Advice On Upcoming Trip With 3 Yr Old (Especially Frozen Makeovers)

[JVivlemore]

Hello!

I've been to Disneyland 3-4 times now (either with co-workers or my older children) so this will be the first time I'm taking a younger one with me which will be a new experience. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Express near the park after always staying in the Disneyland properties up until now. This will allow us 2.5 days to enjoy the park instead of 1.5 due to the higher hotel costs right now.

LIVE FROZEN SHOW: Does this still require immediately getting a fast pass for upon California Adventure opening? I won't have early entry since I'm staying off-site of course. Any tips?

FROZEN MAKEOVERS: I know of the place next to the Grand California in Downtown Disney that does the Elsa makeovers with hair and makeup and of course the Boutique in Disneyland too. I will NOT have park hopper passes which poses some challenges I believe. Does Elsa and Anna have a Meet & Greet in Disneyland too or only California Adventure? It looks like the Boutique is way more expensive than the Boutique. Is this strictly due to the ambience or is there a difference in the makeovers too? The website makes it difficult to really fully compare them.

STROLLERS & NAVIGATING: Any other tips for someone with a small child other than the obvious take it slow, etc? Have those will smaller children opted for carrying them around the park or letting them walk with you or did you use a stroller? How difficult is stroller parking near most of the kid friendly attractions?

 

[AuntieKels]

I can just respond to the last part.

My husband and I took our nearly 3 year old while I was pregnant with our second. We required her to go in the stroller for the long distances like hotel to the park or any time she wanted to go in it. We often ended up holding her in lines or my husband would carry her on his shoulders. I would definitely say we babied her because it was her pre-big sister trip though.

I would also say it depends on the child and the strength of those caring for the child all day. Our daughter generally likes the stroller but if it was just me (6mo pregnant) with her I would set up rules from the get go that she must ride in the stroller or we can't move on.

In the morning we would often park the stroller and dominate a land for a few hours and not go back to our stroller until we were leaving the land. We never had a problem with stroller parking. The fact that you care to ask about it says to me you will look around for the stroller parking and use it properly. The only time I saw bad stroller parking was the morning we hustled to Peter Pan's Flight first thing. Cast members were shouting for the owner of the stroller locked to a fence or abandoned in the wrong spot a few times while we were on the outside of the line.

You will have such a great time! I'm excited for you!

 

[JVivlemore]

Thanks! I didn't even think about dropping a stroller at a parking area and coming back for it after doing other things in the same area. This will be my daughter's first trip and also her first major trip away from home without my wife to assist so I'm trying to plan as much as possible. It's a totally different experience there with kids above the age of 5 who can practically ride everything in the park. All 3-4 visits have been within the past 3 years and I feel like I'm going next week as a newbie again because of the difference in the experiences.

 

[ashley0139]

Hello!

I've been to Disneyland 3-4 times now (either with co-workers or my older children) so this will be the first time I'm taking a younger one with me which will be a new experience. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Express near the park after always staying in the Disneyland properties up until now. This will allow us 2.5 days to enjoy the park instead of 1.5 due to the higher hotel costs right now.

LIVE FROZEN SHOW: Does this still require immediately getting a fast pass for upon California Adventure opening? I won't have early entry since I'm staying off-site of course. Any tips?

FROZEN MAKEOVERS: I know of the place next to the Grand California in Downtown Disney that does the Elsa makeovers with hair and makeup and of course the Boutique in Disneyland too. I will NOT have park hopper passes which poses some challenges I believe. Does Elsa and Anna have a Meet & Greet in Disneyland too or only California Adventure? It looks like the Boutique is way more expensive than the Boutique. Is this strictly due to the ambience or is there a difference in the makeovers too? The website makes it difficult to really fully compare them.

STROLLERS & NAVIGATING: Any other tips for someone with a small child other than the obvious take it slow, etc? Have those will smaller children opted for carrying them around the park or letting them walk with you or did you use a stroller? How difficult is stroller parking near most of the kid friendly attractions?

Frozen Live does not have a fastpass anymore. It is all standby. They open the doors anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half before the show. If you are going on a weekday you can usually get in line 30-45 minutes beforehand. On a weekend longer.

"It looks like the Boutique is way more expensive than the Boutique."

It looks like something got confused here, but the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique has totally different makeovers than Anna and Elsa's. Personally, I think the Elsa makeover/hairstyle is SO CUTE and I wish I were either young enough or had a daughter to take to get it. I'm not a fan of the BBB makeovers.

Anna and Elsa only meet in California Adventure at the Animation Academy.

