A visit to Walt Disney World is bound to be magical! No matter what age you are when you visit for the first time, the excitement you feel as you walk through the gates is something YOU (or your family) will remember forever. Both of my kids were around 2 1/2 on their first visits. While they might not remember everything, they see pictures & videos that I took…and relive those firsts all over again with huge smiles on their faces. And, my family & I definitely remember the joy we felt (and happy tears that were shed) as we watched them experience everything for the first time!
There is so much to take in & experience at each of the four Disney theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom! The Disney Imagineers have done an amazing job at making each park unique & immersive. For many families, you could spend days at each park & still not experience everything you want to.
Beyond the main attractions, shows, restaurants, evening entertainment, parades, etc…there is the ENCHANTING EXTRAS COLLECTION! This collection is for the people that want to add even MORE magic to their Disney vacations. Or, for people like myself, who have been there several times, and like to make each trip unique by adding some new things.
The Enchanting Extras Collection consists of activities such as tours, makeovers, special parties, etc. Over the next several months, I’m going to be adding posts about the ones that I have personally experienced…starting with “Make Believe & More!”
When you walk around Disney World, you will see many “little princesses” that are just about the sweetest thing ever. Pop on a princess dress & your little girl is transformed into her favorite princess. And, if you want a little help from a “fairy Godmother in training,” you can visit the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for your little princesses ages 3-12. They now have three locations. One is located inside Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom. One is located at Disney Springs. And, the newest location is inside of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. There are several packages to choose from. My recommendation is to bring your own princess dress from home & choose the Crown Package. This includes a hair style, makeup, nail polish, sash & bag full of goodies. At the time we went, the price was $64.95 plus tax & tip.
On our most recent Walt Disney World trip (November 2018), Evangelyn had her first makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. She was too young on her first visit, and was so looking forward to this experience. We were able to snag a great time slot on the first day at Magic Kingdom. Since we had the first time slot of the day, we were able to walk behind the castle before the majority of guests & even hopped on the carousel before heading in to the castle.
I checked in, and we were seated in the waiting room. In a few minutes, they called “Princess Evangelyn” to the dressing room to change into her dress. When her “fairy Godmother” called her name, she was led to a royal chair for her makeover. Vangie chose pink & purple braids for her hairstyle. She was super excited about her makeup & gold glitterly nail polish. A little bit of pixie dust later…our Vangie was now a Princess! While a little shy during this experience, she was all about showing off her nails to the princesses afterwards!
If you have a little boy, you can get the Knight package at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. This includes a hair style, pixie dust, a sword & shield. It’s a great price for what is included! However, if your little boy prefers a different makeover experience, they can head over to the Pirates League in Adventureland. With the makeover of their choice, they also receive a sword, sash, bandana, earring, pouch with pirate booty, and a medallion necklace. There are also pirate princess & mermaid makeovers for girls at this location.
Ory had never wanted to do this before, but on our trip in November 2018, he said he would give it a try! So, after Vangie became a princess…we made our way to Adventureland for Ory to become a pirate. This was a very dramatic experience. First he was given a new pirate name & then chose the makeover style he wanted (which was Blackbeard). After the makeover, he took the pirate oath, was given a sword, and was brought to a very secret room. Inside he was given a gold medallion & some pirate booty in a pouch. He had the First Mate package, which was $44.95 plus tax & tip at the time we went.
My thoughts:
- I definitely thought these were fun experiences to have done once.
- I thought the packages we chose were a decent value, considering what they each got to take home after the makeover.
- The pirate makeup was VERY hard to remove. They give you one makeup remover in your bag to take home, but I went back and asked for more.
- Every child is different, but I think the YOUNGER the child is, the more they will enjoy this experience. I could tell that Ory was a bit embarrassed with all the attention he was getting after his makeover. Might be his personality, but could be the age too!
- You don’t NEED to do either of these to have a magical Disney vacation! Just a little something extra if you have the time & if your kids desire it!
Lisa loves ALL things Disney 