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Why 'Disneybounding' and polka-dots are trending ahead of the UAE’s first Disney park
With Disney set to open in Abu Dhabi, fashion is taking a playful turn
- PUBLISHED: Fri 16 May 2025, 5:15 PM UPDATED: Mon 2 Jun 2025, 5:30 PM
Polka-dots were already having a moment, but the news that Disney will be opening a theme park in the UAE has accelerated the trend faster than the front car thundering down the tracks of Space Mountain. Yes, Minnie Mouse is the style icon we need right now: bows, chunky yellow shoes, and all the spots you can handle, ahead of Disney’s opening at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in the early 2030s. Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, and Zimmermann at one end of the price scale, Ganni and Self Portrait in the middle, and, regionally, Dima Ayad and Onori have all gone dotty for dots this season. Playful, timeless (Minnie’s 96-years-young), and with a soupçon of sass, it’s a Yas (Island) to polka-dots from me.
Here’s the thing, anyone over the age of 13 is barred from wearing official Disney costumes to the firm’s parks. You cannot play if you’re in cosplay. The last thing Walt Disney corp wants is interlopers signing autographs as Princess Jasmine and confusing young visitors when they can’t hit the high notes in A Whole New World. Not to be dissuaded from paying homage to their heroes, a whole band of Disney fans have dedicated their lives, well a few Pinterest boards anyway, to finding a workaround. In 2011, Canadian blogger and Disney fan Leslie Kay coined the term ‘Disneybounding’ to express the concept of translating iconic Disney costumes into everyday clothes. So, Snow White would be a contemporary blue top and a yellow skirt, accessorised with a pop of red. Kay even wrote a book on the subject, DisneyBound: Dress Disney and Make It Fashion, in 2020. The premise is that you wear regular clothes in the colour, style, or spirit of your chosen character. Marques Almeida’s yellow satin dress (Dh2,250 at THAT Concept Store) is a shoo-in for Beauty & The Beast’s Belle, although how practical it would be for navigating rides is questionable. Primary coloured separates from athleisure brands such as Lululemon, Alo or Popflex (the latter’s buttercream pirouette dress, Dh377, is how I’d do Belle) are the practical ways to stay comfortable for a long day at the park, without compromising on main character energy. Lululemon even went so far as to launch an official Disney collection last year, such is the intersection between activewear and the Disney fandom. PSA: the collab’s waist bag is still available on the Middle East website. For serious super-fans, US brand Her Universe has a range of athletic dresses that riff directly on Disney heroine motifs – off-the-shoulder ruching and all – they’re a bit Reddit sub-thread for me, but if you play padel like a princess and you love Disney, knock yourself out.
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In sympathy with Cinderella’s stepsisters, who understand better than anyone the perils of inappropriate footwear, it’s important to get your shoes right. One day schlepping round a Disney theme park easily equates to half a marathon, so it’s not the time for Jimmy Choo’s divine ‘Avril’ sandals; save those for dinner afterwards. If regular sneakers are throwing off your fairytale finery, a pair of flat Mary Janes (padded soles essential) will work. I like Reformation’s ‘Bethany’ style (Dh1,050 at Ounass), which fit my long, narrow feet like, well, Cinderella’s slipper.
If this all sounds like too much effort, remember that a considered accessory is just as likely to earn you a nod of respect from fellow park-goers. Think Princess Leia hair buns or a Swarovski snowflake necklace that could have been borrowed from Frozen’s Elsa. So, even if you’re
over 13, Disney’s no-costume dress code is no excuse; in the words of Walt Disney himself, “Imagination has no age.”