 

[JVivlemore]

Thanks Ashley. Yes, I meant to compare the Boutique to BBB. It looks like a substantial price difference. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Winnowill]

We've done both Boutiques. The E&A Boutique makeovers are cuter, but the BBB makeover is more magical because of the ambience and experience. The E&A is basically set up in a shop, whereas the BBB is more salon-like. The FGiT thing is neat, too - E&A's are just regular CMs. We're bringing a friend and her daughter in a few weeks and doing the BBB since she's new to it.

 

[lcp9]

I've taken my (now 5) daughter to the BBB a couple of times, and she was 3 for one of the trips. We haven't been to the Anna/Elsa boutique for a makeover, but we have been inside and seen them get done. It's just a totally different feel. I almost feel like it's comparing apples and oranges. A/E - more casual, the hairdressers are in plain black Anna/elsa t-shirts, the hairstyles are cute and modern, you get your hair done, pay, you're done. BBB is like a full on experience. The fairy godmothers do the hair, nails, makeup, they're always calling them "princess", they're escorted everywhere, dad and mom and brothers are the king, queen, and princes, and if you pay for the castle package you get escorted to meet the princesses in the royal hall. I think, especially for a first time and for a little girl, the BBB is much more magical. It doesn't have to be super costly if you bring your own dress and get one of the cheaper packages. For us, the BBB is also a bit of a time saver because you're already in park - we plan it for late morning when crowds start coming in, but still early enough that she can be fancy all day.

Strollers - we have 3 under 5 so we have a double Chariot that we bring. Our kids will nap in the stroller, plus we pack food in it for them. We push our kids hard, and frankly we're too impatient to have to be crisscrossing the parks all day with tiny steps, so it's a non-negotiable for us. Disney is good about having tons of stroller parking around attractions (adult attractions included), and we've never found it a big deal. I think at 3 years old you will be glad to have one.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Have something easily identifiable, like a bright bunch of ribbons tied to the handle, on your stroller so that if CMs move it while you are on a ride, you'll be able to find which one is yours quickly upon exiting.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

As others have noted, the Frozen show does not need a FP anymore, and YES to a stroller!!!

We did the A&E makeover on my daughter's third birthday, and she found it plenty magical! They do paint their nails and do makeup (a PP made it sound like just hair), and she loved the whole experience of being pampered. Plus the hairstyles are much cuter. We had her wear a princess dress of her own, and the stylists were very friendly and made her feel so fancy.

I think maybe if you've done BBB, the other one feels "lesser" because the atmosphere is so casual, but she loved it and wants to do it again for her 4th birthday.

You are correct that A&E only meet at DCA, though.

 

[JVivlemore]

Thanks. I would love to do the more magical BBB experience, however, the fact Anna & Elsa aren't in the main park is kind of a bummer. I'm using 1 park per day passes that don't include the park hopper so that wouldn't allow us to leave the one park to meet them in the other. Sounds like we'll do the A&E Makeover in Downtown Disney and then head over to CA after that to meet them. The thought of the fair godmothers doing the makeover sounds amazing though and I'm still considering it.

Can anyone speak on the recent costs of both if you provide your own dress? I found the prices below for the BBB, however, can't find the prices for Anna & Elsa's Frozen Boutique on their website?

The Disney Frozen Crown Package (At BBB)

Starting at $114.95 (plus tax), this package is perfect for Guests who already own an Anna or Elsa dress. Included Details

• Anna or Elsa hairstyle with braided hairpiece
• Sparkling snowflake hair accessories
• Shimmering makeup
• Face gem
• Princess sash and cinch bag
• Nail Polish
• 12-inch Olaf plush

Please note that this package is only available with Anna or Elsa hairstyling. In addition, all prices are subject to change without notice.

 

[heather92007]

DLRprepschool did a great review of the E&A Boutique. As of December 2016 the prices for the makeovers are $34.95. The link below is the review. I am taking my daughter there next week for a Elsa makeover.

http://dlrprepschool.com/a-complete...-it-compares-to-the-bibbidi-bobbidi-boutique/

 

[Winnowill]

Can anyone speak on the recent costs of both if you provide your own dress? I found the prices below for the BBB, however, can't find the prices for Anna & Elsa's Frozen Boutique on their website?

The Disney Frozen Crown Package (At BBB)

Starting at $114.95 (plus tax), this package is perfect for Guests who already own an Anna or Elsa dress. Included Details

• Anna or Elsa hairstyle with braided hairpiece
• Sparkling snowflake hair accessories
• Shimmering makeup
• Face gem
• Princess sash and cinch bag
• Nail Polish
• 12-inch Olaf plush

Please note that this package is only available with Anna or Elsa hairstyling. In addition, all prices are subject to change without notice.

There is a $60 option at BBB (the Crown Package) as well, which includes the hairstyling, nails, makeup, cinch bag and sash, and face gem. For another $40, you can get a t-shirt and a tutu.