Where to Find the Best Costumes in Orlando

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By Admin

Where do you find the best costumes in Orlando? It’s not too hard to figure out.  Orlando is Florida’s theme park central; we’re talking big, epic theme parks!  We would elaborate on this but unless you’ve been “living under a rock,” you most likely already know the parks we are referring to.  Disney alone has four major theme parks—Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom—and this is not including their water parks and entertainment complexes.  Their biggest competitor is Universal Studios, which manages to give Disney a run for their money with only two major parks: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.  From this intro you could deduct that this entry is not to talk about finding the best place to buy costumes, we’ve already established which is the best Florida costume shop ;-)  We actually want talk about the best places to witness costuming magic in Orlando, and Disney and Universal are the top two contenders by default.   

Disney has Orlando under a magic spell with costumed actors parading around their theme parks, role playing as the major characters from epochal films from their own franchise.  You would think that Disney wins hands down, but Universal doesn’t fall far behind.  After all, they also hold the rights to characters that even Disney now owns thanks to their acquisition of Marvel Studios, so it is easy to see how the two are really head to head when competing for the best costumes in Orlando.  Orlando theme park guests are attracted to the unique experiences that take their minds off the routinary lifestyle, so costumed characters are a very important part of what makes Orlando tourism so great.  So, how do the two major Orlando costume destinations match up?  Let’s find out.

Costumes at Disney Theme Parks

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No matter which Orlando Disney park you visit you will find professional actors in high end costumes and mascot suits portraying the most iconic characters from Disney’s animation wonderland.  Disney World’s website will give you a thorough list of character experiences, and based on this list, it seems that one special character appears in various costume renditions at all of Orlando’s Disney parks.  Being Disney’s mascot and logo, Mickey Mouse has an important role in Orlando’s park scene.  Mickey Mouse costumes are the main attraction within the attraction; children line up just to meet-and-greet and have their picture taken with Mickey and all of the members of the Mickey crew: Minnie, Donald Duck, Pluto and many others including villains and extended cast of characters.  He is the gateway to all other Disney personalities which also make their appearance in elaborate costumes.

Princess Appearances

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At Mickey’s side are Disney’s iconic princesses.  You cannot go to any of Disney’s parks without spotting them in their dazzling princess costumes, brightening little lives with enchanting smiles that become immortalized in pictures that will remind guests of that special trip to Disney World. They are ALL present at Magic Kingdom with some making scattered appearances at the other parks; from old classics like Snow White, Aurora and Cinderella to modern sensations like Elsa, Merida and Tiana.  Disney princess costumes are definitely “all the craze.”  However, their male counterparts are just as special.  Prince Charming, Peter Pan and Aladdin along with other Disney male studs make their appearances alongside their lovely ladies or occasionally on their own.  If you miss any of these characters in their stunning film-worthy outfits, you can always catch them at one of the musical stage shows that happen various times throughout the day.

Expanded Disney Character Universe

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What other costumed characters can you meet at Disney?  WAY too many to mention all but just to give you an idea, some of the best costumes in Orlando’s Disney parks are not even Disney originals.  Disney is probably the best place in the world to see Darth Vader and Storm Troopers from Star Wars (among many other) thanks to their affiliation with (now acquisition of) Lucasfilm—which is also the reason Indiana Jones is a guest favorite.  Disney Pixar costumes also make an impression on visitors.  Bringing CG animated characters to life can be hard for the average joe-—even with store bought costumes—but we’re talking Disney here.  They absolutely do an awesome job at replicating the look of characters from movies like The Incredibles, Monsters Inc. and Toy Story, but it does not stop there!  Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, Baloo from TaleSpin, Alice and countless other Disney characters are exquisitely portrayed by actors in costumes.  This is what makes Disney one of the best places to find incredible costumes in Orlando.  But what about Universal?

Universal Studios’ and Islands of Adventure’s Impressive Character Line-up

In just two parks, Universal Orlando packs just as many—if not more—costumed characters than Disney World.  You cannot walk a block at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure without spotting at least one fully suited superhero or character from classic TV shows and movies.  Time can pass and the world of entertainment can change, but Universal Studios is somehow able to keep the oldies relevant among modern characters.   

Costumes from Epic Franchises

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Universal Orlando’s most cherished classic characters are available for meet-and-greets near the corresponding attractions.  Doc Brown and Marty McFly can be found near Back to the Future: The Ride taking pictures with guests near an exact replica of the DeLorean, and the secret agent MIBs secure the perimeter around Men in Black Alien Attack; you get the idea.  Likewise, Universal brings characters like Lucy Ball from I Love Lucy to Orlando through costumes, iconic Marvel superheroes (Spidey, Captain America, The X-Men, and Marvel villains among many others).  Universal Orlando is mainly themed around big screen movies, so they don’t leave out characters from epic films like Transformers—which actually wear some of the most impressive costumes you’ll find at a theme park—and Jurassic Park!  Morphing Robots and Dinosaurs make for the most surreal Orlando experience along with lovable personalities that provide comedic relief—from Shrek and the Minions.    

“Animated” Characters at Universal Parks

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Just because Universal is dominated by big movie franchises, it does not mean that they don’t pay homage to television and animation.  Costumed characters from timeless classics roam around the parks shaking hands, having their pictures taken and putting big smiles on visitors’ faces.  Characters like Bart, Homer and more faces from The Simpsons, the Scooby-Doo gang and other Hanna Barbera classics, Woody Woodpecker, Popeye and Olive Oyl, Spongebob; the list goes on and on.  Part of the reason that there are so many TV show characters is because there are attractions that correspond to them.  Islands of Adventure’s Toon Lagoon, for example, feature rides, 3D Shows and play areas for kids where at any given moment, a physical manifestation of a cartoon character will make the rounds bringing joy to children—and costumes are to thank for that!

Making Children Smile Through Costumes

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Universal Orlando has activities for all ages, but how young can they go?  Disney does not necessarily take the lead in children’s attractions in Orlando.  Universal hosts immensely popular characters that have nothing to envy from Disney’s line-up.  Dora the Explorer and Diego are some of the most recognizable TV characters that walk Universal’s streets.  Thanks to their superb mascot costumes and professional actors’ impersonations, Universal Orlando brings to characters like Barney, The Cat in the Hat, Curious George and Hello Kitty to the physical world.

So Which Park has Orlando’s Best Costumes?

This is tough question to answer.  Orlando’s biggest theme parks have the most elaborate costumes and they both go toe-to-toe when it comes to ingenuity, not just in costumes, but in attractions, entertainment and visitor experience.  One could argue that Halloween Horror Nights tips the scale in favor of Universal since they actually dedicate a special event completely revolving around the theme of over-the-top Halloween costumes.  However, Disney World (again) manages to stay competitive in this area with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party—where classic character costumes get exponentially better—as there are already-costumed characters wearing additional Halloween themed outfits.  So in conclusion, there is a tie in our opinion.  Disney World and Universal Studios are both too difficult to dethrone, even for each other.  When it comes to the best costumes in Orlando, they both take first prize!

If you are searching for the best place to shop for costumes to attend one of these magical Orlando attractions, please, continue browsing our website and e-mail us or call 1-800-288-9916 if you need assistance.  Wonder Costumes is Florida’s top choice when it comes to online shopping.  We are available all year and we are one of the few places that will get your order delivered to you in a timely manner.  For Halloween, or any other occasion that calls for costumes, we are your best bet!