Magic at WDW more people should know about! BBB alternatives . . . and other cool stuff!

[MamaJ3Peas]

My interpretation of the OP was that like alternatives at BBB (that alot of people don't know about), what other "secrets" are there.

Maybe I am off, but that is what I thought they were asking.

EXACTLY! I though I had explained in the first post . . . . sorry if unclear at all.

 

[MamaJ3Peas]

My daughter wants to get a Henna tattoo in the Morocco Pavilion.

OOooooh THIS is awesome too - NEVER thought of that. This would be GREAT for older girls.

 

[MamaJ3Peas]

But are either of those things mentioned by the OP? Am I just not seeing it? I'm confused! Just not seeing what BBB alternatives has to do with DVC points, Bodyglide, etc?

DVC points . . . another "secret" . . . you can buy these points to stay at Disney Vacation Club without actually being a DVC member.

 

[Becki Quoss]

OOooooh THIS is awesome too - NEVER thought of that. This would be GREAT for older girls.

My Daughter will be 9 when we go, but is not as into the princess things. We also thought about the mermaid package at the Pirate League

 

[MamaJ3Peas]

OK - after exhaustive research over the years - things we were amazed we could do that were awesome! (Not necessarily cheap though ...)

BBB alternatives - even for boys:
1.) The Harmony Barber shop - used to be you would just walk-in but now (unfortunately) they do take appointments. Girls and boys alike can get pretty funky hairdos (chunky glitter - wash and repeat and repeat and repeat to get it OUT, color stripes, even a temp mickey hair tattoo) - cheap! I've heard around 7 dollars?!?! Google for "Disney World Harmony Barber Girls Hairstyles" and you'll get pics. My husband and sons all had their haircut there (no styling - just not their thing) and enjoyed it.
2.) Resort Salons at Grand Floridian, Yacht Club and Coronado Springs offer real salon treatments (as in expert hair-styling, not the one-look-fits-all at BBB) including a princess package to anyone - not just hotel guests. You'll need a reservation so call and ask the Disney resort line I think you are looking at $50 or so.
3.) Want to be really cheap? Do it yourself! There are tons of tutorials on ways to copy Disney princess hair - you might need extensions for some - and whole lines of glitter make-up, glitter hairspray, body glitter you name it- and then revel in all the compliments throughout the day.
4.) Buy a Kimono at Japan. Really. This was truly the most "Magical" but REAL experience we encountered. My daughter was 6 at the time - it was authentic and I am woe to admit ... brought tears to my eyes. As you may or may not know Epcot is staffed with young people from each country - and they are beyond psyched to be there. As soon as I mentioned my daughter would like to pick out a kimono three sweet Japanese girls flitted around her like she was their own princess. They held up beautiful garments for her and spoke directly to her - not me - asking her what she liked and checking her sizes, (I loved that I was merely a spectator and the interaction was really all about her). Once chosen they helped her to choose just the right sash for her bow. Then all three girls surrounded her for what looked like a very ceremonial dressing, including the proper tying of the kimono bow - which was re-tied a few times as each girl critiqued the other - all in Japanese - to get it just right. They fussed over her so much, after being with them nearly an hour, there was much bowing and smiling when they were done - It was worlds above our, still very nice, experience at BBB. No crowds, no lines, no other girls to fuss over - Such a unique opportunity to have close contact with another culture, connecting with people in a genuine way. Pure magic.

For the parents - BEST alternative to babysitting.
The Pirate Cruise - KIDS ONLY!!! Read this as... you parents get a few hours BY YOUR SELF and the kids will NOT care that you are not there!
Only for kids 12 and younger (not sure of the lowest age). My kids loved this thing - and my husband and I had a few hours alone. THAT is magic. I am so sad 2 of my 3 my kids are now too old for this. I WISH they did something like this for teens/tweens. I'll just keep wishing on that star . . .

Alternative way to view Fireworks
Private Pontoon Boat - not cheap BUT CHEAPER than the other fireworks cruises if you have 5 or more people. For $318 6 people can get a privately captained pontoon boat for fireworks viewing! What!?! YES! We are trying this in April . . . I am looking forward to it immensely. Tip not included.

