by Pixie Dusted Diva
Walt Disney World is where dreams come true, and my little princess has been waiting for her turn to visit Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for several years as she has watched her big sister visit the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Cinderella Castle several times over the years.
At Walt Disney World you have two Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (BBB) locations where girls are magically transformed into princesses by their very own fairy godmother in training. There is even a package available for boys to become a prince (or knight!) The first location is located in Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom and the second location is at Disney Springs.
This was a last minute trip, so when I called to book our reservation the Magic Kingdom location was not available. I was hesitant to book the Disney Springs location, but knowing it was recently renovated and moved from the World of Disney store to its own location I thought we would give it a try. Our reservation was for our arrival day on my daughter’s actual birthday. I had kept the reservation a secret from my daughter to make the princess transformation a more magical experience! We do the Crown Package, and bring our own dress. My daughter received a dress for her birthday, so we brought that along with us. You also get to keep the make-up and nail polish in the “cinch sack” which is a small pink drawstring bag the girls love!
Princesses (or us parents) can choose from three packages (subject to availability and options may change since this article was published):
The Crown Package (starting at $64.95 plus tax)
- Hairstyling
- Shimmering make-up, face gem
- Princess sash and cinch sack
- Nail polish
The Courtyard Package (starting at $109.95 plus tax)
- Hairstyling
- Shimmering make-up, face gem
- Princess sash and cinch sack
- Nail polish
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique T-shirt
- Trendy tutu
The Castle Package (starting at $199.95 plus tax)
- Hairstyling
- Shimmering make-up and face gem
- Princess necklace, sash and cinch sack
- Nail polish
- Disney Princess gown of your choice (shoes not included)
- Wand
- Crown
The Knight Package ($19.95 plus tax)
- Hairstyling with gel
- Mighty sword and shield
- Confetti
The Deluxe Knight Package ($79.95 plus tax)
- Prince Costume
- Hairstyling with gel
- Mighty sword and shield
- Confetti
Diva Tip: Feel free to purchase a princess dress before your trip and bring it to your appointment. We sometimes purchase a dress at the Disney store during a sale or a Disney Parks dress using one of our discounts (Annual Pass, Disney Vacation Club or Disney Visa), as Bibbidi Bobbidi does not accept any discounts on services or merchandise.
The castle package used to come with an imaging package that included one 6×8” print and four 4×6” photos, but now you have the option to add this on to any package for $32.95, however if you have purchased Memory Maker this is not necessary unless you want the prints. All Disney Photopass photos taken during the experience at the boutique and after will be added to your Magic Band and your Memory Maker purchase.
The courtyard package includes a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique T-shirt, tutu and everything included in the crown package.You can purchase the T-shirt separately as we chose to do that. My 9 year old daughter did not want to wear a princess dress in the hot July Florida heat so she chose a T-shirt and went with that. You can choose to wear whatever you want, that’s what great! It is your experience that you customize.
Having done the Magic Kingdom location and the experience before, I did notice some changes in the locations and the packages over the years, so while I know the hairstyles have changed from our past experiences some of the experience may vary slightly due to the location being Disney Springs versus the Castle. However, most people I talk to state the experience is usually the same at both locations so I think the changes I noticed were put in place at both locations.
After you have checked in at the podium and picked your hairstyle and package, a fairy godmother will call the Princess back to a dressing room to get dressed. There is a magic mirror, which I had never seen at the castle location. If you would like to spoil the surprise click here to see a preview of the magic mirror. If you purchased a dress with your package it will be waiting in your dressing room. If you brought your own dress with you, you will still be able to get dressed in the dressing room and put on the items your brought with you. We brought a princess Elena and shoes from home that my daughter had received as a birthday gift.
DIVA TIP: Only two adults can accompany the princess into the boutique and no strollers are allowed inside.
After dressing, the princess waits in a new waiting area. Once ready, the fairy godmother calls the princess back to the chair to begin the transformation.
DIVA TIP: If you are having a celebration such as a birthday make sure you note it on your reservation, but also mention it at check in. There is a different pink sash given for birthdays.
The fairy godmothers go above and beyond to make your princess feel special and prepare for the big reveal when the transformation is complete. There used to be more hairstyle options, but now there are only three styles to choose from, Fairytale Princess, Disney Diva and Color Star. The Fairytale Princess, is your typical bun style that BBB may be known for, but that too has also changed. The fairy godmothers are now using “donuts” to make their buns, which the fairy godmothers told me are the new modern styles. Think dance moms meets Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. You can see a video of how they do the bun here.
Photopass photographers are available during the experience to capture the memories so you can sit back and watch the transformation take place. (Another perk of purchasing Memory Maker as you will get all the pictures!) HOWEVER, I was actually very disappointed this time around with the lack of pictures we received. I had two daughters who were having their makeovers done at the same time. There was only one photographers covering the entire boutique and it was filled. We walked away with less then ten pictures from the experience. We’ve done this three other times at the castle and I’ve had over 50 photos of her experience. I hope this isn’t the new norm and this was a fluke.
After your princess makeover is complete you are able to take pictures with a Cinderella coach. There is also a Photopass location in Disney Springs which takes pictures of anyone, not just Bibbidi Bobbidi participants that you can visit for more pictures, which we did visit for more pictures.
Diva Tip: You do not have to purchase the castle package with the imaging package in order to have the photo shoot. You don’t even have to have a BBB appointment to have a photo shoot at the Disney Springs location. You could just be visiting Disney Springs for the day and decide to do a family photo shoot! This is the same for the Castle Couture location in the Magic Kingdom. On our last trip, I had my younger daughter join in afterwards for some pictures with my older daughter who had completed her BBB appointment. These pictures will be scanned on your magic band or photopass card so you do not have to purchase any of them at that time.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a fun, unique, experience we save for special occasions in our family as we are frequent visitors to Walt Disney World. Appointments are required and can be made 180 days in advance by calling 1-407-WDW-STYLE. Need help booking your BBB appointment or your Disney vacation? Contact Patricia and All 4 Dreams Travel today and she will help you plan the most magical vacation!