Untangling Disney’s costume rules can seem a task more intimidating than wrestling a Gundark… especially when it comes to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
More and more, guests are looking for ways to enjoy Disney parks in costume. Immersion has become a major theme in the parks, and dressing up to visit embraces this full force. Unfortunately for would-be cosplayers, Disney has some heavy restrictions on costumes—specifically that guests over the age of fourteen aren’t allowed to wear them.
This policy makes sense as there are some real dangers that could occur if kids were to confuse a non-cast member with an official character. The most common ways guests have safely gotten around this has been through Disneybounding—a fan trend where guests come up with creative outfits from modern and vintage clothes that may tribute to Disney characters without being full costumes.
With the landing of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, Disney had to revisit this policy—the reason being that costumes are a long, long standing tradition among Star Wars fans. There are whole fan organizations like the 501st Legion dedicated to the replication and creation of accurate Star Wars costumes. With their plans for wandering characters, Disney couldn’t have hundreds of unsanctioned X-wing pilots and Chewbaccas walking around the park, but they also wanted to embrace the immersive role-play nature of Galaxy’s Edge.
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (Instagram @mykingdomforamouse )
Their solution was a modification of the costume policy. Disneybounding is still allowed (outfit tributes to known Star Wars characters are fine so long as they aren’t full costumes), but they added a whole new version of it guests can enjoy—dressing as a local on Batuu. Some fans have taken to calling this Batuu-bounding, and it is an absolute blast. You need only look up #galaxysedge or #batuubound on Instagram to find dozens of great examples of this practice, from costumes themed around smugglers and Batuu natives to Jedi and Sith.
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of restrictions on Disneybounding and Batuu-bounding, and it has left many guests totally confused. Some fans reported showing up at Disneyland in supposedly-approved costumes and were bounced by security. Others have tried supposedly-banned outfits at Walt Disney World and were let through with no issue. Even stranger, some baffled guests online got the impression you couldn’t get into Galaxy’s Edge without a costume. What is and isn’t actually allowed? Jedi Robes? Face paint? How close can you get to character costumes? What if you have admission to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?
We’ve learned a lot Batuu-bounding at Galaxy’s Edge and gathered together our top tips to untangle the rules and help you make the most out of your experience if you want to try this seriously fun Disney activity…
How does Batuu-bounding affect your visit to Walt Disney World or Disneyland?
Image: Disney
I will admit I’ve become absolutely hooked on Batuu-bounding at Walt Disney World. As a fan of Star Wars MMORPG’s and a former Renaissance Festival worker, dressing up for Galaxy’s Edge is absolutely my happy place. I’ve dressed as a random smuggler for all of my Batuu visits, and wearing a costume definitely has some cool effects on your time in the Black Spire Outpost—even beyond being able to get some amazing photos during your visit.
Both Disneybounding and Batuu-bounding are likely to get you a little more interaction with cast members during your visit. It’s like a signal that tells them you’re ready to play in the world of Batuu. Some guests are very uncomfortable with the immersive elements of the land, so cast members sometimes err on the side of caution with guests who seem squeamish. Dressing up tells them you are up for some in-world fun! The cast at Docking Bay 7 have always been especially nice to us when we dress up, as have those at Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. You may even get to enjoy some interesting interactions with wandering characters. Most notably, I was stopped by Kylo Ren during a recent visit while in a scoundrel costume. He tried to read my mind. I’m guessing he caught up on a lot Theme Park Tourist features straight from my brain…
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
Dressing up for your Galaxy’s Edge visit does come with a few minor downsides to be aware of. Many costumes come with trade-offs compared to casual clothes. For example, my husband doesn’t like to always Batuu-bound because the vest for his costume gets insanely hot. Heavy or layered costumes may leave you cooking under the Florida sun, so choose your outfits wisely. Also keep in mind the shoes you are wearing. When I do full Star Wars cosplay for events, I usually wear world-appropriate boots, but I don’t have any comfortable enough for long walks in Walt Disney World, so I adjust my costume to include hiking boots instead. You may have to make some choices between costume and comfort, and when it comes to your feet, I always recommend comfort at Disney parks.
Finally, be aware that the more elaborate your Disneybound outfit, the more likely you might be screened extra at security. My scoundrel outfit includes belt pouches that are essentially fused to my hips because of the width of my belt and tiny belt loops. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, they’ve always allowed me to just open these and prove they are empty, but when I tried to wear this outfit to Epcot, I got stalled at security because they wanted me to take the belt pouches off. They let me go when they realized I really couldn’t get them off easily, but this was a small snag and is something you should remain cognizant of.
What you can wear—Disneybounding or Batuu-bounding
Image: Disney
As we mentioned, there are two approved ways for the average guest to dress up for their visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Disneybounding in tribute to a known Star Wars character or Batuu-bounding as a local.
