Ever wonder how a princess becomes a princess? Well, they have a secret, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! This salon inside Walt Disney World offers your children a royal transformation to become elegant princesses and shining knights. The price tag is steep so let’s look into, is Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique worth it?
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will soon welcome young guests once again for royal head-to-toe transformations at both Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland park at Disneyland Resort on August 25. Guests may begin making reservations for these magical transformations in early August only in the My Disney Experience app and Disneyland App, or at DisneyWorld.com and Disneyland.com.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique locations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Disney Springs, which will reopen at a later date.
What is Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique?
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is where little girls (and boys!) ages 3-12 get the chance to become a princess (or prince) for the day with a full makeover, including pixie dust! There are multiple packages to choose from to match different budgets. Packages start at $75 and go up to $450. The basic package includes hairstyling, make-up, face gems, nails, a sash, and a drawstring backpack. Check here for further details on all of the packages.
Note: You do not need to buy a dress! You are able to bring your own princess dress with you. Do whatever makes the experience special for your princess! Is she sensitive to the scratchy fabric so doesn’t like princess dresses? No problem. Let her wear her favorite shirt. It’s all about making her feel special.
Speaking of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Dresses…
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique sells all different styles of princess dresses, even heirloom-quality deluxe dresses. They also sell shoes and accessories to match the various princesses. Think of it as a less crowded version of Sir Mickey’s. Princess dresses in the Disney parks are usually $65, and we have seen Belle, Aurora, Mulan, Ariel, Raya, Elena, Repunzel, Elsa, Anna, Snow White, Cinderella, Tiana, Tinkerbell, and Jasmine. A few times we were surprised with special dresses like Ariel’s and Repunzel’s wedding dresses. They even included the bouquet! So stinking cute.
One of the great things about Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is that you don’t feel pressured to buy a Disney Parks dress. You can find great deals on all of the princesses on Amazon. There are also specially made comfortable princess dresses! These are great for our little friends with sensory issues, but they are also great because typical princess costumes are made of polyester, AKA plastic. Florida is crazy hot and humid, so light and breezy is always a great option.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please please please – do not get carried away and buy dress-up shoes for your child at Disney World. You have spent months planning the most comfortable shoes for you to wear walking the 10 miles around the Disney parks. Please do not have your little princess wearing Satan’s jelly sandals around the park. Ouch!
But why?? What makes this makeover so special? Momma, let me tell you – Everything Disney touches is pure magic and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is no exception. Let’s walk through the process, shall we?
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Experience
When it is time for your princess’s appointment you need to check-in at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique store. In the Magic Kingdom, it is the shop right across from Sir Mickey’s, behind Cinderella’s Castle in Fantasyland. When you see the dress in the window, you know you’re in the right place. There is also a location in Disney Springs. Proceeding with the Magic Kingdom experience, at check-in, the Fairy Godmother-in-training very discreetly asked about what dress your princess will be wearing today, or if she is staying in her current outfit. THIS. THIS RIGHT HERE IS PURE MAGIC.
Yes, Disney is a for-profit company and they do very well at that, however, Disney has also mastered the service industry. Remember, not all packages include a brand new dress. This could have been Disney’s opportunity to upsell you right in front of your child, essentially strong-arming you into a $65 dress on top of an expensive experience. That is not what happened in our experience.
We brought our own Belle dress from home, and to be honest, it was pretty balled up and junky looking from being crammed in the Walmart bag below our stroller all day. While I was prepaying for our service, another Cast Member swooped in and discreetly took our Belle dress. I could never have imagined what happened next…
Fairy Godmother
We were assigned our very own Fairy Godmother and she told us to help her find her Royal Assistant, Gus Gus. My daughter, who was 4 at the time, was pretty quiet and nervous, (not to mention pretty exhausted because, well, Disney), when we first arrived instantly became excited looking for Cinderella’s chubby mouse friend. She found a plush Gus Gus in an elegant, royal fitting room with her dress beautifully waiting for her on a dress maker’s dummy. Our used, balled-up dress from the Walmart bag was fluffed and sparkling under the lights just for her. Dang it… I wish I had a picture from that moment.
Hair
After I helped her dress, her Fairy Godmother returned to show us a card of the various hairstyles available. This was the part that made me nervous. My daughter was 4 and had thin, curly hair. It was difficult to work with and she was not a fan of brushing. My biggest fear was her tender head making the whole experience miserable for her. Our Fairy Godmother assured me that this would not be a problem.
