The History of Belle's Costume In the Disney Parks
Hello, my friend! It has been a long time coming, but we have a brand new costume video for you to follow up our history of Disney parks costumes series. The last princess that we covered was Aurora from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. She had some phenomenal costumes over the years, but now it is time a look at a new princess. Our next look is at Belle from Disney’s 1991 Beauty and the Beast. There is a wide aray of them over the last 30-some years. So, let’s get started.
I do want to say that in the 30 years that this character has been a part of the Disney family, there is no way that I can cover every costume ever made. I tried my best to research everything, but I know I will miss a few. These are my favorites that give you a good look at all the ways this costume has been worn by Belle. We will be particularly looking at the ballgown, though she does have a few other costumes show in the films.
The Creation of the Film’s Dress
So, how did this gown even come to be? Well, back in the late 80s, Walt Disney Animation was actually working on a few projects. Most notably Little Mermaid, but many of the crew, including Don Hahn, Glen Keane, and Andreas Deja were working in Europe on a project for the classic Beauty and the Beast tale. Now, back in the 40s Walt Disney had a set of classic tales that he wanted to adapt. One of them was in fact the Beauty and the Beast story. Actually, he later told Frank Thomas that this tale was one that he was most looking forward to adapting. However, the only bit of artwork discovered from this project is one done by Kay Neilson of Belle caring for the Beast’s wounds. Note that the dress is yellow here. So, this 1989 project somewhat had them starting from scratch.
In this time, they developed some storyboards for a kind of darker tale in comparison to what we ended up getting.
Anyway, this project really did not seem to work and it was quickly dropped. Yet, the success that came from the team working on Little Mermaid had them revisit the project again—this time with Don Hahn as the producer and the team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken on the music. This project was developing quickly and it was time to get the characters fleshed-out.
For Belle, there were multiple people who were actually supposed to work on her. Mark Henn eventually took up the mantle. When he moved down to Florida, however, someone else had to take the more hands-on role of animating her. James Baxter ultimately was the man for the job. So, you can see that quite a few people put some touches into who Belle became, though it was solely James Baxter who animated her character for the ballroom scene. The well-known sweeping shot in the ballroom, done in tandem with the CGI team, was his animation genius at work.
Details of the Dress
This is where I want to start with looking at the dress. It is the classic yellow that everyone identifies with Belle. It is rumored that they got a bit of their inspiration from Audrey Hepburn’s dress in Roman Holiday. I am not sure if this is 100% true, but I can see the similarities. Even in the concept art, this dress was supposed to be a large, ballgown.
One thing to note is the draping of the fabric with the dark lining toward the bottom. The three beads along the bodice are another detail that we will note in the rest of this overview. They styled her hair to be halfway up as well. Lastly, I want to note the flow of the dress. It does not swing the way a hoop skirt would. Notice how it swings fully around when she spins. This is a full skirt with a lot of layers to give it that look.
And with that, we are ready to dive into the development of the costumes throughout history!
The Costumes
We are starting in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The year was 1991 and Beauty and the Beast had just premiered. The dress that appeared in the parks really looked a lot like the film with quite a bit of brilliant gold fabric. We even have the simple, off-the-shoulder sleeves and the beading on the bodice. This is the same dress that appeared in the Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage show. This show, with the exception of the pandemic, has continued to be performed since that opening date. The costume eventually saw a few changes that I’ll be sure to show you. But you can really see the draping of the fabric on the skirt here with a little bit of the lace peeking out underneath the gold. As I pointed out before, the dress in the film probably is not a meant to be a hoop skirt, but the designer opted to make it a hoop. It’s still gorgeous and a great start! So, that’s the first dress in the parks!
Now we hop over to Disneyland in California in 1992. This park also debuted a Beauty and the Beast show after the massive success of the film. This version that they chose to present is actually very similar to the meet and greet costume seen in the parks for many years. The sleeves and the draping along the dress are filled with some sort of foam or stuffing to make it poofy. I love the shimmering of this fabric as well! We still have the hoop in the dress. It definitely has a very traditional look in an attempt to stay very close to the film, but I personally think a little bit is lost by adding the stuffing to the dress.
Also…fun fact…The actress playing Belle here is a very young Stephanie J Block. That’s right. The same who played Wicked’s Elphaba on Broadway. Crazy! Back to the point. They did add these roses to the dress in place of the beads which you’ll see happens a lot with the costumes.
