For those of you contemplating the princess dresses...

When we were at Disneyland one parent yelled at her daughter because her princess crown fell off on the teacups, not out of the teacup, just fell off her head, the mother screamed at her daughter (they were in the teacup next to us) you can't be a princess you can't even keep your crown on. The little girl was in tears.

I saw one parent dragging her daughter by the arm to the Snow White Musical, the little girl was dressed as Snow White and had these awful heeled shoes on, that I personally as an adult could not walk in. The little girl kept saying my feet hurt, stop pulling me, and the mother was yelling at her, and the little girl kept screaming that she did not even like Snow White.

When I was in the toy shop, picking up some playing cards, the Cinderella princess story thing had just ended (didn't know that, or perhaps would have avoided the area). A little girl (maybe 5 years or 6 years old) dressed as Cinderella had these awful clear shoes on that were heels (supposed to look like glass slippers I guess). She took her shoes off during the story time because she told her mom her feet hurt. Her dad blew a gasket at her. He said you wanted to be Cinderella I bought you a Cinderella outfit, and on and on and on about it, and the little girl kept saying I wanted to wear my recess shoes.

When we were watching the parade of dreams a little girl was screaming her head off because her mother kept making her leave her red wig on. The little girl was dressed as Ariel, and had blonde hair, the mom kept telling her that she couldn't be Ariel without the red hair. The little girl was really upset.

When we were in line for the Matterhorn a little girl dressed as Aurora in the most itchy looking long sleeve dress I have ever seen was eating one of those Mickey Mouse chocolate covered ear ice cream bars. One of the pieces of chocolate flaked off and landed on her dress, the white section near the top. The mother in line with her screamed at her in front of everyone until the little girl was in tears about how princesses don't eat ice cream and how she just ruined her $100 princess dress. Any parent who pays $100 for a dress for a four and a half year old needs their head examined if you ask me. I knew the little girl was four because Alice, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter came by the queu and saw the little girl screaming and Alice asked her what was wrong, and the little girl told Alice she couldn't be a princess because princesses didn't eat ice cream, and that she was four and a half and wanted to be a princess. Alice told her that all the princesses eat ice cream, and that her favorite ice cream was strawberry. The little girl started laughing at that point. At least Disney knows how to make the day fun when parents ruin it.

Besides the princess dress incidents, which seemed to be coming up around every part of the day, we were there from 8am-1am; what got me was how many parents just do not watch their children at Disneyland. When we were boarding the Storybook Land Canal boats, they let two kids go up and sit on the front part of the boat, the one little boy kept putting his hand in the water. On Buzz lightyear, this one kid kept banging the gun on his head everytime he missed hitting a target he was aiming for, and he would say stupid, stupid, stupid. He was loud enough that we could hear him in another car, above all the noise in the place. In line for the Matterhorn a parent got off with his son, and the kid was screaming about how scary the monster part was. The dad told him to grow up and get over it, mind you this kid was preschool age. When we were in line for the Snow White Musical, a little girl who was maybe three was wondering around all by herself. I teach pre-k Sunday school so I watch kids around me, even when they aren't my own. I watched her head over for the snack stand area and sit at a picnic table. Five minutes later, and I know it was five minutes later because I was anxiously watching my watch waiting for them to open the theatre, they were running late, and this woman in a frantic comes up screaming I can't find my daughter, she's about this high, blonde hair, I was like she is at the table, and the woman was like how long has she been there, I was like about five minutes, and she was like I did not even know she was gone. How do you not know your three year old is missing for over five minutes?

The last time we were at Disney in 2002, I remember parents talking on their cell phones and ignoring their kids was a big problem. I watched one little boy run off in line for the Winnie The Pooh characters because he wanted to get closer to them. I said excuse me ma'm your son to this lady four times, she still finished her call. Then she starts screaming that her son is missing.

