On our first trip to Disney World, I was enamoured with all the little girls running around with their princess inspired hairstyles and sparkly dresses. I got a big kick out of seeing the same hair style over and over at different levels of distress – you just knew some of them had been slept in for days because the little girl refused to take out the bun or funky colored braids. We were just freshly married and I can remember thinking to myself that if I ever had a little girl, a princess makeover was definitely something I wanted to do with her. Well I did have that little girl, and for our Walt Disney World trip this past November I was excited to finally be able to make the magic happen at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
There are two Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique locations at Walt Disney World – one at Disney Springs Marketplace and a second in the Magic Kingdom. Both offer the same great experience, but I opted for the Magic Kingdom because it somehow felt that much more magical to get a makeover right inside Cinderella’s castle. It was a tough decision, though, as Disney Springs offers a slightly better photo set-up with a replica Cinderella’s carriage to take your photos in front off. I really don’t think you can go wrong either way.
The website recommends you book your appointment at 180 days out from your trip so I was up early at the 180 day mark to try and secure our spot. I would have loved an appointment early in the day, but unfortunately the earliest available was 5:30 pm on the day we needed. It was a long day of my daughter asking if it was time yet for her makeover, but luckily there was lots of other great rides and shows to distract us until it was time to get changed into her new Cinderella dress and get checked in.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique offers a range of packages and one tip I used to save a little money was to choose the cheapest option and bring our own dress and accessories from home (don’t forget the dress shoes to look good for the photos). I don’t typically spend a lot of money at spas or salons so at $64.95 USD the Crown Package still seemed a bit pricey, but in the end was more then worth every penny to see the pure joy in my little girls face as she was transformed into a princess. I also was surprised by the beautiful pink branded fabric backpack she got at the end, filled with shampoo and her leftover goodies – face gems, sparkle nail polish and a make-up pallet.
From check-in to the moment they spun her chair around for the big reveal, the whole experience was amazing. The fairy godmothers in training were so welcoming and patient with Keira as she selected her hairstyle, make-up and sparkling nail polish. She went for the traditional “Fairytale princess” bun updo with a beautiful rhinestone studded mini tiara.
The boutique offers plenty of seating for parents to kick back and watch as their child is given the royal treatment. I loved watching from the sideline and seeing the sweet interactions between my daughter and our stylist throughout the process. Also on hand are Disney Photopass photographers to capture all those precious moments.
After the big reveal, my little princess was ready for her photo shoot. We made our way from the castle across to the studio area in the Castle Couture shop, where more Disney Photopass photographers were on hand for staged photos. The photographer took her through a series of sweet poses and my daughter was more then happy to co-operate, looking and feeling extra fabulous.
The final touch of Disney magic came that night as we were getting our tired little princess onto the Disney bus to head back to the resort. After everyone was seated, the bus driver made a special announcement to everyone on the bus to be on their very best behaviour because “a real Disney Princess is riding with us tonight!” My heart melted as I watched Keira slowly realize that she was the only princess on the bus and start absolutely beaming with pride as everyone clapped.
Keira’s updo didn’t last beyond our swim the next morning, but we were able to stop by Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique get another magical dusting of glitter in hair on our next day at Magic Kingdom. This little perk is available to anyone – just ask the hostess at the door politely and she will be happy to pull out her magical wand.
This was absolutely one of my favourite parts of the entire trip. The cast members at the boutique were amazing with the children (there’s a package for boys, too) and I love that my sweet little girl got to be pampered and feel like a beautiful princess in the happiest place on earth! After envisioning it so many years ago, I feel so lucky to have ended up with a princess-loving little girl to make these cherished memories with.
You can learn more about packages, pricing and reservations on the Walt Disney World website. And, if you are travelling to Disneyland, the same great experience is offered at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Sleeping Beauty’s castle.
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