Can we talk shoes and clothes?

[thewritegirl]

I was reading the Disney Tourist blog, and the girl on there swears by dresses in the park. I can see the appeal - for one, it seems like they would be a little more quick drying than jeans. What do you all think? Are dresses a good idea or impractical?

Second - shoes. Some people like Crocs, and I have a couple of pairs that are super comfortable, but when they get wet, they are a slippery nightmare to walk around in. What shoes do you wear in the park? And, what should would you wear if you were wearing a dress? Like, you wouldn't want to wear full on, athletic lace-up shoes. You'd have to go with some kind of a compromise like a Merrell or Keen shoe, right? Thoughts, ideas? Pictures or links would be awesome, too!

 

[kaci]

I wear dresses 90% of the time I'm out of the house. I love Land's End knit dresses. They travel well are super comfy and modest enough for moderate activity. For shoes I'm packing a pair of Dansko mary janes, Chaco sandals and Keen ballet flats.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I was reading the Disney Tourist blog, and the girl on there swears by dresses in the park. I can see the appeal - for one, it seems like they would be a little more quick drying than jeans. What do you all think? Are dresses a good idea or impractical?

Second - shoes. Some people like Crocs, and I have a couple of pairs that are super comfortable, but when they get wet, they are a slippery nightmare to walk around in. What shoes do you wear in the park? And, what should would you wear if you were wearing a dress? Like, you wouldn't want to wear full on, athletic lace-up shoes. You'd have to go with some kind of a compromise like a Merrell or Keen shoe, right? Thoughts, ideas? Pictures or links would be awesome, too!

It's entirely personal about the dresses vs pants. I find it can be awkward getting in and out of some rides in a dress. And, if it's windy, that can cause other situations that can be equally awkward.

As to the shoes, I wear good walking shoes. Whatever shoes you go with, be sure they are not brand new, you should have a few miles already on them.

 

[pixiewings71]

Shoes, I wear good tennis/athletic shoes that stay on my feet securely and are cushy to walk in. I can't do flip flops at all. I have done boots in the winter and my feet do hurt at the end of the day (which is weird because I wear boots to my bar job all the time and I dance in them lol) but if it's raining I still wear them.

Dresses, no way, no how. Now wearing a dress at DL. I wear jeans or capris or bermuda shorts but not dresses. Too many chances for "oops" IMO. and I do wear dresses to the aforementioned bar job so I have nothing against them.

 

[lizdotcom99]

I am with most others and agree.....no dresses. I am a capri or jean girl personally. And although I love my crocs for home...a day in the park with crocs is killer. I really need more support...and go with a good pair of running shoes. I find my feet do not hurt even after a long day of walking.

 

[KiwiMouseGirl]

Im looking at a few varieties of the stretchy cotton maxi dressed for our trip next October/November. As for shoes, I wore canvas 'tennis' shoes when we were there in April/May. For me they gave the support of wearing a sneaker but were a lot lighter. They also dry quickly and it's easy to pack a few spare pairs of socks to change throughout the day

 

[thewritegirl]

I wear dresses 90% of the time I'm out of the house. I love Land's End knit dresses. They travel well are super comfy and modest enough for moderate activity. For shoes I'm packing a pair of Dansko mary janes, Chaco sandals and Keen ballet flats.

Your post made me go back over to the Land's End site and look again, because they are having this dang 30% off sale and free shipping. I can't stop looking. The other day, I ordered each of my kids a super cute messenger bag to take on our DL trip for less than $10 each and today I found a knit dress for under $10 after discount!

Last time, I did wear yoga pants a couple of the days, and they were nice because they dried out more quickly than jeans. I just hate walking around in wet jeans after Splash Mountain, yk?

 

[kaci]

Your post made me go back over to the Land's End site and look again, because they are having this dang 30% off sale and free shipping. I can't stop looking. The other day, I ordered each of my kids a super cute messenger bag to take on our DL trip for less than $10 each and today I found a knit dress for under $10 after discount!

Last time, I did wear yoga pants a couple of the days, and they were nice because they dried out more quickly than jeans. I just hate walking around in wet jeans after Splash Mountain, yk?

That's funny, I've placed 2 orders in the last week because of that sale, too. Five new dresses *giggle*

I hear ya on the wet jeans! Plus I just find the waist band of most jeans really uncomfortable when I'm sitting/standing/sitting all day long. Much rather not deal with it

 

[chrisrunty]

I love fashion! But when visiting DL, I am all about yoga pants or capris, sneakers and tees. Comfort is #1 at DL.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I love skorts, Athleta.com has a great selection. I pair them with Chaco sandals.

 

[kayleigh83]

When I was there in July I wore a dress a couple days, it sure helped keep cool on the hot days! But I would wear bike shorts under it or something, there are situations getting on and off rides and such where wearing a skirt could get a little too revealing! I was just as happy and comfortable in shorts, and my range of motion was better, but that's just me!

