What I Wear to Disney as a Disney World Local
*This Post Contains Affiliate Links - some items may be discontinued or out of stock
You’ve probably seen all the influencers in their cute Disney outfits all over instagram and you may have even heard the basics of wear comfy shoes, and lightweight clothes. But what should YOU actually wear on your next Disney Vacation?
As a Disney World Local who visits the parks several times a week, it’s taken a lot of trial and error but I’ve definitely mastered the balance between comfy and cute when it comes to my park outfits and I want to share some of my tips and suggest some of my favs that you can use for your next visit!
Mark Alan’s Shirt & Shorts - Chubbies, Park Bag - Cotopaxi | Kayla’s Dress - Aerie
The Basics
We’ll get into the cute stuff later, but first things first, we’ve gotta build our base and make sure that no matter the outfit, you’ll be able to wear it all day long in whatever kind of weather you may experience.
You’ve gotta consider the time of year that you will be visiting. Generally it’s going to be pretty hot most of the year, but there are a few months where the weather can vary WILDLY. You may be ready to rope drop and it’s down in the 40’s but by lunchtime you are sweating again when the sun comes out.
Jacket - Disney Parks | Tank & Jeans - Target | Shoes - AllBirds | Earrings - Baublebar | Headband - My Shop!
Let’s break things down month by month so you can get a little bit of an idea of what to expect for your trip. (all temperatures mentioned in this post are in Fahrenheit)
January - February are what we call Orlando ‘winter’. These are often the coldest months where temps can get down in the 40’s (and on occasion even lower) and highs can usually be around the 50s-70s depending on the day. You may get a few days here and there where things can get warmer, so it’s always a good idea to double check the weather several times before your trip.
Sunglasses, Jacket, & Crewneck - Disney Parks | Leggings - Target | Shoes - Adidas | Headband - My Shop!
March - April This is probably my favorite season weather-wise, but it’s also the most unpredictable. Just this week we had a day that started in the 40’s and then got up into the 70’s, then the next day it was in the 80’s. This is the time of year that you really want to bring a variety of warm weather and cool weather options, at the very least jackets and things you can layer.
Jacket - Disney Parks | Tank - Target | Skirt - Kohl’s | Shoes - Shapen
May - June is when the heat starts to turn up. It’s definitely worse later in the season as the rain season starts and the humidity goes up. This is generally still a really nice time of year to visit if you prefer warm to hot days over cold, but don’t necessarily want it to be sweltering.
Tank - Target | Shorts - Versona | Shoes - Reef | Sunglasses - Goodr | Headband - My Shop!
July - August are by far the HOTTEST months of the year. It’s super muggy and the air feels THICK. The sun will beat down on you and you really need to be prepared with both what you wear and making sure to stay hydrated.
Tank - Target | Skirt - Kohl’s | Sunglasses - Goodr | Headband - My Shop!
September - October are still pretty warm months, but the rain and humidity will start to tone down. Don’t get it twisted, it’s still the middle of hurricane season, so you will still have quite a bit of rain, but the temps will slowly start to decrease as you get later into October.
Romper - Target | Shoes - Reef
November - December are kinda like March - April, but flip flopped. You will have mostly warmer days with some colder days starting to pop up. Layers are super important this time of year as you can usually count on it being cooler in the morning and evening while being warmer during the day. Once you get closer to Christmas and New Years, it definitely will start to be cooler, so be prepared for that!
Mark Alan: Shirt - Chubbies | Jeans - American Eagle | Shoes - AllBirds; Kayla: Cardigan - Versona | Tank & Jeans - Target | Shoes - Reef
Ok, now that we’ve talked about the weather, let’s talk about what I look for when picking out my actual attire.
For Warmer Weather
If it’s hot outside, my number one tip is to choose clothing that is BREATHABLE and moisture wicking. Fabric that holds moisture like cotton and linen are actually not my favorite - I much rather go with athletic material like tennis skirts and long line workout tops or even athletic dresses. Remember, it is Florida which means the humidity is HIGH and the more wet you are from sweating, the more likely you are to get chafing or heat rash.
Mark Alan: Shirt & Shorts - Chubbies | Sunglasses - Goodr | Park Bag - Cotopaxi; Kayla: Tank - Target | Skirt - Kohl’s | Sunglasses - Goodr
The goal is to keep yourself as dry as possible - hence why I recommend fabric that is moisture wicking.
Something else to consider is clothing that rubs. I personally am someone that does tank tops over tshirts. I’m not sure why, but I ALWAYS seem to chafe worse when I have a tshirt on. Obviously you do what is most comfortable for you, but when it’s warm, the less clothing you can wear, the better.
Tank - Target | Skirt - Kohl’s | Shoes - Shapen | Headband - My Shop!
I have a saying - when the sun is out, it’s HOT
There are many times where you’ll be standing out in the sun while waiting for a ride or parade, so consider having a hat for some quick personal shade.
Tank - Target | Earrings - Baublebar | Sunglasses - Goodr | Hat - American Eagle | Bag - Disney Parks
With the heat comes the rain, so this is usually the time of year that I LIVE in my sandals. When it’s a heavier rain day, there can be some areas that flood, so having sandals with good traction is super helpful to keep your feet from getting soggy and blistered.
You can learn more about some of my favorite Theme Park Shoes HERE.
Rain Jacket & Shorts - REI | Sandals - Tevas
Along with good shoes, you’ll want to consider your rain gear. This may mean an umbrella, poncho, or rain jacket - whatever you prefer! At the very least, you’ll want to make sure you have a few ponchos in your bag to keep you dry when those rainstorms inevitably hit.
