12 Best Hats for Disney World You’ll Love Wearing
If you’re heading to Disney World soon, you’ll want to begin thinking about what kind of accessory you’ll buy to adorn your head. That’s why, in this article, we’re going share our picks for the absolute best hats for Disney World, so you can have fun at the parks while being protected from the sun!
Best Hats for Disney World You’ll Love
Let’s begin with a very simple, classic hat you can throw on your head—a baseball hat.
Baseball Hats
Whether you bring your favorite cap from home or pick one up at Disney World, you can’t go wrong with this staple. A personal favorite of mine for parks, I love how easy it is to clip it to a small backpack when I’m trying to travel light.
You can find baseball caps in every Disney Park, as well as in Disney Springs at the World of Disney store. I’ve been known to pick up a new cap on almost every Disney trip, and I love keeping up with the ever-changing styles and designs. If you just can’t wait, head over to Shop Disney where you can order ahead of your trip and wear it on the way!
Bucket Hats
You might think of bucket hats as a staple of the ‘90s, but they’ve proven over decades that they are here to stay. Easily foldable, fun to wear and guaranteed to provide you with some shade, a bucket hat should not be overlooked. You can go for form or function with bucket hats, too!
Want to go all-in with Disney style? I love some of the bucket hats over at Box Lunch–imagine wearing one with The Child on it as you stroll through Galaxy’s Edge. Looking for something to keep you a bit cooler? The ISO-Chill Bucket Hat by UnderArmour is made for the golf-course but is sure to keep you comfortable on those hot Disney days (oh, and it’s waterproof too!).
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Visors
If you’re looking for sun coverage on your face while keeping your hairstyle intact, or your chief complaint about hats is that they don’t allow the heat to escape your head, consider a visor. This is an option I like because it’s easy to clip onto a bag or stroller if need be.
Visors, like the bucket hat, offer a bit of timeless style as well, so you’re sure to have it compliment anything you might wear. The cool thing about visors is there are countless styles to choose from. A straw visor will definitely give those vacation vibes at the pool, while a sports visor is going to offer to total comfort while exploring the parks.
Sun Hats
Sun hats offer both style and function and quite possibly the biggest shade coverage of the hats on this list. You also have lots of style choices here, too! Find the widest brimmed hat you can and enjoy the shade laying by your resort pool.
Perhaps you’re feeling inspired by Mr. Fredrickson (from Disney-Pixar’s “Up”) and want to go with a fedora. Or maybe you’re after something in the middle, like my personal favorite, the Panama hat. If you’re not sure what style fits you best, adventure over to Disney Springs on your trip and check out Chapel Hats. If you want to prepare ahead of time, J.Crew or Amazon may have what you need in the line of foldable sun hats that are great for travel.
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Beanies
I know what you’re thinking: cool weather hats? In Florida?!
As it turns out, the winter months in Florida see some chilly temperatures, especially in the evenings. Disney parks have even been known to break out some winter hats during those temperature drops for those guests who were caught off guard. If you’ve got a trip planned in the cooler months (think, December- March) it won’t hurt to throw one of these in your bag.
Imagine how happy you’ll be watching those evening fireworks once the sun has gone down, with your cozy hat on protecting your head and ears from the Florida chill. Love Your Melon beanies may be some of the softest out there, and they even have some Disney collaborations!
Cooling Hats
Cooling apparel has increased in popularity over the last couple of years and headwear is no exception! The cool thing (pun intended) is that you can find cooling headwear many styles, like baseball caps and bucket hats. These hats are “water activated” so their cooling effect kicks in once there’s moisture present to help bring your temperature down a few degrees.
There are lots of styles of cooling hats to check out made my Mission. So, whether that’s sweat, or you decide to give it a good soak with water, its sure to bring your temp down a bit in the blistering Florida sun.
Charter Hats
Wearing a Charter hat at Disney is going to inspire you to be more than just a passenger on the Jungle Cruise. This hat will give you all the style and functionality it does to the Jungle Cruise Skippers!