I have taken kids to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Sea World San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Wild Animal Park, Wild Rivers waterpark, Knott's Soak City Waterpark, Boomers, and other crowded locations. Kids don't go more than an arms length away from me whether they are 2 or 12. And I have taken large groups of 6-8 kids places as well, including twin two year olds, and I have never so much as for a second not known where the kids are. I get so frustrated at Disneyland and other places when I see how parents treat their kids, and their complete neglect towards their kids. Makes me wish I carried a cell phone around places like that, because I would love to call CPS on some of these parents, but I don't think a cell phone should ruin a day of fun at Disneyland for the kids.

Just my opinion. Thanks for letting me vent!
 
batraylover said:
Just my opinion. Thanks for letting me vent!

I can understand your vent. I am often dismayed by the actions and behavior of parents/children when I go to a mall, restaurant, etc.

I am big on holding a child's hand. I get chills when I see a 2-3 yr old walking yards ahead of the parent in a parking lot! A simple thing like hand holding can literally save a child's life! In a world where there is so much we can't prevent, why not do something that may prevent harm or worse to our children?

About the parents who scream at the DD over the gowns- I could and would forgo the gown thing. But my DD insists on it for this trip. Last trip, she was not yet 3 yo and I just bought her Disney T-shirts to wear. Well, she noticed the other girls wearing gowns and wants to do the same for our Sept trip. I'm sewing the gowns myself so that they are as comfortable for her as possible and at the first complaint, I'll change her into shorts & t- shirt! No way is her looking "Cute" going to be placed above her comfort and a happy trip for all of us!
 
crazymomof4 I totally wish every parent at Disneyland thought like you. The most shocking moment I ever saw of parent neglect at Disneyland was our 2002 trip. When we loaded into the tram, they tell you to put the kids on the inside. I was there with another adult, a 5 year old, and a 10 year old. We put the kids in the middle. In the car behind us on the tram a lady put her son who was 8, maybe 9 on the outside of the tram, and they crammed too many on the single seat. To make a long story short, during the trip through the parking lot, the kid fell out of the tram, the mom did not say a word about it, the kid was definately on board when we took off, and this kid was running along the side of the tram trying to catch up with it, me and half the people on the tram, including the people in the row behind the family were screaming stop the tram a kid fell off. They pulled the tram over, walked the kid back to the family he pointed at, and the mother in the family had the nerve to deny that the kid had ever gotten on the tram with them to begin with. The lady behind them put it well when she said the kid was on the tram and why wouldn't he be, were you going to leave him at Disneyland. Then the kid insisted to the driver that he was on the tram, and the mom told the driver he lies a lot. I was in horror. The mom did not even seem concerned that her child fell off a moving vehicle, and other parents were horrified and concerned if the child was all right. Thank God the child was okay.
 
newtowdw1 said:
Since then, however, it has held up very well. It is not scratchy. DD8 puts it on and floats around the house in it. I'm a little apprehensive about her wearing it to CRT lunch in August. I hope people won't make her self-concious about being an older princess.

OH! and DS is going as Peter Pan. Can't wait!

My dd is also 8 and she was lovingly looking at every dress in WDW, she hoped we would give in and buy her the $70 model, but we stayed firm... I know from that trip, it doesnt matter your age, no one will make her feel self-conscience of her in a Princess,well, unless that includes all the attention she'll receive!! DD 8 just wore her crown, and was often addressed as "Princess" the CM's seemed to be very kind in addressing her, and asking her about her vacation.... dd beamed - and cant wait till Oct and wear the dress with the crown!! (and she doesnt like being called a "girly girl" she tries and break that mold, she plays hard, she camps, soccer -etc...)
 

Batraylover, where were the nice moms with the sweetly dressed Princesses following them? I'm so sorry you had to witness all of that.


Cadence
 
The Sorrentino's said:
Batraylover, where were the nice moms with the sweetly dressed Princesses following them? I'm so sorry you had to witness all of that.