If you’re wondering why we’re differentiating Disneybounding from Batuu-bounding, its because the former is actually a lot easier to get away with. Disneybounding has to do with making outfits that are tributes to known characters, but they don’t necessarily have to look like in-world costumes. They certainly can so long as you use modern or vintage clothing styles and don’t look like an official Disney character. We’ve seen all sorts of wonderful ideals for Disneybounding, from beautiful summer dresses patterned after the style of Padme or Princess Leia to a fabulous pant-suit patterned after C-3PO. Han Solo and Rey seem to be the most popular choices since their costumes are easy to imitate and walk a grey area in between Disneybounding and Batuu-bounding. Indeed, we saw so many Rey outfits on opening day that we started to joke they must be her handmaidens dispersed to confuse assassins.
The other option is that guests can dress as a Batuu local (or in-world visitor)—aka Batuu-bounding. These outfits generally consist of tunics, vests, or jackets in earthy tones, but that’s just the basic concept Disney suggests. Dressing as a Batuu local leaves A LOT of grey area for costume ideas since the Black Spire Outpost and its denizens have an extremely colorful history, meaning your outfit can be based on just about anyone you want from scoundrels to resistance loyalists to First Order flunkies. The costumes are astonishingly easy to put together thanks to the earthy, layered styles common on Batuu, so this option opens a lot of doors for fans who want to try out dressing up without committing to a complicated outfit.
What you CAN’T wear…
Image: Disney
Before we dive into ideas for potential costumes, it’s important to identify what isn’t allowed in Galaxy’s Edge. This is where things get a little more confusing, particularly because we’ve seen hints that Disney may or may not have lightened up the costume policy when they opened Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World.
Officially, these are the items you definitely can’t wear at Galaxy’s Edge
- No masks for adults even for special events
- No elaborate headpieces (with one exception we’ll return to below)
- No holsters, blasters, or items that look like weapons (lightsabers are fine)
- No hard items like body armor
- No full character suits
- No clothing items that drag on the floor like dresses, capes, or robes
A few grey areas…
Image: Disney
Supposedly official costumes– some of which got guests BOUNCED
There are several other items you aren’t supposed to wear, but they may not be completely banned at Galaxy’s Edge. On several occasions, we’ve seen leniency (or the lack thereof) in these “no-no” areas:
- Facepaint is not allowed, but we’ve noticed Disney doesn’t put up much of a fuss over make-up looks that pay tribute to Star Wars characters, particularly gothic make-up for Sith characters. So long as you aren’t going full Darth Maul, you are probably okay doing some fun make-up for your Disneybound effort. We’ve even seen some outfits that included painted-on Kylo Ren scars!
- Here’s the big one: Jedi robes were banned from the opening of Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, but supposedly Jedi tunics without cloaks were allowed. This became very confusing when guests started reporting they were getting bounced for wearing tan-colored Jedi tunics exactly like those pictured on Disney’s “approved” list. While Disney hasn’t given any official word on this, it does seem notable that Walt Disney World’s page for Batuu-bounding no longer lists Jedi robes as a banned item. While we would recommend you err on the side of caution and not bring Jedi robes to Batuu (especially if they touch the ground), we have seen guests in the park wearing short versions of them. It is possible these were bought inside the land, but this may also be an area Disney is feeling out as they go.
- Military style attire like X-Wing flightsuits and Imperial/First Order officer uniforms are banned in theory, but we have seen some guests get pretty close to costumes on these. We saw quite the elaborate mechanic’s outfit on opening day, as well as a guest who wore an unmistakable DIY of a First Order officer. Disney may have tightened their policy since then, so just be aware these military-inspired costumes could get you bounced. Have a backup plan!
- You should also be aware that just because you buy a costume item in Galaxy’s Edge doesn’t mean that you can wear it. Consult cast members in the land for clarification if a costume item sold in the Black Spire Outpost can be worn in the land or not. We have definitely seen plenty of Jedi belts approved, but Jedi Robes, First Order Uniforms, and other costumes may still be banned.
There are two other “grey areas’ of note. First off, as mentioned, kids under 14 are welcome to wear Star Wars costumes so long as they fit general Disney guidelines, like no weapons other than lightsabers and no costumes that drag on the ground. Kids can even wear masks so long as their peripheral vision isn’t obstructed and their eyes are fully visible. Facepaint is also fine for kids under 14.
Second, for teens and adults who want to attempt a full cosplay at Galaxy’s Edge, your best bet would be to acquire an admission to Mickey’s Not-So Scary Halloween Party. Guests with admission to this event can wear their costumes to the parks during the day, and the policy is much laxer than the normal Galaxy’s Edge guidelines:
- Still no weapons other than lightsabers
- No sharp objects or edges on costumes—leave those Mad Max spikes at home
- Disney discourages heavily layered or full body costumes since they will be subject to substantial security screening
- Capes can only be worn to the waist (this seems to go for Batuu-bounding as well)
- Face-paint is allowed in some cases (we saw a cosplayer as Ashoka Tano pull this off magnificently)
Ideas for Disneybounding at Galaxy’s Edge
Image: Instagram @PajamaSami (Used with Permission)
Is your curiosity piqued? If you aren’t sure where to get started dressing up for Galaxy’s Edge, here’s a few ideas.