Let’s jump over to Disneyland Paris where yet another Beauty and the Beast show popped up. Seriously these were showing up everywhere! This one still has the brilliant gold look to it, but it is even more bedazzled than the first dress. It really the catches the light and reflects multiple colors, rather than just gold. The wig is a lot longer and fuller, which I actually really like even if it isn’t like the film. Seeing a full view of the dress, it is again a hoop skirt. I just wonder if this is easier for the actors to dance with and also possibly a bit more affordable. Anyway, I will honestly say this dress is not my favorite in terms of form. It kind of looks like a mushroom. And now you won’t be able to unsee it. You’re welcome.
Still in Disneyland Paris, we see Belle make and appearance in the Once Upon a Dream parade on this gorgeous float with the Beast. It kind of looks like that dress from Disneyland that became the meet and greet dress for the parks. Very bright yellow, the stuffed draping, and the roses along the dress. The big difference here is that they altered the bottom of the skirt. It looks like lace or tulle that they added to soften the bottom. That part is still gathered for the draping look.
By 1994, Disney had produced their first musical for Broadway which happened to be Beauty and the Beast. Coincidentally, the actresses to originate the role on Broadway was Susan Egan who later played Megara in Disney’s Hercules.
The dress created for this show was the most original and unique to date. You can see here the bows placed on the skirt and the rose on the bodice. She has puffed sleeves instead of the soft, off-the-shoulder ones. There are a ton of extra beading and sequins incorporated into this one to add that extra layer of detail to something that audiences would see in person. The designer crafted a gown with an extremely full skirt, what seemed like dozens of layers to get that full, sweeping effect as they danced.
At the finale of the show, Belle actually had another dress that she wore, very similar but with some differences to note. Specifically, the roses places along the dress and the change of sleeves. We don’t have the big bows anymore. I actually think this one fits the film a bit better if you take away the red details on this one. It certainly is gorgeous! Also, fun fact. Susan Egan happened to break her arm not long before the Tony’s where this was filmed. So, they gave her a shawl to cover up the cast. Yep. Now ya know.
Our next costume takes us to the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World with the oh, so, beloved cake castle. I mean, everyone was in love with this castle, right????
Anyway, to coincide with the 25th anniversary, Disney debuted a parade called Remember the Magic. And if any of you have been to the parks recently, you may recognize this float… And you’re going to see it a lot in this video…
To the dress, though. They gave Belle this brilliantly sparkling gold dress. This gold color seemed to be a popular choice during this time. One of the big differences in the laces hanging from the sleeves. It does add a softness to the dress where the sleeves and the skirt do seem to be a bit stiff.
Onto the Parade of Stars with this enormous butterfly float. I mean, can you imagine that coming down Main Street? Who would know that Belle was hidden in there? Anyway… I do love this dress once you actually see it. The addition of the red roses is a nice touch that adds even more elegance to the costume. Unlike the previous dress, this one is two-toned, rather than having a solid color over it.
The Disney Magic had a show in 2002 called Disney Dreams and it featured a segment of Belle and the Beast dancing to Tale as Old as Time. I do like how different this dress is and how the designer really created something new for this character. However, I’m not sure how I feel about the end result. It feels a little more Southern Belle than French to me. Especially with the hair. Regardless, notice the flowers along the sleeves and the skirts. Lots of details here and you can tell they put a lot of thought into it! This might be the largest skirt we have seen so far! The way it spins really is beautiful, even if it doesn’t quite capture the film’s portrayal.
All the way over in Tokyo Disney in 2003 is where we find our next dress during a show titled Remember the Dreams. This show brought a lot of bright colors to the costumes and Belle’s was no exception. We have that familiar bright yellow. Again, there are distinct, lighter and darker shades of yellow to differentiate the layers. You can tell when she spins how stiff that top layer of draping is. Yellow roses along the skirt and in place of the beading. I really appreciate the details in the fabric here to add just a little uniqueness to this dress.
At the 50 year mark of Cinderella’s film debut, the parks with Cinderella’s castle celebrated n her coronation as queen. Starting in Walt Disney World we see all of the princes and princesses from the neighboring lands come to celebrate the occasion. They chose this light gold color that reflected the sunlight well. Also the sleeves are covered in layers of gold lace. I especially love the texture on the bottom half of the dress along with the hem of the skirt. Excellent gown for a celebration.
