How washable are Disney Princess dresses?

[ExcitedMama]

Is it safe to wash them? DD wants to be Ariel for Halloween so I was thinking of buying it during our trip but it's weeks before Halloween so wondering how it would hold up if we need to wash it. Thanks!

 

[mom2rtk]

I'd try to spot clean as long as you can. Anything you immerse in water you're taking a chance with, especially with any glitter that's on the fabric.

 

[Winnowill]

I've had better luck hand- or spot-washing than machine washing. My daughter got lipstick on her brand-new deluxe Cinderella wedding dress a couple years ago. It didn't come out in the washing machine, but it did when I hand-washed it. Mind you, this dress has no glitter on it, so that wasn't a concern.

 

[chopstick]

I usually wash inside out on delicate cycle with other princess dresses and they do fine. Hang dry. Lots of glitter everywhere, but that's the norm for those dresses anyways.

 

[tiffjoy]

We have always washed ours and not had any major problems. Sure, some glitter comes off, but you will discover that darn glitter comes off EVERYWHERE! lol.

If you want something truly washable, check out The Little Dress Up Shop. We have several of theirs and they are definitely more washable and comfortable.

ETA- posting this reminded me that I was going to order my five year old the Moana dress from Little Dress Up Shop, so I headed over after posting this. They have a special for $5 off $35 purchase right now (and free shipping).

 

[Pocahontas_]

If so, I'd suggest the most delicate or gentle cycle you can. maybe even spend the few extra bucks at the cleaners.

 

[NannyBeBe]

You could make her a fancy bib to match her dress, for her to wear at meals etc. We just bought a Belle dress for our granddaughter and I will be making a matching bib.

 

[my*gracie*girl]

We have always washed ours and not had any major problems. Sure, some glitter comes off, but you will discover that darn glitter comes off EVERYWHERE! lol.

If you want something truly washable, check out The Little Dress Up Shop. We have several of theirs and they are definitely more washable and comfortable.

ETA- posting this reminded me that I was going to order my five year old the Moana dress from Little Dress Up Shop, so I headed over after posting this. They have a special for $5 off $35 purchase right now (and free shipping).

I checked that website for the Moana dress because I wondered if that is where the cutest dress we saw at the parks came from. It was! You will love it! So adorable and stood out from all the other dresses we saw. Everyone in our group noticed two sisters wearing that Moana dress and we all commented on it looking comfortable, but so cute!

 

[Laundress]

Wash inside out on delicate cold water and hang dry. No heat. I own a dry cleaners.
(no need to take to the dry cleaners. They will wash it)

 

[ExcitedMama]

Thanks everyone! She has a lot of dresses from the Little Dress Up Shop which I love! But they don't have an Ariel that she likes and I'm considering BBB. Maybe I should ask this in a new thread but does anyone know if they are changing the available Ariel dress? I wanted to get an idea of the price for the Ariel ball gown at the DisneyStore to compare all the up charges at BBB but they don't have it, instead it's a mermaid tale outfit. I think DH would veto as being way too mature for her.

 

[Winnowill]

They change all of the princess dresses at least every year, and the ones available in the official parks versions are different from the ones at the Disney Store, as well as being (generally) more expensive.

 

[danielocha30]

I usually wash inside out on delicate cycle with other princess dresses and they do fine. Hang dry. Lots of glitter everywhere, but that's the norm for those dresses anyways.

☝ this!!! the one reason I splurged and bought a $40+ princess dress from Disney Store, their quality! I washed them like the poster above instructed and the glitter stuck very long, I passed the dress down to my niece and after a year of wearing and washing the glitter is gone but the dress still together

 

[tiffjoy]

I checked that website for the Moana dress because I wondered if that is where the cutest dress we saw at the parks came from. It was! You will love it! So adorable and stood out from all the other dresses we saw. Everyone in our group noticed two sisters wearing that Moana dress and we all commented on it looking comfortable, but so cute!

Yay! So glad you liked it when you saw it in person. I didn't love the Disney version, so wanted to go with theirs.

Thanks everyone! She has a lot of dresses from the Little Dress Up Shop which I love! But they don't have an Ariel that she likes and I'm considering BBB. Maybe I should ask this in a new thread but does anyone know if they are changing the available Ariel dress? I wanted to get an idea of the price for the Ariel ball gown at the DisneyStore to compare all the up charges at BBB but they don't have it, instead it's a mermaid tale outfit. I think DH would veto as being way too mature for her.

Like said above, they change the dresses out quite a bit, and they are different each time. I know both of my kids thought they were set on which dress they wanted at BBB when they have done it, and they have changed their minds to a different dress each time. (We do the same, btw, if they don't like the LDS, then we get it from Disney- we have a mix from both places.) You could also bring a tank top to put under the Ariel top.

