What is Disneybounding?
"Disney bound" is a phrase you might associate with a trip to the magical world of Disney, but did you know it has another meaning? DisneyBounding is the art of dressing like a Disney character using everyday clothes. It's a fun and creative way to channel your favorite character without donning a full costume. You can DisneyBound in your daily life, or add an extra sprinkle of magic to your visit to any Disney theme park. Get ready for some fun, because March is the official DisneyBound Challenge Month, filled with daily prompts. Let's dive into the world of DisneyBounding!
DisneyBounding is all about creating an outfit inspired by a Disney character. It's not about wearing a full costume, but rather, representing a character through regular clothes you already own. For instance, if you fancy bounding as Snow White, you could wear yellow and blue, with a hint of red. If you have a green outfit, you could style it as Peter Pan, Merida or even Pascal from "Tangled." The possibilities are endless with DisneyBounding.
The term DisneyBounding was first introduced in 2011 by Leslie Kay, who literally wrote the book on this trend. She runs the official blog, which features numerous Pinterest-style style boards as examples of how to style a certain character. The official Instagram account also posts style boards, reposts of other bounds and prompts. There's a wealth of inspiration online as thousands join in this magical trend.
March is the official DisneyBound Challenge Month where the official DisneyBound account will post a daily prompt for the entire month for people to interpret. It's exciting to think about how you will interpret the 31 phrases and then see all of the imaginative ways that people bring those prompts to life. From "Pixar" to "Disney Bunnies," there are a plethora of creative ideas to choose from. You don't have to do all the prompts if you don't want to! There are also prompts throughout the year, both from the official account and unofficial lists, so you can constantly be inspired.
While the theme parks have rules on adults wearing costumes (except during certain special events, such as Disney World's Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Disneyland's Oogie Boogie Bash event), DisneyBounding is totally acceptable! It's a fun and simple way to add extra magic to a trip. And what better setting for photos than the theme parks?!
The vibrant locations at the parks are perfect for a DisneyBound. From the iconic castles to the many countries in World Showcase at EPCOT, there are countless areas for a themed photoshoot. Immersive lands in the parks are especially fantastic places to wear a DisneyBound. Places such as Avengers Campus and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge create the ideal backdrops.
DisneyBounding is also just a great way to show your love of a character. We love getting decked out from head to toe to fully embrace a character. Plus, you're surrounded by people who also love the characters, prompting fun conversations with other guests and cast members.
One of the rewarding aspects of DisneyBounding at the theme parks is seeing the characters' reactions. Characters will recognize you and help create a more in-depth interaction. The best part is if you're able to see the character you are bounding as. They love the fact that you're "twinning" with them and can create a very special memory.
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge gets its own special category because it opened even more doors for DisneyBounding. Being one of the largest and most immersive themed lands in Walt Disney World and Disneyland makes it an easy fit for this trend. Character sightings in the land allow for great interactions with fellow Force-wielders. The different landscapes of Batuu are perfect backgrounds for a "Star Wars"-themed photoshoot, especially if you have a lightsaber or droid. Many people will especially get dressed up on May the Fourth as a special "Star Wars" day!
The immersive land even prompted its own term, "Batuu Bounding." The fashion in "Star Wars" is totally out-of-this-galaxy and is a great source of inspiration. People will create their own unique character who fits into the "Star Wars" universe. Similar to how the cast members can mix and match clothing pieces as if they are citizens at Black Spire Outpost, you can style your outfits as if you, too, live in a galaxy far, far away. If you think of many of the characters from the franchise, you might picture, for example, multiple layers, vests, scarves and boots. Depending on your persona's allegiance, you may be wearing earthly tones to fit in with the locals or all black to embrace the First Order. Cast members will speak as if they are actually "on planet" to varying degrees, but their interactions will often be more immersive for those bounding.
You don't need to be at the Most Magical Place on Earth, or the Happiest Place on Earth, to DisneyBound. You can use it as your everyday outfit (after all, it's from your regular wardrobe anyway!). It could be a bound that is more obvious to others or something subtle that only you know. Accessories are also a great way to add some Disney to your day. Most people who are posting photos of their bounds or participating in the challenges are doing so from their own homes, but that's what makes DisneyBounding so fun. The online community is a great way to stay connected and inspired!
When wanting more inspiration for DisneyBounding, you can partake in fun DisneyBound challenges. There are all sorts of unofficial challenges throughout the year to participate in. The most popular DisneyBound Challenge happens in March when the official DisneyBound account posts prompts for every day of the month. You can pick and choose what prompts you want to interpret into outfits. Feel free to post your photos and see what thousands of others came up with.