Cadence

Actually the only little girls who I saw wearing princess dresses that looked happy were the ones riding in strollers. They looked very adorable sitting in the Disneyland strollers enjoying their ride out of the sun in the long sleeve dresses. We saw less kids dressed up like princesses this time then we did in 2002, where it seemed like every little girl had a princess dress on. All of the little princesses must have been off eating at Princess breakfasts or storytimes, the ones that enjoy being princesses that is. I have no problem with a little girl who wants to wear a crown or something to feel like a princess, or those cute little Disney sundresses, and if a little girl wants to dress up like a princess, that's just fine, but I think the parents that try to force their kids to stay in the outfits all day, and don't bring extra clothes, just do not think about their kids comfort.
 
When my next to youngest wanted this big crazy dress for Easter (this past Easter) I was so dead set against it because I knew what she would do. Of course, her dad said to get it for her and I told him to get ready for the "I'm hot" or "this dress it to big" or "can I take it off" or "I can't play with the other girls in this dress" or I'm too slow for the Easter egg hunt". Of course my daughter promised that she would give us no problems and what ended up happening? Everything imaginable and non-imaginable and it made me mad after while because she was making our family's day a mess. At one point she was crying and I told her that she wanted the dress so she had to deal with it. I'm sure the lady walking by thought I forced my child to wear that big thing for Easter and that I was a bad mom too. :rotfl: I hope that's what happened to at least 80% of what you saw in the parks.

Luckily for her, I carried along a much smaller dress that she could change into.

Cadence
 
I know kids can be stubborn about the "right" shoes! I know a 3 y/o shoe snob! Maybe get a pair of tennies, some fabric glue, ribbon, and glitter and let the girls make their own princess sneakers! Just make sure the glue is water proof. I do this sort of thing with hot glue- I have then show me with markers where they want the decoration, then I do the gluing. Usually they're happy with that arrangement. The end product is generlly a "tacky" mess of glitz but they think it's beautiful! We decorate old plain ballet leotards like this a lot for dress up princess: Which reminds me- I saw a blue and white long tutu yesterday at the dance store that I thought would be pretty just over a blue (maybe sparkly?) swimsuit for a super cool princess costume...maybe a pair of shorts underneath too to make it "ride approved"
 
eeyore45 said:
My dd is also 8 and she was lovingly looking at every dress in WDW, she hoped we would give in and buy her the $70 model, but we stayed firm... I know from that trip, it doesnt matter your age, no one will make her feel self-conscience of her in a Princess,well, unless that includes all the attention she'll receive!! DD 8 just wore her crown, and was often addressed as "Princess" the CM's seemed to be very kind in addressing her, and asking her about her vacation.... dd beamed - and cant wait till Oct and wear the dress with the crown!! (and she doesnt like being called a "girly girl" she tries and break that mold, she plays hard, she camps, soccer -etc...)

Thanks for the reassurance. All DD8 wanted this year was an Aurora dress. All she wants at WDW is to see the princesses. DS even thinks the princesses are ok, but he wants to know where Prince Eric is! :confused3

My princess is not a girly-girl either. She usually plays with the boys, so it was hard to object to this instance of girlyness...of course the dress wasn't $70 either!:scared1:

She's wearing her regular clothes in, will change, and then change back, unless SHE wants to see the parade wearing her dress. Of course, I've been known to insist she change into cooler clothes.

Enjoy your princess princess: I hope mine stays a little girl for a long time!
 
We have 4 princess dresses, and my Gracie loves to wear them in the parks. Depending on the weather, she wears her regular clothes underneath; we avoid the parks during the summer, but I'm sure that she would insist on wearing them for at least a while anyway. When she's ready to take it off, I slip it into the backpack. No biggie. Grace has been requesting to return to DL so that she can wear her princess dress again.

The dresses at the park are beautiful but very expensive. For anyone who lives near a Costco, they have very good quality princess dresses on sale every year before Halloween. I bought our dresses from KB Toys and Target for around $20 each. They are obviously not very good quality, but we've had them for about 3 months and they are worn daily and still look okay. I was at KB Toys today, and they had the princess dress-up trunk that was mentioned above. Sorry, I didn't check the price.

Good luck finding the dresses - I wouldn't miss seeing my little princess in her dress. If only they could believe forever. princess:
 
Thanks for posting those websites - DD4 loves dressing up in her princess dresses - every day!! I'd love to get her a new one (two?) for our trip in Dec. Those ballet style dresses look like something she'd like... :flower:
 
I have been busy sewing "Minnie" inspired outfits for our upcoming trip...I never thought to bring one of her princess dresses.

I can already see my DH rolling his eyes! :rotfl2:
 
Here are my 2 stepkids Halloween 2003. We had gone to DL that year and even though I balked at spending so much money on costumes, they really wanted them (my stepson begged me for that hat!). So we bought them and they decided they would wear them for Halloween. Everyone thought they were adorable and they won a local costume contest here in town.

They had never been to DL before and I wanted to share the "magic" I had experienced as a child with them (I went so many times when I was little...my nickname is Melanie Mouse and I have a tiny tattoo of a little mouse on my right lower hip). Mickey Mouse was an absolute favorite of mine and I'm so glad the kids shared in the same excitement and joy. I cried during Wishes, watching their faces and remembering back to when I was a little girl on my daddy's shoulders, watching the fireworks and hearing the music.

Here is the link to them in their Mickey and Minnie costumes...

http://community.webshots.com/photo/270697467/270711223jdTUer

Melanie ::MickeyMo
 
I was at the Disney Store.com site and they have princess dresses with wands for only $19.99 compared to the 50-70 at WDW or on ebay. Just wanted to share with you. Have a wonderful trip everyone!! :sunny:
8/2003-Poly pirate:
8/2005-POFQ :wizard:
 
About the time my daughter turned 2 she fell in love with Belle. We were planning a Disney trip and i had not even considered letting her wear a costume. My mom brought it up to me that she loved Belle so much that I might want to think about it. I did not want to spend a lot of money on a outfit that she would wear once. I watched ebay and got a great deal on a new belle dress. Short sleave in case it was hot but what to do if it was cold. My mom decided to make a red velvet cape for her. It was December so we used the cape all through the holidays. We also got the dress one size too big and put a loose hem in it so we could let it down later and get more use out of it. In addition to the red cape my mom decided that my daughter need a red belle christmas dress so she made it (she is not too spoiled).

We headed off to Disney with the two dress and the cape. The plan was to wear the yellow belle dress one evening at MK for SpecroMagic and the red dress for the MVMCP (?). The night of SpecroMagic it was very cold and she wore the cape over the yellow dress. She was the Belle of Disney we could not go two feet with out being stopped. Mary Poppins stepped out of the parade to come see her. The night of the Christmas party was about 80 and she wore the red dress and insisted on wearing the cape. She would not take it off. I tried once and she just screamed. I bet everyone thought we made her wear it but we did not.

We are going again in September and she will take the yellow dress and we are adding to the costumes. My mom will be making her a Jasmine costume. I have been looking everywhere and can't find a costume that I think is suitable for the hot weather. It is either long sleeves or tulle connecting top and bottom (does not sound like it will feel to good). So, the pattern I got looks just like Jasmines and we will put slits in the legs for more air.

I do this for both me and my daugher. I think she looks so cute and she loves it and the attention she gets. If ever she had enough of the costume it would come. I don't spend a lot because she is only 2 (3 on the next trip). I can't expect her not to spill on it or rip it.

We wear sturdy tennis shoes never even when she is 8 or 10 will she be able to wear costume shoes or dress up shoes. I do like the idea off making them look more pretty.
 
Someone on another thread mentioned an eBay seller who does pageant/bridesmaid dresses for little girls. They look lovely and are hand made. The eBay seller id is veils_by_natali. I thought the dresses were reasonably priced for such nice quality. They are not Cinderella/Snow White/etc knock-offs, but everyone will know your little girl is a princess.
 
I also wanted to add that the above eBay seller is in the Ukraine, so it allow about 5-6 weeks to get your dress.
 












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