Comfort and utility combine in this option. For example, the Sunday Afternoons Charter Hat gives you an easily foldable hat, adjustable necktie, and interior pockets to stash things like cards and keys.
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Fishing Cap
Planning on spending most of your day outside? A fishing cap may be a great option for long days of full sun. Wandering around an Epcot food festival all day? Spending the whole day at the pool? Consider a fishing cap which offers protection on your head, face and neck!
Most fishing caps also offer UPF sun protection as well, like the Schooner Bank Cachalot III Cap made by Columbia Sportswear!
Epcot – Hats Around the World
Along your world tour of Epcot, you’ll discover hats representing each culture! Sure, the berets in France are adorable and the Viking helmets in Norway are a crowd favorite. While these are awesome options, neither are ideal for the blazing sun in Florida.
So, which pavilion hats fit the bill for protection and park spirit?
Mexico
Sombreros…colorful, 360-degree shade coverage, lightweight and perhaps one of the most coveted souvenirs from the World Showcase. You’re bound to see more than one park guest wearing a sombrero on your trip! Always available in the Mexican pavilion. If you decide not to pick one up for yourself, pop in to try some on and snap some fun pictures!
China
The Asian Conical hat, commonly known as Rice Hats, are another popular choice for Epcot parkgoers. It’s a simple straw hat, that’s light weight and has a convenient chin strap! This hat is commonly used for protection against sun and rain and can even provide a cooling effect to the wearer when wet. You might find yourself compelled to try one on when visiting the shop at the China pavilion!
Character Hats
There’s no better place to rock headwear celebrating your favorite Disney character and get the bonus of sun protection. Character hats have been Disney World staples for years and the offerings are every changing, as Disney continues to surprise us with new merchandise year over year. Perhaps you’re Donald Duck’s number one fan, so a hat that showcases his animated eyes and expressive beak as the visor is just the right thing for you!
Or, if you’re a fan of Goofy, check out the cap that pays tribute to his signature floppy ears and a visor that showcases his big-toothed grin. You’re sure to find something that celebrates your favorite character at one of the gift shops on Disney property, though I think World of Disney at Disney Springs and the Emporium on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom may have the largest selections.
Minnie Ear Headbands
Honestly, Minnie Ear headbands offer no sun protection, at all, but they are timeless!
These headbands are always showing up in the parks with new colors, designs and materials. If you can’t resist the sparkle, a pair with sequins might be for you! There are headbands with soft velvet, fun prints, even lights! It’s impossible to have just one pair. I never head to Disney without my ears!
If you love Minnie Ears, you’ll love finding them at Disney World because they are everywhere! Parks, resort hotels, Disney Springs there is no shortage!
Mickey Ear Hats
The most iconic Disney accessory of all time (at least in my humble opinion). Mickey Ears first made their appearance in 1955, worn by the original Mousketeers in the earliest days of the Mickey Mouse Club (fun fact: they were designed by one of the Mousketeers)
Whether you’re in Disney for vacation or celebration, I highly recommend taking a trip to the Box Office Gifts shop, in the Town Square Theatre in Magic Kingdom, and browse the many designs of Mickey ear hats! If you find that special pair, the cast members will happily embroider it for you for at a small cost. You can also shop hats and add embroidery at Fantasy Faire in Fantasy land or at Wonderful World of Memories in Disney Springs.
It might just be me, but I think an embroidered Disney hat is one of the most unique things you can take home. It reminds me of the simplicity of the joy that comes from time spent in Disney, making memories with loved ones.
Conclusion
Packing for a Disney trip (especially your first) can be a bit overwhelming, but a hat of some sort should top your list! Hopefully this list of the best hats for Disney World helped you decide what to bring on your next adventure, and even gave you some ideas for what you might find while you’re there!
This article was written by Patricia and edited by Michael.
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