Prompts can range from specific films or franchises to film eras such as the Disney Renaissance (think "The Little Mermaid" or "Beauty and the Beast"). It can also be vague categories such as colors or Disney sidekicks. If the prompt is red, you could go with a character who is red or who wears red. It's totally up to you! One year, the prompt was "Disney birds" so I bounded as a porg from "Star Wars" (as best as a frog can be a porg ... ).
Here is the March 2024 Challenge if you want to give it a try
March 1 Disney Dragons (Year of the Dragon)
March 2 The Haunted Mansion
March 3 Camp Half-Blood ("Percy Jackson" on Disney+)
March 4 Villain's Sidekicks
March 5 Munchlings (Disney characters + snacks)
March 6 Minnie's Many Looks
March 7 Disney Channel (Disney Channel Nite at Disneyland)
March 8 Disney Princesses (Taylor's Version)
March 9 Oscar Nominees & Winners
March 10 Nintendo Characters (Mar10 Day)
March 11 Loungefly Love
March 12 #TanoTuesday ("Ahsoka Tano" characters)
March 13 Donald Duck (He turns 90 this year!)
March 14 Bounds & Mickey Ears
March 15 Mermaids & Pirates
March 16 Buddy Bounds
March 17 Characters Who Are Lucky (St. Patrick's Day)
March 18 Disney Live Action Films
March 19 Floral Bounds (First day of spring)
March 20 Characters Who Are French (French Language Day)
March 21 DisneyBound A Movie You've Never Seen Before
March 22 Pixar ("Luca" is in theatres today)
March 23 Disney Dogs
March 24 A Character from Your Favorite Disney Sports Movie
March 25 Pastel DisneyBounds
March 26 Characters from the Parks
March 27 Disney Characters from the 80s
March 28 Disney Cats
March 29 Magical Characters (Characters Who Use Magic)
March 30 Straight to Video (Characters from Movies that Skipped Theatres)
March 31 Disney Bunnies (Easter)
DisneyBounding Is for Everyone
DisneyBounding - Star Wars Bounds
A great aspect of DisneyBounding is that it's for all ages, but especially for adults — it allows us to dress up and play pretend again! It is something that anyone can do and is a simple way to add some extra Disney fun to your life. It doesn't require going to the parks or buying tons of clothes (though once you start bounding, you can't help but think of characters when shopping). If you are traveling to a Disney park, why not go full out and create a bound for at least one of your days? Group DisneyBounds are even more fun, especially when using a theme. Movies such as "Toy Story" are great options for a family or group of friends to collaborate on. The possibilities can go to infinity and beyond!
Have you ever DisneyBounded before? Let us know your favorite bounds in the comments below!
DisneyBounding is all about creating an outfit inspired by a Disney character. It's not about wearing a full costume, but rather, representing a character through regular clothes you already own. For instance, if you fancy bounding as Snow White, you could wear yellow and blue, with a hint of red. If you have a green outfit, you could style it as Peter Pan, Merida or even Pascal from "Tangled." The possibilities are endless with DisneyBounding.
The term DisneyBounding was first introduced in 2011 by Leslie Kay, who literally wrote the book on this trend. She runs the official blog, which features numerous Pinterest-style style boards as examples of how to style a certain character. The official Instagram account also posts style boards, reposts of other bounds and prompts. There's a wealth of inspiration online as thousands join in this magical trend.
March is the official DisneyBound Challenge Month where the official DisneyBound account will post a daily prompt for the entire month for people to interpret. It's exciting to think about how you will interpret the 31 phrases and then see all of the imaginative ways that people bring those prompts to life. From "Pixar" to "Disney Bunnies," there are a plethora of creative ideas to choose from. You don't have to do all the prompts if you don't want to! There are also prompts throughout the year, both from the official account and unofficial lists, so you can constantly be inspired.
While the theme parks have rules on adults wearing costumes (except during certain special events, such as Disney World's Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Disneyland's Oogie Boogie Bash event), DisneyBounding is totally acceptable! It's a fun and simple way to add extra magic to a trip. And what better setting for photos than the theme parks?!
The vibrant locations at the parks are perfect for a DisneyBound. From the iconic castles to the many countries in World Showcase at EPCOT, there are countless areas for a themed photoshoot. Immersive lands in the parks are especially fantastic places to wear a DisneyBound. Places such as Avengers Campus and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge create the ideal backdrops.
DisneyBounding is also just a great way to show your love of a character. We love getting decked out from head to toe to fully embrace a character. Plus, you're surrounded by people who also love the characters, prompting fun conversations with other guests and cast members.
One of the rewarding aspects of DisneyBounding at the theme parks is seeing the characters' reactions. Characters will recognize you and help create a more in-depth interaction. The best part is if you're able to see the character you are bounding as. They love the fact that you're "twinning" with them and can create a very special memory.
