Walt Disney World

Disney bounding is a subculture, or maybe side culture, of cosplay, or dressing up in costume. But it’s a bit different, because adults are not allowed to dress up in costume the way kids are. So “Disney bounding” is a way to dress like your favorite Disney character without actually being in costume. Thanks to Kay, the woman who started it, and her *amazing* Instagram account, for unleashing an extra fun way to enjoy the Disney parks.

I don’t know what the exact rules for Disney bounding are, so I’m not 100% sure my outfits count, hence “lightly bounding” through Disney World. Not in your face, my subtle nods to some of my favorite characters made me happy, even if no one else noticed. (Actually, several people noticed my Maleficent skirt, but more on that later.) I began and ended with some of my more subtle outfits, two different shirts I made in the last several years, inspired by previous trips. In between, my outfits were a bit more obvious, but sadly, because the weather got really cold the last few days we were there, I was so bundled up, no one really got to see my favorite Star Wars shirt! Anyway, here’s a review:

Super Subtle:

Dinosaurs! I wore my Liberty of London dinosaurs shirt the first day, because I had lunch at the T-Rex Restaurant in Disney Springs. It was hard to get a photo, so sorry about the bad selfie. I haven’t outgrown dinosaurs!

My dino shirt in front of a dino in a truck!

Jungle Cruise! The last day, another travel day, I wore my Jungle Cruise shirt, yes, inspired by the ride of the same name. Again, it was cold, so I layered with my tangerine orange cardigan, to which I’d stitched a pale blue Disney “D.” Those who know will realize that it’s the Disneyland “D,” not the Disney World “D,” but I haven’t found the later in a patch. (I wore my jacket and scarf over all of this, to be honest – a high of 60*F in Orlando is chilly!).

The ceramic plates on the wall make a nice background for my Jungle Cruise shirt and bright sweater!

Less Subtle:

Spaceship Earth: At least, I think this one was more obvious. I really love the design of this classic EPCOT ride, so this Marcy Tilton fabric jumped out at me when I saw it last summer. The added bonus is that this is a shirt I can wear to work or anywhere, without it screaming “DISNEY!” What do you think – subtle or not so subtle?

Standing in front of Spaceship Earth in my Spaceship Earth top

Finding Nemo: I mean, this IS Finding Nemo fabric – can’t you see Nemo, Marlin, and Dory? But it’s a cute stripe of sorts, and one that can be worn at any waterside location. I took it to Bermuda the last time we went – hey, there are tons of fish there!

Finding Nemo print skirt with my bright cardigan and rose gold Minnie Ears

Also coordinated my Bikie Girl Bloomers under this skirt for some modesty climbing in and out of rides.

Fishes, next to fishes in Animal Kingdom!

Star Wars: I had several Star Wars themed garments with me on this trip. The Millennium Falcon top I made using the Sew Liberated Esme Top pattern (if I make it again, I can size down for sure). It was fairly subtle but hey, the Millennium Falcon and R2D2 are clearly visible – if you look closely.

Standing in front of the Millennium Falcon! <squee!!!> The necklace is supposed to be similar to the one Princess Leia wore at the end of the first movie, during the award ceremony.

Closer look at the print….

Although the first two days we were in the parks were hot, in the 80s, the last two barely peaked past 60*. So my fabulous Star Wars Hey June Lane Raglan tee was only briefly ever visible. I stripped off the layers to get this photo, then hastily added back my extra long sleeve shirt, my Leia jacket, and my supernova print scarf.

Star Wars print tee, silver holographic Minnie Ears, and droids in pieces – perfect!

Gorgeous Art Nouveau styling of my Princess Leia jacket, bought two years ago.

Princess Leia is my favorite Disney princess!

Not at All Subtle

Maleficent: My most obvious and more remarked upon outfit was the Maleficent skirt I made shortly before the trip. It was made specifically for the Villains After Party at the Magic Kingdom. I’m not normally a huge Disney Villains fan but I had to have something thematic – er, bounding! And this was the perfect way to test the skirt pattern. Several women complimented me on it, one wearing a scarf of the same fabric! Several wanted to know where I’d gotten the fabric, so I turned them onto fabric shopping on Etsy. Because the party started at 10pm and ended at 1am, and we were in the park until well after that, and the temperature floated down into the 40s (eek!), I wore tights, another pair of coordinated Bikie Girl Bloomers, a tee shirt, a turtleneck, a cardigan, my scarf, then purchased a Haunted Mansion hoody – and I was still cold! But it was worth it, 100%!

