Meet the Cast Member Making Inclusive Halloween Costumes

A special Cast Member at The Walt Disney Company is working hard to make all fans feel included. One of my favorite parts about Disney Parks is how magical it feels the moment you step on the property. Everyone is welcome regardless of your age, where you come from, or how you look.

At Disney World, the experience starts when you check into your Resort hotel, scan your MagicBand+ at a Park, or sit down for your first reservation at Disney Springs. Each experience allows Guests to feel like they are a part of the immersive theme Disney has planned. With the hope that Guests enjoy themselves no matter what they are partaking in, Disney’s core values are inclusivity.

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When Walt Disney was creating the concept of Disneyland, much of his inspiration for the Parks came from watching his daughters while they played on the merry-go-round. Walt wanted a place for children and adults to visit that allowed all ages to enjoy. It’s safe to say he successfully did that with Disneyland, which filtered over into Disney World.

At Disney World, it’s not uncommon to see Guests without children visiting the Parks. Although there are no parts of the Park that are exclusive to specific age groups, only some things are age-specific due to laws and regulations. Specific height requirements for rides and alcoholic beverages only available to Guests 21 years old or older with a valid ID are two of the few examples.

With Halloween right around the corner, Disney World puts on Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. And, of course, with Halloween comes Halloween costumes! As the holiday inches closer, children and adults search for their best fit. No matter the occasion, a school holiday party, a work event, visiting Magic Kingdom, or simply going trick or treating with your family, there are now more inclusive costumes than ever.

Related: The Pocket Guide You’ll Need for Mickey’s Halloween Party

Thanks to one special Cast Member at The Walt Disney Company, this has come to fruition.

Inclusive Disney Halloween Costumes

shopDisney offers ways to “Get into character with our costumes featuring favorites from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars.” But Ariella Hendrix, licensed costumes product design manager for Disney’s Consumer Products, Games, and Publishing, has made even more costume dreams come true.

“My dream is that everyone has a costume that they feel seen in,” Ariella said, and she is doing just that. Her dream of working with Disney is to make all communities feel a part of the excitement that comes along with Halloween dress-ups. As a marketplace co-lead of one of the Disney PRIDE Business Employee Resource Groups (BERG), she is an advocate for inclusion and is portraying that through her work.

Related: Mickey Has His Halloween Costume Ready, Do You?

The expansion of Disney Halloween costumes comes in the collection for adaptive costumes and wheelchair wraps. Additionally, a collection of size-inclusive costumes is underway, ranging in sizes. Ariella notes that there is a pure excitement children feel when finding a costume that fits their way of life.

The adaptive line is in collaboration with Disguise, while the Size-Inclusive line is working with FUN.com to bring these inclusive options to life. Some exciting examples of Disguise are  Mickey Mouse Adaptive Costume for Kids, Mickey Mouse Fun House Adaptive Wheelchair Cover, and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Adaptive Wheelchair Cover.

“The size-inclusive collection ranges from size 1X to 8X in most styles, with 40 new characters added just this year, including Disney’s Donald Duck, Goofy, Jasmine, Merida and many more,” Disney Parks Blog notes. These collaborations allow all Disney fans to feel included in the celebrations and, moreover, feel included in the Disney family, which Walt Disney instilled.

Have you chosen your Disney costume for this upcoming Halloween?