Star Wars Galaxy's Edge gets its own special category because it opened even more doors for DisneyBounding. Being one of the largest and most immersive themed lands in Walt Disney World and Disneyland makes it an easy fit for this trend. Character sightings in the land allow for great interactions with fellow Force-wielders. The different landscapes of Batuu are perfect backgrounds for a "Star Wars"-themed photoshoot, especially if you have a lightsaber or droid. Many people will especially get dressed up on May the Fourth as a special "Star Wars" day!
The immersive land even prompted its own term, "Batuu Bounding." The fashion in "Star Wars" is totally out-of-this-galaxy and is a great source of inspiration. People will create their own unique character who fits into the "Star Wars" universe. Similar to how the cast members can mix and match clothing pieces as if they are citizens at Black Spire Outpost, you can style your outfits as if you, too, live in a galaxy far, far away. If you think of many of the characters from the franchise, you might picture, for example, multiple layers, vests, scarves and boots. Depending on your persona's allegiance, you may be wearing earthly tones to fit in with the locals or all black to embrace the First Order. Cast members will speak as if they are actually "on planet" to varying degrees, but their interactions will often be more immersive for those bounding.
You don't need to be at the Most Magical Place on Earth, or the Happiest Place on Earth, to DisneyBound. You can use it as your everyday outfit (after all, it's from your regular wardrobe anyway!). It could be a bound that is more obvious to others or something subtle that only you know. Accessories are also a great way to add some Disney to your day. Most people who are posting photos of their bounds or participating in the challenges are doing so from their own homes, but that's what makes DisneyBounding so fun. The online community is a great way to stay connected and inspired!
When wanting more inspiration for DisneyBounding, you can partake in fun DisneyBound challenges. There are all sorts of unofficial challenges throughout the year to participate in. The most popular DisneyBound Challenge happens in March when the official DisneyBound account posts prompts for every day of the month. You can pick and choose what prompts you want to interpret into outfits. Feel free to post your photos and see what thousands of others came up with.
Prompts can range from specific films or franchises to film eras such as the Disney Renaissance (think "The Little Mermaid" or "Beauty and the Beast"). It can also be vague categories such as colors or Disney sidekicks. If the prompt is red, you could go with a character who is red or who wears red. It's totally up to you! One year, the prompt was "Disney birds" so I bounded as a porg from "Star Wars" (as best as a frog can be a porg ... ).
Here is the March 2024 Challenge if you want to give it a try
March 1 Disney Dragons (Year of the Dragon)
March 2 The Haunted Mansion
March 3 Camp Half-Blood ("Percy Jackson" on Disney+)
March 4 Villain's Sidekicks
March 5 Munchlings (Disney characters + snacks)
March 6 Minnie's Many Looks
March 7 Disney Channel (Disney Channel Nite at Disneyland)
March 8 Disney Princesses (Taylor's Version)
March 9 Oscar Nominees & Winners
March 10 Nintendo Characters (Mar10 Day)
March 11 Loungefly Love
March 12 #TanoTuesday ("Ahsoka Tano" characters)
March 13 Donald Duck (He turns 90 this year!)
March 14 Bounds & Mickey Ears
March 15 Mermaids & Pirates
March 16 Buddy Bounds
March 17 Characters Who Are Lucky (St. Patrick's Day)
March 18 Disney Live Action Films
March 19 Floral Bounds (First day of spring)
March 20 Characters Who Are French (French Language Day)
March 21 DisneyBound A Movie You've Never Seen Before
March 22 Pixar ("Luca" is in theatres today)
March 23 Disney Dogs
March 24 A Character from Your Favorite Disney Sports Movie
March 25 Pastel DisneyBounds
March 26 Characters from the Parks
March 27 Disney Characters from the 80s
March 28 Disney Cats
March 29 Magical Characters (Characters Who Use Magic)
March 30 Straight to Video (Characters from Movies that Skipped Theatres)
March 31 Disney Bunnies (Easter)
DisneyBounding Is for Everyone
DisneyBounding - Star Wars Bounds
A great aspect of DisneyBounding is that it's for all ages, but especially for adults — it allows us to dress up and play pretend again! It is something that anyone can do and is a simple way to add some extra Disney fun to your life. It doesn't require going to the parks or buying tons of clothes (though once you start bounding, you can't help but think of characters when shopping). If you are traveling to a Disney park, why not go full out and create a bound for at least one of your days? Group DisneyBounds are even more fun, especially when using a theme. Movies such as "Toy Story" are great options for a family or group of friends to collaborate on. The possibilities can go to infinity and beyond!
Have you ever DisneyBounded before? Let us know your favorite bounds in the comments below!