For Cold Weather
The summers are wet, but the winter is actually pretty wet too. If you are coming from up north and traveling down here, 40 or 50 may not sound too terrible. HOWEVER, it’s what we call a ‘wet cold’ and trust me, it feels much colder than you think. I’m from Kansas and we have some pretty nasty winters and I still think it’s pretty chilly on those cold days.
Mark Alan: Tshirt - Disney Parks | Jacket - Target; Kayla: Jacket & Shirt - Disney Parks
Don’t underestimate having hats and gloves along with your jackets because when you are standing next to the water waiting for Epcot Fireworks and that wind comes off the lagoon…. Trust me, you’ll thank me that you have them.
Now even though the mornings and evening can be pretty cold, the day can surprisingly still be warm. Remember when I said “If the sun is out, it’s hot”? That applies to the winter too. We are closer to the equator here which means the UV is more intense, which means that if the sun beats down on you, it can still be pretty intense.
Spirit Jersey - Disney Parks | Leggings - Target | Shoes - AllBirds
Layers Layers Layers are going to be your best friend! You can totally wear some jeans or leggings, but maybe have a tank or tshirt under your jacket or sweatshirt so that you can peel off those layers when it gets warm.
During the winter, the indoor rides and restaurants can also be pretty warm, so being able to take off your sweatshirt in those hot stuffy buildings will bring some sweet relief.
For those times in between
This is the time of year where you really are going to experience BOTH warm and cool weather. My biggest advice is to really really check the weather several times before your trip and make sure that you have a good variety of things like pants and shorts, tanks and jackets.
Cardigan - Versona | Tank & Jeans - Target | Shoes - Reef | Headband - My Shop!
This can also be one of my favorite times because it’s warm enough that I can get away with something a little more fun like a cute cardigan or a spirit jersey and a skirt or jeans depending on my mood.
Cardigan - Her Universe | Tank - Target | Skirt - Kohl’s
However… what I don’t love is that it’s hard to tell what the ‘feel like’ temps will be. One day 60 degrees may feel like 40, but other days it may feel like 80, so it’s a good idea to pay attention to things like rain, clouds, and wind. This is also why having a variety of options is key.
Jacket - Her Universe | Tank & Shorts - Target | Shoes - Reef | Earrings - Baublebar | Headband - My Shop!
Putting Together Your Outfits
Ok! Now that you have a pretty good grasp on the basics, how do we apply that to creating cute outfits that you can take lots of fun vacation pics in?
My personal trick is to colorblock my outfits! What does this mean? It means that I have a variety of solid colored pieces in bright fun colors that I can mix & match to create different outfits.
Mark Alan: Shirt & Shorts - Chubbies | Shoes - Chacos | Sunglasses - Goodr; Kayla: Tank & Skirt - Target | Shoes - Reef | Sunglasses - Goodr
My personal favorite thing to wear is a tank top and an athletic skirt. It’s comfy, feminine, and a great base to be able to accessorize how I like.
I have two different tanks in literally ten or more colors each and a handful of skirts that I feel really good in. I really enjoy bright colors (which are much cooler to wear than dark colors when the sun is hitting you) so I can mix & match these into a million different outfits.
Disneybounding
If you aren’t familiar with this term, it is a pretty strict rule that you cannot dress up in a costume as an adult to the parks. However, you can wear an outfit that symbolizes a character through the colors or details as long as it doesn’t look like a direct cosplay of the character. You can read Disney’s official attire and costume rules HERE.
Tank - Target | Skirt & Ears - I made them! | Sunglasses - Disney Parks
This is where that colorblocking comes in clutch! I can do a red tank and a black skirt to represent Minnie Mouse or a purple top and green skirt to represent Ariel. That is the most basic version of Disneybounding, but you can get as fun with it as you want with ears, bags, and other accessories.
A good rule of thumb for a more ‘complete’ looking outfit is to have 5-7 pieces. This could be a shirt, skirt, sunglasses, bag, shoes, hat, and fun earrings. But truly, just wear what you feel is cute to you!
Shirt - TikTok Shop (Kaleb Jay Thoeny) | Skirt - Target | Earrings - Baublebar | Sunglasses - Goodr | Headband - My Shop!
The key again is to make sure that you have a really comfortable base and then use your accessories to ‘disney-fy’ it. Character tees are super fun and if that’s what you feel most comfortable in great! For me, it’s just not my fav when I’m hot and sweaty.
Romper - Cider | Tank - Target | Shoes - Reef | Earrings - Baublebar | Sunglasses - Disney Parks
A few tips for the Guys
Many of these same principles apply to guys too! My Husband Mark Alan pretty much lives in a pair of shorts and a lightweight button down short sleeve shirt. He also prefers button downs to tshirts since they are a little more breathable.
Shirt & Shorts - Chubbies | Shoes - AllBirds
Again, brighter, lighter colors are definitely going to be better than dark colors, and if you can do shorts that have a bit more of an athletic moisture wicking material, then you will be much cooler throughout the day!
Shirt & Shorts - Chubbies | Shoes - AllBirds | Sunglasses - Goodr | Park Bag - Cotopaxi
For shoes, Mark Alan lives in either his Chacos or his AllBirds. We talk more about these in our Theme Park Shoes Blog Post too!
Mark Alan: Shirt & Shorts - Chubbies | Park Bag - Cotopaxi | Shoes - AllBirds | Sunglasses - Goodr; Kayla: Tank - Target | Shorts - Her Universe | Shoes - Reef | Sunglasses - Goodr
If you want more inspiration on some outfits I actually wear to the parks, you can check them out here!
