Disney Halloween Costume Ideas & Tips
We are experts on Disney Halloween costumes. Wait, you’ve seen our past costumes? Okay, you know “expert” isn’t the right word, then. We’ve had some fun with our costumes and despite not being especially crafty, some people seem to like some of our costumes…for some reason (presumably the same reason anyone likes this blog: they are certifiably insane).
This year, we’ve been trying to come up with some cool costumes for both Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World and Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland (Disney’s “naming team” really worked overtime to distinguish the two parties!).
In the process, we’ve inadvertently stumbled upon other ideas and also some general “rules” that you might want to follow when putting together your own costumes. These range from relatively simple things like being mindful of the weather, to specific costume ideas you might use if you can’t think of anything else.
Here are our tips, costume ideas, and things not to do when it comes to Disney Halloween costumes…
Disneybounding – Since Disneybounding really exploded and went mainstream, we’ve noticed some people doing it for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. I am a huge fan of the creativity that goes into Disneybounding, but to me, it seems like a way to infuse a dash of Disney into a regular, everyday outfit.
Halloween is not about regular outfits, and one of the big advantages of the Halloween Parties is that you are allowed to wear an actual costume into the parks, not just a regular outfit that evokes the look of a character. Save the Disneybounding for another day, and go for an actual costume on one of the Mickey’s Halloween Party nights.
I want to stress that this is just a suggestion–Sarah has Disneybounded to the Halloween Parties because it was an economical and practical (read: heat & humidity-friendly) way to wear something more than just ordinary clothes to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. If you love Disneybounding or wouldn’t otherwise wear a more elaborate costume, by all means, Disneybound!
Human Disney Parks Characters – Now, if you don’t want to buy or make an expensive costume, there are a number of human characters in the attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World that wear relatively normal clothing with costumes that could be pulled off pretty easily, so long as you can find clothing that’s a close-enough fit, and the right accessories.
Think the hairy-legged pirate on Pirates of the Caribbean. You can probably find a close-enough outfit for him on eBay or at Goodwill (his shirt and pants are pretty standard), but what’s really going to define that costume is the leg hair and the big jug of rum. Simply get a pair of skin-colored tights and glue some synthetic hair onto them. Boom, instantly recognizable costume among Disney fans.
One year in college, I dressed as Dreamfinder for Halloween. I’m not very crafty, so my costume wasn’t exactly the best, but I was pretty pleased with the results at the time (I am too mortified to share photos of my costumes from college–suffice to say, you’d understand why I’m proud of this one if you saw them all). However, the fine folks over at Epbot did a much better Dreamfinder; follow their example if this costume interests you.
Any human character from the parks (or Disney/Pixar Animation–Carl or Russell from Up are other easy ones) who has a distinct look will work like this. You can go as simple or as complex as you want. Someone like the disco scientist from Spaceship Earth (or really any EPCOT Center character) would be easy, whereas one of the Haunted Mansion ballroom dancers would be fairly complex to pull off.
One of my costumes this year is a human Disney Parks character, but I’m not going to share that just now, as I’ve never seen this costume, and I’m hoping to be the first to do it!
Stay Cool – If you’re going to Florida for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you need to remember that it will likely be hot and humid, even at night. I cannot stress this enough. It’s something about which I didn’t think when I bought my Beast costume a few years ago, and I was miserable the entire time I was outside.
If you make a really elaborate costume that happens to be hot and are going to the Halloween Party primarily to show it off, more power to you. One of the big draws of the Halloween Parties for us is seeing the creative costumes other guests make. There are some really talented Disney fans and cosplayers out there who do incredible work making their costumes. These folks make my costumes look like they were thrown together by a horde of drunken chimpanzees (which probably isn’t far off from the truth).
However, if you’re going to the Halloween Party primarily to enjoy the entertainment and have fun in the park, I’d highly recommend opting for something functional, and as close to an ordinary outfit in terms of bulk. Wearing something heavy won’t just make you hot–it’ll be annoying as you try to navigate the parks.
Yeah, But It’s A Family Park… – The advice to “stay cool” doesn’t mean that you should opt for a costume with as little fabric as possible. This is a family theme park, not a frat kegger. I mention this because there are some times when I’ve been a bit taken aback by some costumes I’ve seen, wondering how they were allowed into the park in the first place.
