Disneybound

See also: DisneyBound

English

Alternative forms

• DisneyBound

Etymology

Coined by Leslie Kalbfleisch (a.k.a. Leslie Kay) in 2011 with her Tumblr blog called DisneyBound, from Disney +‎ -bound. Kay described the context: “It was a travel site. My best friend and I were heading to Disney World, and we had been planning that trip since we were young … I was using this blog as a way to channel my excitement because we were literally Disney-bound. So I started doing these outfits, which is something that I always did when I was a little kid … I could dress up in these clothes without it actually being a costume.”

Noun

Disneybound (countable and uncountable, plural Disneybounds)

1. (fandom slang, uncountable) The practice of Disneybounding; incorporating The Walt Disney Company–themed elements in one’s fashion.
   • 2017, Zoe Fraade-Blanar, Aaron M. Glazer, Superfandom: How Our Obsessions Are Changing What We Buy and Who We Are, Profile Books, →ISBN:

     When showing off a Disneybound outfit online, it’s good form to link to where others can buy those clothes.

   • 2015 November 18, Lisa Liddane, “Can’t dress up at Disneyland? Streetwear meets Disney in ‘Disneybound’ style”, in The Orange County Register‎^[2], archived from the original on 4 May 2017:

     Disneybound has an even stronger impact when it’s seen on a pair or group, [Leo] Camacho said. […] The objective of Disneybound is to extract the essence of the character’s outfit and convey it subtly. […] Ultimately, “Disneybound is all about individuality,” she [Leslie Kay] said, and what she wants is for people to take the idea and use it to express their personal style, whether it’s punk, goth, sporty, vintage or preppy.

   • 2019, Therèsa M. Winge, Costuming Cosplay: Dressing the Imagination, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

     In addition, one of the more formal ways that Cosplayers extend the Cosplay experiences in everyday life is by practicing Disneybound, […] Disneybound Bambi is accomplished by wearing light brown clothing and a scarf with white dots, […] In addition to the sartorial practice of Disneybound, there is Princessing and Princing, which range from dressing and performing as princesses and princess to wearing portions of costumes or clothes color blocked similar to a princess or prince characters. […] Cosplayers participate in Disneybound and Princessing/Princing because it allows them to share their love of their favorite characters beyond the fandom too.

2. (fandom slang, countable) An outfit that incorporates The Walt Disney Company–themed elements; or, the incorporation itself.
   • 2017 November 15, Kelsey Borresen, “‘Disneybounding’ Is The Dress-Up Trend Creative Fans Are Obsessed With”, in HuffPost‎^[3], archived from the original on 3 October 2018:

     Instead of wearing full-on costumes as cosplayers do, Disneybounders dress up in stylish, everyday outfits (known as Disneybounds) that are simply inspired by a particular character. […] Leslie Kay, the woman behind the DisneyBound Tumblr, showing off her Alice from "Alice in Wonderland" Disneybound. […] One big misconception, according to Leslie, is that a Disneybound is a costume. Disneybounders think of a character’s clothes and style as more of a jumping off point, rather than something to replicate exactly.

   • 2021, Krystal Everdeen, Casual Cosplay: Character-Inspired Fashion You Can Wear Anywhere, Tiller Press, →ISBN, page 11:

     Since I got my start with Disney-inspired outfits, I’ll open this guide with Disneybounds, including everyone’s favorite princesses and villains, as well as some lesser-known characters. […] I found a dress on Amazon for thirty dollars, which is more than I would usually spend on a single piece, but since it was a plain dress that I could use for other Disneybounds and casual cosplays, it was worth it.

   • 2021, Emma Pett, Experiencing Cinema: Participatory Film Cultures, Immersive Media and the Experience Economy, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

     One prominent social media influencer in the world of Disneybounding, Leslie Kay, contends that the appeal of the practice is that ‘it uses clothes to recreate the outfits of your favorite Disney characters without being costume-y. You could go to school or the mall in a Disneybound and not get pegged for being in costume.’

   • 2022, Rebecca Rowe, “To Act Like a Kid or Not to Act Like a Kid: Disneybounding in the Parks”, in Sabrina Mittermeier, editor, Fan Phenomena: Disney, Intellect, →ISBN, part 2 (The Disney Theme Parks and Their Fans):

     It did not occur to me that my Disneybounding and scholarly plans might intervene, yet I was quickly fascinated by how guests and Cast Members alike would interact with me more the more recognizable my Disneybound was. […] Figure 9.1: The author wearing a Belle Disneybound. […] For example, if I had looked angry or upset, other guests may have been less likely to interact with me, even when I was in full Disneybound.

Verb

Disneybound (third-person singular simple present Disneybounds, present participle Disneybounding, simple past and past participle Disneybounded)

1. (fandom slang, transitive, intransitive) To incorporate The Walt Disney Company–themed elements (of a specific character) in one’s fashion.
   • 2015 May 18, Dewayne Bevil, “Disney fans display devotion”, in Sun Sentinel, volume 56, number 23, page 3B:

     “I have Disneybounded Merida, Minnie Mouse, Buzz Lightyear. … I have two different Ariel ones,” said [Elyssa] Kivus, 27. “I really like meeting the character when you’re Disneybounding as that character,” she said.

   • 2017 November 15, Kelsey Borresen, “‘Disneybounding’ Is The Dress-Up Trend Creative Fans Are Obsessed With”, in HuffPost‎^[4], archived from the original on 3 October 2018:

     Stephanie Danet Disneybounding as Princess Jasmine from "Aladdin." […] Leslie [Kay] Disneybounding as the bird Becky from "Finding Dory." […] Brittani Enos-Blake Disneybounding as Snow White. She wore a Magic Mirror pin instead of carrying an actual mirror. […] Sara Katz-Scher Disneybounding as Minnie Mouse. […] Keshia [Sih-Tseng] and her husband Kevin Disneybounding as Han Solo and Chewbacca from "Star Wars." […] Sarah [Sterling] and her boyfriend, Leo [Camacho], Disneybounding as Dory and Nemo from "Finding Nemo."

   • 2022, Sabrina Mittermeier, editor, Fan Phenomena: Disney, Intellect, →ISBN, part 2 (The Disney Theme Parks and Their Fans):

     Fans can also cosplay as Disney characters (although notably, not at the Disney parks themselves), or even ‘Disneybound’, a practice where fans dress in similar colours or looks to their favourite Disney characters (see also Rebecca Rowe’s chapter in this volume). […] [Rebecca Rowe, “To Act Like a Kid or Not to Act Like a Kid: Disneybounding in the Parks”] Moreover, on multiple occasions that day, people singled me out to talk to me, ignoring the rest of my family who were not Disneybounding. […] The one day that I did not Disneybound, I immediately faded into the background. / This experience deeply fascinated me: why would others treat me differently when they see me Disneybounding? […] On the other hand, guests may be more likely to approach someone who seems to be having a good time, whether or not they are Disneybounding, because childlike wonder and playfulness are part of Disney’s image of the child, suggesting that the guest is performing Disney’s script of childhood. […] BIPoC guests, likewise, can reimagine their chosen characters simply by Disneybounding as them (i.e. a Black Ariel).

   • 2023 March 1, Casey Clark, “Disneybounding lets you dress up as your favorite Disney characters”, in The Daily Journal, volume 149, number 51, page 5B:

     Most folks who Disneybound do so specifically for trips to Disney World or Disneyland, but the more subtle the references are in an outfit, the more likely they can be inconspicuous out in public.

Related terms

• Disneybounder
• Disneybounding