The Star Wars-themed Disneyland attraction Galaxy’s Edge opened its doors to the public on Friday, and although there are a great deal of costumes available on site, any adults who buy one unfortunately won’t be allowed to wear it during their visit. Another Galaxy’s Edge attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is set to open in late August.

Galaxy’s Edge is set on the planet Batuu, with a storyline taking place between the events of The Last Jedi and the forthcoming The Rise of Skywalker involving the growth in power of both the First Order and the Resistance, and featuring attractions such as flying the Millennium Falcon and being caught up in battle between the opposing factions. With such an immersive experience, it makes sense for people to want to dress the part.

As reported by the LA Times, there’s a wide selection of costumes and props available, with prices beginning at the $100 mark and rising to $200 for a custom lightsaber, but the reasoning for the restriction is straightforward enough. Disneyland employees (or “cast members”) are dressed in official attire, and must adhere to a strict code of conduct that maintains the atmosphere of the park and also avoids bringing the company into disrepute. Should an adult (age 14 and up) guest be dressed in such a way that they appear to be a Disney employee and their behavior be less than acceptable, it looks bad for the company and can cause legal problems.

That’s not to say using one’s clothing choices to express passion for all things Star Wars is completely out of the question. Growing in popularity is a trend named Disneybounding, created by Disney superfan Leslie Kay. Instead of fully cosplaying, the idea is for fans to dress in such a way that evokes the look and feel of a particular character without wearing a screen-accurate costume. For example, a woman could wear a turquoise dress and gold jewelry to imitate Aladdin’s Jasmine, or a red dress and a hair bow to be Minnie Mouse. In terms of Star Wars, visitors can’t walk around Galaxy’s Edge wearing something that looks too much like the cut and style of a Jedi’s robes, but could wear a long flowing outfit in drab colors. Likewise, they couldn’t wear an outfit specifically styled after Princess Leia with hair in cinnamon buns, but could wear a white dress with braided hair. It’ill be up to park employees to decide where the line should be drawn, and should someone be deemed to look too much like an employee, they’ll be asked to change.

It’ll be more than a little frustrating for people to be unable to wear an expensive costume they’ve just bought, especially while holidaying in a place where they’re guaranteed to be surrounded by like-minded Star Wars fans. However, one can see things from Disney’s perspective, who are diligent to the point of paranoia about image, and it’s not as if there’s no precedent for people acting up after donning a costume; think of all those troublemakers at comic cons who decide that dressing up as Deadpool grants them license to be intrusive, obnoxious and irritating. Since Galaxy’s Edge has just opened, and the types of costumes people will be wearing will cover a wide spectrum, it’ll be some time before a balance is struck between what is and isn’t acceptable for guests to wear. Once that’s been attained, then everyone can be guaranteed a good time without interruption.

Next: Galaxy’s Edge Explained by a Walt Disney Imagineering Producer

Source: LA Times

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