Proving the Critics Wrong: WDW is for Toddlers!

[dizziedupbaby0127]

I have to admit DH and I were very excited for DD’s first hair cut at the Harmony Barber Shop. Our ressie was for our first morning, Saturday at 11:00AM. The barber shop was packed when we checked in about 15 mins before our ressie the lady was polite but not very friendly. When dd was called the lady put the booster in the seat and went to put the cape on dd and dd freaked out. The lady tried to distract dd with a spinning lightup minnie mouse but it was too late, after about 2 minutes of dd fighting off the lady screaming amd crying the lady finally gives her mickey stickers... dd was so excited! why the heck she wouldn't give them to her first is beyond me. She finished the.cut, saved dds hair in a tissue for me (I brought my own sandwich biggie from home) gave dd her mickey ears and a certificate.

I don't think she did good job, maybe because dd was fighting her but she didn't seem to have a lot of experience with toddlers :-( At one point she almost got DD’s fingers with the scissors. I really hope that this was an “OFF” day for them at the shop. But I don’t see us returning. Over all it cost us $22.

NOTE: Make sure u ask for stickers from the start!

 

[mickeyplanner]

Thank you for posting about the Harmony Barber Shop with pictures. We are doing that for the first time with both of our kids. Would the let a child sit on a parent's lap for their first haircut? DS is only 13 months and I don't think he will sit on his own. Did they actually cover your DD face with the cape or did she do that herself? Do the mouse ears say anything special on them about being a first haircut? Can you take them to get their names put on them afterwards?

I am glad to see that you can do hair gel and glitter, our DD is really looking forward to that. We thought that would be a cheapier version of BBB. I am hoping to buy her a small tiara to have them add to her hair. Does anyone have any pointers how on to make the Barber Shop into a smaller BBB experience?

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

Thank you for posting about the Harmony Barber Shop with pictures. We are doing that for the first time with both of our kids. Would the let a child sit on a parent's lap for their first haircut? DS is only 13 months and I don't think he will sit on his own. Did they actually cover your DD face with the cape or did she do that herself? Do the mouse ears say anything special on them about being a first haircut? Can you take them to get their names put on them afterwards?

I am glad to see that you can do hair gel and glitter, our DD is really looking forward to that. We thought that would be a cheapier version of BBB. I am hoping to buy her a small tiara to have them add to her hair. Does anyone have any pointers how on to make the Barber Shop into a smaller BBB experience?

I don't know if they would let a child sit on a parents lap, I would be concerned that they would have a hard time cutting the back of the childs hair. But it doesn't hurt to ask.

DD pulled the cape up trying to cover her face! Not the lady cutting her hair!

The ears say "First Haircut"

I have read on other threads you can have them add the name later, but we did not.

I think the glitter and gel is a cute idea! Hopefully you will have better luck than us. Remember to ask for stickers right away!

 

[mickeyplanner]

That is too cute, that it reads "First Haircut" on the back of the ears. Thank you so much for posting.

I can't wait to hear about the Halloween Party. I hope you post some tips before we leave in 16 days!!!

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

That is too cute, that it reads "First Haircut" on the back of the ears. Thank you so much for posting.

I can't wait to hear about the Halloween Party. I hope you post some tips before we leave in 16 days!!!

I'm trying to get the MNSSHP done for you! Almost there, hopefully it will be posted this weekend!

How exciting yout that close! I am totally having withdrawal! I know it will be some time before we get to go back!

 

[heatherkali]

Thank you for posting about the Harmony Barber Shop with pictures. We are doing that for the first time with both of our kids. Would the let a child sit on a parent's lap for their first haircut? DS is only 13 months and I don't think he will sit on his own. Did they actually cover your DD face with the cape or did she do that herself? Do the mouse ears say anything special on them about being a first haircut? Can you take them to get their names put on them afterwards?

I am glad to see that you can do hair gel and glitter, our DD is really looking forward to that. We thought that would be a cheapier version of BBB. I am hoping to buy her a small tiara to have them add to her hair. Does anyone have any pointers how on to make the Barber Shop into a smaller BBB experience?

yes they do let your child sit on your lap and my DS 18months got a GREAT first haircut this way!! Both my sons got their hair cut last week and it was wonderful!!

 

[mickeyplanner]

yes they do let your child sit on your lap and my DS 18months got a GREAT first haircut this way!! Both my sons got their hair cut last week and it was wonderful!!

You were at wdw last week? Have any pics of their haircuts?

 

[mickeyplanner]

I'm trying to get the MNSSHP done for you! Almost there, hopefully it will be posted this weekend!

How exciting yout that close! I am totally having withdrawal! I know it will be some time before we get to go back!

Yes we are excited for our grand gathering to celebrate DD birthday. I am looking forward to reading your tips

 

[merbobear]

I am following along!

I live in Albany also...small world!

We did the 1st hair cut for my dd in May (she was 3, though). She liked the stickers, but actually she really loved the spinning Minnie a lot more (so much so that I bought her one to bring home as well!). I think it's great that they do what they can to entertain the children getting their hair cut..Personally I wouldn't be disappointed in which toy or distraction they went to first, some kids will gravitate toward the stickers and some will gravitate toward the toy...The stylist can't win 'em all! Overall, I think the 1st hair cut is a fantastic deal. Around $20 for a hair cut, the bravery certificate, pixie dust, and ears!!

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

Here we go the famous Mickey's Not So Scarey Halloween Party review!

During the week we were at WDW there were 2 MNSSHP going on. We decided to attend the first party on Sept 13th. We purchased our tickets with a gift card, which by the way, you need to call to use, they will not allow you to use a gift card online to purchase the tickets.

Tuesday morning we had breakfast at Chef Mickeys then headed back to the hotel for a swim. We headed to the park around 4pm. It was about 5pm when we arrived. We entered in a specific turn style for the party. We immediately saw a photopass girl in front of the “let the memories begin” sign. We made a pit stop on Main Street to get a castle picture and ta-da DD decided she wanted to do the Tinkerbell magic shot! We had been trying for the 3 previous days to get her to put her hands together for the shot and no luck! NOW, finally she did it. We grabbed the Photopass girl and got some amazing magic shots!

Then Finally...

Con't

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

We were hungry so we headed back to Colombia Harbour House, much to our dismay it was closed. I think they must close early, 4pm maybe. We always seem to miss this place and we really want to try it. Since we had Pecos the other day, we headed to cosmic rays. It was AWEFUL! This was the second time we tried eating here and NEVER AGAIN. After we ate it was almost 7, so we decided to try and find Pluto in tomorrowland, no luck, I’m not sure he was out this year. We checked for characters in fantasyland and were given “misinformation” we were told there were not going to be ANY characters in Fantasyland and that the map was wrong. Later-on we did find character’s in fantasy land (the mad hatter and tweetle dee and dum and Alice were all near the tea party). We decided to head over to meet Jafar. After Jafar, the villains left to get ready for their show. We headed over to watch and we found a great spot, it was on the partners circle side, across from the bridge to liberty square. We stayed and watched the parade from here. We had the perfect view of the Headless Horseman and the Grave Diggers! (I won’t spoil it for anyone, but when the grave diggers come, keep your eyes on them!) I missed the best part 2x’s!

After the parade we scooted over to adventureland and spotted Donald and Daisy. So we got pictures with them. It seemed like time was flying by, so we headed back to catch the fireworks. I was determinded to have a Mickey Ghost popcorn bucket, so we headed over to the cart on the Tomorrowland side of the partners circle. The bucket, filled was $12. It is currently on display with my Halloween Decorations! It took us a while in line, getting the bucket and Hallowishes was about to start. So we just watched from in front of the stand. It actually was a great spot. We really enjoyed the fireworks. DD wasn’t fond of the loud noise but she just snuggled up to DH and she was ok with that. DH and I both agree that Hallowishes is our favorite firework show ever!

After the show we headed to get my magic shots. We headed over to liberty square and right next to the liberty boat we found the hitch-hiking ghosts. There were only 2 groups ahead of us. We then headed over to the Haunted Mansion to get the ghost driver magic shot. We waited a bit longer here. Maybe 10 minutes. We then headed back around to fantasyland, where we spotted Cinderella’s Coach. We got our pictures here, I must say the photopass people here were not very attentive. They kept talking amongst themselves and basically ignored us. Almost every shot they did was blurry. I was very displeased with this experience.

