DisneyBounding – Disney’s RULES, Inspiration Photos, Our Top Tips

If you are a fan of dressing up when visiting Disney Parks, you've likely heard of “DisneyBounding,” which is when Disney fans wear regular clothing that is inspired by recognizable Disney characters. This has become a trend in the parks, and you'll often see visitors DisneyBounding as princesses, classic characters like Minnie and Mickey Mouse, villains such as Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, and much more.

Because adults are not allowed to wear full costumes to the parks (which we will discuss more below), DisneyBounding is a great way to still get into the Disney spirit during your trip, and it can be quite fun to put these outfits together.

There is such a wide variety of Disney characters to pull inspiration from, and you can flaunt a new outfit every trip! Keep reading for everything you need to know about DisneyBounding and how to do it. 

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DisneyBounding Rules

Before we get into the fun of discussing the myriad options you have for DisneyBounding, we will cover what you need to know so that what you are wearing is within Disney's guidelines.

Full costumes cannot be worn by guests ages 14 and older, save for special events like Oogie Boogie Bash and Disneyland After Dark nites. This means that while you can style elements of your outfit to resemble aspects of a certain Disney character, you can't dress up as them completely if you are an adult.

Disney Parks Blog has shared a great example of what would be allowed in the parks as DisneyBounding vs. what would not be acceptable. The below examples for Galaxy's Edge demonstrate DisneyBounding for favorite characters like Rey and BB-8 and outfits inspired by the Batuu villagers that would be acceptable:

The outfits below, however, would not be permitted under Disney's guidelines because they are full character suits or break Disney's other guidelines for what can be worn to the parks:

If you have any doubt about what is acceptable or not for DisneyBounding, be sure to refer to the Disney Parks Dress rules. For regular park wear, Disney prohibits clothing with objectionable material, excessively torn clothing, clothing that shows large amounts of skin, clothing that touches or drags on the ground, objectionable tattoos, and bare feet. If you wear clothing with multiple layers, it is subject to be searched upon your entry to the parks.

Now that we have covered some of the rules for DisneyBounding, we will discuss more details on where you can draw inspiration from!

DisneyBounding Inspiration

The sky is truly the limit for DisneyBounding. Whether you'd like to style your outfit around your favorite Star Wars character or get creative and wear an outfit inspired by Snow White or Minnie Mouse, there are so many options to choose from. We recommend first choosing a character you'd like to base your outfit on, then noting the overall color palette and picking out the two or three most recognizable characteristics of the outfit. This could be a combination of careful placement of colors and accessories, and even details like how you style your hair can be a clue as to which character is inspiring your outfit.

For example, a red shirt paired with yellow pants or a skirt can be Winnie the Pooh. Switch them up (yellow top with red bottoms) and it's Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum from Alice in Wonderland. A pink top with lavender bottoms gets you Boo from Monsters Inc. or the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, etc. 

We'll take you through some ideas for the types of characters you can DisneyBound and the basic colors and accessories we would recommend.

Here are some fun color combinations for Princesses:

• Ariel from The Little Mermaid = Purple top with turquoise bottoms
• Snow White = Royal blue top with yellow bottoms and red accent like a belt, bag, or hairpiece
• Rapunzel = Pink top with lavender bottoms or lavender dress with braid
• Anna from Frozen = Black top, royal blue skirt or pants, and magenta sweater
• Cinderella = Light blue top and bottoms or light blue dress with black choker necklace
• Elsa = Light blue tones and braid
•  Belle from Beauty and the Beast= Blue dress over a white shirt or yellow top and bottoms/dress
• Moana= Orange top with tan bottoms, blue necklace

Below are some color combinations to try for Mickey Mouse and his friends:

• Minnie Mouse = Red polka dots and bow
• Mickey Mouse= Red pants, white or black shirt, yellow accent
• Donald Duck= Royal blue top with white bottoms, orange accent
• Goofy= Orange top with blue bottoms, yellow vest
• Daisy Duck= Lavender top with white bottoms

Love Disney villains? Try some of these fun color combinations:

• Gaston from Beauty and the Beast or Captain Hook from Peter Pan= Red top with black bottoms
• Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty or Evil Queen from Snow White= Purple top with black bottoms
• Ursula from The Little Mermaid = Black top with purple bottoms or black dress with purple accents

Winnie the Pooh and his friends are fun DisneyBound with these color combinations:

• Winnie the Pooh = Red top with yellow bottoms
• Tigger = Black and orange stripes
• Piglet= Pink top and bottoms
• Eeyore= Grey/blue tops and bottoms, pink bow

Peter Pan characters are a fun option as well:

• Peter Pan= Medium green top with dark green bottoms
• Tinkerbell= Light green top and bottoms or light green dress
• Wendy= Blue dress with blue bow

Marvel characters that are fun to DisneyBound:

• Scarlet Witch = black dress with red jacket
• Loki = green and black outfit, gold accents
• Captain America = red and blue outfit
• Black Widow = all-black outfit or black leather pants
• Peter Quill= black pants, gray shirt, red jacket

Star Wars characters are great options too:

• Chewbacca = all brown outfit with crossbody bag
• Leia= white dress with silver belt
• Han Solo= black or blue pants, tan long sleeved shirt, vest
• Darth Vader= all black outfit, black belt

These are just a few of the many characters you can use for DisneyBounding inspiration. As long as you stay within Disney's guidelines, you can take inspiration from animated Disney characters, Pixar characters, Marvel characters, Star Wars characters, and more.

