The year is 1997 and a pint-sized Fancy Floridian is visiting EPCOT for the very first time. In this golden era before Fastpasses, Photopasses and Park Passes, Disney is… not that different. Florida summers are unbearably hot, the monorail asks you to mantengense alejado de las puertas, and Spaceship Earth, which we affectionately call “the golf ball,” is the coolest part of the park. There’s even a boat ride in the Norway Pavilion, though instead of Anna and Elsa it features terrifying trolls.
The one thing that is different in 1997: Disney fashion. Spirit Jerseys and DisneyBounding are a thing of the distant future and there are multiple stores in Disney World that sell nothing but custom airbrush t-shirts: the very height of style!
My family’s Disney style is also supremely 90s: we’re all decked out in matching tie-dye t-shirts. And not just any tie-dye: NEON tie-dye. My mom claims that this will help us find each other in the crowds if any of the kids get separated. My suggestion of putting my little brother on a child-leash instead does not go over well.
My neon pink tie-dyed shirt is paired with bike shorts, a big hair bow, Sketchers (I wanted to wear my Baby Spice-branded platform shoes but was shot down), and a Mickey Mouse fanny pack to hold my retainer. I am the height of Disney style.
Now, in 2020, I miss our family Disney trips (yes, even the matching shirts). I miss not knowing how much a churro cost. I can now fondly remember how my dad convinced me that there was a huge drop at the end of Spaceship Earth and I spent the whole ride crying in terror.
I even miss 90s Disney fashion! Somebody pinch me! That decade is having a moment in the sun right now and there’s a ton of cute retro merch featuring neon and tie-dye coming out. Last Monday, shopdisney.com released its Forever Disney collection of 90s-style fashion and accessories, which I nobly refrained from purchasing in its entirety.
And so, since I’ve been awash in nostalgia, I decided to relive my neon tie-dyed youth and splurged on these Cotton Candy Tie–Dye Velvet Ears from Soarin Over Main Street. These ears are just as fluffy as their delicious namesake, and the aesthetic is a nice callback to the fashion of my childhood (well, most of the fashion. Don’t remind me about my fluffy bangs and fanny packs, please!)
Get yourself a pair of
Cotton Candy Tie-Dye ears here!
EAR REVIEW
What We Loved
Ear Shape/Size:
Good. These ears are quite large in proportion to the headband, but they looked like just the right size when actually on my head.
Unique Theme/Style:
Great. It’s refreshing to find a pair of ears that aren’t character-specific! I was able to style these with a boxy tie-dyed Disney tshirt from Target and blasted NSYNC’s “Trashing the Camp” on the drive to EPCOT!
Materials:
Excellent. The velvet is soft and pettable! I was particularly impressed that, even though I got caught in a few rain showers while at the parks, the material doesn’t show any water stains.
Shipping/Packaging:
Excellent. I loved that Soarin Over Main Street packed these in a hard-sided box that protected them from any damage! The pastel tissue paper matched the colors of my ears to a T and it truly felt like “magic mail.”
Headband:
Good. This headband doesn’t pinch, and the seams are covered with a neat white grosgrain ribbon!
Bow:
Great. The oversized tie-dye bow is made from the same fabric as the ears and blends right in. I think many of us are used to seeing flashy or sequined bows, but I really like the more minimalist vibe of this one.
Who would love these?
Any FashionEarsta who wants to be a little more Sassy Street-Styled than DisneyBound Darling. If your wardrobe already has coveralls, windbreakers, and scrunchies, these might be your ears!
What Needs Work
Stitching/Gluing:
Needs work. There’s a lot of hot glue visible on the back of the bow and ears, some of which spilled down onto the headband. I spent a while picking off little wisps of dried glue, too.
Wearability:
Definitely Needs Work. These ears are comfortable, but they were constantly sliding around on my head. I didn’t remove them for Spaceship Earth and they fell backwards off my head on what must be one of the calmest rides on Disney property. Because the headband is proportionately so short (it only comes down to the top of my ears) but also too thick to bobby-pin to my hair, these ears never really had a chance of staying on securely.
Turnaround Time:
we received our ears in a speedy 11 days
Pricing: $$
comparable to a pair of official Disney ears but far more unique!
Where should future FashionEarstas be seen in these ears?
I would absolutely rock these at Disneyland After Dark’s 90s Nite! For Floridians, snapping a selfie in front of EPCOT’s Bubblegum or Toothpaste Walls (outside of Spaceship Earth and The Seas with Nemo, respectively) would be a perfect complement to these ears’ colors!
Overall Score: 
(4.5/5)
These ears are adorable, unique and very trendy in this moment of 90s nostalgia! As long as you don’t mind re-adjusting them every few minutes and definitely taking them off for rides, these adorable ears might be for you.
Get yourself a pair of
Cotton Candy Tie-Dye ears here!
Well, I ate my way around EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival in these ears (read my post about it here) so I’m going to put on my two-piece windbreaker-track-pants-combo and do some aerobics to the hits of Christina Aguilera!
I hope that you found this review helpful! I’d love to hear what you think of this review, these ears, Soarin Over Main Street, or just other magical things you have to share in the comments! Make sure you check us out on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram, chances are you will see our ears in action!
Pixie Dust and Glamour!
The Fancy Floridian
[…] Long Live the 90s: Cotton Candy Tie-Dye Ear Review […]
[…] Kaitlyn inspired this look with her tie-dye Mickey and Minnie clutch in bold neon colors! Her combination of neon and tie-dye in this Disney fireworks fashion look reminds us of the psychedelic pinwheels of water above Pixar Pier! As soon as we saw her photo, we thought of the perfect pair of ears to match this look: our Cotton Candy Tie-Dye Ears from Soarin Over Main Street! […]