Don’t Be Too Clever – I feel almost bad about offering this advice, since being clever should always receive accolades. However, sometimes attempts at being clever are about as successful as the backstory in Chester & Hester’s Dino-rama. If most people need a verbal explanation to “get” your costume, you might want to rethink it. For example, a few years ago, I went as an unemployed, “Hitchhiking Elf” seeking work at Haunted Mansion Holiday. By the end of the night, I got rid of the hitchhiking elements, and was simply an elf.
Specific Costume Ideas – With all of the above said, here are some costumes we’ve either done in the past or stumbled upon while trying to put together our costumes for this year…
Evicted Maelstrom Viking – This is a bit cheeky, but it’s an easy costume that doesn’t have to cost too much. Just buy the helmet, optional beard, and random rags and maybe a cape for the rest of it.
Mrs. Potts – This is *only* listed here because so many people have asked where we got our Beauty & the Beast costumes. The Mrs. Potts one isn’t so bad, but the Beast costume is HOT, so think twice before wearing it in the Florida humidity at Walt Disney World. (There’s also a cheaper Chip costume if you’d rather have that–or want it too for a mother/child costume combo!)
Beast – The Beast costume I wore is readily available on eBay, and it’s a fun costume, but cool it is most definitely not. I think I sweated out 20 pounds the night I wore it! This is a better option for Disneyland, where fall evenings can be on the cool side. Alternatively, there’s this more conservative Beast costume that won’t be nearly as hot.
Belle – If you don’t want to be a frumpy teapot, going as Belle in her provincial dress and apron is a great alternative.
Astronaut – When we went as astronauts, we bought jumpsuits plus NASA and Disney patches and made our own costumes. Now, you can buy a ready-made astronaut costume for less than our homemade costumes cost.
Indiana Jones – Combine some cheap accessories with standard clothing that you can likely find at Goodwill or a thrift shop, and you have a recognizable and cool costume on a dime.
Tron – We were going to do homemade Tron costumes a couple of years ago, but not all of our supplies arrived in time. Basically, the idea here is a black body suit covered with reflective tape and/or light-up stuff. This allows for some creative liberty, as all you really need is the identity disc for people to recognize this as a Tron costume.
Minnie Mouse – Another relatively cheap & simple costume, and one that will photograph well. Sarah made her own version of this a few years ago, and a ton of people commented on it. Just be careful not to get the “sexy” version of this costume. (Sexy Minnie Mouse? REALLY?!?)
Mickey Mouse – Same idea, except more dorky than cute. I’d probably just buy a Sorcerer Hat and a lightweight robe rather than buying this.
Olaf – Finally, If you don’t want to be accused of originality or want to blend into the crowd, go as anything from Frozen.
If you want a hot character that probably won’t be a popular costume, go as BB-8 from Star Wars: Episode 7. I have no clue how to make this costume…maybe find a giant hamster ball and paint it?
If you want to make something yourself, there are a lot of options for fairly easy costumes–especially human characters, as mentioned above. Pinterest actually has a section devoted to “Easy Disney Costumes” that might help you out.
As we stumble upon more costume ideas, we will update this post, too.
If you’re planning on doing Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or any of the international parks this Halloween season, make sure to consult our Halloween at the Disney Parks post for resources to help you plan your Halloween itinerary, meet characters, and more!
For updates on Halloween 2015 at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, plus the latest news, discount information, and tips, sign up for our free monthly newsletter!
YOUR THOUGHTS…
Have any costume recommendations, either homemade or store bought (feel free to post links)? Are you doing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (Walt Disney World) or Mickey’s Halloween Party (Disneyland) this year? Already have your costume made? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts on these questions, or anything else, in the comments!
Well I wouldn’t go as Alice then ride the Tea Cups that’s for sure (LOL). My Family did the Halloween Party 2 years ago and we did an Alice theme, I was Alice, my Husband the Cheshire Cat, and my son the Mad Hatter. Naturally we had to ride the Tea Cups, one of my favorite rides, and as we exited I held the gate open for a Grandmother and her grandchild, and people kept coming, and coming ….. I finally joked, “I’m not a Cast Member” and pointed to my Birthday Celebration pin (I’m a Halloween baby). A few people looked sheepish and we all laughed. In fairness I did nail the look.
