This is the season to be dapper! Disney’s Dapper Day is almost upon us, and we’re here to help you put together your dream look. This annual event is a favorite for a reason, as it brings together Disney fans, fashion icons, and lovers of all things vintage. And you know us — the Perfecting the Magic team will always take advantage of an opportunity to hit the parks in style.
So, what is Dapper Day, and how can you prepare for it? We’ve got you, besties. Here’s our guide to Dapper Day, including the spring 2022 dates, outfit planning tips, and more.
What is Dapper Day?
Dapper Day was started by Los Angeles designer Justin J. in 2011, and it has since grown into an organization putting on events for people to “step out in style.” Disney fans know Dapper Dapper Day for the festive outings held multiple times a year at the happiest place on Earth. Though many associate Dapper Day with Disney, it is actually its own entity — the Dapper Day team works closely with Disney. Still, they also host events at museums and other locations worldwide.
Every year, Dapper Day brings thousands of guests to the Disney theme parks, dressed to the nines. There are seasonal outings annually in the spring and fall, but today, we’re sharing the full scoop on the Disney Dapper Day 2022 this spring at Disneyland and Disney World.
When is Dapper Day at Disney World and Disneyland in 2022?
This year, the spring Dapper Day events will be held at Disneyland park on Sunday, April 24, with the Dapper Day Expo held all weekend long at the Disneyland Hotel on April 23 and 24.
The spring 2022 Dapper Day at Walt Disney World Resort will be held on April 30 at EPCOT and May 1 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There will not be a spring 2022 Dapper Day held at Magic Kingdom, but the EPCOT event falls during the International Flower & Garden Festival.
As long as you have valid theme park admission, Dapper Day is completely free to attend. It doesn’t cost extra money to enter the parks on Dapper Day! Just remember that it is a popular time to visit the theme parks, so if you’re considering attending, be sure to make your theme park reservations ASAP to lock in your spot.
What Do You Wear to Dapper Day?
Dapper Day is truly main character energy at its finest. Disney fans come dressed to impress at what is considered the largest unofficial Disney fashion event of the year, and we’re here for it. Still, we know the pressure of feeling like you have to find the perfect outfit. Where should you start if you’re trying to figure out what to wear to Dapper Day?
Often, guests will put together 1950s and 1960s-inspired outfits to harken back to the early days of Disneyland. When Disneyland opened in 1955 and in the years following, guests would come dressed to impress. However, it’s common to see Dapper Day outfits inspired by dashing styles of past decades, and modern-day dapper looks are always welcome. Even the Dapper Day official website shares that the event doesn’t aim to recreate outfits from any specific period, and “any refined attire is encouraged from vintage-inspired classics to chic, contemporary looks.”
Many guests create dapper-inspired DisneyBounds for the occasion. Dapper Day is a wonderful opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and experiment with DisneyBounding to create a more formal look that you may not typically opt for on a casual park visit. Pick your favorite character, icon, attraction, or overall vibe, and break out your most fabulous, chic Disney style!
Some attendees choose a decade — like the 1920s or the 1950s — and build an outfit around that. Others will go for more of a vintage-inspired look and put together pieces that will best fit their DisneyBound, regardless of their exact era. There are many methods to the Dapper Day madness, but this inclusive celebration is for everyone, and every guest looks positively dapper no matter what inspires their look!
Most of our favorite looks are vintage-inspired DisneyBounds. We love seeing guests take inspiration from one of their favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel, or Star Wars characters and reinvent it in a whole new way.
We interviewed guests on Dapper Day at Magic Kingdom in 2021, so check out the video below for more inspiration.
How to Do Dapper Day at Disney
There are so many ways to go about styling your Dapper Day outfit, and there truly is no wrong way to do Dapper Day. Disney fans from far and wide attend Dapper Day, treating it as an opportunity to dress in their most chic and unique look and strut around the parks. If you’re heading to Dapper Day for the first time, here are some tips for achieving your look.
We share this a lot, but it’s true — when it comes to putting together any Disney outfit, whether it’s a DisneyBound or a Dapper Day look, don’t sleep on the accessories! Your accessories can genuinely take your outfit to the next level. You can add a fascinator or bow to your hair, a bow tie or neck scarf, a parasol, a themed clutch, classic shoes, and so much more. Your accessories can be reminiscent of the character you’re trying to emulate, or they can harken back to a bygone era.
Check out the Dapper Day online store if you’re looking for a great place to start. The organization has a variety of official designs and vintage-inspired pieces. While you could build an entire outfit out of the clothing available on the site, the parasols steal our hearts every time.
Modcloth is a fantastic place to source your Dapper Day look. This size-inclusive brand carries many styles, colors, and patterns, making it a great place to shop for DisneyBounds, including DisneyBounds for Dapper Day. We love their classic apparel and vintage silhouettes, especially for the ‘50s and ‘60s looks.
Another fan-favorite online retailer is Unique Vintage. Like Modcloth, Unique Vintage sells clothing and accessories that can be worn in everyday park fashion, but it’s also a great shop to source your Dapper Day look. The website has an entire section dedicated to DisneyBounding, so definitely check it out if you want to go for a not-so-subtle Disney look this year.
You can also find some elegant Dapper Day pieces secondhand. Try shopping at your local thrift store or online secondhand retailers like ThredUp, Depop, or eBay.
Why you should attend Dapper Day
If vintage is your thing, Dapper Day is for you. Sure, you can dress up to visit a Disney park anytime, any day, but how often will thousands of other guests be matching your vibe?
If you love any opportunity to DisneyBound, then Dapper Day is definitely for you. Not every guest DisneyBounds on Dapper Day, but the event certainly presents a fantastic chance to emulate a Disney character.
Still, even if you don’t consider yourself a Disney fashionista, Dapper Day is such a fun day to spend at the Disney theme parks. If you have a Disney bucket list — with experiences like eating at Victorian & Albert’s, getting into Club 33, seeing inside Cinderella Castle, or visiting every Disney park in the world — we suggest adding Dapper Day to your must-dos. You could have so much fun that you return to the event year after year!
Follow for More Disney Fashion and Fun
Whether you’re looking for Dapper Day outfit inspiration or planning your next everyday theme park look, our team at Perfecting the Magic has you covered! We love sharing style tips over on TikTok, so follow us there for more fashion inspiration!
