How I Plan my Disney Bounds -- Disney Bounding Picks

Disney bounding! This time honored tradition amongst Disney parks fans gets its name from the tumblr blog that started it all. Disney Bound posted fun themed outfit edits that evoked specific Disney characters and even rides and other icons. Parks fans used this blog as inspo for casual Disney costumes, and looks to wear to the parks to get around the pesky no costumes for adults rule. Eventually the name stuck but the world of Disney Bounds expanded to other social media platforms like Pinterest, Youtube and eventually TikTok. Now ‘bounding encompasses the active wear costumes runners wear at the runDisney events, those park outfits of yore, and any outfit that has Disney vibes but isn’t strictly a costume.

I have been known to enjoy a good bound, but I tend to be super duper casual about it. My first trip to Walt Disney World included a day where I dressed in a Kingdom Hearts themed look, and my shoes were super important for the vibe, but absolutely wrecked my feet for days. Ever since, I’ve used a mixture of my love of costumes and my need not to, I don’t know…die being roasted alive in the heat of Florida. This time though, as I head back to the parks in one short week, I’ve decided to make this a content trip and that means I’ve been planning some extra special ‘bounds.

So how does one go about planning these outfits and optimizing them for the parks? Well, I can tell you what I’ve done. Here’s my general process and a sneak peak of what I’ll be wearing on my own trip as someone who has been a bunch of time and has optimized what clothing and accessories work for me.


1. Research

Pinterest!! I might be the last human person alive that uses Pinterest consistently, but if that’s the case the bots have nailed their recommendations for me. Pinterest has been where I find and categorize so many kinds of creative research since I received my BETA TESTER invite. You can pry this site out of my cold, dead, crazy glue and glitter covered hands. Its the perfect spot to find other Disney adults in their hand crafted designs.

Before I’ve settled on specific ‘bounds I peruse what pops up. So many creative people have come up with outfits that would never occur to me. Pinterest shows me so many awesome options and helps me decide what I don’t want to do just as much as what I do. I find a mix of suggestions that are nearly perfect for me, be reminded of things in my closet that can work in ways I wouldn’t expect and even see park specific recommendations. I let inspiration flow and just search more specifically as I see characters I think I could pull off.

TikTok, Reels, and Youtube shorts also have some great content for Disney bounding. Though, take some suggestions with a grain of salt. Many of these fabulously dressed ‘bounders are annual passholders and can dress and grandly as they want because they don’t have to adhere to baggage limits or spend all day in these outfits.

One tip I have for this stage is to be careful about what is truly realistic for your purposes. Outfits with lots of accessories like scarves, and hats, outfits with lots of layers or coverage, heels or cute-over-comfort shoes or dresses or accessories that drag the ground are a no go for a park day most of the time. If you are JUST going into

the parks for photos like many influencers, that’s one thing. But for us normal folks who will be spending 8-12 hours in this outfit, think about what’s really feasible to wear in a subtropical climate while you walk 10+ miles. It may be the cutest outfit ever but if you’re going to have to shove half in your bag, kill your feet, or boil all day is it really a cute outfit?

2. Shopping your closet

Now, if you want to totally purchase a fresh new Disney micro-wardrobe for your trip, don’t let me stop you! I have made many purchases before traveling so I wear clothes I love or fit the theme of my destination. That being said, before I buy anything new for a Disney bound, even before I pick my characters, I take a look at what I already have. And here’s a little girl math for you, whatever you don’t spend on your bounds you now have saved to use for souvenirs, yes! That really is how it works! Don’t say otherwise.

A lot of Disney bound outfits online involve having very precise bright colors in solid separates that mix and match. And as much as I wish I could have a closet full of cartoon clothes on hand, that’s not really what most people wear on the daily. However, the nice thing about bounding is that its way more about the vibe, than actually costume level accuracy. Take your research and compare it to what you have, at the center of that Venn diagram should be characters you can see yourself dressing as to some degree.

Disney bounding is for all budget and effort levels. Even Disney Dads have locked in a signature Disney outfit with this tee shirt seen worn at Animal Kingdom by almost all of them. Don’t feel like you have to go buy something you will only wear once to join in on the fun. I love brights and patterns so a lot of what I have can be flexed into a few different characters, especially Pixar! If you have a lot of pastels and lighter neutral, you’re ready for princesses or Winnie the Pooh! More of a earthy neutrals person? Start thinking Star Wars! If there are no characters jumping out at you, maybe try Disney bounding a whole movie, a ride, or a whole park. You can always just enter the parks in a cute outfit centered on one color, go into the large gift shop at the front and pick some ears to match.

