Theme park style isn’t cosplay, it’s its own beast.
Think of it this way:
Cosplay is a costume. Theme Park Style is an outfit.
Since you can’t wear costumes into the parks, theme park style uses your own clothes to pay homage to your favorite character (or sometimes a ride, e.g., It’s a Small World or Haunted Mansion). Soooo much easier than creating an elaborate costume every time you want to try out a new character look.
And, unlike a costume, theme park style lets you channel your favorite character any time you want—running errands, lunch or dinner out, work, and even formal events. No one has to know you’re theme park stylin’ unless you tell them (or they’re in on it because they love theme park styling too!).
The key to getting started is to build your wardrobe with key base pieces you can use for multiple characters.
For example, most villains wear purple and black and occasionally red. Cool. Black jeans or leggings and a purple shirt with some character-specific accessories transform you into Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Ursula and more.
If princesses are your jam, a blue dress can work for Aurora or Cinderella, or (depending on the shade) even Belle.
It’s all about knowing who you like and how you can create an efficient capsule wardrobe that takes you from hero to villain and back as your whims dictate.