Book Review: “Disney Bound: Dress Disney and Make It Fashion

If you’ve been to a Disney Park in the past decade, you’ve been exposed to Disney Bounding. You might not have realized that it had a name, but you surely noticed a fellow Guest wearing an ensemble that pays homage to a Disney character. One of the easiest to spot is Snow White: a yellow skirt, blue top, red headband, and maybe a clutch in the shape of an apple. Whether you’re already steeped in the Disney Bounding culture or want to get into it, Disney Bound: Dress Disney and Make It Fashion is a guide to taking everyday apparel and putting it together in a way that celebrates your fandom.

The first thing you need to know about Disney Bound: Dress Disney and Make It Fashion is that it’s written by Leslie Kay, who unintentionally created the trend when posting outfits she was planning to wear for an upcoming trip to Walt Disney World. She quickly went viral and started a trend more widespread than dapper day, with everyone from Disney influencers to Guests visiting a Disney park for the first time are participating in.

It’s worth mentioning that while Disney destinations are the most common place to Disney Bound, you can do it literally anywhere. The book may have been released during an era of stay-at-home orders, but even if you’re just sharing your outfits with your Instagram followers, Disney Bounding is still able to make you feel part of a community. Tiffany Mink, for example, recently posted a video of the outfits she would wear to Disney World if she could go right now (she also has a cameo in the book). There’s value in starting to think about your next Disney Parks visit now to give yourself something to look forward to. I think we could all use a little bit of that right now.

The essence of Leslie Kay’s book is that Disney Bounding is all about your own comfort and style. It’s not putting on a costume, it’s folding in a character or location’s essence into your own fashion. You wear the things you like to wear, just put together in a way that pays homage to your Disney fandom. And most importantly, it’s about having fun.

Through eight chapters, readers will get Disney Bounding pro-tips from its creator. This includes some simple and inexpensive items that can be used to create looks for multiple characters, a few DIY suggestions or tips to keep the cost low, and even ways to start with what’s currently in your closet and sales to keep an eye out for. As you would expect, the book also puts together a plethora of examples of outfits for some of the most timeless Disney characters, attractions, locations, and even a few snacks. There’s even a section about Disney Bounds for specific destinations, like Duffy for Tokyo Disney Sea and Figment for EPCOT.

Disney Bound: Dress Disney and Make It Fashion is a fun exploration of an aspect of Disney fandom that can be paired with your personal tastes and style. But more importantly, it’s an inspirational read that will get you to start dreaming again. You’ll draw inspiration to start putting together your own ideas for your next Disney Bound, whether for your family, your friends, fellow shoppers at the supermarket, or your next visit to a Disney destination.

Alex Reif
Alex joined the Laughing Place team in 2014 and has been a lifelong Disney fan. His main beats for LP are Disney-branded movies, TV shows, books, music and toys. He recently became a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA).