A WDW Countdown for your computer - and your phone

Disney has a few free things to help you get excited about your upcoming trip - after all, it's in their best interests to have you excited. You can order the free planning DVD and watch it, but beware that  it is a sales pitch not a truly entertaining movie.

I have special blackboard that I made for less than $5. It's devoted to our Disney vacation countdown.  My youngest daughter loves it!

I like to have lots of reminders of my upcoming trip. A few years ago there was a countdown widget/gadget that you could download from the WDW site for your desktop. Sadly, it's been discontinued. Now (if you have Windows 8) you can get a variety of apps - one might do the same thing.

Since I still have Windows 7, the closest I could come was the "My Disney Experience" website. It has a countdown on the main screen if you just enter a single plan. You can pick a park you'd like to visit on your first day to start the counter. You don't need to have hotel or dining reservations.

You do have to log on to the website to see your counter. I would prefer one that sits on my desktop so I can glance at it when I'm working on other things - like this blog!

See the counter in the lower left corner?

You can download a free WDW Trip Counter from CNET. Files have been scanned for spyware and viruses so they should be safe (no promises, I'm not a techie!) It will sit in a corner on your desktop counting down the days, hours, minutes until your next planned trip - as long as you leave it open.

If you really want to get psyched up about your trip you start to surround yourself with all things Disney. You can download free Disney Wallpaper for your computer or phone. If you go to Disney Downloads you should be able to download a screen saver, but I can't get it to work :(

You can always make a screen saver of your own photos using your operating software. I use Windows 7 so I just looked up how to do it from the Windows website.

There are several free or inexpensive phone apps with vacation countdowns. I bought a 99 cent app for my IPhone called "days to go". It only comes with 4 Disney photos - not much to get excited about. However, if you have your own Disney photos you can add them to create a custom countdown. 

I'm not endorsing this; it got mixed reviews, but so far I really like it. You need to take a few minutes to customize it make the most of it. If you don't it looks a little lame. You add your own "Days to go..." title. I probably should have capitalized World.  It took me a minute to figure out how to add my photos so here are the instructions if you buy the app.

1. Open the Days to Go app
2. Tap the i in the lower right corner
3. Tap Manage Pictures
4. Tap Use My Pictures
5. Tap the + in the lower right corner and it will access your Camera Roll
6. Open Camera Roll and Tap on a Picture you wanted added
7. Move and scale until you like the look, then tap on Choose
8. Tap on the + sign to add another, and another, and another...
9. When you have added all of your pictures tap on Save in the upper right

You're done!

A new picture appears each time your countdown starts up. You can swipe through your pictures. You can also turn on daily reminders and the icon badge will show the number of days to go.   The icon updates without an internet connection using local notification service. The badge is updated at midnight without launching the app for up to 5 weeks.

Read more: Days to go WDW - Countdown to your next Walt Disney World Vacation - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/Days-to-go-WDW-Countdown-to-your-next-Walt-Disney-World-Vacation/3000-20428_4-75405106.html#ixzz2NlAknxXB.

Don't forget other free ways to build up the excitement- like ordering customized maps!



 

First Time at Walt Disney World with a Six Year Old

Okay, this isn't my first time at Walt Disney World. Nor is it my six year old daughter's first trip to Disney.  It is, however, Danielle's best friends' first trip. The friend and her mom will be spending three days with us on our next visit. It's so exciting to think about taking a child who has never been to Disney with us. While a trip to Disney World is almost always magical, nothing is more magical than the first trip. 

I hope I can help them avoid some of the pitfalls that first timers invariably encounter. For instance, on our first trip I remember standing in the middle of Fantasyland - hot, tired and angry. We'd been in the park, wandering aimlessly for hours and all we'd done was somehow spend more than $20 on ice cream.

I vowed then & there - never again! So I've become a compulsive Disney-o-phile. I know a ridiculous amount about Disney after 4 trips and hundreds of hours reading and researching.

Main Street Electrical Parade at Magic Kingdom

My friend has never wanted to take her daughter to Disney because she has a memory of being lost at Disneyland. Apparently after the closing parade she grabbed a strange man's hand and strolled out of the park with him, thinking it was her father! Happily, the man realized that he didn't have his own daughter's hand and immediately returned her to the Park and her terrified parents.

I don't want her to re-live that scare with her own child. Instead, I want to give her a magical memory to erase that one.

Safety

So, first things first, we're going to make a  safety plan. I always wear a lanyard with my tickets, fast passes, credit card, etc. tucked inside.   This time I've purchased one for each girl - and included an ID to carry at all times.  Each has the girls' name, our names and both of our cell phone numbers in case either gets lost.  I think they will wear them since I wear one everyday. Maybe we'll even give them a dollar or two to keep in it to increase its importance.

If you don't want to purchase a lanyard and pouch, another strategy is to make sure child each has your name and cell number on her somewhere, like written inside her shirt or on a luggage tag. I've seen kids with safety tattoos. I have some from previous trips, but I think the girls are a little old for that. I've even seen people write their cell number on their kids' arms with a Sharpie. (No kidding.)

As an extra precaution, I'm going to take a picture of the girls each morning. If we get separated we can show Disney cast members what they look like and what they are wearing. I'll make it a "good morning," great way to start the day tradition. Hopefully, that will alleviate some of my friend's fears about becoming separated from her daughter.

Strategy

We have never been smart enough to go during the off season. We always seem to end up at Disney World around Spring Break or in early June. Needless to say these are peak times and the parks are crowded. From experience I've learned to estimate an hour or more per event.

That means to walk between rides, wait in lines and ride you need to plan an hour for reach ride. Add an hour for any meal. Add an hour and a half for a parade or a table service meal. So, if you want to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table and watch the 3PM parade in magic Kingdom you will need to subtract 3 hours from your day for these things. If you like to shop you'll need to add an hour for that as well. If you plan to spend 10 hours in the park you'll have time for 5-6 rides during peak season. Clearly, unless you want to stand in the middle of Fantasyland like I did, you need a PLAN.

Most people recommend a character meal, but its not in our budget. In fact, we're not making any advance dining reservations. Instead we're going to do our best to see characters around the parks. It's easier since my daughter is afraid of characters and has spent parts of previous character meals under the table. We're going for the rides and shows so this works well for our group.

Every item on out list will take about an hour. That means we are planning 12 hour days! Our plans were made based on the following profile:

• Love Princesses and Fairies
• Love Science and Nature
• Scared of the Dark
• Dislike Spinning Rides and Big Drops
• Need Free Play Time
• Don't like to Shop

We are not buying the Park Hopper or Water Park add ons - just the basic Magic Your Way tickets.

Time to Make Magic!

Now - how to make a little magic for our friends? I plan to leave the girls Tinkerbell gifts every day. I always pre-buy some souvenirs for my kids. I'll leave each girl a little wrapped gift sprinkled with Pixie Dust at some point during the day. I've gotten Disney coloring books, stickers,  Disney snacks,  Disney socks, jewelry, etc. For my older daughter (who is autistic) I've gotten a new Disney movie, an autograph book and a few other things.  Another idea for older kids would be Disney Dollars &/or a Disney Gift Card.

Day One: EPCOT

 

Both little girls love science so we're going to start with a day at EPCOT.  EPCOT is the perfect place to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy at the Character Stop. In Future World you can also meet Chip & Dale, Donald & Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Duffy the Bear. Other characters you can meet at EPCOT World Showcase include:

• Mulan - China,
• Jasmine, Aladdin, Jafar - Morocco,
• Snow White & Rapunzel- Germany
• Belle & Aurora - France
• Mary Poppins, Alice (in Wonderland), Winnie the Pooh & Friends - Great Britain
• Donald Duck - Mexico

Neither girl likes the dark and both are still nervous about fast rides and roller coasters (nice for the parents!) Our plan is:

1. Character Stop to meet Mickey - Danielle will go to Innoventions
2. Living With the Land boat ride
3. Nemo & Friends ride
4. Seabase Aquarium
5. Lunch at Sunshine Seasons
6. Circle of Life Movie
7. Journey Into Imagination ride
8. Free play in the Fountains
9. Mexico - Gran Fiesta Cruise ride
10. Wander around the countries watch performers, visit Kidcot Stops for stamps
11. Dinner at a counter service restaurant or kiosk
12. Watch Illuminations

 

Germany pavilion

Italy pavilion

 

Day Two: Magic Kingdom

We'll give the girls a magical makeover on the day we go to the Magic Kingdom. I've picked up a few little things to give them the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique experience - at home.