Each of the above had 2 different poses they had us do.

Con't

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

We then headed over to the other side of Fantasyland and saw the Mad Hatter. DD did not like him. We made our way to the Tomorrowland Dance party with Chip and Dale and Goofy. I really felt DD was too little for this. The older kids (4 and up) were crowding the place and the characters completely ignored DD. I can’t remember which one, but either Chip or Dale almost stepped on DD, DH had to pull her out of the way. I think this is neat for older children, but I would stay away with toddlers. After leaving the dance party disappointed, we headed up to the Mickey Meet & Greet. We got stuck in the second parade crowd and watched a bit, this is where I missed the grave-diggers for the second time! Shame on me! We were right next to the ice cream place on the corner. When we made our way to the meet & greet, Mickey and Minnie had no line. We were asked to hang on a moment, (the mice were indisposed aka out of costume) and then were led in. DD had a blast, she must have spent a good 15 minutes in there with Mickey and Minnie! ***so here is my VIP note, hit the mickey and Minnie greet during the second parade! I wish we had decided to do the princess meet & greet also, but we skipped it. When we headed out of the M&M greet, we saw the pumpkin photopass on the flag circle, so we headed there. Behind us were Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eyeore, but they were heading inside, so we decide to hit the store and wait for them.

Con't

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

I got very distracted in the store and since the parade had just ended it was getting crowded, I got my MNSSHP pins, checked-out and we headed to see Pooh. As we were getting in the line the CM told us that the line was closed. I was very upset it was 11:30PM on the dot! If the party ran until Midnight, why would they end the characters at 11:30pm? So I went to guest services to let them know how I felt, I’ll be honest here, I was really just looking for them to make an exception and let us in line. The guy working had no clue what was going on! He said they would be coming back out after and I questioned this based on time and he said he wasn’t sure. I then asked to speak to a manager. The manager was back to the left on his cell phone, he looked annoyed when the CM interrupted him. He harshly hung up and huffed over to the counted. I explained why I was upset and how I felt about the time (I was actually very polite) and hoping he would just walk us over and let us in line. Well… he didn’t. He rudely told me they end at 11:30pm it states so on the party guide (map) and that was that. I was a bit floored, he didn’t apologize, he wasn’t empathetic or anything. **now here is where I made my first mistake, we just walked out. I never got his name. I was just so upset, I really wanted to get pictures of Pooh and Tigger in the costumes, it was on our MUST-DO list and we missed it. (Now, I know it was our fault, but the fact that the manager was just so rude about it and didn’t even try to make us feel better, just put me over the edge). After spending over $100 on tickets and $3000 on our vacation, I left the MK that night actually in tears. So if you were there and saw a blubbering fool, on the bench outside the MK on Tues the 13th it was ME!

You can see DD has her hands in the Tinkerbell pose here!

Next up: MNSSHP quick tips!

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

So that’s our MNSSHP story. Here’s a real quick tips list based on our experience.

1-If you have the choice don’t attend the first party (the cm’s don’t have a clue on how things are going to run)
2-The characters (all characters) end at 11:30PM so get in line early and don’t expect the lines to be open at 11:29:59PM!
3- Arrive early and get dinner out of the way so you can start the party off fresh at 7
4-Hit Mickey and Minnie M&G during second parade!
5-Don’t miss those darn Grave-diggers!
6-Shop for special MNSSHP merchandise AFTER you have done everything! So wait till 11:30 or so!
7-We did hit a few trick or treat line while passing through, we did all get a bag, but we didn’t focus on treats. The treats weren’t great so I really would just hit this while walking through.
8-Don’t waste time at the dance party with toddlers
9-Oh and with toddlers, be prepared for CM’s to not want to give you candy. We ran into a few CM’s (ones during the parade and on our way out of MK) that refused to give us candy for DD. The parade people (3 actually) looked at us, gave the child next to me candy and kept walking, the second I held out my hand and again was ignored. And I have no doubt that they could tell I was with DD, so it wasn’t like they were refusing to give an adult candy.
10-All of the characters we saw had a photopass person with them
11-They will not do the magic shots at night, with the exception of the Ghosts and Haunted Mansion Buggy.


