Tokyo Disneyland allows cosplay for Halloween but prohibits non-Disney character costumes

Policy officially addresses the gray area of Kingdom Hearts.

Japan has a passionate and unabashed love for both Disney characters and cosplay, so you might expect Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea to be packed every day with guests dressed as Mickey, Elsa, or any of the other dozens of stars of the Disney Animated Canon. In reality, though, the theme parks bar cosplay for almost the entire year (though they make an exception for little kids who want to dress up).

However, the parks lift their cosplay ban for two brief periods a year, at the start and end of their Halloween celebrations. This year’s final round of cosplay opportunities started on Tuesday and runs until October 31, but before you slip on your costume and head to Disneyland or Sea, you’ll want to make sure it fits with their cosplay regulations.

Costumes with hems that drag along the ground are not allowed, nor are tight bodysuits that show off every contour of your nether regions. On a similar note, outfits that show off too much skin are also unacceptable, as are masks, makeup, or fake mustaches and beards that obscure the wearer’s facial features.

Oh, and one other thing: costumes that aren’t of Disney characters are prohibited.

Now, it should be noted that Tokyo Disneyland and Sea take a pretty liberal attitude regarding the definition of “Disney character.” Obviously, characters from Disney animated works are permitted, but so are their Pixar corporate cousins. Live-action properties, such as the recent live-action Alice in Wonderland movies directed by Tim Burton, are also fair game.

As a matter of fact, a number of Disney-produced live-action television and film franchises with no animated versions whatsoever are allowed. Want to dress up like Hannah Montana or National Treasure hero Benjamin Gates? Go for it, says Tokyo Disneyland. Also OK are costumes based on characters from Disney theme park attractions, stage shows, and parades.

However, there are limits to how inclusive the parks are willing to be. Disney may now own Marvel, but the installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe aren’t on the list of allowed costumes (although the animated Big Hero 6, with its heavily reworked character designs, is). And since this is Japan we’re talking about, another gray area that needs clearing up is Kingdom Hearts, the video game franchise with a cast composed of Disney stars and Square Enix adventurers.

The series is specifically mentioned on the list (which can be viewed in its entirety here), with a notice that Kingdom Hearts characters hailing from Disney properties are permissible, but those originating with other companies (i.e. Square Enix) are not. So if you and your friends were hoping to roll up to Tokyo Disneyland dressed as Sora, Riku, or Cloud Strife, you’re out of luck.

Source: Tokyo Disney Resort via Jin
Top image: Tokyo Disney Resort
Insert images: Wikipedia/Quentin X, Wikipedia/Sushiflinger

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