My daughter picked out the craziest and funkiest princess bun with the spiky pink hair accessory. I know, it’s hilariously crazy, but that’s my girl! All of the available hairstyles revolved around a bun of some sort and came with an accessory, like a tiara or a colorful hairpiece.
The Fairy Godmother was right that I had nothing to worry about. Once we were in the Royal Salon, (that is actually in Cinderella’s Castle!), they used some sort of conditioner enriched with magic because no girls in there made a peep about knots! Speaking of the other girls, this is no Chef Mickey’s experience.
The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique salon only has about a dozen chairs. Right in the middle of the Magic Kingdom on a Saturday, we were surrounded by relaxing quiet music in a little royal retreat. Next, the hair bun was created with a netted hair donut and then secured with a hairnet and a slew of bobby pins.
Don’t let the hair net thing freak you out. They are hair colored and are very popular among performers because it keeps those pesky flyaways from leaving your bun. The style is then shellac’d with hairspray and let me tell you, that sucker didn’t move for two days! (Don’t judge, I call it “getting my money’s worth”.)
Cast Members are gems in the royal crown of Disney. Since my daughter chose the spiky pink hairpiece, she was not supposed to get the tiara. My daughter saw the other girls getting tiaras and asked about it. Our Fairy Godmother appeared with one special just for my daughter and she lit up like a Christmas tree! These are custom Disney mini tiaras, and if you look closely, there is a Mickey in the jewels at the top. It’s important to note that this was a special pixie dusting extra, and this may not happen for you.
Make Up and Nails
Next up for the princess makeover is makeup and nails. A small pallet of makeup appeared and the Fairy Godmother let my daughter choose her eye makeup and lip gloss color. Of course, my classy child opted for a sophisticated 80s blue. I liked that the makeup was applied with q-tips and cotton balls, reusable makeup brushes kind of freak me out.
Cue my surprise again when our Fairy Godmother handed me a soft pink drawstring backpack and put in the MAKEUP PALLET AND THE NAIL POLISH. I didn’t expect to keep the makeup and the bottle of nail polish! The makeup was definitely “little girl” quality, but perfect for those Mommy-Daughter Sundays in the bathroom mirror. The nail polish, however, was legit.
Pixie Dust
At the end of our experience, our Fairy Godmother waved her magic wand with pixie dust over my daughter and announced her as Princess Anna to all who were near. The final piece was the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique sash that completes the package. Her whole demeanor was different. My 4-year-old was walking with her head high and was practically floating. Fun fact: when other Cast Members in the park see the infamous Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique sash, they stop and bow to the princess. I literally stood by and watched my daughter’s confidence soar. She believed she was a princess. Core memory.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique For Boys??
The target audience for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is clearly little girls, but they have special services and packages for young princes, too! Whether you have a little boy who would otherwise have to wait for his big sister or just a young man who dreams of royalty, Disney has heard you and made two packages available. The Knight Package is just $19.95 and includes gel hairstyling with confetti and a mighty sword and shield.
Real talk, something like a sword and shield is going to cost you more than $20 in Walt Disney World, so we consider this a GREAT deal. This simplified package is perfect for a little boy whose sister is currently undergoing her royal transformation. Have you ever met a child not entertained with a sword while fighting pretend dragons? Sure beats sitting around and waiting.
The Deluxe Knight Package is $79.95 and includes everything from the Knight Package but also includes a handsome knight costume. I’m not sure if you have seen it before, but we get major Enchanted vibes, and we’re here for it! Cue the adoring women as he walks through the park: “Awwwwwwwwwww! How cute!” This package is perfect for little boys who want to be a knight in shining armor. Not all boys long to be a superhero. Some dream of rescuing a princess. (Not that they all need rescuing… you know, girl power and all that). People say that chivalry is dead. Is it, though? Or are we teaching that it’s uncool…? Food for thought.
You are not obligated to book your other children for an experience while you wait. It is no problem for siblings to just sit and wait in one of the many comfy seats located in the middle of the salon. In our experience, there were quite a few younger siblings napping, snacking, or just enjoying the quiet with one parent while the other parent and older kids continued with their park day. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a very quiet and serene experience in and amongst the over stimulation of Magic Kingdom. Sometimes our kids surprise us. They may just enjoy the quiet as much as we do sometimes.
