The best known and most popular makeover for children at Walt Disney World is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  This is where parents take their little princesses for a big girl treat.  Depending on the package chosen, the indulgence includes nail polish, light make up, a fancy hair style, a princess bag with the nail polish and makeup, a princess sash and a new dress, complete with as many accessories as the parent’s budget will support.  My daughter absolutely loved her makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

Appointments at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique can be hard to get.  Guests can book appointments starting 180 day before the day of the appointment.  Guests staying on property at Walt Disney World get a slight additional window, as they can book 180 days prior to their first night on property for the entire length of their stay.  It is extremely unlikely that you will be able to stroll up and get your child in on a whim.  This is one of those things at Disney that requires planning.

Usually, the most sought after appointments are those first thing in the morning. This allows time for both the complimentary photo session following the makeover.  It also gives parents the option to book a FastPass to meet a Disney princess or to join several of the Disney princesses for a late breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table, the restaurant in the Castle.  As a nice bonus, appointments start at 8am.  On the mornings when the Magic Kingdom does not open until 9am, this gives families with an appointment a chance to enter the park early and get some nice photos of a mostly empty park.Of course, this may be when your child decides she is a monkey, giving a totally different type of photo.

Once inside the Castle, guests are asked to choose which package they would like.  Here is the most current listing of available packages, as listed on the Disney website:

Princess-Perfect Packages

Pamper your princess at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Whether your little one fancies a dash of glamour or wants to be ready for the ball, our Fairy Godmothers-in-training will cast the perfect spell.

As my daughter already has more princess dresses than Duchess Kate, we stuck with the basic package.  This is fairly important.  Check out the Wall of Temptation that kids see while waiting to be called for their appointment.  

Each of these lovely dresses and various accessories are for sale in the Boutique.  None are what I would consider inexpensive. However, it is perfectly acceptable to bring your own dress in for the makeover.  Or your own dresses.  Samantha wore her Cinderella day dress into the park. I also brought her Cinderella ball gown to wear after the makeover.  As I explain in Dresses Fit For Princesses, I strongly prefer the MomApprovedCostumes.  They are they more comfortable and durable than the Disney dresses.  They are also quite a bit less expensive than buying dresses at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

I did not think about the timing of the dress switch.  I wish I had mentioned my plans for Samantha to change dresses.  We could have gotten a fun before photo of her in the chair and then a great after photo of her in the same chair featuring the new dress.  If you want to include a dress change in your daughter’s experience, make sure to ask if she can change in the dressing rooms at the back of the Boutique before the Fairy Godmother in Training starts the makeover.

Ah yes, the Fairy Godmother in Training. These are the ladies who do the makeovers.  It is a treat to watch this work, as these Cast Members obviously love what they do.  Ms. Maria did a wonderful job working with my daughter.  During the makeover, Disney PhotoPass photographers walk around snapping photos of the transformation.  If your trip includes a trip to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, I strongly suggest getting MemoryMaker.  This will give you digital copies with the right to reproduce of all the PhotoPass photos taken during your trip.

After the nails are painted, the hair pulled back and crowned with tiara and Minnie clip, the face painted and the fairy dust (glitter) added, the child is presented her keepsake princess bag, sash and assorted swag.

After several hugs and taking care of the bill, it is time to move on to the next item on the day’s Disney agenda.  For us, that meant going right next door to Castle Couture to do the photo session for the princesses.  This is a great little studio, complete with those special Disney touches like the book Cinderella’s mouse and bird friends used to make her dress.

Samantha got into the spirit of the photo shoot, hamming it up nicely for the camera.

After the photo shoot, she was done.  She wanted to go ride the rides and run around and play.  It’s a good thing we didn’t book the Princess breakfast or a FastPassPlus with the Princesses.  The total experience took about two hours, including wait times.  That’s about all the time my five year old can be still.  It was definitely time to go play.

I am very glad we did the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. It is a thrilling experience for Disney moms and daughters.  However, I am not in any hurry to do it again.  For ~$60, it is a big treat that we may do every few years.

I should add that there is a second Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in the Disney Springs World of Disney store.  We have stopped to look there several times.  I have not taken Samantha there for the makeover.  However, if you are not planning on going in the parks on all the days of your trip, this might be a nice alternative location.  Paired with dinner at 1900 Park Fare, you could get the makeover, photos and time with Disney royalty without the crowds and the chaos of the Magic Kingdom.

And for one final photo – here is part of the whimsy of Disney that I love.  If you look closely, you will find these two rascals in the photo studio keeping a careful eye out.

Thanks for following along on this visit to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!

What do you think of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique?  Please share your thoughts, comments and questions below!