Over all we really did enjoy this event, I only wish we hadn't gone to the very first party so we would have had better guidence from CM's and the DIS on what to do and where to go. I also wish the party was longer! It just wasn't enough time to do everything we wanted to do. But we enjoyed it, would do it again and do recommend! Just include a good touring plan!

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

yes they do let your child sit on your lap and my DS 18months got a GREAT first haircut this way!! Both my sons got their hair cut last week and it was wonderful!!

Thanks for letting us know your expirence! I would just keep in mind that it might be the discrestion of the barber, whether or not they feel comfortable cutting a childs hair while on an adult lap.

I am following along!

I live in Albany also...small world!

We did the 1st hair cut for my dd in May (she was 3, though). She liked the stickers, but actually she really loved the spinning Minnie a lot more (so much so that I bought her one to bring home as well!). I think it's great that they do what they can to entertain the children getting their hair cut..Personally I wouldn't be disappointed in which toy or distraction they went to first, some kids will gravitate toward the stickers and some will gravitate toward the toy...The stylist can't win 'em all! Overall, I think the 1st hair cut is a fantastic deal. Around $20 for a hair cut, the bravery certificate, pixie dust, and ears!!

Welcome! I'm actually a bit north near Lake George! So neat to meet a local! So glad your DD had a great expirence. I think if DD was a bit older she would have done fine. I really think there were a bunch of different factors on why DD got upset and it wasn't the stylist's fault. I agree with the great deal! It was close to the price as the normal ears and these were more special, even with the tears!

 

[jp'smommy]

Toddler wait times: The only ride we waited for longer than 10 minutes was TSM. We couldn’t manage to get FPs for it and the wait time was 60 minutes. It took about 60 minutes on the dot, but DD did really good with the queue. I had a feeling that wasn’t going to be too bad because of all the themeing it kept her eyes busy.

Fastpass/Baby Swap: We didn’t end up using baby swap, we only used Fastpasses for Test Track.

Stroller Parking Areas: Most of the stroller parking was right near the rides, so I could relatively see the stroller. I think after the 2nd time leaving the stroller, I felt fine about it. I did see a few strollers like ours but not the same one. We did however have the stroller bag and cup holder attached, which made it easy to spot ours. We only left diapers, wipes and snacks in the stroller and took the cameras with us. But I wouldn’t worry about the stroller getting stolen.

Toddler rides like/dislike: The only rides DD wasn’t thrilled with were Pirates and Haunted mansion. We did not try the 3D shows, but DD loved the fantasyland rides and nemo and turtle talk.[/QUOTE]

This is funny because my little guy LOVED Pirates and HM! We did do Mickey's Phil. and he left his glasses on and laughed and laughed. That was the only 3D we did. We did miss out on turtle talk though.

Sorry I am late to the party!

 

[jp'smommy]

Our HBS experience was surprisingly great. It was crowded when we got there. Michael was just finished with someone and DH went up to him to tell him we needed to check in and he took us right away! we sat DS up on the chair and he started putting stickers on him and he was good to go. It was like he was in a trance! It took all of 10 minutes and we were done. We were very pleased.
I just love your pics from the MNSSHP! She is just adorable. She looks like she loved the characters as much as my ds!

 

[mickeyplanner]

Thank you so much for posting about the party. All of your tips were very informative especially knowing that photopass photographers are out in full swing. I adore the pictures of your family with Tink, especially the one were your DD is pointing and you are looking at Tink. Now I can't wait to see what special things they have for the christmas party like they did with the ghosts/grave diggers.

 

[lbuzz52]

I think that may be the cutest Tink magic shot ever!

I know what you mean about toddlers and candy. when we do trunk or treats here they always look at ds and give him maybe one lollipop. the big kids get handfuls of whatever. It doesn't matter, beceuse we just mix all the candy together, but its interesting

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

I know it's been a while, life has been crazy, getting sick, work and getting ready for the holidays. I promise I will be back with our food reviews and pics! I hope everyones trips have been magical!