Mousequerade: The Ultimate Disney Costume Contest presented by AT&T wrapped up its 2026 edition at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and the craftsmanship on display was nothing short of extraordinary. The annual competition, which got its official start in 2015, challenges fans to create entirely handmade, original costumes — no purchased or professionally made pieces allowed. This year's finalists were scored on craftsmanship, originality, storytelling, use of color and materials, creative interpretation of Disney, and on-stage presentation.
Host Nina West kept the energy lively alongside judges Ashley Eckstein, Yvette Nicole Brown, and first-time judge Bobby Kim, VP and Global Creative Director of Disney Consumer Products, who said he was "blown away by the talent, the creativity, the individuality." Disney Legend Jodi Benson made a surprise appearance and presented the audience choice award. Costumes incorporated materials ranging from satin and velvet to polymer clay, vinyl, and feathers — and some featured programmable LEDs, inflatable elements, and even on-stage transformations. One entry alone contained 30,000 crystals and 500 LED lights.
The solo category winner — which also claimed the innovation and technology honor — was "A Jest of a Carrousel Ride" by Julieanna Trinidade, a stunning tribute to Disneyland's King Arthur Carrousel, one of the park's original 1955 opening-day attractions. The look featured a corseted top, an intricate skirt with puffed sleeves, and a motorized rotating headpiece with a 3D-printed horse. Other Disney Parks-inspired standouts included a couture Mary Blair–style Alice in Wonderland design with a hand-painted skirt, and "The Auctioneer and the Redhead," which recreated two iconic Audio-Animatronic figures from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction — right down to mimicking their in-ride poses and movements.
The audience choice award went to "To Pizza and Beyond," a clever Toy Story mashup in which Buzz Lightyear and Woody arrived on stage disguised as a burger box and drink cup from Pizza Planet — a nod to the quick-service Alien Pizza Planet location at Disneyland park. The audience-voted win, presented by Jodi Benson, was clearly a crowd favorite from the moment the duo took the stage.
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Full coverage of winners, judges' reactions, and more D23 2026 highlights is available on the Disney Parks Blog.