Showing off my Bikie Girl Bloomers! That’s almost villainous, right?

Accessories

I added some accessories to what I’d taken with me. But first, let me just shout the praises of the Minnie ear holder – such a brilliant accessory that made the trip. Those ears aren’t all-day-long comfortable, just so you know! I was able to move it between bags, and always had a place for those ears.

I bought this amazing droid/R2D2 fully reflective baseball cap in Galaxy’s Edge – it’s like they made it just for me!!!

Reflective droid baseball cap, standing in line at Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge

Clan of R2D2?

I also got my “name” embroidered on a Mickey hat! I mean, why not, right?!

TinLizzie Mickey Ears

I also bought shoelace charms, no doubt intended for kids’ shoes. But the tea cup and clock face from It’s a Small World are two of my (admittedly many) favorite Disney designs. And hey, they are the same color as my Dansko sneakers! So now my shoes *and* my socks show my love of sewing for some lightly bounding Disney #memade outfits.

Sewing themed socks, Disney themed shoes!

What do you think? Subtle or not-so-subtle? Have you ever done Disney bounding? What are your thoughts on thematic dressing (not Disney related)? Do you think I’m crazy…? Don’t tell me if you do, haha!

Last weekend I flew to Orlando for a somewhat ill-fated weekend at Disney World with my mom and aunt. Let’s just say my 12-hour delayed flight home was not the worst of the problems…

Nevertheless, I love Disney World, and since my mom and aunt had never been, it was fun to explore everything with them. I love Disney because of the emphasis on imagination and creativity, and the details that permeate everything. This was my fourth trip since 2001, but the first time I stayed in a Disney resort, the Caribbean Beach Resort. I have to say, it was pretty great to be so connected to the parks.

Even the Magical Express takes you from the Orlando airport to your Disney Resort.

Now that I work in the transportation industry, I saw this trip in a whole new way. I’ve always loved the monorail, even as a small child at Disneyland, and the train that circles the Magic Kingdom, and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover (is it any wonder that I love subways?!), but this time I was impressed by the bus system. Not only are there buses that connect each park with every other destination, there are buses that connect all the resorts to each park, plus inner-resort buses! These complimentary buses run every 10 minutes or so, and in the mornings and evenings, are packed full of families from all walks of life.

A blurry shot of the PeopleMover, from the PeopleMover.

It was amusing to observe these families on crowded buses. You can tell the ones who are not used to public transportation, because they don’t really want to get to close to others, and didn’t really understand the “move to the back of the bus” concept as more and more people packed in. But Disney makes the buses part of the vacation – by offering these free, reliable buses, families can leave the car behind for a truly stress-free vacation. The buses are full of ads (no surprise there) and have clearly understood recorded announcements along the way. The drivers are friendly and cheerful, no matter what time of day (again, no surprise – it IS Disney, after all). So it is an easy introduction to public transportation.

The Gateway to Magic!

But is it a gateway drug? I doubt it. Tourist families return home, and parents tell other parents about how great it was to be car-free, and how easy the transportation system is, but they only associate it with vacation and The Happiest Place on Earth. It’s a shame – a flawlessly run system that connects everywhere you need to get to should be what every municipality strives for, but I’m sure they also do not look to Disney World as inspiration for their systems.

The interactive “organ” while standing in line for the Haunted Mansion – totally fun!

Also in line for the Haunted Mansion – pushing in the books that pop out of the bookcase, only to have more pop out. Loved this!

But what are the takeaways? Disney wants the public to get everywhere, so it makes it easy to do so. Everything, even the steamboat that takes you to the Magic Kingdom, is free, included in the price of your ticket and hotel room. They don’t want people standing around in line, bored, so there is a steady stream of buses and trains to keep the crowds moving. Plus, the more time people spend in the parks not waiting in line, the more time they are spending money. Isn’t that what cities want? People spending more money? So by making public transportation go everywhere, rapidly, efficiently, cheerfully, residents would be able to access more shops, more easily, without wasting time in their cars, circling for parking, cursing other drivers. So better public transportation means more time to spend more money! Just like all the studies show. Funny, that’s what we keep saying…