How to Know What to Wear in Disney Parks

The Disney parks are a great place for a family vacation, but if you don’t live near them or haven’t been there before, you may not know what clothing is appropriate to wear. Being unprepared and caught off guard can mean having to purchase new clothing, at the escalated Disney price, or having to leave the park to change. To avoid all that, here are seven tips on how to know what to wear in Disney parks.

7. Check the Weather Before You Leave

Before you head off for your magical Disney vacation, do you research and find out what the projected forecast is for your trip. While the weather is bound to change once you’re there, this will give you a guide as to what temperatures you can expect. This can help you pack appropriately so you’re not too warm or too cold during your stay. Either situation will be distracting and will take away from the fun.

6. Pack in Layers

Layers are key to a Disney vacation. Depending on when you go, one can could be in the 70s with the next day dropping to the 50s. Packing layers is the best way to be fully prepared for whatever comes your way. Even if the weather is consistent, you may be thankful you brought a zip-up sweatshirt or thin long-sleeve shirt with you in places where the air conditioning is blasting. Lightweight layers are easy to squeeze in your Disney bag, but if you need to bring something heavier, each park also has lockers you can rent for the day without having to carry everything around. This also works if you want to change into jeans later in the day as it gets cooler.

5. Get Disney Gear Before You Leave

Sure, you can get a large number of Disney shirts, sweatshirts, pants, and shoes at the parks, but you’ll also get the inflated Disney price. Shop around your area before your trip to find the best Disney look for your vacation. If you don’t have a Disney Store, you can try places like Walmart, Target, and Kohls that also sell Disney shirts. If you don’t want to wear a Disney print shirt, but still want the Disney look, try DisneyBounding. Pick a character and use their color palate to inspire your outfit for the day. You can look up samples online.

4. Pick a Specific Outfit for Each Park

Something fun you can do is decide ahead of time what you’d like to wear at each park. This helps save time once you’re at the resort since you’ll already know what to wear and makes the visit extra special. Break your kakis out for a trip to Animal Kingdom and be sure to glam it up at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. For small children who like to wear costumes at the parks, you’ll want to do this during your Magic Kingdom visit.

3. Bring Cover-ups for Waterparks

When visiting the water parks, most guests just wear their swimsuit under regular clothes. This is fine for going to the water parks, but then coming home, you have wet clothes. Get a cover-up or bring an extra change of clothes for the trip back to the hotel. You won’t have to sit in wet clothes that way and the air conditioned buses won’t seem quite as cold. Don’t forget the sunblock!

2. Worn-in Shoes vs Flip Flops

One dilemma that can save your feet a world of hurt is knowing when to wear sneakers and when to wear flip flops or sandals. The general rule of thumb is that if you plan on doing a lot of walking, wear the comfortable shoes. They should be worn-in since new shoes will cause blisters pretty quickly. If you plan on taking it easy, you can opt for flip flops or sandals. Still, something with arch support and a good cushion works best. On especially rainy days, if you wear sneakers, bring an extra pair of socks with you.

1. Keep it Family Appropriate

This is a big one. Disney Parks are family friendly so it stands to reason that all apparel worn at the parks should be so, too. Everything should be appropriately covered and clothing should not have any offensive material on it. Disney Cast Members have been known to turn guests away for inappropriate clothing. Just because it’s 90 degrees out, doesn’t mean you can get away with wearing a skimpy outfit. Also, for those who like to dress up as characters, if you look too much like the characters in the parks, you won’t be allowed in until you change since Disney doesn’t want guests to confuse other guests for the ‘real’ characters. Just keep it clean and you’ll be fine.

Follow these simple tips and you’ll be packing up your suitcase like a pro. The most important things are to have fun and be comfortable.