As Sharpay sang in High School Musical 2, “It’s out with the old and in with the new!”
©Disney
While we were walking through EPCOT the other day, we started to notice something ODD. The more we walked through the park, the more surprised we became. Something that we’re used to seeing day after day in the Disney World theme parks was MISSING.
Minnie and Mickey ear headbands used to be THE “it” souvenir at Disney World. Practically EVERYONE wore them, and any time a new headband design came out, people would rush to the stores to buy them.
Minnie ears
Now, however, we’re noticing a NEW trend that’s taking over. Fans — especially younger fans, like Gen Z age and younger — are starting to ditch the headbands in favor of hats!
We’re seeing all kinds of hats in the parks, but bucket hats and baseball caps appear to be the most popular.
Princess Bucket Hats
In addition, lots of people are tossing out headwear altogether and opting to style their hair in cute and unique ways instead! Let’s dig into this shift and see if we can get to the bottom of the trend change.
OUT: Minnie Ear Headbands
Now, we’re definitely not seeing ZERO Minnie ear headbands in the parks. Ears seem to still be popular with the Millenial-age crowd especially. And the ears that we are seeing in the parks tend to be older designs, so we know that they belong to long-time fans rather than people who are in the parks for the first time.
Ears
Fans seem to be leaning towards simpler ear designs, though — like this plain Mickey ear headband — rather than the more elaborate designs that were popular a couple of years ago.
©Disney
In addition, we’re seeing more ears from different brands, like these fun gemstone ears from BaubleBar.
©Baublebar
Overall, Minnie and Mickey ears seem to be more and more rare and the new “in” thing is HATS!
IN: Hats
Check out the photo from Animal Kingdom below — we’re seeing just one person wearing Minnie ears and somewhere around eight people in hats!
More hats than headbands
Baseball caps are definitely a super popular choice, and they’re practical, too, since they help keep the sun out of your eyes.
Mickey Hat
But the REAL trendsetters in the parks are definitely wearing bucket hats! We’re seeing them all over the place, including a ton on the shelves in gift shops. Disney has picked up on the trend for sure.
Bucket Hat
But that’s not the only new trend… .
ALSO IN: Cute Hairstyles
Another thing we’re seeing just about everywhere is super cute hairstyles and hair accessories. People might add some Disney theming to their hair with Mickey clips or ponytails…
©Amazon
…or they’ll make it even fancier with hair gems!
But WHY?
Trends change all the time, and it’s possible that this is just one more fashion shift. However, there are a couple of reasons we can think of that might explain this particular change.
First of all, some Minnie ear headbands are…not all that comfortable. Personally, I can only wear them for a few hours before I start to get a headache. Hats, on the other hand, are much more comfy! Plus, they have the extra practical benefit of blocking the sun to protect your eyes and/or neck.
Hat
Staying away from all kinds of headwear (both headbands and hats) might be the coolest option — literally. People say that you lose a lot of body heat through your head, so it’d make sense that taking off the hat would help you cool off.
Other Disney World Souvenir Trends
This isn’t the only souvenir trend that we’ve noticed lately in the parks! Lots of fans are loving the new Lug bags, many of which can be found throughout EPCOT’s World Showcase, in the country pavilion’s gift shops.
Norway Lug bag
We’re also still seeing tons of Loungefly bags in the parks. There are designs themed to all kinds of characters, rides, and movies!
It’s time for a new Loungefly, right?
We’re loving the weighed plush trend, too. These stuffed animals have weighted bags inside, which make them heavy and comforting to hold.
Weighted Olaf
We’re in the Disney World parks every single day to keep an eye on trends, shop for souvenirs, and track down the latest updates. Stay tuned to DFB for all the Disney news!
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I can wear an ear head band for 3 hours generally. I am a skin cancer survivor, so I am more inclined to wear a bucket hat in the day. I will probably wear the ears at night.
Also, the ears have gotten expensive. A few years ago , they were usually $25 per pair. Now it’s $35 for the basic pairs and $45 for more and more of them.
I prefer a visor myself, hats make me feel so hot. Visors are also great under my raincoat – providing protection from the rain getting to my eyes.
I get a new pair of Minnie ears every trip. My husband buys hats, if anything. He wears those at home, too, so they are more practical in that sense. Only young children can get away with rocking mouse ears in their day-to-day lives.
In my family we are very prone to heatstroke & sunstroke so we HAVE to wear hats so the strong Florida sun doesn’t beat down on top of our heads.
On my last trip, I sewed button holes in my bucket hat so I could still wear my Minnie Ear. I had the sun off my face and the pressure off the side of my head!
I have to disagree about the ‘practicability’ of baseball caps. Baseball caps are NOT really suitable for the weather in Florida. They do not protect the back of your neck, nor do they protect your ears. These are two areas which can be prone to sunburn, and eventually skin cancer. A wide brimmed hat is the way to go. Protects your fact, neck and ears all at the same time. A bucket hat is good for children, but adults need a wider hat. My hat can squash down into my bag for rides.
I went to WDW and noticed this! Not a lot of people wearing minnie ears, i was one of them. It caught my attention for sure.
Or do as my mother does and wear your ears over top of your baseball cap.
I wear visor ears that I get on Etsy. They are cute and shade my face!!
My husband wanted a particular shirt at Epcot flower & garden festival. I pointed out a matching bucket hat – love at first sight for Mr. Ball cap! He looks good in it too.
I’ve never worn Minnie ears. I find them uncomfortable and they do not stay on my head. I always wear hats for sun protection, whether they’re “in” or “out”. And many times I was the only female NOT wearing ears in the parks and got stares, LOL.
@EB: Nice compromise to wearing your ears is to have an ‘Ear Minder’ on your park bag. If my ears start to hurt my head, or I am wearing my wide brimmed hat, or about to go on a ride & not wanting to lose my ears… I can take them off & clip them into the Ear Minder. This way, I can still ‘wear’ my ears, even if they aren’t on my head. I got mine on Etsy.
I wear the Minnie ears I bought 25 years ago! Still sparkling!