Special
thanks to my friend Jon Hill for the guest post below! He and his wife have traveled to Walt Disney
World and Disney Cruise Line both by themselves and with their two beautiful
children. His wife, Christine, is
traveling with me in just a few weeks for the Princess Half Marathon weekend
and their family is planning another magical trip for this coming summer!
From our earliest trips together to Disney nearly 15
years ago, my wife and I always enjoyed stopping to watch the reactions of the
young girls undergoing the magical transformations that take place at the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (BBB) with the help of Fairy God-Mothers-in-Training.
I’m certain that the very first time we witnessed it, we agreed that if we ever
had a girl, she would experience this enchanted, fairy-tale makeover. While
planning our Disney trip for the summer of 2016, we decided that our daughter
Lily, was old enough that she could appreciate and understand the experience.
Additionally, on the first night of our trip we were to have dinner with
Cinderella and her friends at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian resort. Since
we were not going to a park on our first day, we made reservations to go to the
BBB at Disney Springs. While searching the web for information and tips on BBB,
we were pleasantly surprised to find that they also have Knight makeover
offerings for the boys. These are very inexpensive, so we signed our 4 year-old
son Luke up for a Knight makeover to match his sister and be properly prepared
for the Royal Ball as well.
Upon arrival, we were surprised to find out that the
BBB had recently undergone renovation and that it now had its own dedicated
building instead of sharing space with the World of Disney. The bluish building,
with large windows blends into the surrounding spaces, with the exception of
the large BBB sign over the entrance. Once inside, the bright boutique reflects
the royal setting of a fairy-tale salon with dark wood paneling and trim and fairy-tale
murals all around. Having its own space lends to the experience, removing the
noise, bustle, and distraction that the hundreds of shoppers in World of Disney
brought. The waiting area was appointed with displays of available Disney
princess dresses and accessories and the staff was cheerful and delightful as
we have come to expect with the Disney experience. We checked in at the desk
and after a brief wait, our children were whisked through the large wooden
doors to meet their fairy godmother-in-training.
Our first stop was in a large, private changing room.
In an effort to save money, we bought our own costumes at home before the trip
and brought them with us (which Disney graciously allows). While the ones
Disney has available at the boutique are very nice, they come with a steep price
tag. We scored a Cinderella dress and accessories for our daughter at JC Penny
for just over $30. For our son, we had ordered a Prince Charming outfit from
Amazon for under $20. These both doubled as Halloween costumes later in the
fall. By bringing our own outfits, we were able to opt for the lowest priced
“Crown Package” for our daughter ($59.95). The “Castle Package”, which includes
a dress, is a paltry $199.95. The “Knight Package” for our son was only $19.95.
Once the cast member gave us some brief instructions to the princess-to-be and
prince-to-be, she stepped out of the changing room so we could get them
changed. In a wisp of magic, the large mirror on the wall came to life with
Cinderella’s own animated fairy god mother who interacted with the kids and
gave them some additional instructions. As soon as they were changed, we exited
the changing room and proceeded into the styling boutique
The boutique is set up in the round with a several
styling stations similar to those found at a typical salon. The large room is
beautifully appointed with gold accents, chandeliers, royal draperies, and
murals reminiscent of your favorite Disney princess stories. Each of the
styling stations is staffed by a fairy god mother-in-training who is
responsible for your child’s royal transformation. In the middle of the room is
a large, oval, cushioned bench so that parents may sit and watch the enchanted
work of the fairy god mothers-in-training.
After a brief introduction, the two fairy god mothers-in-training (Kayla
and Mary) assigned to our children went to work. Both quickly developed a great rapport with
the kids and demonstrated a love for their work. But then again, who wouldn’t
love to delight children all day long by magically transforming them into
royalty? As part of Lily’s package she received hair, makeup, and nail
treatments, as well as a sash. She even received a pink BBB nylon bag with
extra styling products to take home with her. Lily’s hair (Fairytale Princess Style)
was done so well, that we were able to leave it in overnight and it lasted
through the whole next day as we enjoyed rides and had fun at the Magic
Kingdom. Having it up and off of her neck was also an added advantage as it
helped her stay cool in the late June heat.
