BBB - this trip, next trip, or when?

MickeyWaffles

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 28, 2010
Hi all!

DD will be almost 3.5yo on our upcoming trip. She will be almost 5 when we go again. We go every year and a half or so.

I am dying for her to do BBB now because she LOVES dressing up as the princesses but I really only want to do it on one of these trips - not every time. So, is almost 3.5, almost 5 or 6.5 a better age? Or, should we plan to do it more than once?



 
We've done it twice-one for our 4 yo DGD #1 (#2 was too young), then again for both girls when they were 7 and 5. Frankly, I'd say to do it more than once if possible. DGD #1, having done it once, couldn't wait to do it again. DGD #2, having been too young the first time, was really looking forward to it. I don't think 4 yo was too young, she certainly enjoyed it-

At 4-


And 7-
 
We've done it twice-one for our 4 yo DGD #1 (#2 was too young), then again for both girls when they were 7 and 5. Frankly, I'd say to do it more than once if possible. DGD #1, having done it once, couldn't wait to do it again. DGD #2, having been too young the first time, was really looking forward to it. I don't think 4 yo was too young, she certainly enjoyed it-

At 4-


And 7-


The Frozen dress - is that one of the ones you can choose at BBB right now?
 
We've done it twice-one for our 4 yo DGD #1 (#2 was too young), then again for both girls when they were 7 and 5. Frankly, I'd say to do it more than once if possible. DGD #1, having done it once, couldn't wait to do it again. DGD #2, having been too young the first time, was really looking forward to it. I don't think 4 yo was too young, she certainly enjoyed it-

At 4-


And 7-


The girls are ADORABLE & look so happy! This makes me excited for our appointment this trip! Our first visit to BBB.
 
I felt my daughter was a little young at 3.5. I booked her for our trip in the spring when she will be almost 5. I just feel since she is a bit older, that she will really enjoy it. She is very excited for her princess makeover.
 
We visited when my daughter was just shy of 4, and my SIL did her hair in our room somewhat fancy and got some hairspray glitter and lent her a little rhinestone mickey clip and she felt like a million bucks. :) I just was unsure about the value and her tolerance for it, and at that age she didn't really care some girls had a sash. We did CRT that day and popped her dress on right before the meal and everyone made such a big deal out of her being a princess we were really glad we didn't pay $$$ and take time for it - the make her feel like a princess in the castle thing was covered, and that was the experience we wanted anyway. At that age, her idea of dress up was maximum glitter and minimum time.

We visited when my daughter had just turned 6, and I talked to her about it before, and she really wanted to do it. We had a really special time, she understood that we'd have to wait (we waited 30 minutes after our appointment time before we got seated), how to sit still, that they might pull on her hair a bit, etc. She was old enough to appreciate all the stories and fun extra that the fairy godmothers put into it. I had FP booked immediately after for her and I to visit the princesses, so we had a bit of girl time in the park and the princess visits were fantastic and she felt really special again. We put those colored hair things and mickey bobbie pins in her ponytails the rest of the trip, and I really felt like it was worth it. This time around she definitely noticed the sash and the bag (she wouldn't let that bag go out of sight!). This time she knew that people get manicures and she was getting one too, that makeup goes on your eyes, that the end result was worth tight ponytails, etc.

For us this 5-6 window was the right one. I'm glad we didn't do it on the first trip - I think she would have had a meltdown in the waiting room alone (not to mention probably pulling her hair, sitting still issues, etc.). This trip was all around awesome, she was mature enough to handle waiting and momentary discomfort but young enough to still really get into it. Next trip (in a year) I'm planning on pirates makeovers since I saw a little boy get his thing done in BBB and it was so underwhelming and my son was just-barely-not-jealous of sister and they both loooooove pirates.

Your daughter may be different though - just think through the $$$ and experience and time and her capabilities and have fun. I don't think there is a right age - just a right age for your kiddo. :)
 
My 4 year old knows about it and she’s excited. She’s pretty good with the dentist, so I think she’ll be fine with a fairy godmother pampering her...lol. (I definitely agree - each child is different)

I had planned to do the whole Frozen package, but I’m not crazy about the dresses they have, so I just bought my own & we’l do the Crown package. I bought her a super cute cape on Etsy to wear, since it will probably be cold. 19 more days!

I think we will skip the face jewels - I’m not crazy about those. And I hope they’ll go light on the glitter.

I may be more excited for her visit than she is! lol
 


Don't forget there are Fairy and Pirate options over in Adventureland, too! ;)

I forgot about this! DS is a year and a half behind DD so that would be fun for both of them to do that when he is old enough!

I am glad you mentioned this because it is so easy to get caught up in the princess stuff, I want to make sure DS has a similar number of special experiences too as he gets older.
 
My did went the first time at age 5 and again at age 7. At age 7, she wasn't wanting to look too princessy, and that kinda made me sad.
 
We did it when my daughter was almost 5 and I thought that was the perfect age. And when we went back the second time, she was almost 7 for her make a wish trip and had just finished chemo so we went with the pirate makeover, also awesome (and much more affordable). Maybe try them both, but I think 5 is a little better age, personally, more likely to sit longer for all the hair and make up.
 

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