The same celebration occurred in Tokyo Disneyland in front of Cinderella’s castle as well with a few tweaks included. Immediately you can see how deeper these colors are. It does have that same lace across the sleeves, but the middle portion is a deep yellow with these swirls and details on it that we really have not seen anywhere yet. At least not this prominent. I think it really sets itself apart from any other Belle costume yet! It is a far step away from the original while still being recognizable.
Hopping very quickly to Disney on Ice in 2006, the show had a segment for Beauty and the Beast to dance to their signature song. Here she had a full ballgown that you will see changes in later shows, but I wanted to be sure to show you this one first. This one looks pretty standard, but we’ll be back!
Still in Tokyo Disneyland but now in 2007, the park debuted Dreams on Parade. This one is exactly the same as from the Remember the Dreams show a couple years earlier. So, you can see how sometimes the parks recycle their costumes, parade floats, and set pieces. I included this one to show you their winter plan for the dress!
In 2008, Tokyo Disneyland released another parade known as Jubilation. And I really really love the creativity they put into these costumes. It looks traditional while also adding some of those intricate details that make you stop and notice the difference. The beading in back in the skirt instead of the roses. The shoulders have this delicate feel to them with this swirling design. I don’t know what that material is, but I do love the design choice of it. The whole styling of the costume brings this magical refined feel to it! It feels like they stepped out of a fantasy story book.
In Walt Disney World, the parks had started their Parade of Dreams in 2008. What I think is really interesting about this costume is that the sleeves are darker than the majority of the dress. Usually that is flipped. The end result is a much more light yellow dress overall. The fabric for this one had some pretty designs on it so its not just a flat yellow. We are back to having the roses accent the dress. This actually becomes a main accent to the costume for most of the dresses. With this closeup, you can see the light sparkles to it as well.
Let’s move over to Disneyland Paris. We haven’t been here in a bit. In 2009 they started the Once Upon a Dream Parade. In this parade we see an all-bright-yellow dress with some silver designs on it. Nothing to radical, but also different enough to set itself apart from the others. One thing I noticed is the very defined bit of draping along the bottom. It’s an extra gathering of fabric that is draped around the skirt. Another slightly different addition. This shot gives a pretty good angle at some of the jewels added to the sleeves. Overall, it is a pretty traditional style though I do like the choice to include the silver designs along the entire dress.
Also, I couldn’t help but include this very energetic Beast and his dance skills. That might be the happiest Beast I’ve ever seen. My husband commented that this beast is more animated than the original. Ha ha
And with that, we move on.
Back to Walt Disney World and the Beauty and the Beast live on stage show at Hollywood Studios. By 2010, the costumes and parts of the show saw some changes to it. This stageshow had been running for almost two decades at this point and it was time for some updates.
What we see here is the gold dress that we have come to recognize. Lots of gathered layers to reflect the draping of the fabric. The white lace around the shoulders is new though. Plus the triangle of jewels coming down the front. Totally new and we usually don’t see anything like that. Really, it is very similar to the old dress except for those jewels and the lace at the sleeves. Honestly, I could not find out for sure, but they could have simply added these details on top of the old costume. Again, I’m not sure, but they are similar enough. If you know, I would love to hear about it!
2011 brought Mickey’s Soundsational Parade to Disneyland. With this parade, we got a princess float with Belle. Many of these costumes had unique touches to them. Belle in particular had a soft yellow dress with these pink roses along it. I love the fullness and softness of this one. It is not that intense gold or almost neon yellow that we are used to with her dresses. The gathering and draping happens for a good portion of the skirt, which I also really like!
2011 was also the year that ABC’s Once Upon a Time came to the screen with Belle and Rumpelstiltskin recreating the iconic scene. One thing that I notice about this dress is that it doesn’t drape downward. Rather they gathered the skirt to fall into a full one. The puffed sleeves are new to this design itself. We’ve seen a lot of these dresses and the bustle in the back is a new addition. They did a great job of taking such a recognizable dress and turning it into one that feels just a tad more modern while still fitting the time and story. We see this dress again in a much later season and you get a better glimpse at some of those details. The sparkles and flowers along the fabric, the ties in the back, and the small rose are the front. Great interpretation!