I always wondered about your Christmas costume! I just thought, “huh, guess he’s into elves…”
Hubby and I are doing the mad hatter and the queen of hearts this year. He found his costume on Amazon, and I’m making mine by bringing back the 50’s with a rockabilly dress pattern. Maybe I’ll post a picture when it’s done. It’s the most elaborate costume I’ve ever made and I’m so excited for it! We also did Jack and Sally one year, and I LOVED my patchwork dress. I love Sally because you really can piece together just about anything and with some simple stitches for make-up, BAM, your sally. (also my favorite Disney movie so maybe I’ll do that again one year).
Sadly we have to wait to do Mickey’s party until next year, but I am absolutely loving your posts for this time of year and I’ll be taking your tips with me. 🙂
When my husband and I went to MNSSHP a couple years ago, I went as Ursula, I wore a purple tank top, black skirt, bright red lip stick, a shell necklace and shell earrings, the Ursula mickey ears, and I bought a plush Flotsam and Jetsam that I carried around. I thought I did a pretty good job 🙂 My husband went as Tom Sawyer, which was brilliant, but no one knew who he was even though he did a great job on the costume. People thought he was a farmer. We did get some great pics of him standing in front of Tom Sawyers island though! 😉
We haven’t been back, and even though we go to WDW every October and we’ll be back in about a month, we haven’t returned to the party. We had a good time, but even with the DVC/AP discount, we don’t think the party is worth the money.
Loved seeing all the costumes you and Sarah have done. I’m curious about your costume for this year!
Mickey’s Halloween Party October 2! But now I want to Trick or Treat with Danny Elfman and the Nightmare Before Christmas at the Hollywood Bowl on Halloween night! Gotta think of Tim Burton costumes… http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-danny-elfman-tim-burton-hollywod-bowl-halloween-20150914-story.html
If you have a group, go as a Brazilian tour group! We did that a couple of years ago, and while only the cast members seemed to get it, we were VERY appreciated! All it takes are some loud matching shirts and hats (we went with Brazil soccer shirts), a flag of some sort for the leader to wave, and some sort of chant you can yell as you are getting into line or walking down Main Street!
As a previous cast member who worked in entertainment, your beast costume is the closest you can get to understanding what it’s like to be “friends” with the characters! Minus the set changes and pay 🙂 I love seeing what costumes everyone comes up with!
Ha, and minus the fact that those costumes are actually well done and mine looks…well, not *quite* as good. 😉
My boyfriend and I are going as Dreamfinder and Figment this year. I’ve already bought all of the supplies to make both costumes so I’m pretty committed at this point, but I’m worried about him staying cool in a dress shirt and jacket (he has been growing his beard out just to complete the look so at least he won’t have to wear something on his face). He “runs hot” as it is. Thanks for the great advice (even though I seem to be ignoring most of it)!
Mad props to your boyfriend for the homegrown Dreamfinder beard. If I tried that, I’d just look like “Homeless Dreamfinder.”
I’d love to see photos of how the costumes turn out. Please post a link to photos when you get back! 🙂
I finally talked my family into wearing 1950’s costumes. Am I correct in assuming that not everyone dresses in Disney costumes and it’s more of a mixed bag of Disney, non-Disney, and normal clothing.
Thanks Tom! I can’t wait to read your party review. We’re going on 10/12, 10/13 or 10/15 depending on the weather forecast. I plan to buy about 4 days before.
While the “keep cool” rule generally applies, if you are going to MNSSHP on the last nights of the event, check the weather. Last year I was thankful my Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent version) had long sleeves because it got quite chilly. That whole trip was spent in pants and hoodies. This year I’m going as Honey Lemon from Big Hero 6.
Ah, this is a really good point! That late October weather can be pretty unpredictable. Could be hot and humid, could be downright frigid.
Not to be critical, but I think you should have chosen a different shade of Yellow for your heels in the next to the last photo. The shoes are definitely you Tom, but they don’t really match the Yellow in your costume.
As the kids these days say, “HATERS GONNA HATE.” 😉
Taking my nephews (and the rest of the family) to MNSSHP for the first time this year. I have been wanting to do MNSSHP for a very long time, hope it doesn’t disappoint; then again it’s Disney, so how could it?!? We are dressing the 3 boys as Huey, Dewey, and Luey. Simple and not too hot for them, they just want shirts, hats, and duckie feet. Trying to find some inexpensive white shorts for them to wear as well. My 2 sisters and I are doing a take on Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather (think tutu’s and tank tops rather than full on ball gowns). Hopefully these are “acceptable” costumes for the festivities, don’t want to upset some of the costume traditionalists.
