In a TikTok with over 1.6 million views, content creator M.K. Negenge (@mkngenge) asks viewers to confirm a shocking rule at Disney World that she almost broke.
Negenge has gained over 25,900 followers for her content, which largely includes her doing pop-ups dressed as Princess Tiana from the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog. With her upcoming trip to Disney World, she planned to do the same. Then, she learned that her Princess Tiana get-up might get her banned from the amusement park.
“One question: Why didn’t you all tell me that I couldn’t wear my princess Tiana costume to Disney World?” she asks in the video.
No adult costumes at Disney World?
Negenge explains that she is going to Disney World with a group of “cool, quirky individuals like [her]self.” While figuring out the group itinerary and what they planned to wear each day, Negenge shared that she would be in “full Tiana vibes.” She asked her friends if they would be dressed as other characters from the Princess and the Frog movie, like Prince Naveen and Mama Odie.
It was then that a friend wrote to Negenge privately with a clear message. “No, you won’t. You won’t be wearing that gown that you’ve been prancing around with online. You’ll get banned from Disney for life,” Negenge says her friend told her.
She goes on to say she was told that dressing in full character costume could be disrespectful to the actual Disney actors who are already in full costume. Further, the presence of two adults dressed in full princess costumes could also confuse the children.
For Negenge, Princess Tiana is “a huge part of [her] personal brand,” and the creator had big plans for her Disney debut. Decked out in princess attire with a microphone in hand, she planned to sing and interact with children as she does at her pop-ups.
“Was I the only one on the planet that did not know that I could not do that?” she poses to her viewers.
Viewers weigh in
In the comments section, viewers affirm Disney’s no-adults-in-costume rule and give some reasons why the rule is there in the first place.
“It sounds like you were planning to go dressed up AND be in character to the kids. Double huge no,” one person wrote.
“As a mom, the rule makes sense actually. Imagine some pedos dressing up looking like a character who works there,” a second viewer reasoned. Negenge responded, writing, “I completely understand now.”
“Yes, we knew. They don’t want kids running up to random people thinking they’re the characters when they’re not. Also, people unfortunately are weird so it’s a safety concern as well. You can dress in the theme but not in a full costume,” came a third comment.
“That’s why Disney bounding was invented. It sucks but it’s for safety reasons,” a fourth viewer offered.
What is Disneybounding?
USA Today defines Disneybounding as a way for adult guests at Disney World to “dress in ways that resemble their favorite Disney characters while not wearing a costume.”
Tumblr user Leslie Kay invented the term in 2011 with her blog called Disneybound. She would share visual boards of the outfits she’d wear while going to (read: “bound” for) Disney. Disneybound’s official Instagram account boasts over 300,000 followers.
Disneybounding uses everyday clothing items to resemble a specific Disney character. As “Cosplay without the costume,” Disneybounding allows adults to pay homage to their favorite Disney characters while respecting park rules.
Disney states in its Park Dress Guidelines that “costumes and costume masks may not be worn by Guests 14 years of age or older.”
The reason? The attire “could detract from the experience of other guests.” Disney reserves the right to “deny admission or remove any person” in attire deemed inappropriate.
It seems Negenge got the hint. More recently, the creator shared a video trying on her first Princess Tiana Disneybounding dress in preparation for her birthday trip to “The Most Magical Place On Earth.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to M.K. Negenge via TikTok direct message and Walt Disney World via email for more information.
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The post ‘That’s why Disney bounding was invented’: Woman plans trip to Disney World. Then she discovers this little-known rule appeared first on The Daily Dot.