How To Avoid The Dreaded Minnie Mouse Ears Headache

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Mouse Ears HeadacheWith the rose gold Minnie Mouse ears craze, I’ve been seeing even more people than before wearing those adorable sequined headbands around the Disneyland Resort. After all, if you’ve managed to snag one of these elusive and super popular headbands for yourself, of course you’re going to want to show them off with pride! And it’s not just the rose gold design. There’s the red and green ones for the holiday season, purple ones for Halloween, and the classic polka dot blue ones, just to name a few. Whether you’re a kid or a grownup, they are fun and cute to wear. The only downside to this must-have Disney parks accessory, is the dreaded Minnie Mouse ears headache.

This headache is pretty common, and not just with Disney ears but with headbands in general. However, you don’t hear about the regular headband headache that often. I have a theory about this. The difference is that you usually aren’t wearing a normal headband all day long in the sun, while eating sugary/salty foods, probably not hydrating enough, and getting twirled and whipped around on amusement park rides. All those factors can trigger or exacerbate a headache.

I recently returned from a weeklong trip to Disney World in Florida, where I wore my rose gold Minnie Mouse ears multiple days during my visit. And I’m here to tell you that it IS possible to wear those headbands without getting a terrible headache! You just have to know how to do it like a Disney boss. 

Here are my tips for avoiding that dreaded Minnie Mouse ears headache:

Don’t wear them two days in a row.

This is especially true if you’ve worn them from rope drop to park close. If you’ll be visiting the parks for multiple days, wear a Disney bounding outfit or some other piece of non-headband flair to celebrate your Disney side every other day. That’ll give your head a rest and let your noggin “breathe” before being put through the headband gauntlet once more.

Take them off while on rides and inside shows.

Fact: inside a darkened theater, no one can see that your hair is a mess without the Minnie Mouse ears on. No one probably cares what your hair looks like outside the theater either as they’re all focused on having a magical day and/or keeping their unruly children from pantsing them while on line for it’s a small world. The folks sitting directly behind you in the theater will be SOOOO thankful that you’ve removed your ears, since they obstruct the view of at least 1-2 rows behind you.

This happened to me while watching the Festival Of The Lion King show at Animal Kingdom. When the woman sitting directly in front turned around and saw I had my toddler in my lap, she immediately removed her Minnie Mouse ears. I was so happy I thanked her right then, and again after the show was over, for her thoughtful sprinkling of pixie dust.

On the flip side, if you believe in voodoo, not removing your Minnie Mouse ears could cause you to get cursed with terrible karma. You could end up sitting behind someone wearing the two foot tall Sorcerer Mickey hat next time!

Remove your Minnie Mouse ears while eating.

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on human anatomy. But I do know that some of the ligaments and muscles that control jaw movement extend beyond your face to the area where the headband rests behind your ears…actual ears that is. So it follows that if you’re wearing a headband that’s putting constant pressure on those parts that you use while eating, it’s going to aggravate the underlying area and cause unnecessary discomfort. Just like in the darkened theater, no one cares what you look like in a restaurant when there’s a delicious plate of food in front of them. So give your head a break, and rest those ears during meals!

Mouse ears headache
Why look at anything else when you can drool over this gorgeous plate of Slow-cooked Beef Poutine at Disneyland’s Red Rose Taverne.

Expect to have a headache.

Like I wrote above, if you’re running around the Disney parks all day, chances are you’re pushing yourself to the limit, which can trigger pain including headaches. In general, it’s always a good idea to bring ibuprofen which will help anyway with various body soreness that comes with theme-parkery and all-day child supervision. It doesn’t have to be ibuprofen though. Bring whatever it is that you take to help with headaches (e.g. lavender essential oil). Also, stay hydrated and – this is a hard one – try not to overdo it with excessively sugary/salty foods.

There’s that infamous saying, “fashion is pain.” Well, I hope I’ve helped you to prove that saying wrong. Because no one should feel pain at the happiest place on earth! Do you have any other tips for avoiding the dreaded Minnie Mouse ears headache??

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Hilary Feldstein Ratner
Follow me on Instagram @EcoFriendlyMama, Twitter @EcoFriendlyMa, and Pinterest @EcoFriendlyMama! Though I was born and raised in New York City, I've lived in SoCal for over ten years now and am proud to call this beautiful and diverse place my home. My husband and I have a son and baby daughter (whom I was 9 months pregnant with when this photo was taken!). Prior to becoming a mommy I spent several years in feature film publicity and acquisitions for Miramax and later as the Creative Executive for Hilary Swank Productions before seguing to the music industry where I did Online Communications for the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares. In my ample pre-parenthood free time, I also freelanced as a script analyst and screenwriter. I am fortunate now to be able to devote all my time to my family, but I still love to write so am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of this blog! I am a foodie, avid traveler, environmentalist, preschool board member, and unabashed Disney nut. I can also be found writing about green parenting and eco-conscious living on my personal website, https://ecofriendlymama.com.

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