10 Ways to Subtly Dress Up a la Disney This Halloween

Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, which means classes and/or work for us. If like me, you go to school in New York City, dressing up this year = not really an option. Luckily, we found a way to capture the holiday spirit while still doing your everyday routine. It’s a term called “bounding,” and it originated from the idea of “Disney bounding.” In Disney parks, they don’t let anyone over the age of 14 enter in a costume, so super Disney fans got creative.

Say what now? How do you dress up without a costume?

“Disney bounding is a way for teenagers and adults who can no longer wear Disney to still ‘dress up’ and represent/ be a favorite character. With bounding, everyone can do it, and they can be any character they like. As opposed to an obvious costume, bounding is subtle,” said Grace Davis, who works for a Disney Bounding website and Instagram account. “With bounding you could be any character, while costume choices can be very limited.”

Bounding works for subtly dressing up, but it also serves as a solution for the last minute and broke college student who doesn’t have money or time to get a costume. Twins Courtney and Lindsey have a Disney bounding Instagram account with over 3,000 followers. They love bounding because it lets you show love for your favorite character while being comfortable in every day clothes. “Bounding is better than costumes because you can dress up all the time and use clothing pieces that are potentially already in your closet,” Lindsey said.

Bounding also lets you add your own personal touch to your favorite character, according to Keshia, another Disney bounder on The Gram. “I think bounding is better than a full costume because your personal style gets to shine! You get to be creative with throwing an outfit together, and the best part is you can use what you already have in your closet,” Keshia said.

So… how exactly does one “bound?” Davis suggested to not overthink it, because it can be as simple or as complex as you want it. Tiffany, another Disney bounder with 4k followers, says it’s just about finding the right colors and accessories to represent the character.

“So with bounding as any character, start with color blocking. For example, the classic Anna [from Frozen] look involves two shades of blue, black and magenta. Then whatever else you feel makes the character who they are, which for Anna is her braids,” Courtney said.

Keshia suggested following Instagram accounts for inspiration, especially @thedisneybound, because she puts together outfits for different characters every day. Also, as with anything fun, it’s also better to bound in groups. “The more friends you can Disney bound with, the more likely people are going to be able to pick up who you’re trying to bound as,” Keshia said.

So with all that in mind, check out 10 easy Disney bounds you can rock this Halloween.

1. Peter Pan (By Lindsey from @disneylandtwinkerbelles)

It doesn’t take much besides faith, trust, pixie dust and a whole lot of green to be this lost boy for Halloween. Probably the only thing one wouldn’t already have in their dresser would be the hat, but it can also work with any green hat. And if you want to go in a group, Tinker Bell would work just as easily.

2. Ariel (By Courtney and Lindsey from @disneylandtwinkerbelles)

While it might not be the most discreet idea to walk around wearing a shell bra, use color blocking to your advantage here. Any green/teal skirt or pants can work with any white or purple top. If you definitely want someone to recognize you, carry a fork, or “dinglehopper,” to brush your hair with. For groups, Sebastian and Flounder (like pictured above) make great and easy sidekicks.

3. Anna and Elsa (By Courtney and Lindsey from @disneylandtwinkerbelles)

Courtney and Lindsey love their Anna and Elsa bound because, as sisters, they find the characters relatable. This pair of sisters has multiple outfits to choose from. For Anna, a blue skirt or pants with a black top works perfect for her outfit up the mountain, but if you don’t have blue, a green bottom can still easily pass for Anna in her Coronation Day outfit. Elsa also looks easy to pull off. You could even just wear all light blue. For some final touches, make sure your hair matches your character (for example, Anna’s pigtails and Elsa’s side braid).

4. Black Widow (By Keshia from @keshiadreamsofdisney)

By far one of the easiest characters to bound as, Black Widow just requires you to simply dress in all black. If you’re like me, you might look like Black Widow all day, every day. If anyone ever doubts your character, just give them a bad ass stance to prove your bound.

5. Lizzie McGuire (By Keshia from @keshiadreamsofdisney)

The most inconspicuous of all the bounds also holds the most throwback nostalgia. Keshia suggests bounding as the Lizzie McGuire alter ego by simply wearing dark capris, a pink/purple tank top and some orange shoes.

6. Princess Mia Thermopolis (By Keshia by @keshiadreamsofdisney)

This outfit (or duo) looks perfect for anyone who kept their old private school uniform. For Mia, on top of the outfit, easy tricks to give it away is wearing glasses and a small tiara, maybe even tease your hair if you want to be the “before” Mia. If you have a Lily to your Mia, she has distinct markers too with her otter backpack, choker and braided hair.

7. Snow White (By Tiffany from @followtheyellowbrickgirl)

Snow White’s distinct colors make this one easy. Just stick to the yellow bottom, blue top and a red bow, and you’ll easily be spotted. Carry an apple for max notice-ability.

8. Dopey (By Tiffany from @followtheyellowbrickgirl)

Like his movie counterpart, you can easily recreate Dopey with the right colors. Blue jeans, brown shoes, a large green top and a purple beanie will have you bounding in no time. To get more detailed, you can add a belt or any kind of diamond accessory.

9. Buzz (and Woody) (By Tiffany from @followtheyellowbrickgirl)

Buzz and Woody works as a bound for guys and girls alike. The most important part of the Buzz bound just might be the colors, so any light green shirt style will work. The purple can be added on in a tie, or also in a beanie or scarf. Woody may just look like he wears any old cowboy outfit, but to make it uniquely him, be sure to have a yellowish flannel or a sheriff’s badge.

10. Winnie the Pooh (Keshia from @keshiadreamsofdisney)

We’re not saying to walk around with no pants on, but becoming Winnie the Pooh really only requires a two-step process: Red top and yellowish bottom. After that it’s up to you to prove your bound with a sweet attitude (and maybe a touch of hunny).