A woman wore an outfit to Disney World that got her dress-coded, sparking a debate over appropriate theme park attire.
Nicole Arena (@arenalifts) visited Epcot at Walt Disney World in Florida with her husband. She expected rides, food, and fun, not to be dress-coded over her outfit. But that’s exactly what she says happened. Cast members stopped her for wearing a white sports bra paired with black leggings.
Although park security initially let her in, Nicole said cast members later denied her access to a ride she had waited an hour to get on. The issue, according to the cast member, was her top, which was a simple white sports bra. According to her, the cast member told her she needed to cover up or buy a shirt to ride. She paid $45 for a park T-shirt just to continue enjoying the day.
Nicole shared her story on TikTok, where it blew up
On TikTok, Nicole shared the incident with her followers, saying she “really didn’t think anything of [the outfit].” She included a photo of herself and her husband dressed casually for the day. The post quickly gained traction.
“Was so happy to be here that I didn’t realize I was ‘improperly dressed’ and would be forced to buy a $45 T-shirt or else I could not get on the ride I waited an hour for,” Nicole wrote in the text overlay of her post.
In another video responding to a judgmental comment, Nicole said, “There were many people at Disney wearing much less clothing than I was. I had nothing showing other than my stomach and my arms, but you guys are acting like I went out naked.”
She added that she just went to Disney World wearing what she would at the gym. “Anyone who goes to the gym knows it’s totally fine to walk around with a sports bra and leggings on,” she said.
@arenalifts Replying to @RealLifeChemist first time i’ve ever been told my gym fit wasnt family friendly but hey first time for everything💀💀 keep your kids away from gyms at all costs #disney #dresscode ♬ original sound – NICOLE🌹ARENA | PT💪🏼🏋🏼♀️
TikTokers react to Nicole being dress-coded at Disney
Nicole’s TikTok posts drew hundreds of comments. There was an even mix of support and judgment for wearing gym clothes to the theme park. Some folks backed Disney’s dress code standards. They claimed that a sports bra simply wasn’t appropriate for a family-friendly environment.
“Is that a sports bra?!” one TikToker commented. “Well obviously you don’t have a shirt on????
Another added, “Why would anyone think a bra is okay to wear in public anyway?”
“not you being nakeyyy in Mr Mouse’s house 🫣” a third person reacted.
However, not everyone agreed. Several came to Nicole’s defense, saying her outfit looked perfectly fine for a hot day.
“Wait, if nothin inappropriate is showing, I don’t get the issue..a man can dress however, but a woman can’t??” one supporter wrote.
One Disney regular even suggested that staff enforce the rules differently and offered tips if Nicole plans to visit again.
“So rule of thumb for me is i always keep a loose tank in my bag, one i can easily [roll] up. Its hit or miss about the dress code bc it seems to be at the CM’s discretion. So if i come across someone that would dress code me I just said i had to take my tank off to air it out.”
Nicole tells the Daily Dot she did not break any Disney rules
When reached for comment by the Daily Dot, Nicole emphasized she didn’t intend to break any rules. She just dressed for comfort.
“My husband John and I made a spontaneous trip to Epcot on Sunday, June 1st. Everything was going smoothly—we were allowed in without issue, excited to explore, and even laughed off a wrong turn onto the Elsa and Anna meet & greet line before getting in line for the Frozen ride,” she wrote in her email to the Daily Dot.
“We passed several employees on our way with no problems, we were allowed entry into the park, into the accidental meet & greet, and onto this specific ride, but once we reached the front of the ride, I was suddenly told I was ‘improperly dressed’ by one employee and not allowed to board. I was wearing a padded sports bra and leggings—similar to what many other guests had on, even more covered than some. Yet I was the only one stopped.”
She added, “It was embarrassing and felt completely unnecessary. I had to leave the line, spend $45 on a plain tank top, and return—only to be told by a manager that I shouldn’t have been stopped there in the first place. Still, nothing was done to make it right.”
“We were clearly singled out, and the situation disrupted our day, cost us time and money, and left us feeling disappointed by an experience that started off full of joy and excitement.”
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