Disney Bounding: Our Glitter Editors’ Take on Their Very Own Bound
Disney Bounding is all the rage.
(Story by Heather Riccio | Photographed by Nikki Fowler)
Our editors at Glitter took a few days to experience bounding at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Find out how we did with our super quick outfit changes, handheld camera and props all while park hopping and making sure we featured an array of characters. Can you guess who we were? Read on to find out more, see our looks and hear what the Disney Dress Shop had to say on bounders favs + what they are wearing right now.
(Kameron + Zoe channel Mary Poppins at Disney California Adventure Park. Kameron wore his own shirt, shoes and trousers and his hat, bow-tie and suspenders are by Unique Vintage, Zoe rocks her own sneakers along with ears and dress available at The Dress Shop Collection on Shop Disney.com or The Disney Dress Shop, a boutique in the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort. Umbrella available at Unique-Vintage.com.)
Glitter decided to Disneybound to see what all the hype was about, and the verdict is it’s a ton of fun! I’m a lifer. Born and raised in Southern CA, I’ve been to Disneyland more times than I can count and I’ve been an annual passholder for years.
(Don’t just fly, soar like Dumbo in this beautiful Dumbo dress and headband on Zoe available at The Dress Shop Collection on Shop Disney.com or The Disney Dress Shop. Kameron wears his own clothes with suspenders by Unique Vintage and hat by Amazon. When bounding it’s ok to reuse pieces for different looks. )
Why you might ask? It’s simple. Disneyland is one of the few places I can forget about my troubles, my worries, and simply be a kid again, even if it’s only for a day. I have a pass though so I can go as often as I want.
What exactly is Disneybounding you might ask? It’s more than dressing up as the characters, but really embodying them in the outfits you choose to wear for the day. It’s an outfit inspired by a Disney character, but not full cosplay costumes either. 
It’s a way for fans to express their love for Disney in a fashion forward way. The outfits are never costume-like so you could literally go to school or the mall or out with friends in a Disneybound outfit and people wouldn’t think it was a costume. Instead of props, people often wear jewelry or carry a purse to convey that same idea.
The term itself was coined by Leslie Kay who started showcasing her Disney inspired outfits on her Tumblr back in 2011 and it took off from there. People really embody the movement, and it’s easy to see why. It’s fun, creative, and another way to express your love for all things Disney, and since Disney prohibits guests over the age of 14 to wear a costume this is a way for Disney goers to express their love for Disney without violating park rules.
You might be asking so how do I put together my first outfit. First, have a clear vision of who you’d like to embody character wise and check your closet first. Often times you’ll have what you need without even realizing it.
(Zoe makes being a princess easy with her yellow dress from Nordstrom in honor of Princess Tiana. She chose to take this pic by Disneyland California’s Mark Twain’s Riverboat to grab the essence of the south. Hints of green in the boat compliment her outfit. She wore her own flats for getting around the park with ease and an apron found on amazon.com.)
Then take to Amazon or your local store or thrift shops to complete your look. Next time you’re at one of the parks we challenge you to Disneybound and have a ton of fun and make sure to tag us @glittermagazine on Instagram to show us your looks.
(Zoe rocks her It’s a Small World Dress with her Minnie Ears near the Teacups ride . It’s all about the angle when shooting your bound. Grab a churro or sweet treat and have fun with it. All items available at The Dress Shop Collection on Shop Disney.com or The Disney Dress Shop.)
In the meantime, if you’re wondering what to wear, we spoke with Donald Ferro, who is the Director of Merchandise Strategy & Product Development – Softlines for Disney Theme Park Merchandise to get his thoughts. Near Anaheim? Make sure to check out the dresses inside The Disney Dress Shop located in Downtown Disney. Not in Southern CA? Not to worry. You can also order dresses off their website. Trust us you’ll love them.
GLITTER: What is your top bestseller and why do you think it sells so well?
DONALD: From the beginning, our most popular dress has been our Enchanted Tiki Room inspired dress. It is the perfect combination of a vintage pattern and dress styling. It speaks to the Disney heritage and a nod to nostalgia.
GLITTER: Are the clothes meant to empower the wearer?
DONALD: Absolutely! We want all women to feel comfortable in our dresses. Our Merchandising and Technical design teams paid close attention to fit and construction. All of our dresses have features like hidden elastic panels in the back, adjustable straps and hidden pockets. All were thoughtfully designed for the wearer in mind. The hidden elastic panels in the back of the address allows the front of the dress to be form fitting while still allowing the wearer to be comfortable. All of our dresses are available in curvy sizes as well.
GLITTER: How often do the styles change?
DONALD: Our team is always brainstorming new print concepts and silhouette ideas. We update new styles seasonally, every 3-4 months.
(When bounding, head for the characters. Heather snuggles with Mickey at California Adventures in her Minnie Dress from Unique Vintage and visor from Nordstrom Rack.)
(GLITTER: What are some of the most popular sellers at the Dress Shop?
DONALD: Some of the most popular Dress Shop dresses are those that are themed to the heritage of the Disney Theme Parks. Dresses that represent some of our most beloved attractions have been the best which include our dresses inspired by the Enchanted Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror.
( Above, Heather rocks her Tiki Dress relaxing under a palm tree along with her Monster’s Inc. Dress in front of the Monster’s Inc. ride, below, both at California Adventures. Snag her scented macaroon cookie pillow at any Disney gift shop. Necklace by Naked Stone Jewelry.)
GLITTER: Who do you see normally buying the clothes? Are there a lot of people who Disneybound ordering dresses to wear around the park?
DONALD: The Dress Shop appeals to a wide section of our guest demographic, crossing the span from Millennials to Baby Boomers. We even have a few dresses that we have designed for our younger guests. Recently on a trip to Disney Springs, I spoke to a mother and daughter who were both wearing different dresses. They loved how wearing the dresses brought the spirit of being at Disney to life for them. We certainly see guests wearing our dresses in the park but also in their everyday life. It always brings me joy to see someone wearing one of our Dress Shop dresses outside of the parks. Our fans are always excited to see our new releases.
We also highlight Disney characters that allow our guests to express their own unique style like our NBC Sally Dress and our new Captain Marvel Dress.
GLITTER: Has anyone ever worn the Sleeping Beauty dress as their wedding dress before?
DONALD: We do not know of any who has specifically worn our Cinderella Dress as a wedding dress before. It is certainly beautiful enough! The team did an amazing job at elevating all of the fabrics that were chosen for this dress.
GLITTER: What has been the most detailed outfit that Disney Dress Shop has ever created?
DONALD: There are so many details that go into the designs of all of our dresses. Besides the Cinderella dress that we spoke of before, I would say the dress with the most details is our recent Castle inspired dress. We created an exclusive jacquard fabric for the skirt that features elements inspired by our castles. The skirt design is also pleated which was a first for us. The bodice is amazing and has a unique sparkly application of the castle. A beautiful bolero sweater was also included with this dress. I also was meeting with our Technical Designer this morning and she was showing me the fit sample for a new dress that we will be launching this summer. It is inspired by one of the characters from Toy Story 4 and is unlike any dress we have done before. I am excited to hear our fans reaction once this dress is released.
GLITTER: With the live action Aladdin coming out later this year, will a Jasmine dress be up next?
DONALD: You will have to wait and see for this one.
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