How to Keep Your Disney World Wardrobe Fun AND Practical

As you pack for your Disney World trip, you might find yourself asking, “what in the world should I wear?” You want to keep your Disney World wardrobe fun and practical but may not know where to start.

Of course, you want to be comfortable in your outfit (while following the dress code). Spending long hours in the sun and on your feet isn’t conducive to dress shoes, mini skirts, and designer tote bags. But you also want to be cute and trendy, right? I mean, it’s an exciting place, you’re taking loads of pictures, and plus it’s just fun to be cute on vacation.

Luckily it’s possible to dress trendy and practical at the same time. We’ve got some suggestions to help you decide what kind of outfits to pack.

Shoes

It makes sense to start with shoes, since visiting each Disney Park involves so much time on your feet. Wearing the wrong shoes can really put a damper on the Disney magic, even if they go great with your outfit. Guests are not uncommon to get excited about an upcoming trip and purchase a new pair of shoes. However, new shoes may not be the best idea.

On average, guests walk seven to 10 miles daily when visiting Walt Disney World Parks. With that much walking, you may not want to be breaking in a new pair of shoes simultaneously. New shoes can cause rubbing, blisters, or unexpected pain. You may want to consider breaking in your new shoes well before your trip or sticking to a pair you’ve had and know are reliable.

As far as the type of shoes – you can go in a few directions. We’re already addressed comfort being key, but you also want to consider support, water resistance, and if they’re going to help keep your feet cool. Most Guests wear sneakers or some sort of sandal with straps to keep secure to their foot.

Luckily, there are so many types of shoes that it’s not too hard to be comfortable and trendy on your Disney trip.

Shirts

When it comes to shirts, material can make a huge difference in your comfort level. With Florida being so hot in the summer, you’ll want to pay closer attention to the types of fabric when planning each outfit.

Cotton and linen are top picks for keeping you cool and comfortable. And they tend to dry pretty quick if you end up on a water ride like Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids. Sleeveless shirts are great for keeping your temperature regulated, but you’ll want to stay on top of applying SPF.

Battling the sun is part of the game, so loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts are a good option as well. Across the board, light colors are typically the best way to go to help detract the sun. But it’s vacation, so embrace the bright colors if you want to make your outfit pop!

If you’re worried long sleeves may get too toasty, go with layers! You can make a tank top layer one, a long sleeve t-shirt layer two, and a sweatshirt as layer three (if you’re there in cooler months).

Finally, you can never go wrong with a Disney shirt! You can purchase them all over Walt Disney World. However, some of our favorite shops include the Emporium at Magic Kingdom, World of Disney at Disney Springs, and Mouse Gear at Epcot. 

Another option is to search Etsy. There are so many creative shops, and you can find a lot of unique and subtle designs you’ll want to wear even when you’re not visiting Disney World

Bottoms

Jeans, leggings, shorts, dresses? You honestly can’t go wrong. Of course, if you’re visiting Walt Disney World in the summer, you’ll probably want to stay away from jeans. Leggings and shorts are both great options, as they offer flexibility and are generally cool. If you go with shorts for the day, leggings are easy to roll up and toss in your backpack in case temperatures drop in the evening.

Dresses can be tricky. They’re comfortable and cute, but you have to be a little more careful for obvious reasons. Then there’s the potential chafing. If you go the dress route, we recommend wearing bike shorts underneath. This will help with any potential chafing as well as give you more coverage as you twirl through Magic Kingdom.

Hats and Sunglasses

Remember when we mentioned the sun? Seriously, the Florida sun doesn’t mess around. Hats and sunglasses can certainly be fun and trendy, but they do wonders in protecting your face and eyes.

Hats are easy to make fun for Disney World! Floppy sun hats are trendy and protective, but can be cumbersome during the times you don’t want to have them on. We recommend baseball hats and visors since they’re compact and can be thrown in a bag. Step it up by visiting one of Disney’s gift shops to pick up a classic ball cap with an embroidered Mickey Mouse on the front. It’s subtle enough to wear all year!

Obviously, there are a lot of factors to think about when deciding on which outfits to pack for your Disney trip. The most important thing is that you feel great in what you’re wearing. Whether you’re a stereotypical Disney Adult and want to participate in Disney bounding or dress head to toe in Mickey gear, or you just want to be comfortable for the day, you have a ton of options to dress for fun and practicality.