One other note about BBB . . . I really dislike the hairdos. Well, actually, I think they do look cute on little girls - 8 or under. But for girls approaching that tween age, they just don't do it for me, ESPECIALLY if the fake hair does not match her hair color. (Also, my daughter has awesome long blonde curly hair that it pained me to see brushed out, flattened and glued into place. . .though she was only 6 so it was cute when done.) The Fairy Godmothers in Training have NO flexibility here - they cannot customize the hair at all - mainly because they are only trained to do these "do's". To avoid this I made the wonderful discovery - OK, Disney CM told me about it when I questioned her during our BBB booking for April - of the Resort Salons described above. SO . . . I will foolishly shell out the full amount for the BBB Castle Package and schlep my little sweetie from a resort salon, to BBB then off the the theme parks. My teen sons would call this a "Disney Hack" I guess. My husband calls it kinda silly but, well, I guess Goofy would be proud???

Sorry - my "first post" with my list is here . . . maybe that will help?

 

[jawa7400]

-
-Hess gas station/store (for beer, snacks, etc.) .25 mi from the Boardwalk Resort

Good to know!! We are staying at BWV in June!!

 

[Mambo Junkie]

She colors pictures year round and saves them for trips. This was a few years ago but she colored a picture of Buzz to give to Jesse. She'll "collect" little things (treasure chest at school) and bring them with her to give them as gifts. Once she gave an Olaf eraser to Anna. She gave a NASA sticker to Buzz. She gave a plastic hammer to Handy Manny.

Your little girl is so adorable! I love the video!

 

[LSUfan4444]

Good to know!! We are staying at BWV in June!!

300 Buena Vista Drive

https://www.google.com/maps?rlz=1T4...code_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CEEQ8gEwAA


Circled in red

When I have stayed at other resorts I have taken the bus to Hollywood Studios, walked to Hess and bought beer and in room snacks for the week and took the bus back to my resort

 

[bilnsheldodisney]

OOooooh THIS is awesome too - NEVER thought of that. This would be GREAT for older girls.

the henna tattoos are sooo fun. as you can see from my profile pic - they will also put some glitter on them too. can't wait to get another one!!

 

[JessicaW1234]

the henna tattoos are sooo fun. as you can see from my profile pic - they will also put some glitter on them too. can't wait to get another one!!

How long do they stay on.? Can you take them off if you want to or do they have to wear off?

 

[bilnsheldodisney]

They look like what is in the picture for an hour or so while they dry, then that flakes off. The actual tattoo is a light orange/brown. In my experience (2 times) they last about a week. But I was doing a lot of sweating (why did no one tell us it would be so hot in August LMAO) and a lot of swimming.

 

[mshanson3121]

But are either of those things mentioned by the OP? Am I just not seeing it? I'm confused! Just not seeing what BBB alternatives has to do with DVC points, Bodyglide, etc?

BBB is typically seen as one of the "big" things to do for an extra, so she's looking for alternatives to that (other really nice, special things to do) and just other general fun things.

 

[MamaJ3Peas]

Alternative way to view Fireworks
Private Pontoon Boat - not cheap BUT CHEAPER than the other fireworks cruises if you have 5 or more people. For $318 6 people can get a privately captained pontoon boat for fireworks viewing! What!?! YES! We are trying this in April . . . I am looking forward to it immensely. Tip not included.


POST TRIP UPDATE - We LOVED this!! Not only did we see the fireworks from the water, but we had tons of snacks and drinks, got to learn a bit about some Disney history from our captain and also got an up close viewing of the water pageant. We ended up getting Disney After Dark tickets too - for FREE! THAT WAS AWESOME!

I wanted to add - at Disney Springs, you can take a captained ride in a car/boat. We didn't have time to do it this time but it is on the top of my list for next time. So cool! (This really is the only reason for me to venture back to Disney Springs with the kids. It's just shopping, restaurants and bars. They were BORED there.)