Home » Theme Parks » Disney Parks » Walt Disney World

Disney World Guest Kicked out for Costume: “Am I Not Allowed To Express Myself?”

in Walt Disney World

Posted on by Jess Colopy 91 Comments
Brandon in his EPCOT costume pictured next to Spaceship Earth at Disney World.

Credit: Inside the Magic

An off-duty Walt Disney World Resort cast member visited EPCOT in a costume he spent countless hours and thousands of dollars crafting. He was kicked out after ten minutes.

The Disney dress code explicitly bans costumes for guests 14 and older at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. The rule protects character integrity (“There’s only one Cinderella!”) and prevents little ones from approaching a stranger dressed like their favorite Disney Princess.

A woman dressed as cinderella interacts warmly with a young girl in a purple princess dress. they are surrounded by elegant curtains and floral decorations.
Credit: Disney

Adult Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort guests circumvent the attire policy by Disney Bounding, which involves wearing regular clothing and accessories in color schemes/themes inspired by Disney characters. Others wear casual costume pieces resembling their on-screen favorites, like pajama onesies or hoodies.

Still, the Disney dress code has gray areas. When guests wear extravagant outfits that do not resemble a Disney or otherwise popular character, security cast members must quickly decide if they’re appropriate for the Disney parks.

A group of Disneyland cast members, dressed in red and blue plaid vests and blue face masks, line both sides of a street, waving to guests who are walking towards the camera.
Credit: Disney

One influencer and her daughter were asked to change when they wore ball gowns to Disneyland Park–not because they looked like Disney Princesses, but because the dresses dragging on the ground posed a safety issue. The Disney Park guest said she felt “targeted” because they’d repeatedly worn the same outfits to Walt Disney World Resort.

This week, an off-duty Disney cast member visited EPCOT to debut a complex outfit he’d spent significant time and money crafting. Brandon Boulton (@epcotboy220 on X and @kingofepcot on TikTok) accused the Central Florida Disney park of homophobia for kicking him out, self-identifying the outfit as drag:

@kingofepcot

Lets give them everything they want! @Katy Perry @Disney Parks #epcot #kp6 #KP6 #katyperry #whenimgone #wig #drag

♬ original sound – Brandon M. Boulton

“They didn’t let me into the park 🙃 am I just not allowed to express myself anymore? How about that Inclusion key?? Hmm????” Boulton wrote.

In another post, he added, “I went home to change into an outfit I’ve waited over a year to wear and spent thousands on but I apparently looked like a costumes [sic.] character.”

“Homophobia!” @SoLongToFall replied.

A monorail glides along a track in the foreground with the iconic geodesic sphere of epcot's spaceship earth in the background under a clear blue sky.
Credit: Inside the Magic

“Pretty much,” Boulton said.

Boulton felt some of his coworkers needed to remember the Fifth Key, Inclusion, which The Walt Disney Company added in 2020. The Five Keys are the most essential guidelines that all Disney cast members must follow: Safety, Courtesy, Show, Efficiency, and Inclusion.

The way I’ve been treated lately had been very unfortunate and I hope that in the future, cast can be reminded of the Inclusion Key

Boulton said a friendly park greeter leader offered to let him take a few photos before leaving EPCOT to change. Nevertheless, Boulton was proud of his design accomplishment and vowed not to let the unfortunate incident dull his sparkle:

I’ve always lived a life where people try to silence who I am inside. But I’ll continue to shine bright with LOVE & LIGHT 💗✨

Was Brandon’s costume too much for Walt Disney World Resort? In the comments, share your opinion with Inside the Magic.

View Comments (91)