How to Book Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Experience
Disney highly suggests making a reservation in advance for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. This is where I laugh like one of the hyenas in Lion King. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is an amazing must-do experience, so naturally, spaces fill up fast! You can make reservations 60 days in advance. If you are staying at a Disney World resort you can make restaurant and experience reservations for your entire vacation 60 days in advance of the first day of your vacation. This means you can make some reservations earlier than 60 days, giving you an edge. If you are staying off property, then you have to plan each day individually 60 days in advance. We recommend a countdown app like Countdown for Disney to help with this.
Next, it is important to know the system. The good old-fashioned way to make reservations is to call Disney (407) 939-4357. While, yes, this is an option, it is definitely not the best option. Use the My Disney Experience App or My Disney Experience desktop version. While the phone lines don’t open until 7:00 AM EST, (not to mention you could be on hold for hours), the online system opens at 6:00 AM EST. Sometimes, we have even noticed that it had opened as early as 5:45 AM EST. Set an alarm and cross your fingers for some pixie dust!
If you weren’t able to snag a reservation, don’t panic! There are apps that set alerts for dining reservations and experiences that become available in Disney World. We recommend Stakeout. It is a free app, but you can pay $10 per month for their premium services, which include faster alerts so you can snag it as soon as it becomes available.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Review
Yes, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was expensive, but I can say with a smile that it was totally worth it. There are some moments with your children that you just cannot put a price on. She was only 4, so she doesn’t remember every detail about that day, but she remembers her Fairy Godmother, being pampered, and she remembers being a princess. She remembers people bowing. She remembers feeling beautiful. As her mom, you know what I remember? Every darn second. I will always remember the glow of confidence as she saw and felt the way that I will always see her. A princess. My sweet little princess. The princess years are fast and fleeting, but that memory will always remain.
Even long after her Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique experience was over, we got to relive it again and again together at home. I would use her pink spiky hair extensions and hair donut to recreate her hair, and we would paint each other’s nails with her pixie dust nail polish. Money is just money, but experiences are bonding.
Momma, if you are on the fence, jump down. If you are able to budget a trip to the Fairy Godmother, don’t even think about it. Just do it. It will be a memory of your daughter that you will treasure for years to come.
Don’t Leave Out Mom!
While Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is reopening, there has been no word on when Character Couture will return, or even if it will return. The following is the information from 2020, prior to the closure.
Don’t lie, your inner little girl is a wee bit jealous. Well, don’t be because you can have a makeover, too! Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique only beautifies children ages 3 – 12, but never fear! Character Couture gives makeovers to those of us that are young at heart. Located in participating resorts at Walt Disney World, Character Couture is available for mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and besties to Disney Bound with a makeover inspired by their favorite characters. This would also be a fun way to participate in Dapper Day!
What is Disney Bounding?
Disney Bounding is dressing and accessorizing in outfits inspired by our favorite Disney characters ( https://www.wdwvacationtips.com/princess-perfect-disney-heels/ ), and sometimes even attractions! Inspired is the keyword here. Cosplay is not permitted in the Disney Parks by anyone older than 12. Disney Bounding is a creative way to express your love of all things Disney, through fashion.
Character Couture
Character Couture offers hairstyling, make-up, and nails inspired by any character you choose. Popular selections are Belle, Repunzel, Cinderella, and Ursula. Unlike Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Character Couture does not require that you choose from a small selection of hairstyles. Show up with pictures of what you’re looking for and you and your stylist will work out the perfect look in your consultations. Your look can be subtle and classy or full of drama. It’s your day!
The full makeover with hair, makeup, and nails is $145 plus 20% added gratuity. A la carte pricing is also available for these services: Hairstyling $75, makeup $50, and nails $20. Prior to the 2020 parks closure Character Couture was available at the following resorts: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort. In-room makeovers at participating resorts are also available for an additional cost.
WHICH CHARACTER MAKEOVER WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Let us know in the comment section below. Plus we want to hear to you think Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is worth it?
I am a mother of three that has refused to grow up. Adulting is for the birds, so I go to Disney World every chance I get for that magical escape from reality. I believe that Haunted Mansion is the best ride in all of the Disney Parks, and I am fervently in team Happily Ever After for fireworks spectaculars, (sorry, not sorry, Enchanted). Finally, I hope I never grow tired of skipping down Main Street, USA, and my dream come true would be “friends with” the Fairy Godmother in my old age.