Disney's Costume Departments

[JohnSmith99]

Anyone know who and where the costumes are made? I know Magic Kingdom has an underground costume department, but are the character ones like the Mickey Mouse heads, Goofy, Timon, Pooh, etc....Are those all done on the property of each park? Or are they done in CA and shipped to the other parks? I know most theme parks like Six Flags, and Universal's costumes are contracted out to outside companies.

P.S.
Has anyone ever wondered how many official Mickey costume heads exist in the world...Between Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Disney On Ice, etc. it's bound to be a ton. Also, when Mickey wears hats, are those separate heads, or are they placed onto existing heads?

 

[Missytara]

Disney does not release a lot of the information you asked about.

However, you do get a glimpse of a costume area on the Backlot tour. It may be just for show though.

 

[SWMedic]

I can't answer all of your question, but I know that the costumes for cast members and park characters for WDW are in fact created within Disney's Hollywood Studios. The small glimpse into the costuming department seen from the Backlot Tour is really just the tip of the iceberg. I had the chance to do a tour through the costuming department a few weeks ago, and the labyrinth of corridors and buildings not seen from stage are impressive. Everything is handled on site, from concept artwork and design, right through final fittings and distribution.