Zero Waste Cosplay at Disney’s May the Fourth After Hours Event

I just returned from a long weekend trip to Florida to see my college bestie! We had a great time visiting Disney’s Magic Kingdom on Sunday, but the night before, we went to Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM) for a special Star Wars May the Fourth event. We seriously had a smashing time and I wanted to share some of my pictures and my costume in more detail.

On my Instagram, I shared some of my experience and my pictures of the event. I’m finally showing my nerd side a little bit. I preach a lot of zero waste and conscious living tips here on the blog but it’s not just a cool thing, it’s my way of life and my mindset. I try and approach everything with this in mind. Even my vacation!

My Second Hand Costume

Can anyone guess who I am?

I’m Padme from Episode II! I just love her costume from that movie. It’s iconic but also very easy to recreate. Adults normally are not allowed to dress up in costume at any of the Disney parks. But for this special event (and some other events like Halloween) you are allowed. So, of course, my best friend and I took advantage of the opportunity. Here she is as princess Leia! Oh plus us with Ewoks!

Zero Waste Cosplay Tips

Now, you may be wondering how I was able to recreate my costume. It was seriously easy! I did my own hair and makeup as well as my friend’s Leia buns. I had the scarf and the rest of it I purchased at my local thrift store. It’s not a perfect recreation but it’s pretty darn close I’d say.

It’s not about the details but the overall effect of the costume. The base is simple white pants and shirt. A tan scarf and belt help define the look as Padme’s. Even though her boots are tan, I bought these cute brown boots that fit the overall style and I can wear them this fall. The last touch was the armband that I used a scrap of thick silver ribbon.

Any real fans can tell who I am without all the perfect detail. And the funny thing is, almost no one was dressed up at the event! It was crazy! I was expecting a lot more people to be in costume. We got so many compliments on our outfits. And it was fun to be in costume to pose with all the characters.

Overall, what worked was the context of our costumes. Dressing up at a Star Wars event, it’s obvious who we are.

Star Wars Food

They had some special food available for the event. Here I am with a lightsaber churro! It came in a cool cardboard holder that can easily be composted.

Event Review

Okay, so the point of this post is not exactly all about my costume. It’s also about the event itself. I had no idea that Disney did these special events until my best friend told me to come down to Florida and celebrate with her. I was so in! These type of events are great for adults wanting to experience the park. We were able to get in early and go on some rides. But after the park “closed,” the rides had essentially no wait time and they had all these characters out that aren’t normally out.

I got a selfie with R2! He was made by a volunteer. It was cool to see someone’s talent and dedication on display. He was able to move and beep just like real R2 D2. Obviously, this post if a lot of me just being a complete nerd.

Many of the rides and shops were closed but all the popular ones were open. But I would definitely recommend attending an after hours events if you get the chance. I mean for a Star Wars fan, it was pretty epic. Too bad it wasn’t longer so I could have gotten a picture with my character husband Darth Vader. It would have been fun to confront him!

The Disney photo-pass photographers are seriously talented too! They captured this fun candid of us talking with Rey and Chewie. Chewie was telling Rey all about how I am her mom! It was just a unique experience that was possible since we came in cosplay! I hope you enjoyed a little insight into my mini vacation to Disney. I’d love to hear in the comments if you’ve ever experienced a Disney event after hours! Is this the first time you are hearing about it?

Happy Day-