Disney Princesses

A Magic World 

    Imagine being able to talk to animals, sing perfectly, and live in a world full of magic. These ideas may seem preposterous, but the Disney princesses fulfill all these fantasies. The Disney princess fanbase is widespread among all social identities. Fans love Disney because of it is inspiring and brings positivity. The Disney princesses do just this. Through each princesses story, humbleness, bravery, and a good attitude prevails, which is what the fans aspire for.

Marta's Belle cosplay

Being able to put real life behind and live vicariously through the princesses optimistic view keeps fans imagination running back wanting more. 

Becoming a Princess

One of the most popular ways Disney princess fans express their love for the fandom is through cosplay. Cosplay is when people dress up as fictional characters by wearing costumes. For some, Disney princess cosplay is their biggest hobby. For example Marta, a lifelong cosplayer, her personal social media accounts are dedicated to her character cosplay looks (2). Her most recent princess cosplay look being Belle from "The Beauty and the Beast." Many of the cosplayers, like Marta, have beautiful costumes and makeup that would make you wonder if you just saw the real Disney princess. Seeing everyones different perspective on their favorite princess is truly remarkable. 

A post by "thedisneybound" on Instagram

Along with cosplay in the Disney scene there is another practice called "Disneybounding." Disneybounding is when Disney fans style regular clothes to resemble an outfit a character would wear (3). There is even social media accounts dedicated to creating these outfits, one of the most popular being "thedisneybound" on Instagram. The posts essentially consist of trendy clothes that can be worn to feel like a modern Disney character. This is something that everyone can take part in and is especially popular to see at the Disney amusement parks. 

Living Like A Princess 

Disney princess fans also have the opportunity to visit real life Disney princess castles in any of the Disney parks, my favorite being Cinderella's Castle at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. All the Disney park around the world have a different princess's castle, which fans collect at to celebrate their love for Disney. There are numerous events surrounding the princesses and the castle while visiting the parks. As a child I participated in the "Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure," where I got to eat breakfast with Disney's hired cosplayers. As a kid eating among royalty, I remember feeling like a princess too!

Kelsey Michelle's Cinderella master bedroom

The Disney princess fanbase consists of hundreds of thousands people across the globe, all of those intrigued by the princesses magic and enchantment; one being Kelsey Michelle, a Disney decorator (1). Kelsey is one of many who have dedicated a room in their house to be Disney themed. What makes Kelsey unique is her entire house is Disney themed, but princesses definitely take priority (1). Kelsey originally became known on TikTok over Covid-19, when she began decorating in her free time. Kelsey has spent countless hours and lots of money collecting decorations from all over the world to compliment her Disney theme. In fact, she had one antique glass cabinet shipped from Hawaii to Seattle, so she could add her to the "Tangled" themed living room (1). She also often constructs her own envisions to bring them to life; for example her newest project, the Cinderella master bedroom. Kelsey with the help of her family found the Parisian bed frame from an antique store, as well the nightstands that she had hand painted to match. Each room is scattered with specialized decor that boosts the magical feel. 

From dressing up while in the Disney parks to decorating their house to resemble a castle, Disney princess fans dive deep into their icons world. Overall, cosplay and disneybound looks continue to get more amazing, along with the fans growing love for Disney princesses. 

References

1. Grindell, S. (2020). A mom turned her home into her own personal Disney World, complete with rooms inspired by the princesses. Insider. https://www.insider.com/mom-decorated-her-home-with-disney-themed-rooms-2020-8#the-rapunzel-room-also-has-a-hand-painted-lamp-thats-reminiscent-of-the-lanterns-in-tangled-6 
2. Rankin, J. J. (2020). 10 Disney Princess Cosplays that Look Fabulous. ScreenRant. https://screenrant.com/disney-princess-cosplays/ 
3. Sferlazza, A. (2021). How To Disneybound in 5 Easy Steps- With Tips from the Experts. WDW Magazine. https://www.wdw-magazine.com/our-guide-on-how-to-disneybound/