It's A Small World

When we arrive at the Magic Kingdom I'm going to give each girl some Pixie Dust --left by Tinkerbell, of course! I'll just use construction paper dots and a little glitter. I'm going to have them stand at the end of Main Street, face the castle & blow the Pixie Dust towards the castle while making a wish for a magical day.

My friend and her daughter may go to the parade (assuming it doesn't stir up any old memories) but I know that we won't. Parades are a great time to see a lot of characters - even if it is from a distance and through a crowd. If our friends go to a parade we can squeeze in 2 more rides.

Our Extremely Ambitious Plan:

Aladdin Ride

1. Get fast passes to meet the Princesses at Town Square Theater
2. Little Mermaid ride OR Enchanted Tales with Belle interactive show
3. Dumbo ride
4. Casey Jr. Splash Station free play
5. Lunch or Snack: kiosk
6. Prince Charming's Carousel (usually short wait)  
7. Winnie the Pooh ride OR Peter Pan's Flight ride
8. Mickey's Philharmagic show OR Its A Small World ride
9. Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin ride (optional)
10. Dinner: counter service
11. Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride
12. Tinkerbell Nook to meet Fairies
13. Wishes Fireworks

Dumbo - there are now 2 of these

Day Three: Animal Kingdom

NOTE: this park has shorter hours - no nights! No fireworks.

Animal Kingdom - is there even an animal in this shot?

I'm not thrilled about a day here to be honest. We typically avoid Animal Kingdom. We're going to try it again this time because both little girls love animals.  We can get the girls a Safari Journal similar to the EPCOT Passport and let them collect stamps at various activity spots. However, there are no rides that meet our profile (not dark, fast or spinning).

It's also very hot. Lots of people go to the shows to get out of the heat - so that's what we'll do with my older daughter while the young ones play outside. The Boneyard is difficult to maneuver with a wheelchair so one of us gets to hang out in air conditioned comfort with Amanda. I wish Animal Kingdom had a water play area. We've never stayed more than 2-3 hours because of the heat.

There are also no princesses here - unless you count Pocohantas. We may go for a second visit with Mickey & Friends because Amanda & our little friend both love characters. During a performance of Festival of the Lion King lines are shorter and they can spend more time with characters. Who knows what the other of us will do with Danielle during this time - go to the show?

This plan may fail...in which case we'll return to the rental house and spend the afternoon swimming.

Ambitious Plan:

1. Fastpass for Kilimanjaro Safari ride
2. Wildlife Express Train ride to
3. Affection Section petting zoo
4. Explore animal viewing trails (Africa)
5. Lunch: Flametree Barbeque or other counter service
6. Explore animal viewing trails ( Asia)
7. Free Play in Boneyard
8. Meet Characters at Camp Minnie Mickey OR go to Lion King or Finding Nemo show
9. Evening: Counter Service at Polynesian or Contemporary Resort - watch Electric water parade and Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach

Electric Water Parade from Polynesian Beach

 

My Favorite Inexpensive Treat in the Magic Kingdom

Amazingly, after 4 visits I have never eaten a meal in the Magic Kingdom. I'm not exactly sure how or why that happened.

Maybe we're too busy running around and riding on rides. I don't know. I do know that this is where we SNACK!  Mostly on ice cream.

We've had the famous & very popular Dole Whips at Aloha Island. It's basically tropical soft serve. We like the fresh fruit flavors. They cost $3.79. A few years ago we were lucky enough to meet Rafiki next door while we snacked.  (I think he's now mainly at Animal Kingdom.)

 

We also like the ice cream sundaes and the milk shakes at Storybook Treats. A sundae costs about $4.59 and a shake costs $4.29. You can find a spot in the shade nearby to sip and enjoy. Soft serve ice cream cones are the same price as the Dole Whip - $3.79.

However, our hands down favorite inexpensive treat is the $2.99 Kids Cone from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street. This is a great bargain if you are paying out of pocket for your food.

look at that happy grin!

It is a surprisingly large cone with cherries for eyes and cookies for Mickey Mouse ears, served in a sprinkle covered waffle cone. It's a single scoop, but its a single BIG scoop.

Lunch at Starring Rolls Cafe in Disney Hollywood Studios

We almost always end up eating at Starring Rolls when we are at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Why? Well, it's convenient. It's rarely crowded. Although its on a lower level it is wheelchair accessible. And, the food is good.



The turkey sandwich! Note the empty tables in the background





You order from a counter and take your tray outside to eat. Its pretty small and might be hard to manuever a wheelchair inside the cafe. The metal tables and heavy chairs are outside, with umbrellas for shade.

It's a tasty meal for under $15 per person. The large turkey sandwich is served on fresh focaccia bread with a bag of chips or a side of fruit for about $10.  Add a large fountain drink for $3 - or wine for $7.  If you have room for dessert the pastries are sublime. The chocolate peanut butter cupcake is really excellent.

Kids meals are $5.49 and contain the basic Smuckers Uncrustables with a prepackaged cookie - a bit of a disappointment in a wonderful bakery. My kids prefer getting a piece of fresh fruit or splitting a sandwich and ordering a fancy pastry all for themselves.  

Inexpensive Lunch & DInner Ideas for EPCOT World Showcase

Some people argue that you should eat your largest Disney meal at lunch. You get large portions of similar items for much less than the dinner prices. However, table service restaurants still average about $17-20 an entree if you are paying out of pocket. While most kids meals include a drink, adult meals require that you order a beverage at an additional cost.  Not to mention the time spent at a sit down meal.

I try to pay $40 or less for my family of 4 to eat lunch. We only have one child under the age of 9 and most table service restaurants won't sell my teen aged daughter a kids meal.  Eating lunch  in an air conditioned restaurant is a nice escape from the heat, but it can easily cost us $80-100.

If you aren't on a Dining Plan the classic Disney World advice is always to eat at a counter service or quick service location to save both time and money.  EPCOT is no different. However some counter service locations are more expensive than others.

For instance I love Mexican food, but I think the prices at La Cantina de San Angel are high at $11 or $12 for tacos and $8 for a kids meal. It would cost us about $55 to eat lunch there.

Fish & chips are $8.99 at the Yorkshire in England. There is no kids meal. With drinks, lunch would cost us about $50.

If you want typical American fare try the Liberty Inn in the America Pavilion. They sell burgers, salads and hot dogs for $8-10 a meal. Kids can get macaroni and cheese or a cheeseburger for about $5.49.

You can get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich kid's meal for $5.49 at Kringla Bakeri og Cafe in the Norway Pavilion. Adults can get a roast beef or club sandwich for about $8.

If your family is more adventurous, but still on a budget try our favorite choices. Boulangerie Patisserie in the France Pavilion sells a ham and cheese croissant for $4.75, ham and cheese quiche for $5.20 or pissaladiere (flatbread with tomatoes, olives and gruyere cheese) for $4.50.

We also like Chinese food.  Lotus Blossom Cafe (China) has two egg rolls for $4 or pot stickers for $5. Compare to Nine Dragons where egg rolls are $8 and pot stickers are $7. Saving $2-4 per person adds up to $8-16 per meal, per day. Over five days you could save $120 -240 just on appetizers! 

If your kids aren't adventurous eaters why not walk through the International Gate between France and the United Kingdom? You can walk back into the Park when you're done.

A family sized pizza at Via Nappoli costs $28-$41. Instead walk out the International Gateway to the BoardWalk Pizza window, where a slice of cheese pizza is $3.99 and a slice of pepperoni or veggie pizza is $4.49. It's about 15 minutes from the Gateway.

Or pick up something a little closer by stopping at the Beach Club Marketplace. It's a "grab and go" location so take your food out to the beach to eat. Kid's lunch & dinner choices are a turkey sandwich ($5.49) or a margherita pizza ($5.99) with drinks and a side. Adults can get a sandwich or a flatbread with sides for under $10.

.

If you are in Future World during lunch or dinner your best bet will be Sunshine Seasons.  It is in the lower level and often very crowded and loud. You can typically find a table if you send one person to wait while another stands in line to order. Another problem is that separate stations  serve different menu items. So if you want food from more than one station, you’ll need to wait in multiple lines.  The food is fresh and fairly well priced with kids meals starting at $5.49 and adult entree around $8. Kids craving standard food can get macaroni and cheese here, pizza or an Uncrustable meal. The sandwiches cost $8-10 and are almost as large as those at Starring Rolls in Hollywood Studios.

