Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom- The Crown Package

Full Disclosure: I totally thought this experience wasn’t going to happen. When I finally pulled the trigger mentally and decided we were going to book an appointment, they had none! This is one of those things, like certain WDW dining locations, I would encourage you to book 180 days in advance. Even if you’re on the fence! You can always cancel it prior to your trip, but it’s worth it to have it booked so you don’t end up doing what I was doing. Which was calling, on the TELEPHONE, every day to see if there was a cancellation.

Mhmm. Is this 1995? Is this the dentist? Am I seriously calling to book an appointment? It felt like pulling teeth being on hold, believe me. However, and this is MAJOR- shortly before our trip, Disney World switched over to an online booking system for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Hallelujah!

And it just so happens that when it opened up, I managed to snag an early morning appointment (I’m talking 8am, before the park opened) which is what I was hoping for, on the exact day I wanted to scheduled it. Thank you, sweet baby Mickey.

 

Now, to set the scene.

There are currently 3 Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique locations open.

• Magic Kingdom, inside the castle.
• Disney Springs
• *new* Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

At the time that we went, the location at the Grand hadn’t yet opened. We were staying at Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary, so the short walk over to Magic Kingdom was the ideal spot for us. Plus, I knew Meryl would love the magic of walking into Cinderella Castle to be transformed into a princess. That’s the epitome of Disney magic, right?

Having said that, I think next time (if that happens), I’d want to check out the other locations. Disney Springs is much bigger and the newly opened location at the Grand Floridian has some slightly different package options to choose from and I just love the ambiance at the Grand.

Anyways, like I said, we had an appointment before the park opened. Magic Kingdom was opening at 9 that morning and they do open up Main Street early so that you can shop and grab Starbucks and then find a good spot to either 1) watch the opening show or 2) post up at the hub exit closest to the ride you want to jet to when the park opens. Needless to say, there was a fairly large crowd amassed when we got there at 7:30am. A good portion of them had paid for the Early Morning Magic at Magic Kingdom, (a paid ticketed event) which gives you early park access where you can ride lines with little to no wait and it includes breakfast as well.

As we approached the castle, we were ushered through a roped off area as they checked for our reservation and then we were directed to the pathway to the right of Cinderella Castle. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel special. Every Cast Member greeted Princess Meryl along the way and she was all smiles as we entered the castle!

Shocking…we were early because we’re just always early and Meryl was the FIRST princess inside for the day. Not 1, but 2 Fairy Godmothers-in training came over and whisked Meryl off to the dressing room so she could put on her Tiana dress that we brought with us. Dresses are also available for purchase inside BBB and the higher tier packages include your choice of one of these dresses, and they are different designs than what’s available in the general merchandise around the park. To be honest, there’s very little difference and my kid doesn’t really care as long as she’s wearing a dress so that part wasn’t a big deal to us.

To note: there are no discounts taken at BBB, so you’re in for the full price ticket. Whereas, we were able to get her Tiana dress at a regular gift shop for 20% off because of our Annual Passholder discount. You can also bring a dress from home or no dress at all! Totally up to you!

 

 

 

So you’re probably wondering…why 2 Fairy Godmothers-in-training? Besides the fact that my kids a handful? Kidding- kinda. One of them was actually a new Fairy Godmother-in-Training. This actually was great because Meryl was kind of nervous being the first one in and it being a new experience, so having extra doting from the ladies really helped.

We chose the Crown Package, which is the cheapest package offered.  The price is $74.95 plus tax (price increase- we paid $64.95) and includes:

 

The transformation was fantastic, but what was even better (in the eyes of my 3-year-old), was the bag of tricks she got to take home! Each guest gets a BBB branded cinch sack backpack and it’s filled with shampoo, the nail polish they used, face jewels, the makeup palette, a comb, and lots of stickers. Meryl also had a tiara wrapped up in her bag because she chose to wear the tiara that we had brought with us instead of the one that comes with the package.

 

 

 

Sprinkled with pixie dust and a BBB sash in place, we were ready to go take some pictures. An added plus, which I wasn’t aware of, is that a PhotoPass photographer is circling the salon and taking pictures of the whole process. At the end of your appointment, they give you a card so that you can link it to your My Disney Experience account and download the pictures. I didn’t have a great angle from where I was sitting in the salon, so these pictures were a really nice bonus!

After we snapped a few pictures outside of the castle, we headed into the PhotoPass studio they have set up for the princes and princesses!

There was no line- the park hadn’t even opened yet and the photographer was wonderful. He took so many pictures and really took his time, which I appreciated.

After pictures were done, we wandered around an empty Fantasyland. None of the rides were open to us yet, but I always think it’s awesome to be able to walk around an empty Magic Kingdom. It just never happens!

 

 

 

I’m so glad we were able to get an early appointment because Meryl enjoyed being all dolled up for the whole day. Everywhere we went, Cast Members went over and above to tell her how beautiful she looked and she was smiling ear to ear the entire time. She’s also a crazy sleeper so I’m glad we got a full day out of the hairstyle before the rat’s nest that we woke up to the next day.  Because OF COURSE she HAD to sleep in her pink hair extensions and bun. (There are some fights that just aren’t worth it)

 

 

 

Would I do it again?

Definitely. Honestly, it’s an experience she talks about all the time. She still carries that BBB bag around and it makes her so happy. I would much rather spend the money on an experience versus a toy that ends up being the flavor of the week. And she’s beginning to understand that now. She knows that toys are something that still exist when we are home, but being able to go into the castle and see a Fairy Godmother-in-training aren’t. This will be one of my favorite Disney memories ever!