Luke received a hair treatment and was presented with a mighty sword and
shield in a knighting ceremony complete with official certificate. All
throughout the makeovers, Disney Photopass photographers assigned to the BBB
were snapping a ton of photographs of the kids. These pictures can be purchased
after the experience, but if you already have the Memory Maker package, it is
awesome. All together we received another 40-50 photos just from this
experience alone. As part of the transformation, the children are not permitted
to see themselves in the mirror until the makeover is complete. The
photographer captured an awesome picture of Lily’s reaction as her chair spun
around and she saw herself in the mirror for the first time as a beautiful
princess. 
We bid adieux to the BBB and its friendly staff, but
not before being directed to go to the nearby Disney Photopass Station to view
our photos. Once there, we were again surprised to receive yet another photo
session with both of the kids with a Photopass Photographer. As I said before,
if you are going on a multi-day Disney trip and considering BBB, purchasing the
Photopass package ahead of time will pay for itself. We got another 20 posed
photos here. We had only been at Disney for 6 hours, hadn’t even gone to a
park, and already had about 60 Photopass photos in our gallery.
After departing Disney Springs we made our way to the
Grand Floridian for an early dinner reservation at Cinderella’s Happily Ever
After Dinner. We then walked around the resort and took advantage of the
Victorian décor and beautiful landscapes to grab some more pictures of the
kids. Overall, the BBB was a great experience. The staff was friendly and the
individual attention and service the kids received was what we have come to
expect from the Disney experience. We did not feel rushed or pushed through the
process. As far as the cost, yes it is a little pricey- a hair styling, some
makeup, glitter, nail polish, and a sash for $60. But compare that to what you
might spend at a local salon for the same treatment, and it doesn’t seem so out
of line… And can you really put a price on the moment when your little girl
first sees herself as a real Disney princess? Or the moment when she, in her
finest, meets a real, live Disney Princess? The “Knight Package” would
definitely fall into the bargain category as the hard foam sword and shield
alone (which are pretty nice and durable) are around $15 in the World of Disney
Store.
Was the magic worth the money? Absolutely! Would we do it again? Probably not. While it was a great experience and, in our minds well worth the money, I think it is something you will do once for your kids and (provided they are old enough) they will remember the experience for a lifetime. There are numerous sites out there with tips and FAQ’s about BBB so I’m not going to list too many, but here are the most important:
Was the magic worth the money? Absolutely! Would we do it again? Probably not. While it was a great experience and, in our minds well worth the money, I think it is something you will do once for your kids and (provided they are old enough) they will remember the experience for a lifetime. There are numerous sites out there with tips and FAQ’s about BBB so I’m not going to list too many, but here are the most important:
1.) Make reservations
early- this is a popular experience, so the earlier the better. The reservation
number can be found on the BBB website under “Know Before You Go”
2.) Consider the weather
and you activities for that day- If it is the middle of July/August and the
humidity will be 90%+, is your child going to enjoy their visit to one of the
parks in a full princess dress, with hair and makeup? If it is the summer, opt
for an afternoon appointment so you can relax and enjoy the A/C in the BBB
during the heat of the day, and make early dinner reservations for character
dining at one of the Disney Dining options where you can meet the Princesses.
Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner is at the Grand Floridian, so you don’t
even have to go to one of the parks if you have a free day.
3.) Leave ample time- I
would say to budget 3-4 hours for the whole experience door-to-door. From
catching the bus or driving to Disney Springs, visiting BBB, getting pictures,
and then making your way to a park, a restaurant, or your hotel.
4.) Save some money- If
you want to do the princess dress, bring your own. While the ones offered at
BBB are nice, I’m not sure they are worth the extra $140 you will pay.
5.) Check out the BBB
website’s “Know Before You Go” information for additional details and more.