How to dress for Disney without looking like a schlub

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If you’re looking for Disney fashion tips and wondering what mouse ears to wear. Stop. Let’s rethink that. For your sake. There’s more to Disney than ears!

As the snow started to melt and the temperatures started to rise, and then quickly fall again, my husband and I decided we needed to get the hell out of Dodge, even if just for a few days. I had my sites set on a cruise over Spring break in March but apparently everyone else had the same idea. I love last minute travel but only if I get last minute prices.

Although we planned to skip Disney this year, when the travel bug struck, we knew it was our cheapest and easiest option. Oh yes, I said cheap. But I’ll save that for another post.

We booked our last minute flights and hotel for the end of February and planned for four days in Florida, one day for each park at Walt Disney World. We’ve traveled here many times during late February and I highly recommend it for the weather and the crowds. Although we hit the tail end of the President’s Day crowd and some of the Princess Half marathon crowd, the lines and crowds were light.

But the real treat this time of year is the weather. Sometimes it tends toward the cooler side (think 60s) and sometimes it’s on the warmer side (low 80s) but it’s usually dry and sunny and perfect park weather.

With this in mind, I packed clothes for each day, each park keeping in mind that the weather might be on the warm side or the cool side (or both in the same day). What I refuse to do is to adopt the typical “mom” uniform of a sweatshirt and jeans or t-shirt and shorts and the ugliest sneakers you’ve ever seen. There’s a way to be cool (or warm) and comfortable and still maintain a little style.

Here’s how I attempted to pull it off this week with my own take on Disney fashion.

What to Wear to the Magic Kingdom

I needed to be cool, comfortable, and ready for rides (wet or dry). I also needed to be ready for lots of walking. Here’s how I presented myself to the Magic Kingdom.

Irma striped tunic from LuLaRoe
Simply Vera Vera Wang black capri leggings from Kohls
Earrings from H&M
Bracelet and charm from Pandora
New Balance shoes

This is a new top I ordered from LuLaRoe, a company that does home shows with limited number of printed items. Since I’m not a print girl, I ordered a striped tunic (which runs very big and very long) and paired it with these leggings from the Vera Wang line at Kohls.

I also believe in wearing jewelry in the park so you’ll see a cheap pair of earrings from H&M with a clasp that will keep them on my ears and my Pandora bracelet with one of my Disney-theme beads (this one was purple!).

And yes, I wore sneakers. The older I get, the more I value comfortable footwear. So I chose these New Balance shoes I got at the 2014 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. Not only are they comfortable but they add a pop of color and the black athletic socks help them look more fashionable (as opposed to white socks).

What to Wear to Epcot

Epcot had its own challenges. While a little light on the rides and a little heavier on the walking, we planned to spend a full day there including a nice steak dinner at Le Cellier in Canada. I wanted to be comfortable for the day but still look nice enough for a “fancy” dinner.

Mossimo top from Target
Simply Vera Vera Wang white leggings from Kohls
Earrings from H&M
Bone bracelets from Just One
Yoga Slings from Sanuk

As you can tell, I’m definitely a bargain shopper when it comes to my looks. You’ll often find me at the clearance racks of stores like Target and Kohls. The yoga slings, however, I bought outright because I’d heard so many good things about them. And they are awesome (affiliate link above).

Since Epcot has an international vibe, I thought it would be a perfect time to wear my cow bone bracelets that I purchased from Just One, a Canadian nonprofit that helps African women to create a marketplace at home.

If you don’t have your own pair of Sanuks, you can always head to the newly named Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) and shop at the Sanuk store there. I was tempted to buy a pair in every color!

What to wear to Hollywood Studios

If you think you’ll be clever and unique wearing Star Wars attire to Hollywood Studios, you won’t be. But you will fit in.

Star Wars graphic tee from Old Navy
Croft & Barrow skort from Kohls
Earrings from H&M
Custom Bracelet from KEEP Collective
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Summer Woven Ox shoes

Instead of purchasing overpriced t-shirts at Disney, I brought along this Old Navy graphic tee and felt right at home with all of the Star Wars fans. And since it was an especially hot day, I ended up wearing the skirt I normally use to wear to the pool. Bonus: there are shorts underneath so you don’t have to worry about your thighs chafing!

Since I’m all about girl power these days, I thought I’d wearing my bracelet from KEEP Collective with my word of the year.

I thought it nicely matched the newest accessory I picked up while I was at Hollywood Studios – my new cell phone case!

And for comfort an fashion, I chose my Converse woven shoes (affiliate link above). They’re comfortable and the weave of the fabric makes it very breathable.

After a day at Hollywood Studios, we had reservations at the new Morimoto Asia restaurant in Disney Springs (OMG – so good!). We had time to head back to our hotel where I threw my hair up, changed to some jeans from Target (what I had originally planned to wear), threw on my Sanuks, and grabbed my Coach clutch (purchased on clearance at the Coach Outlet). I also donned my Lexus F Sport driving jacket they gifted me with in Palm Springs last December.

What to wear to Animal Kingdom

Our final day was the hottest and I didn’t pack much extra so I wore what I could to stay cool and comfortable.

Black top from Old Navy
Arden Capris from Aventura Clothing
Necklace from Disney
New Balance shoes

While black wasn’t an ideal color, I was happy with my convertible capris from Aventura Clothing. You’ll see why later.

As for jewelry, I kept it light but used a Disney necklace I purchased years ago that says, “I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse – Walt Disney.”

And since this was our fourth straight day in the parks, I needed some comfort and went with my New Balance running shoes.

For our last evening, we had reservations at Disney Springs at a rather disappointing Wolfgang Puck restaurant. But I was still able to do a quick day to night change. I finally pulled my hair down and for once had… VOLUME! I unbuttoned the capris and had better coverage for the evening, switched to the Sanuks, and threw on my Lexus jacket.

I evening changed my earrings to bigger, bolder shell earrings I picked up somewhere years ago (I love these!).

While I love souvenir shirts and I love the idea of Disneybounding, I’m not a huge fan of themed clothing. I want my Disney fashion to look put together but still appropriately dressed for the park and feel like I successfully pulled it off for this trip.

Next time, you’re heading to the parks and you don’t want to look like a schlub, you certainly don’t have to copy my style but hopefully I’ve given you some inspiration on what to pack for your Disney fashion and next theme park adventure.