A Most Dapper Day

For the past several years, twice a year in spring (ish) and fall, there has been an informal event gathering of Disney fans called Dapper Day that invites guests to put their finest apparel and go to the parks in fancy style.  Although this event has become associated with a vintage aesthetic, it's really about recalling the days when visiting the Happiest Place on Earth was more than just a casual event but rather was a special occasion that warranted donning one's finest garb.

Some very stylish guests pose in front of the Storytellers Statue in DCA.

Take a look at old footage of Disneyland during its early decades and you'll see that guests used to dress differently when they went to the parks.  Disneyland wasn't a simple "jeans and T-shirt" affair.  No, guests put on their Sunday finest when they visited Walt's original Magic Kingdom, because it was a special and rarefied outing.  Back in those days, there was nothing like Disneyland. Theme parks were a new item, so they warranted something more formal than everyday dress.

Some guests dress up in military uniform.  Actual servicemen are encouraged to come in full adornment too.

These days, of course, times have changed, and someone in a formal suit or eveningwear would look out of place at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure.  But everyone loves a costume party, and an opportunity to wear something extra nice seems to bring out the crowds in droves.  After all, who wouldn't want to see and be seen, all within a setting that is literally something out of Hollywood?

Although Dapper Day is attended predominantly by the younger crowd, age is not a limiting component!

And so, the latest iteration of Dapper Day came and passed yesterday, and it was quite a sight!  Guests young and old in formal attire, all looking snazzy and elegant, all quite happy to be spending a special day with friends and loved ones.  Different people had different spins on what it meant to be "dapper," but the spirit of the event--to present oneself in stylish fashion and have a good time with fellow Disney fans--was alive and well.

Some guests took a more costumed approach, like Prince Philip and Princess Aurora transported to 1920s L.A.!

So, all in all, it was fun for me to stroll through the parks and people watch.  This might not be the thing for everyone--after all, there were plenty of park guests not dressed up and just enjoying the parks like any other day--but I think it's definitely a fun event.  And while not officially Disney-sanctioned, it's definitely something Disney is aware of and acknowledges.  If you followed Disneyland's or Disney California Adventure's twitter feeds on Sunday, you were sure to find retweets of various guests posing for the event.

Dapper Day has become a chance for friends to gather collectively transport themselves to a different era.

If you're interested in more information, you can go to the official Dapper Day web site linked at the top of this blog post.  The event has gotten more and more popular with every iteration, and I'm sure that trend will only continue.

Over at the French Market, Swing Dancing and Dapper Day came head to head in jazzy fashion!

I'm sure that many of the dancers were also veterans of the Disneyland swing dancing circuit.

This simply provided them a venue to look stylish while whipping out some fancy dance moves!

The energy at these things is always so much fun to take in.