Accessorizing for DisneyBounding

One of the most important aspects of DisneyBounding is accessorizing, as accessories provide some extra fun and lean into aspects of the character you are drawing inspiration from. Accessorizing can also make an outfit more recognizable if you highlight aspects of a certain character. For example, as we discussed above, something as simple as a blue bow with a blue dress makes you immediately recognizable as Wendy, or a poison apple bag with a purple and black outfit makes you stand out with an outfit inspired by the Evil Queen. Accessories like earrings and necklaces can also help clue others into who you are DisneyBounding.

See some of the accessories you can include with DisneyBounding below. If the character you are modeling your outfit around is primarily a couple of colors but has a pop of one smaller color (like Mickey's yellow tie, for example), you can be deliberate about the color of these accessories:

• Belts
• Scarves
• Socks
• Jewelry (necklaces, earrings, bracelets)
• Bag
• Shoes
• Bows/hairpieces/hats
• Hair (how you style it—pigtails can represent ears for characters like Goofy, or you can style how the character wears it in braids, buns, etc.)
• Mickey ears
  • Mickey ears are one of the most useful accessories for DisneyBounding because they often come in designs inspired by a variety of characters like The Little Mermaid, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, the Evil Queen, Snow White, and much more. This can serve as an extra clue as to who you are styling your outfit around. As we discuss in our Disneyland souvenirs article, you can find a great variety of themed Mickey ears at locations like World of Disney in Downtown Disney and The Mad Hatter in Disneyland Park, or you can buy them from the Disney Store.

See the plethora of Mickey ears options above for characters like Moana, the Evil Queen, Anna, Belle, and much more! These are all themed in beautiful detail, so they can do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to cluing others into which character you are basing your outfit around.

Disney fans can even carry around a stuffed animal that relates to their character. For example, Ariel could carry Flounder, Prince Eric could carry a white sheepdog, or Pocahontas could carry a raccoon to be Meeko, etc.

Disney Shops

If you'd prefer to buy an outfit that already has design elements with references to Disney characters, the Disneyland Resort has some great stores to help Disney fan DisneyBound. Spirit Jerseys are very popular now and come in popular characters' colors, such as Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, and Minnie Mouse.

This apparel can be a great option as it often captures the essence of certain characters without requiring a great deal of effort to coordinate multiple DisneyBounding outfit elements. You can use this character-themed apparel and any other character-themed accessories you find like Mickey ears, hats, bags, etc. to build your DisneyBounding outfit around.

Check out these fun stores to purchase clothing, hats, and accessories:

The World of Disney Store has some great character-inspired apparel that you can build a DisneyBounding outfit around. For example, you could wear this Darth Vader patterned shirt with the matching backpack and black pants, and it would be clear which iconic Star Wars villain your outfit is inspired by. Add Darth Vader Mickey or Minnie ears as an accessory and you have the perfect outfit!

See our guide to Disney Minnie ears for everything you need to know about the different types of Minnie ears and where to find them. 

Disney dresses are also a great way to DisneyBound! The Disney Dress Shop in Downtown Disney has a wide selection of vintage-inspired Disney dresses, skirts, handbags, and accessories.

The Mad Hatter on Main Street, U.S.A. sells Mickey ears, apparel & accessories. Disney fans can also personalize a pair of Mickey ears with fun princess and Disney park designs, such as Ariel, Cheshire Cat, Sally, and the Enchanted Tiki Room.

The Emporium is at also the beginning of Main Street and offers the largest selection of souvenirs in all of Disneyland Park.  Disney fans can purchase Mickey Mouse Ear Hats, clothing, and accessories.

Across the street from the Emporium, The Disney Showcase is a wonderful place for guests to find seasonal apparel and souvenirs. Disney fans can browse an ever-changing assortment of holiday merchandise, including costumes and customizable clothing.

Pirates and princesses alike will enjoy plundering Pieces of Eight, which is located as guests exit the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.  This treasure chest of a store sells pirate clothing and accessories.

Fairy Tale Treasures is located in the Fantasy Faire.  This enchanted shop offers princesses royal apparel, toys, and merchandise inspired by Cinderella, Rapunzel, Elena of Avalor, and other favorite Disney Princesses.

For an extensive guide on the shopping options available, check out our guide, Shopping at Disneyland: The Ultimate Guide to Browsing the Shops, for everything you need to know.

Plan Your Disney Vacation!

DisneyBounding is a fun way to dress up while in the parks.  We are currently expanding all of our Disney World planning guide content here on MickeyVisit.com. Check out the links below to help guide you in your Disneyland or Walt Disney World vacation needs. Don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE Deals Newsletter to stay on top of the current planning tips, strategies, and deals.

• Character Meet and Greets at the Disneyland Resort: Ultimate Guide to Characters

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• 8 Must-Sees When Doing Disneyland For Adults!

• Downtown Disney: Shopping, Dining, Live Music at Disneyland

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