You know that rush of adrenaline you get on Space Mountain just as you round the corner and start the ascent? A smile creeps across your face, and you grip the handlebar a little bit tighter as your heart starts to race with giddy excitement. You kind of know what to expect, because if you are anything like me you have made this ascent on Space Mountain countless times, but every time it still takes your breath away as you hear the final click and are released into the darkness. That is precisely what it feels like to cosplay at Disney World as your favorite character.
We all remember how last year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party went, so this year I was determined not to repeat history, but instead re-write it most boldly and daringly possible. Instead of throwing a costume together at the last minute I decided to go full-on bucket list and cosplay as Princess Tiana. I started thinking about MNSSHP back in May, quietly calculating if I genuinely had the nerve to go through with it. I talked myself out numerous times, convincing myself that I was far too old to be dressing up to this degree.
But then in July, something clicked in me. I realized that all of the negative self-talk was just fear and doubt. Cosplaying as Princess Tiana wasn’t on my bucket list because it was some arbitrary thing to do, it was on there because not only would it push me out of my comfort zone, but it would also be a fun and exciting way to experience Disney like never before. So I grabbed my laptop and measuring tape, quickly access the custom Princess Tiana dress listing, feverishly measured myself and hit pay before I could talk myself out of it again.
The three weeks painstaking weeks waiting for my dress to arrive felt reminiscent of a wedding dress being prepared. Would I love the color? Would it fit? Would I look like Princess Tiana? Would I have the nerve to wear it? And then one day DHL snapped me out of my cloud of questions with the most beautiful red and yellow package containing the answer to my pondering. I was utterly blown away, and knew at that moment that this was going to be an excellent experience!
Fast forward to the day of MNSSHP, my stomach is in knots, and I can’t remember ever being so sweaty. My dress, on the other hand, is a literal dream come true. Leading up to the party I prepared my dress by having it altered for a better fit, steamed without a wrinkle in sight, and added a hoop skirt for ultimate poofability (yep that is a word!). I double, triple, and quadruple checked the MNSSHP costume rules to ensure that my costume was in regulation and then we were off to the park.
From the moment I stepped out of the car (and into my hoop skirt, because let’s face it, you cannot fit that thing into a car), I felt like Mama Odie herself had transformed little ole me into Princess Tiana. Lining up for the tram, fellow partygoers went out of their way to compliment my dress and tell me how much they love Princess Tiana. Little girls tugged at their mommy’s hands and pointed shocked and in awe. Instead of feeling flattered I was terrified that the staff at Disney was going to dub me an imposter and not let me in the park.
As we got off the monorail, I checked the hem of my dress for the millionth time to ensure that it wasn’t dragging the ground, much to the annoyance of the rest of my family. What can I say? I try to be an optimist, but sometimes when there is so much anticipation riding on something that doubt creeps in. As I reached the turnstile my hands were drenched, my heart thumping heavily in my chest, I prepared for the worst, but instead the cast member who greeted me squealed and called over a few other cast members to see my costume. I felt like I was in the cosplaying version of Waiting to Exhale and it was finally time for me to breathe.
I floated into the Magic Kingdom on a high that I cannot accurately describe. I am getting misty-eyed reminiscing about it as I write. There is something so magical about being on a Disney property; it is almost like they pump oxytocin (the love hormone) through the air. All of the anticipation, fear, and doubt melted away, and all I felt was pure delight.
The rest of the evening flashed by in an instant, filled with compliments, hundred of photos from the talented Disney Photopass Photographers, and that ultimate feeling that comes from crossing an item off your bucket list.
Thinking about cosplaying as your favorite Disney character? Keep these tips in mind.
1) Purchase your Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party ticket in advance!
2) Read the Disney Costume rules for every age member in your family, but pay close attention to dress length rules for Princesses and accessories that may apply to your costume.
3) As you are deciding on a wardrobe, be sure to check the weather for your Disney park. While Anaheim may have more Fall temperatures, it may be blazing hot in Orlando, or somewhere in between for Shanghai or Tokyo. We attended the MNSSHP in Orlando, and it was no less than 90 degrees for our party date which meant I felt like I was in an oven the moment I stepped out of the car.
4) HYDRATE, EAT, HYDRATE. After all of your hard work and preparation wouldn’t it feel awful to end up being dehydrated or worse have heat exhaustion? It is so easy to get caught up in the magic that you forget to take care of your basic needs, so have someone in your traveling party remind you to eat and drink frequently. There are tons of MNSSHP exclusive snacks to munch on so use that as an excuse to indulge!
5) If you are going back and forth whether you want to cosplay or ride rides let me alleviate your concerns right now because you can do both! Pack a park bag for you to change into, and if you don’t have a stroller to stash it in, put it in a locker as you enter the park. After you tackle all of your must-do photos and character meet-n-greets, be sure to head over to the locker and change. Easy peasy! This tip was probably the highlight of the evening. I wanted to enjoy all of my favorite rides and being able to transform back into myself and still enjoy the party was awesome.
