Policy on Adults in Costume

[Stacy's a freak]

I think it's weird, especially the pic above. I'm all for people wearing what they want, but I think it's offputting to see someone dressed as a character but not truly employed by Disney. I think it takes away from the specialness of seeing and interacting with the actual characters. I'm not sure why but it's sortof how I felt in Times Square the last time I was there. There were the usual normal people dressed in costumes to get attention (and tips, of course) from the tourists. For a second I got a little giddy when I saw "Mickey" and "Minnie" from behind. Then, when they turned around, I got creeped out by their non-Disney looking costumes and faces. I felt duped and remembered that they are just average people in less-than-Disney costumes. I didn't like it. I think I would feel the same way in WDW if I saw the same thing.

 

[MissStitch626]

I think it's weird, especially the pic above. I'm all for people wearing what they want, but I think it's offputting to see someone dressed as a character but not truly employed by Disney. I think it takes away from the specialness of seeing and interacting with the actual characters. I'm not sure why but it's sortof how I felt in Times Square the last time I was there. There were the usual normal people dressed in costumes to get attention (and tips, of course) from the tourists. For a second I got a little giddy when I saw "Mickey" and "Minnie" from behind. Then, when they turned around, I got creeped out by their non-Disney looking costumes and faces. I felt duped and remembered that they are just average people in less-than-Disney costumes. I didn't like it. I think I would feel the same way in WDW if I saw the same thing.

I'm with you on this. I have no issues with people dressing up (I've been to MNSSHP in costume myself), it's more that I feel it distracts a little from the 'real' characters, so I personally am hoping that they don't relax the policy too much. I do agree with a pp that it could confuse some children and/or detract from the magic a little.

 

[ktlm]

I took this really blurry picture two weeks ago. It was after 4:00 on an MVMCP day, and there were a lot of people in unusual clothes, so I didn't think of it as being "in costume" at the time.

I remember seeing her! Was that the week after Thanksgiving? FYI- That is not the dress they are selling in the parks. The park dress is sleeveless and a little less costumely, although still clearly a Minnie Mouse dress.

 

[minnie mum]

The photo of the girl in the Minnie dress (thanks for posting ttintagel) brought to mind something that we noted in Oct. in Tokyo Disney- we lost count of the number of girls/women that we saw dressed like this (dress, stockings, yellow shoes, gloves, ears) inthe parks. Gaggles of girls (what do you call a group of mice- besides an infestation) dressed up like Minnie. And Alice. And a few other characters. This wasn't just at Tokyo Disneyland (which had Halloween parties going on), but at Tokyo Disney Sea (where full costumes aren't allowed).
Now, granted, cosplay is very common and accepted in Japan, but it makes me wonder if Disney is trying to globally align some of their park policies. Anyone know how this is all playing out at Disneyland Paris?

 

[Jennasis]

People can dress however they want...as Minnie, a pirate, a princess, goth, punk, etc etc. but they do it FOR the attention. And now they've got it. Can't complain about it.

 

[ttintagel]

I remember seeing her! Was that the week after Thanksgiving? FYI- That is not the dress they are selling in the parks. The park dress is sleeveless and a little less costumely, although still clearly a Minnie Mouse dress.

It was the week after Thanksgiving! The thing that struck me the most was the bloomers.

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

I hope that fanny packs and Crocs with socks never becomes part of any Disney costume because I just can't get enough of seeing people wear that when I go to the parks.

If that's becomes the case...99.9% of the park goers are getting kicked out.

 

[ktlm]

It was the week after Thanksgiving! The thing that struck me the most was the bloomers.

Funny, the bloomers and the yellow shoes were what really got my attention too! You said it was an MVMCP day. Was it Tuesday? We were at MK from rope drop to about 11:00 p.m. that day. My DD(6) is a total commando, just like her parents!

 

[2binak]

I really don't like the thought of random people walking around the parks (or resorts) dressed up as Disney characters. I think would most definitely take away from the magic of seeing the real characters, especially for children who may not understand the difference. I love walking along and suddenly encountering a character and I especially love to see my DD's reaction when that happens. I can only imagine the disappointment you'd feel when you realize that the character you see isn't a real character and the difficulty people may have explaining that to little ones.

 

[LucyBC80]

Have you guys heard of Disneybouding? The term now actually means wearing normal clothes that looks like characters outfits. The girl wearing the polka dot dress on the picture is Disneybouding as Minnie. There's a tumblr dedicated exclusively for that, it's full if cool ideas and clothe choices.

I'm actually Disneybouding as Donald, Mickey and Snow White on my upcoming trip.

Posted from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[disnut8]

I took this really blurry picture two weeks ago. It was after 4:00 on an MVMCP day, and there were a lot of people in unusual clothes, so I didn't think of it as being "in costume" at the time.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with this. It's extremely obvious this woman is not Minnie. And she's not wearing a mask.

I wouldn't dress up like a character as we're more of the "cool Agent P T-shirt dude" or "love your Piglet T-shirt Miss" kind of people. If we did see guests dressed as characters, we would just chuckle and move on.

 

[parkhopping]

Have you guys heard of Disneybouding? The term now actually means wearing normal clothes that looks like characters outfits. The girl wearing the polka dot dress on the picture is Disneybouding as Minnie. There's a tumblr dedicated exclusively for that, it's full if cool ideas and clothe choices.

