Dressing daughter up for the parks

[squeegee]

I'll be taking my then 4-yo daughter in December, and I'm planning on taking seven to ten costumes for her (depending on how fast I can get them sewn up). She's a princess nut and will wear a petticoat and skirt every day, if allowed to get away with it. She wears dresses almost every day - it's a fight of colossal proportions to get her into pants (even just underneath a dress) on cold days.

That said, I'm also taking a bunch of "regular" clothes, in case she gets "over" wearing a dress at any point during the day. I like to be prepared.

It's entirely up to you and your Dd's personality/style as to whether or not she'll wear costumes in the parks. If you think she will, though, I highly advise getting them before you go - they're much less expensive outside the parks.

Either way, enjoy the trip!

 

[Angel Ariel]

My sister says I should dress up my daughter (princess costumes) every day we go to the parks. I said I might do it for Magic Kingdom but otherwise I will just dress her comfortably (Disney-themed T-shirt and shorts). She got really upset that I wouldn't budge on this, saying that most little girls will be dressed up at the parks and I'm somehow robbing my daughter of that experience.

What say you? I can't even imagine having my poor little daughter in a dress on a hot day at Animal Kingdom! She will turn 3 years old on the trip and hasn't particularly requested wearing a dress at the parks.

Do whatever you and your DD are most comfortable with! If you are interested in dressing her up, but don't like the full costumes, I recently saw an etsy shop (AJ's Café - found the link!) that sells costume aprons. The ones on the etsy site are adult sized, but maybe she could do child sized? I would definitely consider this route with y DD (she'll be 3 this summer)

For your Magic Kingdom day, I would advise putting the shorts and T shirt on under the gown and then either take a backpack for caring around the dress when/if your daughter wants it off or rent a locker when that happens. Also, while the shoes make the outfit, if your little one isn't used to wearing "slippers" all day, I'd advise to just use the old tennis shoes. Unless you are Cinderella and it's getting to be midnight and you are at a ball, shoes don't really matter.

Re: the bolded - I read a tip on here somewhere (from mom2rtk maybe?) about taking small, roll-up space saver bags and when the costume comes off, putting it in the space saver bag, squishing out the air and then putting it in a backpack. I think we'll be doing this on our next trip for sure.

 

[Mikie]

Re: the bolded - I read a tip on here somewhere (from mom2rtk maybe?) about taking small, roll-up space saver bags and when the costume comes off, putting it in the space saver bag, squishing out the air and then putting it in a backpack. I think we'll be doing this on our next trip for sure.

I've also seen a tip that if you buy something you'll be having delivered back to your room, you can ask for a larger bag, add your gown to it and it gets sent back to your room with your shopping goodies.

 

[HopperFan]

DD, now an adult never dressed up. I always had her in a cute tshirt and shorts or capris or pants, maybe cute socks. Sometimes the family was coordinated (like styles different characters) and she always felt very Disney-like and when meeting characters tied to her shirt they always made sure to say something or point 'with excitement." Now as an adult she likes to wear a tiara to the parks.

Yes there will be some girls in princess dresses but it by no means the majority. Of those many seemed to have been to BBB. What I do notice most is the little girls pulling, tugging, stepping on and dragging their gowns/skirts around. I get it for a special meal but I think if I were to let her wear one I'd be packing a set of clothes to change in to. Now there are some cute tshirts with tutus stitched to the bottom of them. They would be cute with any kind of bottom. I think I even saw some at Target.

Bottom line do what you and your daughter want, it's no one else's decision or business.

 

[isabellea]

Last summer my oldest DD wore her Elsa dress from 6:45am to 9:45pm without any complaining. My youngest...as soon as we were done with our 8am breakfast at CRT she was out of her Cinderella dress! She hated wearing a princess dress because it was itchy. This summer we are going to WDW for 7 days instead of 3 and I expect my oldest to wear one every day. My youngest...I don't think she'll accept we go near her with one! LOL. I always have a confortable change of clothe for when the dress has to go.

