4 Things I Learned from My First DisneyBound

New to DisneyBounding? No worries, I was in your shoes just a couple of weeks ago! DisneyBounding is a fantastic way to express yourself both in the parks and at home, and I’m excited to share what I learned from my first time trying it!

What is DisneyBounding?

You can DisneyBound by styling outfits with ordinary clothes in a way that is inspired by Disney characters without wearing an actual costume.

DisneyBounding started as a way to get around the park rule that guests over 14 are not permitted to wear costumes, but to some regular DisneyBounders the practice has even spilled over to their day-to-day lives. Today, you can find loads of guests DisneyBounding in the parks, and with a quick scroll through Instagram you can find at-home DisneyBounders, monthly challenges to follow, style inspiration, and more!

My DisneyBounding Goals

DisneyBounding is something I’ve thought about trying in the past, but it always felt intimidating, something I’d have the time or money to do. To make my first attempt at DisneyBounding successful, but also within my own realm of personal comfort, I came up with a couple of goals:

1. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, simply because I was planning the DisneyBound as a part of my vacation and I was hesitant to spend a lot on clothes I may not wear at home.
2. I  wanted to be comfortable. While I totally did it up for my Instagram feed, I didn’t want to spend time changing clothes or carrying extra clothes around the parks.
3. The goal was to channel Cinderella. In retrospect, my first DisneyBound would have been easier if I were open to more characters, but Cinderella just seemed like a nice way to start!

My first time DisneyBound took a lot more time and effort than I anticipated, but in the end I had a blast doing it! And while I did lots of research for how to plan my look before attempting it myself, I think I learned a lot from the whole experience. If you’re also just getting into DisneyBounding here are some things I recently learned that may make your first outfit a bit easier to figure out:

Shopping your own closet is easier said than done

One of the recurring themes I noticed from seasoned DisneyBounders was that many of them start their looks with clothes they already own. This makes perfect sense because you most likely have pieces in your closet that would work for the character you’re channeling. I put off actual shopping until the last minute (aka the weekend before my trip!) because I figured I’d find something in my closet, but as I learned that was NOT the case.

This was partially my own fault because I narrowed myself down to Cinderella only, with a vision of her classic blue gown which resembled nothing in my closet at the time. If you’re open to a variety of characters I’m sure you’ll have better luck! I tried to get creative and stick to Cinderella with a different outfit of hers: Her pink dress seemed like it could get easily confused with Aurora, and while I thought a pre-ball Cinderella look would have been neat I think it was just too ambitious for my first time, so off to the mall I went!

If you must shop, go online

Over the course of three days, I searched countless stores (with the bulk of this outfit ultimately being from Old Navy, the last place I checked of course!). I didn’t have time to shop online because it was too close to my trip for shipping to make sense but if you’re able to do that I think you’ll find it much easier, especially if you need specific colors or accessories.

The most difficult part of shopping was finding clothes that I would wear outside of this one outfit. Another tip I’ve always heard is that if you do shop you should avoid spending a lot on new clothes because if you end up DisneyBounding a lot this could really add up! I came across plenty of dresses that would have made the perfect Cinderella look, but they weren’t anything I’d wear after this trip.

Ultimately I ended up purchasing both this dress and sweater from Old Navy, and I’ve already worn both items since returning from my trip! I wish I started shopping at Old Navy because they have a lot of basic solid colored clothes that you can easily mix and match, plus it’s extremely affordable so if you do end up doing some damage it won’t dig into your vacation budget.

As for accessories, I actually picked up the white Adidas the same weekend because I needed new sneakers for this trip anyway, but I think they worked really well for the dressed down (and comfortable) version of this DisneyBound. The blue flats, choker, and headband I already owned, and while they didn’t immediately come to mind when I checked my closet, once I had the dress and sweater it all just fell into place!

Don’t sacrifice comfort for looks

I wanted to plan a dressed up and dressed down version of this DisneyBound and I planned to wear both during my trip, but as soon as I walked out of my room at All Star Sports with the flats and sweater on it was clear that those pieces would NOT be coming to the parks with me! I originally planned to throw them in our backpack and put them on and off for photos, but the Florida heat plus flats with my high arches was 100% not worth it, and I think that’s okay!

When you’re new to DisneyBounding, it’s easy to feel intimidated by the seemingly perfect photos on Instagram, but your comfort is definitely the most important thing to consider if you’re dressing up in the parks. Shortly after the ‘dressed up’ photos were taken the sweater went around my waist and the flats went back to our hotel room.

Anyone can DisneyBound!

In theory, anyone can wear whatever they like anyway, but as we know the world of fashion is not always the most inclusive place. DisneyBounding is completely different though, the whole community is welcoming and supportive, and it’s easy to feel comfortable DisneyBounding without the usual pressures put on by the fashion industry.

Any Disney fan looking to express themselves with their favorite characters really can get in on this. Putting DisneyBound looks together is completely different than shopping for any other clothes (especially if you can use what you already have) so even if you think you’re not very fashionable DisneyBounding may just change your perspective on that!

Have you tried DisneyBounding before? We’d love to see your looks and hear your advice for new DisneyBounders! Let’s see your photos (use #CelebrationsMag) and leave your tips or questions on DisneyBounding below!