Haha, I hope I’m not the “costume traditionalist” to whom you’re referring there. As should be plainly obvious by my horrible costumes in the photos, I am almost totally clueless.
The advice here is better filed under, “things I’ve learned from going to a lot of MNSSHP, but not lessons that I often apply to my own costumes.”
My costumes this year will probably be just as awful as those from previous years. Your ideas sound good to me! (Uh oh…maybe that’s a bad thing!) 😉
Haha! You were by no means the “costume traditionalists” to which I was referring. You and you wife always look great in the pics you post.
Just wasn’t sure if my take on the faries would be adequate for the event since it will be later in October that we are going.
Looking forward to seeing what you put together this year!!!
PS…that’s for such a great site.
I am going to MNSSHP this year as a pirate in the style of Pirates of the Carribean (The ride, not the film). I bought a cheap pirate shirt on ebay, cut up some old pants at the bottom to make them look raggedy. Then I just picked up some cheap accessories on amazon and voila I have a fairly convincing pirate costume for right around $15. I even took a custom map I ordered from the Disney World website and marked it up into a pirate map for a little extra fun.
It’s tough to go wrong with a pirate costume. Typically pretty easy to pull off, and you look awesome since pirates look awesome.
Cute post. My wife was inspired by Sarah’s Minnie-ish dress (2nd picture) and went with somethign similar last year. It worked well and was easy to put together.
For somewhat easy male costumes, we saw some great Fix-it-Felix costumes. Jedi as well, although I don’t envy the robes in the heat.
This year, we’re thinking of Peter Pan and Pan’s shadow (daughter is Wendy).
By the way – what is Sarah dressed as in your elf picture?
Good question!
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😉
Is it Barbie? Her dress looks like one I had for my dolls in the early 90s, and I have vague memories of the Barbie show that used to be in Epcot.
I only recently discovered your blog and I love it! You are hilarious but yet so informative. As a long time Disney fan I thought I’ve read everything but I’ve learned new things and see things in a fresh way from your blog. You truly bring a different prospective to the table like this article about costumes. I’m not a huge Halloween fan so never thought about it. Most people just write about the Halloween party not about wearing costumes and what to do and what not to do let alone give suggestions for costumes. Your ideas are great and would be easy to assemble should I ever decide to attend during Halloween. I Look forward to the next installment of your very witty blog.
I love doing sliiiightly obscure or less popular parks characters! It’s always fun to have built in photo locations and conversation starters. Last year my friend and I did Teddi and Trixie from CBJ (complete with tears chasing wine and vintage CBJ lunch boxes as purses!) Most guests didn’t get it, and it took CMs a second, but once they did their reactions were always great! (another bonus to doing a park character) I was really proud of those costumes…now if only I could attach a photo to this comment…
You should go as that creepy Dreamfinder Mikey you posted the other day….it will entertain adults and scare the kiddos.
I’m going this year as the same thing I go as every year. A tourist. The only difference is I bring a hotshoe flash. 🙂
I strongly second your recommendation to keep the costumes cool for WDW. Last year I went as Alice from Alice in Wonderland, complete with tights and an Alice wig. Despite being early October, it was 95 degrees when we entered the park at 4PM, and I was absolutely miserable. This year I am just going as a completely unoriginal R2-D2. The costume includes a light summer R2-D2 dress, R2-D2 knee socks (which I can always take off if it’s too hot), my beloved Crocs (they are AWESOME–no matter what you say!), and R2-D2 Mickey Ears. My husband will wear an elaborate pirate costume (that gets more elaborate and authentic-looking every year).
I don’t want to spoil any of Sarah’s costumes, but I think you two might look similar this year…
I love the fun & whimsy of Disney.
And I’ve never been one who’s worried about what other people think.
But some of these outfits Tom……
Nevermind, I’ll just refrain from comment.
Some of these outfits…
…are the most awesome costumes you’ve ever seen?
…are so B.A. that they should be worn as business attire?
…are truly inspirational and will go down in history as iconic pieces of fashion?
…all of the above?
😉