I'm actually Disneybouding as Donald, Mickey and Snow White on my upcoming trip.

Posted from my iPhone using DISBoards

I am familiar with Disneybound, but that photo is not it. It's a costume. Disneybounding uses normal clothes to create a look that suggests the character, not recreates it. Tumblr is down right now so I can't link to the actual site, but here is the Disneybound for Minnie:

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with this. It's extremely obvious this woman is not Minnie. And she's not wearing a mask.

I wouldn't dress up like a character as we're more of the "cool Agent P T-shirt dude" or "love your Piglet T-shirt Miss" kind of people. If we did see guests dressed as characters, we would just chuckle and move on.

I agree. Whether you're 3 or 30, it can still be fun to dress up as your favorite characters - just look at the kind of attendance events like ComicCon get. And I think it would be nice for those over the age of 10 to be able to do that in the parks. I wouldn't be bothered by seeing others do that.

On the other hand, I also see the problems that can arise when guests are mistaken for the actual characters, and it could be hard to draw the line between realistic and unrealistic costumes. It will be interesting to see where Disney goes with this in the future.

 

[ttintagel]

Funny, the bloomers and the yellow shoes were what really got my attention too! You said it was an MVMCP day. Was it Tuesday? We were at MK from rope drop to about 11:00 p.m. that day. My DD(6) is a total commando, just like her parents!

It WAS Tuesday! Boy, that was a long day - left home at 4AM, traveled most of the day, and stayed in the parks until 9, then zonked. I wish I still had a six-year-old's energy!

 

[+Rosetta+]

Since this was brought up, I've been wondering what the policy is for all the non-park parts of WDW. What if someone wore a costume to dinner? What if it wasn't a Disney character? The rules specifically mention the parks but not anywhere else.

If you're wearing a really obvious costume in DTD you'll be told to go change too. There have been a few people that have tried it, mostly Kingdom Hearts costumes.

-------
As for the policy in general, I appreciate the fact that I can wear a costume during the Halloween parties but letting adults dress as characters during the rest of the year would really ruin the magic and confuse a lot of people, especially non-English speaking guests. I had a family come up to me while I was walking from backstage to the bibbidi bobbidi boutique as a FGIT and I thought they wanted me to take a photo for them since mom was waving the camera at me. Then mom motioned that the little girls wanted a photo WITH me and kept calling me a princess.
me for a moment=
Of course, I did it b/c there are no issues with CMs having their photos taken by guests (and it was very flattering they thought I looked like a princess in my costume) but I wish I could have told them what I was.

This would be really confusing if a child tried to take a photo with a guest dressed as Cinderella thinking they're the real one and "Cinderella" says no. If you can explain you're a guest it might keep the disappointment to a minimum with the kids but if you can't explain it will look really bad for Disney.

 

[Angebee]

Have you guys heard of Disneybouding? The term now actually means wearing normal clothes that looks like characters outfits.

I had not heard of the term but it's intriguing to know the idea is on the rise. My sister was so little when we last visited that I told her we could try to 'Disneybound' on our upcoming trip. No wigs, no hair-dying. Just a teal/pink tshirt with a skirt or blue shorts to be like Jasmine/Aurora or a purple Walmart Little Mermaid shirt with a green skirt/shorts and have a little fun knowing ourselves that we are honoring our favorite characters. I'd been worried that if I bought an Indy Jones hat while wearing my Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers tshirt then the Cast Members would ask me to change, so on one hand I'm a little relieved to know they will likely not be so strict.

On the other hand, seeing the above lady in a Minnie dress with bloomers seems really odd in my opinion. It would distract me and I share the worries about little kids. Cosplay certainly seems to be a growing trend among the teenagers/young adults I know so hopefully Disney finds some decent middle ground where no one is disappointed but those who want to have a little bit of fun can.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I took this really blurry picture two weeks ago. It was after 4:00 on an MVMCP day, and there were a lot of people in unusual clothes, so I didn't think of it as being "in costume" at the time.

I don't see this as 'being in costume' dressing 'like Minnie' yes but no mistaking she is
a young human & no one would think she is our much loved Minnie not even the youngest child Now full costumes ie: Jack Sparrow / Johnny Depp wannabe I have not seen but IMHO should not be allowed

 

[Casemily]

Have you guys heard of Disneybouding? The term now actually means wearing normal clothes that looks like characters outfits. The girl wearing the polka dot dress on the picture is Disneybouding as Minnie. There's a tumblr dedicated exclusively for that, it's full if cool ideas and clothe choices.

I'm actually Disneybouding as Donald, Mickey and Snow White on my upcoming trip.

Posted from my iPhone using DISBoards

Sounds like fun... As long as you wear pants when Donald

 

[afnaechiquita]

I feel like they'll relax it, some family is going to get really peeved that they saw a fake character, complain high enough, and then it will go back to being strict.

I think the policy should remain the same.

 

[LargoLori]

My daughter in costume at DTD for the Brave premier...No one said anything...I did call ahead and she is 16 so maybe that is why.

 

[LucyBC80]

Sounds like fun... As long as you wear pants when Donald

I'll be wearing a dress, no worries about that!