 

[danlkrim]

The weather determines a lot of what I wear to theme parks.
For summer I like lightweight shorts and tops from Columbia or similar brands.
For other times, I like capris. I look for lightweight fabrics that will dry easily. I also like denim with stretch. I also look for things that don't wrinkle so they will be easy to pack and need little if any ironing. For cooler weather I like to layer a lightweight 3/4 sleeve shirt with a light vest. You can always add a hoodie for cool mornings/evenings or a thin rain/wind jacket if needed.
For shoes I like Teva and Merrell sandals but not flip flips. I don't want to lose a shoe on a ride.
Something to think about, especially in summer. is what I call "performance" underwear. There are several brands and styles available at places like REI. They wick moisture. I'm from Houston, live in Atlanta and I have vacationed in Florid in the summer. They are not cheap ($20/pair) but they make a big difference in comfort level.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Agree with the above poster about performance clothing. Whether it is a dress, pants, or underwear, moisture wicking, quick drying, non-wrinkling clothing works really well for travel, especially at DLR. I wear dresses and skirts frequently at the parks (usually with leggings or tights -- capri leggings in summer, wool tights in winter) and also long pants. Performance clothing (look for labels like Columbia, REI, Patagonia, Isis, Ex Officio, etc.) works better than anything else. Any dress that can pack without wrinkles, wash out in the sink, dry overnight, go through a whole day at the parks to dinner at Napa Rose and look great gets an A+ in my book!

As for shoes to go with the aforementioned clothing, Keens work best for me. Usually the mary jane styles. In really cold or wet weather, I wear boots -- Blundstone, Ugg, etc.

 

[sonnyjane]

When I was there in July I wore a dress a couple days, it sure helped keep cool on the hot days! But I would wear bike shorts under it or something, there are situations getting on and off rides and such where wearing a skirt could get a little too revealing! I was just as happy and comfortable in shorts, and my range of motion was better, but that's just me!

Ay yi yi I second that. I wore a skirt to Disneyland ONCE and realized while having to straddle some poor woman's husband on Splash Mountain whilst my flowered underwear were somewhat exposed that I would NOT repeat that mistake.

 

[PinkBudgie]

If you wear a dress, stay off the Matterhorn. The seating is very "unlady like" and I even had the thought I was glad I wasn't wearing a dress.

In the summer I wear shorts. This November trip I just took I wore jeans all day. Morning and evenings were in the 40's.

As for shoes, I used to swear by my walking shoes, but the past few trips I've worn my Crocs flats. (Not the clogs, sorry, but I can't stand how they look) I have several different styles and they are cute AND comfortable. My Crocs flats are way more comfortable than my walking shoes.

 

[thewritegirl]

Ay yi yi I second that. I wore a skirt to Disneyland ONCE and realized while having to straddle some poor woman's husband on Splash Mountain whilst my flowered underwear were somewhat exposed that I would NOT repeat that mistake.

Aaaannnd...pants it is!

 

[tanyaewa]

I have done Disney days in skirts and its been fine. I will wear cute shoes all day and then change into jeans and Nikes when the sun goes down. I always brink a second pair of shoes and pants to change into and put them into locker.

 

[Eeee-va]

I am not particularly girly at all, but I've worn dresses and skirts (about calf-length, fairly full) to Disneyland several times with no problems. I even rode the Matterhorn in my skirted Halloween outfit, though I admit that was a bit awkward and would have been terrible in a non-full skirt. I've ridden Splash Mountain (they now have individual-ish seats now if I recall correctly) and even the carousel in a skirt without problems.

I don't think you could ride Silly Symphony Swings in a skirt, and it sounds like Luigi's Flying Tires can be a very serious problem in a skirt, given all the air blasts! So I would definitely plan at LEAST one non-dress day. Shorts underneath is not a bad idea either.

For shoes, you may find whatever you wear every day is most comfortable. I'm actually most comfortable in the simple flat shoes I wear to work every day. I am not on my feet at work, but I do go out for a quick walk during my breaks, so that might help.

 

[awdsmama]

I'm not a dressy-girl so I'll leave that to others

Shoes though, I alternated between my asics tennis shoes and basic airwalks in the park and my feet held out fine.

Clothing wise, in March I wore denim shorts and khaki capris and didn't feel either got so wet they were unfcomfortable for very long at all.

 

[starshine514]

Our last trip, it was hot and I decided to wear skirts 2 of the days. They were both full and at least knee-length and I wore spandex shorts underneath. They were very comfortable and I felt a lot cuter than usual in them (one was a poodle skirt-style - with Zero as the poodle). I even rode the Silly Symphony Swings in them!

For shoes, I wore athletic shoes with my jeans and a pair of super-comfy Mary Janes (mine are Hot Kiss brand) with the skirts. I did put extra insoles in the MJs and wore padded socks, but I didn't have any problems with foot pain.