For many fans, Disneybounding may be the easiest place to start since your outfit can directly reference beloved characters without having to look like a “costume” per se. Designing a Disneybound outfit is simple: choose a character then piece together either modern or vintage clothing items in a way that gives tribute to that character. Your outfit can be as simple or elaborate as you want, whether you just want to match a character’s color-scheme or design something more complex. Technically, even something as simple as a white t-shirt, vest, and jeans could be a Han Solo Disneybound. A black dress and leggings with goth-style make-up could be a tribute to Kylo Ren.
If you want to go more elaborate, you can Disneybound versions of popular character costumes. Rey is particularly easy thanks to her long scarf and earthy layers, as is Jyn Erso from Rogue One. Guests who have tailoring skills can also design fun outfits inspired by their favorite character. Generally, anything goes in Disneybounding so long as you don’t look like an official character cast member and you stay within Disney’s guidelines.
Ideas for Batuu-bounding at Galaxy’s Edge
Image: Nick Alford, (Instagram @Solo____Photographer, Used with Permission)
While Disneybounding is a blast, Batuu-bounding gives an even wider range of options for guest who want to dress up since you really can start with just wearing familiar clothes that just have a faint “Star Wars” feel to them. For creatives, dressing as a Batuu-local gives the opportunity to invent new characters who exist within the story of the Black Spire Outpost.
One of the easiest routes to take is to dress as an actual Batuu-native, just like the cast members. In proper Star Wars fashion, the denizens of Batuu wear a wide range of layered outfits made from natural fibers with pieces like sashes, vests, and tunics. Colors tend to either be earthy shades or muted versions of jewel tones. Belts and sashes can be used creatively, and even cowls are allowed in many cases (I’ve never been stopped for mine). Capelets are also allowed, and we’ve seen some incredible costumes fall under these guidelines. Indeed, if you own anything in the broad category of “hippie-clothes”, you could probably just look in your closet and put together an outfit as a Batuu-native.
The second most flexible option is to dress as a scoundrel of some type. These are the Galaxy’s seedier residents who hold few allegiances in the war– drifters like smugglers, information dealers, gamblers, fixers, bounty hunters, scavengers, and pirates (Hondo’s type of people). This is usually my go-to option for Batuu-bounding as there are so many modern clothing options you can piece together to make a great scoundrel.
A scoundrel can look either shabby or sleek, depending on who you’re trying to emulate. You can pick up inspiration for scoundrel clothes from characters like Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Aurra Sing, and Disney’s own most-interesting-man-in-the-universe, Hondo Ohnaka. For example, a proper scoundrel might wear a vest or jacket layered with a shirt of just about any plain color, jeans or beat up pants, and boots. I’ve cosplayed as Mara Jade for a few movie premieres, so when I Batuu-bound, I usually wear my cowl from my Mara Jade costume with a pair of goggles I keep on top of my head to make a unique character. Full or fingerless gloves and belt pouches make great accessories as well. If you’re aiming for a gambler type look, keep things clean looking. For more of a sketchy sort like a pirate, embrace grungy, dingy looks.
Image: Kristin (Instagram @OhKreestin – Used with Permission)
Finally, you can also easily Batuu-bound as a participant in the Galactic Civil War—either for the Resistance or the First Order. The Resistance are generally trying to stay under the radar in the Black Spire Outpost by dressing as Batuu locals, but you can show your Resistance pride by wearing bolder colors like orange or insignias on clothing that hint to your allegiance. A leather jacket, light shirt, and brown pants can hint at a pilot’s background, while a sleeker clothes under a jacket may suggest attachments to Resistance intelligence like Leia’s top spy, Vi Moradi.
On the other hand, if you serve the Supreme Leader and ate those tempting cookies offered by the dark side, you may want to dress like a loyalist to the First Order. This can be slightly more challenging due to the implied ban on military gear, but there are ways around this so long as its clear you’re a guest. Think crisp lines, monochromatic hues (either shades of white to black or harsh red), and keep your outfit absolutely clean cut. First Order hats are sold in their part of the land, and to our knowledge, there is no ban on wearing these. You can also DIY Imperial or First Order badges for your lapel from buttons and other basic materials—indeed, even attaching a first order badge of some sort to a normal outfit will make your allegiances plain for all to see. For Sith or dark side inspired costumes, you can’t go wrong with black layered tunics in lightweight fabrics and dark, brooding smoky eyes.
However you choose to dress up for Galaxy’s Edge, make it your own and have fun! Disneybounding and Batuu-bounding add to the immersive nature of the Black Spire Outpost not just for you but for other guests. You actually become part of the atmosphere that makes Batuu so intriguing! If you’ve been on the fence, give it a try for your next visit!
Have you dressed up to visit Galaxy’s Edge? How did you dress up and how did it go?
