Okay, I was really excited for this experience when it was first announced but now I'm just more confused than anything.
The promotional video that Disney released (can be found
here) was really well done. I, among others, was excited to see that they were offering an adult service that was similar to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. It was a request many people have been making since BBB stopped offering adult services. From the video alone, the only style I could even remotely picture myself wearing was the Cinderella inspired one, but it looked like it would be a fun way to spend the day and get some cute pictures regardless, so I was all about it.
The first red flag that popped up for me was the fact that there's no official information readily online for this experience. You have to call to make a reservation, get prices, and presumably ask about what specific styles they offer. The second red flag was that the promotional video, from an official Walt Disney World social media account, clearly said that this service would be offered at Senses Spa at the Grand Floridian. However, the first report of someone attempting to get the makeover (the review has since then been deleted) confirmed that the experience actually took place at Ivy Trellis (the smaller salon at the Grand Floridian), where all of the CMs that worked there had no idea that the Character Couture packages even existed. It appears that since then, there has been a successful account of someone going through Character Couture (I'll let you see the video
here). I think the hair is gorgeous and while the nails and makeup aren't my personal style, if this is what I wanted, I would have walked out of there feeling like I got my money's worth.
I guess my TL;DR version of this post is that it seems like Disney sprung this onto the salons and CMs without any warning (as a former CM, I can tell you that they like to do this to us lol). I think they genuinely want us to have the BBB experience adults have been asking for, but they need to refine it and work out the kinks. If they take the time to listen to guest feedback, work out the styles/kinks, post some more information online, and don't abrubtly scrap this service (another thing they like to do if something doesn't immediately bring them thousands of dollars), I can see this being really fun for adults.
If anyone is interested in more information, I found
this post from Undercover Tourist that seems to have the most comprehensive information sheet I've seen for Character Couture.
(Sorry this post was a little long
)