 

Chalkboard Disney Count Down DIY Tutorial

Last time we went to Disney I drew a countdown in chalk on our sidewalk. It was a fun project, but this time I wanted something more permanent. I saw a really nice Disney chalkboard countdown sign on Etsy. I wanted to buy it but it was $18 plus $3.50 for shipping. I thought I could make something similar for a lot less.

I made mine for under $5. Not including drying time, it took me less than 10 minutes to put together.

My Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Chalkboards

This project was very inexpensive because I already owned the chalkboard paint and the glue.  I spent a total of $3.32 for the wooden circles and the ribbon.

The Mickey version cost just over $2.00 - 97 cents for the large circle at Wal Mart and 59 cents for each smaller circle from Michael's.

Step One

Paint a large wooden circle (97 cents from Wal Mart) with chalkboard paint. I used 3 coats.

 

Chalkboard paint comes in a lot of colors. It is about $7 a bottle at Jo Ann's or Michael's. Use a 40% off coupon to cut that to $4.20. You can get coupons online or on yur phone.

 

You can get black chalkboard spray paint at WalMart for about $5.

Step Two

Glue on "ears" using smaller circles. These were pre-painted Smile faces from Hobby Lobby (67 cents each). I just flipped them over for the plain black side. There are lots of similar circles (balls, etc.) that you could use.

I glued them on with Liquid Nails. You could use hot glue or wood glue if that's what you have. I used another little pre-painted form that I already had to hold the large circle level while the glue dried.

Step Three

I didn't want to wait for more glue to dry so I stapled a ribbon loop to the back and covered the staple with a little bow. Glue the ribbon loop to the back if you are more patient than I am. I think this would be better if you are making an all black Mickey Mouse. Then you wouldn't need the bow. The ribbon cost 99 cents and I have most of the spool left for another project.

Voila!

My finished product! Actual time working was less than 10 minutes. I'm pretty pleased with the result. You could add vinyl letters with "days til Disney" along the bottom and then just write a new number in chalk every day. I used a paint pen on the Mickey Mouse version.

 

 

 

Maybe not as cute or professional as the ones I saw on Etsy,

but I have $18 left over that I can spend on my trip!

 

You can also get countdown widgets and apps if you want something more hi tech. Start at 2disneydivas for a choice of desktop counters.

This last picture shows the scale - the chalkboard countdown is under two standard light switches.

Princess Experiences without a Princely Price Tag

Most Disney blogs and websites highly recommend that you take your princess obsessed little girl to a Character Meal if they want to meet any of the Disney princesses. For my first three trips I bought into that and paid big bucks for the Princess Breakfast at Akershus. We did meet lots of Princesses. The food was fine, but not filling nor was it exactly gourmet.

It was nice, but it wasn't really worth the more than $200 it cost my family of four last year.

If your little darling wants to be a princess most bloggers highly recommend the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique with packages ranging from $55- $200. I do not. I recommend you spend less money and more quality time giving your daughter a princess make over yourself.

I can think of 11 Disney Princesses - Ariel (Little Mermaid), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Belle (Beauty & the Beast), Cinderella, Jasmine (Aladdin), Merida (Brave), Mulan, Pocahantas, Rapunzel (Tangled), Snow White and Tiana (Princess and the Frog). Hold in mind that you can't find all eleven at any one park.

So, how and where do you meet the Princesses of your adorable dear's dreams?

Disney World really does make it possible to see most of the princesses for free - after all, characters are one of their main draws. You just need to know where & when to look. The Magic Kingdom & EPCOT are prime princess viewing locations.

Disney changes characters and locations to keep up with current trends. Make sure that you pick up a  Times Guide when you enter any Park. Shows, parades and character greeting locations are all listed. Things change daily so get one every time you go.

Most younger children (4 and under) are happy viewing the characters from a distance. That makes your job easy. 

In the Magic Kingdom you can go to the Dream Come True Parade at 3PM any day. The main problem with this parade is that it is incredibly popular and therefore incredibly crowded. Instead of waiting on the curb for the parade to begin an hour in advance we go on the rides (the lines are shorter.)

