Are you familiar with the practice of DisneyBounding? It’s a wonderful way to celebrate your passion for various Disney characters while you’re at the parks. While guests have dressed in the colors of Mickey and Minnie Mouse for generations now, it wasn’t until Leslie Kay coined the phrase and popularized the concept that it became ubiquitous in parks. Hundreds of theme park tourists dress up during a Disney visit each day. Would you like to join them? Here’s all you need to know about perfecting the DisneyBound look.
Pick your favorites
This tip works on two levels. On the one hand, you should DisneyBound as your favorite Disney character. That way, you’ll feel connected to them on an entirely new level. Plus, you’ll have an ice breaker when you start conversations with other fans. They’ll recognize the colors and look, identifying you as a kindred spirit.
One of the great parts of DisneyBound attire is that you can dress as splashy or subtle as you like. A bit of red and black is all you’ll need in a general sense. Red reflects the baseline color of Minnie’s dress, and black is the general illustration choice for cartoon mice. For a more specific experience, you can throw in white and yellow, with the former for the dots of her dress and yellow for her signature shoes. Of course, Minnie’s a fashionista who enjoys other colors, particularly pink. So, you can work in those as well.
In fact, even your accessories can function as a part of your DisneyBound style. Minnie wears some headgear from time to time that could modernize in your outfit. For fans of the red and white bow in Minnie’s hair, you can purchase a handbag that fits the style. Similarly, people who love that red hat with a five-petal flower in it can wear a flower pin or pendant for thematic effect. Do whatever fits your natural style the best.
Picking your favorites isn’t just about characters
That’s the other aspect of picking your favorites. You aren’t simply picking characters that you love. You’re also locking in on the colors and looks that suit you best. Even if Minnie’s your favorite, you might not love the hair-bow or flower-hat. In that case, you should throw out everything that’s not you and prioritize what you like about Minnie. Alternately, think about your favorite colors and then do a search for various Disney characters. You may discover that your desired look meshes well with a character you wouldn’t have considered otherwise.
For example, everyone loves The Lion King but since they are, you know, lions and other jungle creatures, it’s not the most natural cosplay choice. With a bit of research, however, you’ll appreciate that the tans and golds of these characters integrate easily with almost any wardrobe. You can DisneyBound as Simba or Nala with minimal effort. Alternately, go big by putting on a hula skirt to look like Timon. For bonus points, figure out ways to orchestrate horns and a snout into your outfit. That way, you’re Timon AND Pumbaa.
Shop in your own closet
When you first decide to DisneyBound, the temptation is to rush online or to the mall to buy an entirely new wardrobe. Let me save you some money by stating firmly that this is a rookie mistake. You don’t want to shop for a new ensemble unless you already need new clothes or money is no object. And even then, it’s still a risky choice. You may accidentally duplicate something you already own or buy a piece that doesn’t fit with your current aesthetic. In such a scenario, you’re basically starting from scratch.
The better choice from an economical as well as a strategic perspective is to head into your closet and catalog your current wardrobe. You may even want to do this prior to locking in on a specific Disney character. You may discover that you can breathe some new life into some of your favorite outfits of old. All you have to do is craft a DisneyBound look around them.
Do you have a favorite pair of shoes that you haven’t worn for a while? That’s a good start. How about a jacket that goes with everything? What color are these pieces? Once you’ve answered these questions, you can compare what you have with what you want to accomplish when you DisneyBound. You may already have enough options to complete a couple of outfits. If not, you should still have several great options that will guide you when you are ready to shop.
Collating a few key pieces from your closet is the cheap way to DisneyBound the first time. You’ll feel more attached to the new items that you add. Alternately, you’ll discover a new attachment to old clothing once you’ve repurposed it as a stylish new Disney design. You’ll quickly develop an eye for what works and doesn’t work as you plan your outfits, too.
Take the lazy approach
Disney merchandising has soared to new levels in recent years. Yes, Disney’s always stood out as the best company in the business with regards to branding, but during the 21st century, they’ve really upped their game, though, and that’s good news for the lazy among us.
People like me who enjoy the idea of DisneyBounding in theory but don’t want to sweat the details have terrific options today. We can head to the right store to find everything we need. Stores like Hot Topic and its spinoff, Box Lunch, offer hundreds of clothing options and other accessories that you can use to DisneyBound. And the business model of Box Lunch means that for every $10 you spend in stores, the company gives a free meal to someone in need. So, buying a few potential DisneyBound outfits here helps someone else while it helps you.
In fact, the practice has become so common that larger retailers have entered the fray. Kohl’s has an entire line of Disney clothing lines including my personal favorite, Belle from Beauty and the Beast. A savvy shopper can find plenty of Belle outfits here suitable for DisneyBounding. And Kohl’s shoppers know that there’s always a 15-30 percent discount available on all their clothing, making their prices comically low. It’s a cheap solution to a day of DisneyBounding.
Not just for the parks
In the truest sense, DisneyBound is something happens during a park visit. That’s where you’re celebrating your love of all things Disney in the purest form. Let’s be honest, though. You cannot spend all your time at Disney theme parks. You still love Disney characters, though. And that’s the way that the DisneyBound experience has expanded in recent years.
More and more people are wearing Disney colors and outfits of their favorite characters at home, at parties, and even at their jobs. It’s true. As long as you’re subtle about your styles, you can DisneyBound anywhere you like at any time you want. As Kay describes it, the premise is “A way of showing your love and appreciation of Disney through fashion.” That perspective liberates you to wear what you like whenever you feel motivated.
As an example, the animated version of Beauty and the Beast had its theatrical world premise on November 13, 1991, and then debuted in North America on November 22nd. On either of those days, you could dress up as Belle…or Beast. For that matter, if you want to wear a muscle shirt, you could embrace your inner Gaston, too. In fact, there are even some Mrs. Potts DisneyBound suggestions on Pinterest! Literally anything is possible if you’re creative enough.
November’s actually a great month since Uncle Walt introduced Steamboat Willie to the public on November 18, 1928. A black and white ensemble with a touch of red is all you need to show your love for the mouse that started it all. If you want something deeper into winter, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs received its world premiere on December 21, 1937, and then it gained national release on February 4, 1938. So, that’s eight characters you can celebrate on those dates. Of course, the easiest way to expand your horizons by tethering a DisneyBound outfit to a specific date is by dressing up on either April 11th or May 4th. On those two dates in 2012, The Avengers exploded into theaters, and if you can’t find a suitable DisneyBound options from that slew of characters, you’re just not trying.
The best way to get started with a homebased DisneyBound look is to google for existing suggestions. You should find dozens of tips for most popular Disney characters online. Then, the only trick is adjusting those ideas to fit your own fashion style. When you DisneyBound right, you’ll enjoy complete control of the process. You can do it in a way that the only person who knows what you’ve done is you or you can offer such an explicit homage that even the most casual observers will understand the purpose of your look.
DisneyBounding has quickly evolved from an underground way of celebrating a theme park visit to an everyday way of life at the Happiest and Most Magical Places on Earth. Take the suggestions above as a general guide on how you can quickly and easily join in the fun. You may find yourself making it a part of your everyday life, too.