One of my favorite bounds to date is my Living with the Land look. I dressed in green, leafy patterns and wore some homemade ears featuring a whole plastic cucumber and other produce to evoke the classic Epcot boat ride. I was the first rider of the day and got to wave at the greenhouse cast members on my very own boat, it made my day that they recognized what I was dressed as.

3. Picking

If you’re an indecisive person who also loves to plan like I am, this is probably the hardest part.

I have agonized over these 3 days my husband and I are spending at the park since we booked them. There are so many options that suit my personal brand of Disney nerdiness and probably yours too. Here are some of the criteria I use to help decide:

What accessories do I want to wear and what characters do they match?

What merch do I already own that I can use?

Will I get to meet the character this outfit evokes somewhere in the parks?

Does this character/theme express something about me?
Does this match a group theme that my whole party is dressing up as?
Is there a special event, ride opening/closing, restaurant reservation or personal celebration happening during the trip that has a character that matches?

Can I pack everything I’ll need to wear, make up I will need, and will I want to haul it around?

Does it fit into Disney’s costume and clothing policy? And again, will I be comfortable wearing this whole outfit in the parks all day or at least until I can change? Are the shoes comfortable for a LOT of walking? Can this outfit survive rough weather?

For this trip I went for pure whimsy and color! After my research I fell on 3 main ideas. Merlin’s vacation outfit from Sword in the Stone, something or someone from Inside Out, and a Muppet. I decided on Merlin because I knew I had what I needed and have always loved this underrated gem of a movie. I’ve loved his outfit as long as I can remember so when I realized I had all the elements I knew it was a must. I also recently picked up some cute Inside Out Minnie ears on the cheap, and I have a pin set with all the emotions I love to wear. A Muppet was a must because we will be visiting just days before the Muppet’s Courtyard area of Hollywood Studios closes permanently. I love the Muppets and have tons of suitable patterns and colors to pay homage to my felted faves. Once I had these ideas it was back to Pinterest to get particular.

I didn’t want to buy anything new so I’d be picking based on what was in my closet already. I scrolled through lots of very impractical choices but ultimately found some inspo pics that I knew I could pull from. It will be in the mid 90’s when we’re there so these will be modified down to colors and vibes so I don’t melt. Don't worry! I'll share the outfits during or after my trip on the instagram and facebook page! Make sure you're following @WondersofLifeBlog so you don't miss them. The final picks will be a Bing Bong inspired outfit, very accurate Merlin (I'm super excited for this one!) and my second favorite Muppet, Gonzo! (My husband agree to dress like his chicken wife, Henrietta, too!)

4. Shopping and Packing!

Once you’ve made your selections you might have some extra things you need to grab. Accurate colors, key accessories, or a comfy version of their shoes to finish those looks. Nothing is absolutely necessary because this is all for fun, but if you tend toward perfectionism like me, you’ll be searching out those final touches. Amazon of course, is great for the ultra specific colors in basic pieces that can be reused. I also recommend checking out BoxLunch and Hot Topic for those super nerdy, kitschy and merch type purchases. There’s also no going wrong with the Disney Store itself for some ears, pins, or super cute tees with your faves prominently featured. A graphic tee and a skort is totally a valid ‘bound too after all.

After I have everything I need I try to pack my Disney Bounds as a unit. Often, these themed outfits make up only a part of what I’ll be wearing on a trip, and I need to keep track of every piece to make the ‘bounds make sense. So, I prep and pack them together, even making an extra checklist for them to make sure my squirrelly brain doesn’t leave a key thing behind. When I’m feeling really coordinated I will dedicate a small bag or packing cube to make sure all my bounding accessories and pieces are all together. This has the bonus of serving as a place to keep clothes I’ve worn in the parks separate from my clean or light use clothes. You know that thing where you might rewear a lightly worn clothing item on vacation because you packed light? Trust me, theme park clothes are never ever going to be those.

If you’ve never Disney bounded before what are you picking for your very first look? If you’re an experienced Disney bounder, head to the Facebook page @Wonders of Life Blog, and comment your pics on the post. I hope this was a handy guide for your next sneaky costume planning sesh, let me know if it works for you! Subscribe to the blog for more Disney and theme park content! I have some fun things coming soon and I’d be so grateful for your support and for tagging along.