Another alternative is to view the Dream Along with Mickey show that happens in front of Cinderella's castle. You can see this from almost anywhere in front of the castle, even if you aren't close.
 

 

Snow White, Cinderella & Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

Princesses are featured in Fantasmic (Hollywood Studios),

but it might frighten younger children.



Mulan, Belle and Snow White

Chances are that older girls are going to want to meet the actual princess. You know, snap a photo, chat, get an autograph, hang out...Belle and Ariel are Amanda's favorite. Danielle likes Aurora. The friend we're bringing with us this year loves Cinderella.

Check the Times Guide for the time and location of different characters. Or search the Disney site by typing "meet Ariel". For one on one meetings you'll need to wait in lines. An often overlooked character meeting spot is the gazebo  just to your right as you enter the Magic Kingdom. In the past we've met Snow White, Pinocchio and other characters there with almost no wait.

Now you can get a Fast Pass to meet the princesses at Town Square Theater.  This is one of the places where you might meet Cinderella...normally you have to book a character meal to see Cinderella up close. She's the most popular princess so you typically have to pay a premium to meet her. Other princesses that appear here are Aurora and Rapunzel. I think this is also the only place to meet Rapunzel.

 

You can meet other princesses in the Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland and around Cinderella's Castle. Look for Ariel, Belle and Merida.  Don't forget Tiana in Liberty Square! Also, while not princesses, you can meet Tinkerbell and the fairies as well.You won't find international princesses like Mulan and Jasmine here - try EPCOT instead.

 

You can normally find the EPCOT princess meeting times on line (follow links for each princess below). Be warned - if you show up at 2:59 for a character greeting that ends at 3:00 PM you won't get to meet the character! This is one area where Disney is completely inflexible. Character actors are closely scheduled to avoid overlap, heat exhaustion, etc. They will not wait even if your child is in line. Trust me, Mulan walked away from my kids.

Our best luck with individual princess meetings has actually been in the EPCOT World Showcase. We've met

Belle (typically near France)

 

 

Jasmine & Aladdin by Morocco Pavilion

 (We also saw Jaffar here, but my kids were scared of him).

Mulan ditched us just outside of the China Pavilion but we did see her up close. You can also meet Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) near France and Snow White in the Germany Pavilion.


There are no Princess greetings at Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom (although Pocahontas may appear at Rafikis Planet Watch or along the Camp Minnie Mickey Trails.)

We've never been on a deliberate search to find princesses because I've always scheduled the breakfast at Akershus. This time we're going without any advance dining reservations - and no character meals. I wonder who we'll find?

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique - on the Cheap

Okay, that title was misleading. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is expensive by most people's measure.The cold, hard fact is that the cheapest you are going to get out of it is $55 plus tip.

For $55 you get the "Coach Package" which includes hairstyling, glittery makeup and a Princess sash. The nearly $200 "Castle Package" includes these things plus a fancy princess costume and 5 photos.  You can bring your own dress and only buy the basic package if you'd like. That's the only true tip for actually doing Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the cheap.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is pink, poufy heaven designed for girls between ages 3 and 12. The "princess transformation" takes between 30-60 minutes, depending on the package you chose. To see what it's like just enter Bibbiddi Bobbidi Boutique on YouTube.


You get to keep the makeup used on your daughter as well as any accessories that you purchase. If you make an advanced reservation you also get a nice, customized "Princess Your Child's Name" welcome brochure as a souvenir. Pretty expensive souvenirs....As you might know I'm a bargain Disney souvenir shopper.

I know that many parents avoid the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on principal. They don't want their little girls that heavily made up. I really don't either. If you feel like me, we aren't alone.

Now if your little girls is a die hard Princess fanatic or this is a once in a life time experience - stop worrying about the expense and just go for it.

We have two additional problems with the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique:

1)  We may live in the South, but we're not true Southern girls. Neither of us can accept the "beauty means pain" philosophy. My daughter doesn't like to have her hair pulled back tight. The primary service at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is giving little girls up dos. They whisk your daughter's hair back, pull it up and tease it into a big bun. Then they hold a plastic shield over her face and spray, spray, spray. One Mom wrote,"they enjoyed it for the most part...except for the whole hair pulling, tight and glued to your head thing."