 

[ktlm]

My DD lived in Disney Parks and Disney store princess dresses from age 1 to about age 6. She wore a certain Cinderella dress all day every day for almost a year at age 1 to 2. We put them in the washing machine on delicate or hand wash cycle and hung them up to dry and they always came out fine. There would be glitter left behind in the washing machine that got on other clothes-- but those dresses also leave a trail of glitter everywhere they go without being washed. There is glitter everywhere they sit. I can't tell you how many times, DH or I have taken a seat on a Disney bus only to leave covered in glitter knowing that a little princess must have been sitting there before us, and in DD's princess phase our house/couch/chairs etc. were often covered in glitter from those dresses. I never saw one lose so much glitter that there were noticeable bare spots, even with repeated washing. We used the oxyclean gel stain stick before washing if she had gotten something on them, and it did not seem to cause any damage.

I agree that Moana outfit is adorable and looks comfy. We were at Disneyland last week and saw a lot of girls in the Moana outfits.

I could be wrong, but it seems like the Ariel gown the parks have right now has the long net sleeves like the Sleeping Beauty dress. DD always hated those. The Sleeping Beauty Dress was a waste of money for us, as it was the one dress that she only put on once, or maybe twice. DD had a Disney Parks Ariel dress that had the puff sleeves, but not the long net under them- I'm not sure why Ariel's dress has them right now. Doesn't seem like an Ariel thing.

I don't know if she is at all interested from Elena of Avalor from the Disney Channel cartoon, but they have a gorgeous Elena dress in the parks right now. We saw a lot of girls wearing it and it was beautiful and did not look that uncomfortable. If you have the shop Disney Parks app- they usually have some of the costumes on there that you can see. Even though the app is Disneyworld based, they are usually pretty much the same at Disneyland and Disneyworld.

 

[SweaterInJune]

I will also recommend the Little Dress-up Shop! The dresses are branded "Little Adventures" and are sold other places (brand itself, Target online, Amazon, etc.); however the customer service at LDS is second to none! Free, fast shipping, package deals, discounts, reward programs, and just stellar communication are all provided by LDS. I was really amazed.

As someone who spent years at TDS, selling princess dresses, and also has a degree in costume design and construction, these dresses are amazing! They are so incredibly comfortable (not scratchy, inside or out) and well-made, and reasonably priced ($25-$40, usually). Plus, NO LOOSE GLITTER, and you won't miss it. The dresses sparkle if they should due to unique trim and finishing selections. Unique dresses are available here, not just the ball gowns for each princess--they even have Aurora in blue! My daughter has been wearing her new Cinderella rag dress all week. We have 7 of these dresses, and expect more in the future.

We also found them through Moana--this dress is the very best Moana dress. I'm a bit of a stickler for accuracy in look, overall, due to my costuming background, but this one is comfortable. My 3-year-old was not going to wear a tube top, plastic straps or not. Why?! She just turned 4 and has never questioned the one-piece dress. She LOVES to play in it though.

That said, Disney Store (TDS) changes their dresses out twice a year, spring and fall. Spring being an inspired look, and fall being more true to the film. The very first dress released after the film, will be the most film-accurate. The dresses are well-made, beautiful, and truly lovely, but chronically uncomfortable--especially in the heat. I recommend getting a nice, old-fashioned slip to wear under these to avoid seam irritation. These dresses will typically run $50-$200. The higher number being for limited edition ensembles. The dresses do have occasional sales and will clearance out, if stock is available, but don't count on it!

I believe the park dresses are changed out once a year, and are truer-to-film than some of the TDS spring looks. All of the above TDS info regarding quality/comfort applies. These dresses typically run about $70. BBB is now offering the signature collection, at I believe $350 a dress. They are gorgeous, but I can't even imagine as that was almost half the price of my wedding gown!

All dresses are washable, cold/gentle...or of course hand wash. Always hang to dry. The Disney parks/store gowns will take significantly longer to dry. Stain removers can be used safely. You also may consider the use of a large lingerie bag to help protect them. Hope this helps!

 

[ExcitedMama]

Thanks so much SweaterInJune! We love the Little Dress Up Shop. They really are great and her dresses have lasted a really long time from there. I didn't realize TDS changed up the dresses for spring! That's interesting. I'm with you I love how the fancy dresses look in pictures but I can't imagine spending that much on a dress for a child! Is your nickname for your DD Wombat? I just finished reading my kids an adorable series about a wombat if you haven't seen it, the first one is Diary of a Wombat. They are great picture books.

 

[starshine514]

I hand wash them and hang them to dry. I actually am one of those oddballs who doesn't let my kids wear anything until it is washed (the chemicals they spray on new clothing can be toxic). We haven't ever had a quality problem with a dress from the Disney Store.

Right after Tangled came out, the Rapunzel dresses were scarce and my sister bought my daughter one from Walmart. It was cute and she loved it, but the quality - ugh! I had to reinforce pretty much every seam and had to touch up some multiple times. Eventually I got it into something that would hold up and her younger sister now wears it, but I've never had to do anything (other than sizing adjustments) to a Disney Store dress. They hold up very well to hand washing.

 

[ExcitedMama]

Thanks so much Starshine! I'm always insistent on washing everything too except the TDS dresses! They seem so delicate that I've always worried about washing.