As part of our
Sparkling Christmas trip to Hong Kong Disneyland {HKDL}, Lil Pumpkin had the opportunity to be transformed into one of the Disney Princesses! It was actually kept a secret from her until the make-over time came *grins*
Her magical experience took place at the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique inside Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. The boutique is exactly like a beauty salon for little girls to dress-up as one of their favourite Disney Princesses, complete with everything from Princess costumes, shimmering make-up, hair styling, finger nail polishing and even dazzling accessories.
I knew Lil Pumpkin would have wanted to be Ariel but they don't have that costume available!! Oh what a surprise! I would have expected Ariel to be one of the most popular choices for a princess make-over. But anyway, you have to inform the boutique in advance which Disney Princess you want to be so one day, I casually showed her a picture of what was currently available {Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tinkerbell, Snow White, Belle & Sleeping Beauty} and asked her to choose her fave from that. She chose Princess Rapunzel.
I'm thinking it's because of the long, blonde hair hahaha.
On the day itself, we had a morning buffet breakfast at the
Enchanted Restaurant, which is just across from the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. The Enchanted Restaurant is where Mickey Mouse and friends come to your table to say hi and take photos with you, so I highly recommend that you do that as well if you're having a staycation at HKDL because you don't have to queue for photo ops! Plus the food is pretty awesome.
After breakfast, we brought Lil Pumpkin to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and when she realised what was happening, she was so happy and excited! :) Priceless! It's a great feeling as a parent when you realise that you helped to make you child's dreams come true. I was sooooo ecstatic for her that I felt pretty emotional... might have dropped a tear or two as well :P
She put on her Princess Rapunzel dress {size M} before she was helped onto one of the comfy boutique chairs to have her make-up, hair and nails done by the Fairy Godmothers-in-Training. Lil Pumpkin absolutely loved the pampering!
The make-up isn't like those you see in "Toddlers in Tiaras", but very subtle and sweet... fitting for a young girl who doesn't need much to make her look beautiful.
The whole process took about 40 minutes, and the whole time, the mirror was covered so that Lil Pumpkin couldn't peek to see her transformation. Makes the revealing more dramatic I guess.
Since there were only 2 boutique photographers and lots of little Princesses, we had to wait about 15 minutes before Lil Pumpkin could see her transformation because they wanted to take a shot of her seeing herself as a Disney Princess for the first time. That was about when she got restless since she already waited patiently for 40 minutes to get ready. I knew it was going downhill from there. When working with Lil Pumpkin, you have to be quick and catch her in the moment.
It's like that with a lot of kids I guess. Once they lose interest or get fidgety, don't expect them to be still and pose nicely for anything... which is quite a bummer because after the transformation, there's a photo session at Bibbidi Bobbity Boutique to capture her beautiful Princess make-over and keep as a memento of this truly enchanting experience.
As expected, Lil Pumpkin wasn't in the mood to take photos anymore. The photographers were very encouraging though and tried many ways to get her to smile and pose for the camera like getting her to play with some props, with the other little Princesses, and giving her stickers {seriously, I think Disneyland staff carry stickers with them all the time! Lil Pumpkin collected so many from our HKDL trip haha}. After a while, she warmed up again and let her playful nature shine through the camera. Thank goodness! The whole photoshoot session took about 20 minutes. The photographer will take family shots, as well as individual shots of the girls.
Overall, I think if your daughters are into Disney Princesses, they should have this magical experience at least once during their childhood. Lil Pumpkin still talks about it sometimes, and wants to wear her Princess Rapunzel costume ever so often. Yup, as part of the package we had, Lil Pumpkin got to keep her Princess costume and accessories :) These are the two packages you can book for:
Crown Package {HK$650} - choose this if you already have your own costume
* hair styling with designated crown
* shimmering make up
* finger nail polishing
* Princess sash
* 8"x10" photo with premium photo folder
Castle Package {HK$1,380}
* hair styling with designated crown
* shimmering make up
* finger nail polishing
* Princess/ Minnie Costume, sash and designated accessories
* 8"x10" photo with premium photo folder
After it was all done, we hopped on the free shuttle to the theme park {about 10 mins away} and Lil Pumpkin got to meet with a real Disney Princess for the first time! :) How special! Princess Aurora is really how I would imagine her to be in real-life...
If you do go for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Princess Makeover, remember to share photos with us on
Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! :)
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
B1, Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel
Age: Girls 3 - 12 years old
Tel: +852 3510-6000
Mon - Sun: 9am - 8pm
Website:
HKDL Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique site
Tips:
- HKDL Hotel recommends reservations to be made at least 6 months in advance.
- Arrive at least 15 minutes before your booking to try on the dress and shoes for size.
- Princess shoes are not included in packages, but are on loan during the experience.
- All Princess costumes & accessories can be bought at the boutique, so drop by for a look even if you aren't having a makeover!
- Since the girls will have their hair styled, wear hair loose or in a simple ponytail, avoiding intricate plaits or braids. No worries if your daughters have short hair; they can still style it pretty :)
- You're able to take photos throughout the whole transformation, so bring a good camera!
* Disclosure: Hong Kong Disneyland Sparking Christmas family trip was partially sponsored by Hong Kong Disneyland. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.
.jpg)
.JPG)
