How I gave my daughter a princess makeover at Disney World – without the cost
MANY little girls dream of being a princess and Disney World is the
place to make that dream come true.
Found in the Magic Kingdom park at Disney World is the
Cinderella-themed, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
It transforms children into their favourite heroine - but you might need to be Royal to afford it.
Notoriously hard to book, the makeover experience can take a huge
chunk of your holiday spending money so even if you do manage to
secure a spot, the cost might make your eyes water.
Prices start at $100 (£80) for the basic package which includes a t-shirt rather than a dress.
Children will get their hair styled, and shimmery make-up and nail polish applied.
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However, if your little one wants the full makeover package, dress and all, you won’t get much change out of $250 (£200).
BUT, there is a way to give your child the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
experience without breaking the bank.
Travelling with a seven-year-old Disney-mad girl, I knew that a ‘princess’ experience would be high on her agenda on our trip to Disney World last month.
Instead, I went down the PIY route – princess it yourself!
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Despite being Encanto and Moana mad, when it comes to dressing up, our daughter Sabrina loves to go full-on princess, so I knew the pink, sparkly Sleeping Beauty dress would be the perfect choice.
The cost of the dress in the parks is upwards of $60 (£48) so I took matters into my own hands.
A quick look on second hand app, Vinted, and I soon found an unused Sleeping Beauty dress from the Disney Store for $20 (£16).
If Vinted or Ebay don’t come up with the goods, there are plenty of
cheaper supermarket options available that most children will be just
as happy with, sometimes for as little as £1.
On our Magic Kingdom day, I woke Sabrina early for her Royal makeover.
The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique usually style little girls’ hair in a
bun, something my daughter doesn’t like, so I did a simple hairstyle
and make-up and off we went.
Already dressed liked royalty, we still wanted an ‘experience’ so we
headed straight for Sir Mickey’s – a shop in Fantasyland just behind
Cinderella’s Castle that you can’t miss as it’s overrun by a giant
beanstalk.
The shop sells dresses and dolls but holds a secret - if you ask a cast member (nicely) for some fairy dust, they will cover you in
very fine glitter – the same used in the BBB experience.
The cast members always make a bit of a show of this with a wand and spells and it puts the finishing touch on a princess makeover.
The other thing about Sir Mickey’s that some guests won’t realise is
that it is home to a castle-themed photo studio.
The studio has a medieval setup and plenty of props to capture your little one looking their royal best.
The studio has professional photographers with photo links to your My Disney Experience App.
Our tickets included the photo memory maker package, so we didn't need to pay any extra for some wonderful shots that made my daughter feel like a real princess.
So with a Vinted dress, some fairy dust and a castle photoshoot – your prince or princess can have a very similar BBB experience for around $20 (£16) on top of your ticket price, saving more than £170.
If you have your heart set on a professional experience, however, and
want something more elaborate than what BBB offers, there are a number of Disney make-over artists that come straight to your hotel or villa.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Disney World – like so many other
companies – let go of a lot of staff.
Former Disney employees joined together and set up a Facebook group – Ear for Each Other (EFEO) to promote their businesses and help them get back on their feet and there are plenty of make-over options to choose from.
Nil of worked for Disney World for six years as a wedding hair designer and stylist.
Like many others, she had to set up her own business after the pandemic – making over little girls and boys ready for the park.
Nil can come to your hotel as early as 5am and transform anyone of any age into their favourite prince, pirate, or princess, from just $110 (£88).
Anything from intricate Elsa locks to terrific Tiana – Nil can create colourful and extravagant hairstyles and make-up to brighten anyone’s day.
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Guests supply their own dress, but Nil will bring all hair accessories, tiara, pixie dust and make-up. Her prices start from $110.
So be it budget PIY or a magical professional make-over, you prince or
princess shall go to the ball.
