aspects of the character or their wardrobe in as you go. It will be easier to visualize the look you’re going for that way when you don’t try to incorporate everything about a character into your outfit.
This doesn’t mean you should shy away from print or bright patterns altogether, especially if it works for your ensemble, but keeping it simple will help you out in the long run.
Accessories Can Make or Break Your Outfit
With very few exceptions, you won’t be able to bring big character props with you into the parks. That’s why choosing the right accessories is so important to bring your look together! Once you have a better idea of how to color block your outfit, it’s time to think about easily identified features of the character.
For example, what’s more, iconic for Snow White than a red apple? That’s something easily added to your outfit in the form of a cute clutch bag or a pendant to wear just to accentuate the look. And don’t forget the hairbow! It’s these little details that make Snow’s iconic look that you can recreate to make your look immediately recognizable.
This is a much harder task for men, unfortunately. However, if you’re Disneybounding as a prince or other hero who many carry a sword, you could try to find a pendant or nice broach with a sword on it instead. Hats are also a good choice for this, especially if you can find something in a similar shape or style, so are shoes!
Think About Your Disney Style
Remember that Disneybounding was a fashion movement before it became such an iconic part of Disney Parks fandom. Think about how you can incorporate your style into your look. How would you style your chosen character in real life? What can you pull together that shows a little of your personality while still being recognizable?
You may want to think about styling your Disneybounding outfit in a specific style – What about a 90’s inspired look? But, on the other hand, maybe you’d prefer a vintage one? There’s an entire community of Disney fans dedicated to vintage fashion, so much so that they have a day dedicated to it – Dapper Day!
Much of the fun in planning your Disneybounding is making it reflect your style. So don’t shy away from thinking about the looks you like most and what you’ll have to most fun putting together.
Comfort First
We cannot stress this enough. Comfort is key to a great day in the park. While we understand you’re excited to wear something spectacular or even formal to the Magic Kingdom, please think about how you may feel in the Florida heat standing in line at Splash Mountain wearing that same thing.
visiting any Disney park. (Photo: Unsplash)
Unless you plan on hitting the park for an hour or two just for dinner or maybe a chance to take some photos, you may find that light, casual and comfortable is the way to go. You’re there to spend a day filled with food, fun, and magical experiences. Do you really have time to wrangle yourself back into an intricate outfit after a bathroom break?
While we’re at it, let’s talk about shoes. If you absolutely need to wear those adorable heels that are sure to give you blisters within the first two hours, make sure you bring a small pair of flats to change into!
And don’t forget to think about the weather! Orlando, Florida, is notoriously humid and hot during the summer. It also rains frequently. Raincoats and umbrellas are always a good idea to incorporate for the afternoon showers that frequent the area.
Have Fun!
This is our most important tip. This entire Disneybounding process should be fun. It’s the opportunity to share your love of your favorite Disney characters while also showing off your originality.
Let your creativity flow and see what you can come up with! If you do a Disneybounding of your own, we’d love to see it! Please send us links to your Disney looks in the comments!
Cover Image
Cover image graciously provided by boundingblondie. Please visit her on Instagram and show her some love.
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