If your daughter is accustomed to having her hair styled for dance recitals or cheering then she'll be fine, However, if your daughter doesn't want her hair pulled back hard and heavily coated with hair spray - don't waste your money here.

2) My daughter, despite being 6, still doesn't like costumed characters. She probably wouldn't have a problem with the "Fairy Godmother in Training" that performs her services, but she would lose it when the actual costumed Fairy Godmother came around to visit her.

 

Don't get me wrong! My daughter loves to be pampered as much as the next little girl. She has already had a spa mani/pedi. I would happily pay $200 for an experience she would enjoy. This just isn't it.

 

However, I don't want her to envy all of the other little girls running around in their makeup and sashes.

Here's my solution: I simulate the princess transformation experience.

A) Buy glittery makeup, lip gloss and nail polish in advance. If you want you can buy washable, glitter hair spray for about $2 at Walmart or a beauty supply store.  Also buy a Princess Sash . You can get these through Amazon.com for about $5. If you are near a Hobby Lobby a princess sash is only $3. The sash is my secret weapon...

B) If your daughter loves, loves, loves princesses buy her a Princess dress before you go. You can find these at your local Disney store or online for about $45. Or pick up a pretty princess tiara for $15.  If you are lucky you'll hit a sale. I found 25% off costumes in early March.


You don't have to buy the dress through Disney. Party City has Disney princess costumes for about $20. Wands and crowns run about $4-6 each. They may not be the same style or quality, I'm not sure. Or, bring a costume that you already own. My daughter still enjoys dress up so we have a fairly extensive collection of dresses and crowns to chose from.

Now you have all of the pieces of the princess puzzle. Your daughter hasn't had the experience yet. So-- make a little note for your daughter then

I made this in about a minute using Microsoft Word

C) Do your daughter's nails the night before you go to the Magic Kingdom. When you wake up in the morning, put on a little sparkly makeup and let her wear a special outfit. You can finish it all off with hairspray and the sash - or you can save them for the next step.

glitter makeup, nail polish and glitter hair spray $4

D) Go straight to the Harmony Barber Shop when you enter Magic Kingdom. It is not a poufy, pink wonderland. It is basically Victorian themed with glitter “Pixie dust,” bubbles, and Mickey Mouse stickers. For about $5 the barbers will put colored gel and/or glitter in your child's hair. For $15 you can get an actual hair cut from a licensed cosmetologist. They will do this in about 10-30 minutes.

Once your daughter's hair has been decorated with colored gel and metallic confetti- surprise her with the princess sash (and a tiara!) then set off for your day.


You can do this all for as little as $20  with your own dress, makeup and nail polish. If you splurged for a new dress and tiara you have probably spent $55-75 at this point, but you've gotten hair, makeup and a new outfit - the deluxe $200 package. All you need now are the photos.

E) Last, but not least, find a Photopass photographer to capture your little princess. Allears.net has a very up to date table of all of the Photopass photographer locations. Find a photographer on Main street or in the Rose Gardens so you can get a photo with Cinderella's castle in the background. I have a lovely one that was taken of me and my daughter at night with the lighted Castle.  

Photopass photographers are free. They will take pictures with your camera if you ask nicely. Go ahead and let them use theirs as well. They are trained and get some great shots. Just make sure that you save the card you are given with the number on it so you can check out the pictures online.

You have no obligation to buy anything just because they took the pictures. While the Photopass CD is $120-150, you can buy just the downloadable version of the photo for less than $15.

What I like best about this compromise is that my daughter still looks like a little girl. She doesn't look like a cast off from Toddlers and Tiaras with shellacked hair and heavy makeup.

And, I like saving time and money for other things. The rest of my family doesn't really want to hang out for an hour while little one gets "transformed." Bringing my own makeup and accessories saves money. Also, if my daughter wants we can do this every day of our trip - without paying a fortune - worst case I invest another few dollars at the Barber Shop.

What my daughter likes best is that she is comfortable. She looks glittery and fancy, but her hair doesn't hurt. She's not stuck wearing a polyester dress all day in 90 degree heat or a tiara with combs that stick into her scalp. 

Best of all the kind Disney staff all still address her as "Princess" when they see the sash - even though it didn't come from the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!