Now we are taking a quick stop and the show stop in Disneyland Paris’ Nighttime Parade – Fantillusion. The biggest difference about this one is obviously the lights integrated into the dress. Other than that, it is pretty standard with what the parks created for Belle at the time. Very saturated yellow with stuffed drapings along the skirt.
So, with that we head over to Disney on Ice. See? I told you we would be back here. Disney put on a 100 Years of Disney Magic show for the ice. We do get a look at the dress when Belle and the Beast dance during Tale as Old as Time. This is such a different take on the costume and not just because it is made for ice. It has long sleeves this time, lots of silver lining on top of the yellow. They stayed away from the gold entirely for this scene. The result has completely done away with the ballgown look and given a much sleeker dress to the character. The train in the back has uneven layers to it to give a nice flow while they are skating.
But then the next year they produced a show called Dream Big and the ballgown was back for this one. Nothing too crazy, just back to a more traditional look.
This brings us to what was seen as a major change in the parks. Up until 2013, this was the traditional meet and greet costume for Belle in the parks. Top to bottom—her hair was pulled almost all the way up with a bit hanging down. The stiff, stuffed sleeaves with a rose at the center. And the stuffed draping along the dress with roses holding it up. In 2013, Disney released a whole new set of costumes for the characters to wear about the parks—Belle’s being among the first released.
The overall difference was cooling the tone of the yellow and making the skirt fuller. They removed the stuffed aspects of the dress, which I don’t know if you could tell, but I very much approve of. They added some lace to the sleeves and made the layering along the skirt a bit more relaxed. For many, this dress looked too much like a Southern Belle type of gown rather than Belle’s.
So, this parade here had the previous version of Belle, which was actually very intricate dress. I mean, look at the tassels and the multiple layers folded into themselves. It had this big rose and lace on the sleeves too. So pretty. When the update to the costume happened, they gradually made some changes to go along with it like changing her wig in the same parade to the half up half down look.
And oh look, its that float again…
So, by the time of Festival of Fantasy in 2016, this new dress was pretty much the standard in the parks, especially the stateside parks. Even in Disneyland Paris from the Starlit Princess Waltz, we see the old gown has been cycled out in favor for the new version here as well. It really became the new normal for Belle.
In the same year, Tokyo Disneyland was doing a parade called Happiness is Here and a few of the princesses made an appearance on a swan float. This one had one solid color of deep yellow, lots of lace lining, very full skirt. And if find this interesting that they used both the jewels and the roses to accent the gown. You don’t always see that and its usually the roses that win out. I didn’t like the solid color at first, but it is kind of growing on me.
Then in 2014 for the Rockin’ on Ice show there was this spectacular gown in the finale for everyone to see. I mean, you can even hear kids and adults marveling and commenting on it. It was just such a different take and really made you notice it! It definitely takes its own course away from the movie, but you still know without a doubt that its Belle.
And to my husband’s and my most favorite nighttime show…Fantasmic. There is a sequence just for the princesses during this show where Belle and the Beast get a quick moment in front of the audience. This dress has largely remained the same over the years. The dress somewhat looks like the dress featured at its neighbor stage show in Hollywood Studios –the Beauty and the Beast live on stage. The biggest notable difference though is the shimmering lace along the bottom. It is so dazzling and full. The round jewels placed along the skirt catch the light perfectly in this show. I remember noticing that the last time we saw it.
In Shanghai, Disney created another show they titled Three Classic Fairy Tales where the tales of three different princesses were told. Belle’s dress here is unlike anything we have seen yet. It takes all the pieces from the film and incorporates them, while still making it very different. The main aspect that I love though is the flow of the skirt. It doesn’t have that swinging hoop look to it. Rather you can see just how many detailed layers there are to it. A layer of sequins. Multiple layers of lace. And all of them different colors to add that depth. Fascinating! The result makes for something truly eye-catching and memorable even if entirely changed.
Back to Tokyo we go for the nighttime parade of DreamLights. Really love the lace that falls over her shoulders here. I find it interesting that they designed the lining straight down the skirt. It’s a unique choice that isn’t usually designed into the dresses.