 

[Liz Vogel]

From my experiences at Disney, I have rarely seen a little girl in a Princess dress outside of MK. What I suggest is asking your daughter what she wants to do. If she wants to wear a princess dress every day, let her wear a princess dress every day. What I suggest is taking a backpack and putting one princess dress nicely folded at the bottom of the bad in a plastic bag. If she decides that she wants to put on her princess dress you have it and can change in the bathrooms or put it on right over her clothes that she is wearing in the park.

 

[bucky1023]

I would dress her up for your MK day and see how it goes. I've seen many little girls in full costumes having the time of their lives... I have also seen quite a few little girls in the middle of summer (we usually go the first/second week of August) looking hot, miserable and complain how itchy they were. But only you know your daughter to well enough to make sure she is comfortable.

 

[2binak]

DD7, started wearing princess dresses at the park (MK only) when she was 5 and only because she asked if she could. Even then, she didn't wear the dress all day. She would wear it for a bit and then take it off and then put it back on to meet the princesses and then take it back off. She wears shorts & a t-shirt or tank top under the dress. Every other day of our vacation, she's in comfortable clothing.

 

[Katie Dawn]

If your sister has never been... do you think she's saying that because often the girls in the COMMERCIALS are wearing princess dresses?
We'll be there when the average high is 85 degrees, in humid Florida... we'll all be in cool shirts and shorts. But as others have said... you do whatever works for you guys! That's what matters.

 

[Doug M]

Last summer it was rare to see princess dresses outside MK, and even in MK it wasnt common. The night we ate at CRT dresses were the majority around the castle. BTW, your daughter will be called princess regardless of her attire, mine was.

 

[nat8199]

If you do want her to wear dresses, there is a brand called little adventurers that makes very high quality, comfortable dresses. They are on amazon or sites like little dress up shop.

 

[Planogirl]

We were there just a few weeks ago and saw very few girls in costumes. I think that your sister is blowing this completely out of proportion.

 

[jerseygirl82]

DD has worn a princess dress once while in Disney when she was 2, on our MK day. She is much happier in shorts and a Disney shirt - Anna and Elsa, Sofia, etc.

You know your daughter better than your sister does. Don't let your sister dictate what is your decision.

 

[ForeverAlice]

As others have mentioned I also like to dress DD in the princess dress she wants to wear that with a tee and shorts underneath and normally plan to fold or roll the dress up midday and put it in my backpack when she is hot. She does not like the disney princess shoes so I got her the anna and elsa crocs- last year she had the princess ones and ariel, cinderella and rapunzel all noticed and told her how much they liked them!!!

 

[MolonLabe]

Shoes... whatever you do, realize that comfortable shoes can make out break it.

As to dresses, we have done that , usually once per trip for a special meet and greet, but we have a change of clothes.

My girls never felt "bad" and more than once would say "I'm so glad I'm not wearing that right now" on a hot day.

 

[Ambear]

I'd bring along a super fluffy, sparkly tutu and maybe let her pick out a pretty ear headband. Then if either annoy her you can easily take them off and put em in a backpack or something. Tutus are awesome. I still want to wear them.

 

[slaveone]

For my niece we never worried about the dresses but we would find clothes that looked like characters before disneybounding was even a thing. She was Minnie for MK one time, a pirate another, and I think we did Tink once. It was far cooler and more comfortable for her and as a result us.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

It is really cool to do, but in the long run, after one day, comfort is far more important to have fun. After the first day wear something special or take some special to symbolize or give the look of the princess without wearing the whole outfit. (Button, hat, T-shirt, scarf, shoes, etc.) I have seen some miserable kids traipsing along in full princess regalia.

 

[conandrob240]

If your daughter hasn't specifically requested to wear the dresses, I say don't bother. Brings or wear one to MK for an early am round of pictures, then change her I to something more comfortable. I'd say 10-20% of little girls have princess costumes on walking around the parks. She certainly won't be an outlier in shorts and a t- shirt.

 

[Bronxgirl]

DD was 3.5 when we last went to WDW. we brought dresses with us for her to wear to character meals, but otherwise she just wore shorts and tshirts. For this trip we'll be doing BBB one morning and lunch at CRT so she'll probably keep the dress on through lunch and change after that. When we go to the Count's Spooktacular at Sesame Place, she always wears her princess dresses all day and seems comfortable, but that's PA in October vs. Orlando in the summer so it's not too bad.