Now, when that shows gets rained out, their backup plan is the Night Fall Parade. This parade has a completely different gown for Belle. This one features a bold dress with large sleeves, sometimes a cape like this, a full skirt, and a ton of sequins that would sparkle in the nightlights. I mean some of the shots show just how large those sequins are. They’re MASSIVE. You can also get a better glimpse at the kind of fabric used for the outside layer that drapes around the skirt. Full of sequins! I think those big sleeves are the most obvious alteration to me though.
Another nighttime parade occurred in Disneyland. This one---Paint the Night—had a Beauty and the Beast float featuring a towering Belle. Really, they set her on a pedestal and let the gown continue far down to the foot of the float. It is huge! Still, I have to say that I love the designs for this one. It’s got an elegant touch to it that makes it wonderful. The addition of the French fleur-de-lis and the jewels hanging from her sleeves. What a great piece of creativity.
And we return to Hollywood Studios for our last visit to The Beauty and the Beast live on stage. By 2016, they updated the dress again. It still included the lace on top, but they turned it to gold now. The wig, as we said had happened quite a bit in the parks, was let down a bit to be a little looser. Lastly, you could see some of the lace underneath just a tad better. This is the current version at Hollywood Studios unless they choose to change it when they bring the show back.
In the same year, Mickey and the Magician was playing in Disneyland Paris. I love how even though this one is a hoop skirt, it doesn’t feel too much like one. It spins well and has enough fabric to fall gracefully. I especially like that the draping reveals that nice gathered fabric underneath. Simple and elegant and the same time. Nothing is too stiff and its just a beautiful, graceful costume!
We have finally reached 2017 and the release of the new live action Beauty and the Beast adaptation. Everyone knew the weight of creating this dress—how iconic it was and how many high expectations audiences would have. Great thought and detail went into creating it and it without a doubt takes a step in another direction for the style of Belle’s dress. Emma Watson mentioned at one point that they specifically wanted the dress to dance well. They wanted it to float and fall gracefully. It certainly does that! They took away the draping of the original design and instead added cropped layers up the skirt. Gold designs swirled along the hems of each of these layers. The bodice changed and we no longer see the beads, jewels, or flowers added to it.
You may already know what I’m going to say before I say it… but I love that it is not a hoop. One thing that they made sure to do was let the layers fall gracefully and sweep as they danced. The end result was stunning in that aspect.
Not long after this Disney Cruise Line introduced a new show that would follow the style of the new film. Thus a dress was introduced there. While it understandably did not look quite as grand, it did have a few designs added to it.
Okay! Disneyland Paris. This park presented a new special event called Princesses and Pirates where guests could pick a side and watch as their team performed and proved their superiority. All of the characters got the wonderful makeovers. Of course Belle got lots of flowers added to her dress along with a light cape. The fact that they choose to create such new costumes for this show is fantastic since many times they would just include the current meet and greet costume for it. It adds a wonderful new costume to the collections of Belle’s costumes.
Now for a look back at Disney on Ice, we are checking out Dare to Dream in 2018 for a peek at the costume here. It has certainly changed since the release of the live action film. You can see the similarities in the softening of the color and design, though it does have many of its own touches. Those light, lace layers over the top of the yellow skirt give a nice, wispy feel to the whole look. The grand finale of this show had all the characters come out to the ice with brilliant white and gold costumes. Here, you can see Belle’s ballgown is back. The skirt looks so much like the original with the draping down it.
Our last show for Disney on Ice was with one performed in Hong Kong. I’ll be honest, this one looks like the new parks costume, doesn’t it? Like this would not have been done had they not done that redesign back in 2013. So similar. I love it, but it’s still so similar.
And how could I do a study of Belle’s dresses and not include Ralph Breaks the Internet? Actually, you may have forgotten about this one, but I DIDN’T. I mean, you gotten give credit to the fact that the dress played a part in saving Ralph’s life.
With that very important part out of the way, we can take a look at the most recent costume created for the parks. This was actually designed right before the pandemic where most entertainment had to shut down. So, all we have really is a few tv spots of it. I’m super excited to see more of it though, because it is quite possibly the most different. It very much reflects the small, country town character of Belle.
And there you have it, friend. I tried to cover as much as I possibly could without making this too long and without duplicates. So, tell me. What was your favorite. We covered so many and I am curious which one stood out to you the most. Let me know in the comments.
And just so you know, we already have plans for more costume videos to come. So stay watching!
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