SPD and BBB?

[Maggie'sMom]

I posted this question in a BBB thread on the Families board but thought I might get a better answer here. My DD has a lot of sensory sensitivities. We just started working with an OT in May. She's been asking if she can do the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique since our last trip in September 2008. She doesn't know it yet, but I have a trip scheduled for mid-August and I have made an appointment for her at the BBB.

She's always hated having her hair brushed. There's only one brush that she will tolerate. I will, of course, be bringing that brush to the BBB appointment, but I've read about how tightly the FGIT pull the hair to style it and I'm afraid that even if DD lasts through the appointment, the hairstyle will have to be taken out shortly thereafter. Has anyone taken their SPD princess to BBB and asked the FGIT to not make the hairstyle too tight? Has anyone had a successful experience at BBB with a child who hates having her hair brushed? DD was remarkably tolerant of having her hair done for her ballet recital so I have hope she will tolerate the BBB as well, but the ladies who did her hair for the recital were very gentle.

TIA!

 

[misch88]

I posted this question in a BBB thread on the Families board but thought I might get a better answer here. My DD has a lot of sensory sensitivities. We just started working with an OT in May. She's been asking if she can do the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique since our last trip in September 2008. She doesn't know it yet, but I have a trip scheduled for mid-August and I have made an appointment for her at the BBB.

She's always hated having her hair brushed. There's only one brush that she will tolerate. I will, of course, be bringing that brush to the BBB appointment, but I've read about how tightly the FGIT pull the hair to style it and I'm afraid that even if DD lasts through the appointment, the hairstyle will have to be taken out shortly thereafter. Has anyone taken their SPD princess to BBB and asked the FGIT to not make the hairstyle too tight? Has anyone had a successful experience at BBB with a child who hates having her hair brushed? DD was remarkably tolerant of having her hair done for her ballet recital so I have hope she will tolerate the BBB as well, but the ladies who did her hair for the recital were very gentle.

TIA!

Hi Tia,
I used to work as a FGIT, I really don't think this will be a problem as most FGITS work very well with any disability or special needs a child may have. I recommend informing the podium FGITS when you check in. I also suggest that you make sure that your daughter gets the Disney Diva hairstyle as it is the least tight of the three choices. The hairstyles aren't really as tight as they appear, it is mostly the hair product that makes them look so tight. Of course you can always ask for the styles to be looser, but the Diva is by far the most comfortable of the styles. I personally had many princesses who did not like their hair being brushed or styled who sat wonderfully for me and did not complain at all (even a few with some various disabilities, to my knowledge I never had a SPD princesses however). Finally, I would make sure that your daughter's hair is well groomed prior to your appointment, washed, conditioned, and brushed in order to ease the transformation a bit. Which BBB are you going to visit? Good luck and if you have any questions I will do my best to answer you.

~Michelle

 

[bookwormde]

Hopefully GraceluvsWDW will post, since she has a DD who was a lot like your daughter, and now BBB visits is one of her favorite WDW events. Never underestimate the magic of Disney.

bookwormde

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Which BBB are you going to visit?

Thanks, Michelle! We will be going to the MK BBB. I'll make sure to let the FGIT at the checkin podium know, as well as whichever FGIT works with DD. When DD had her hair done for her ballet recital, it was like you described for the BBB with tons of product and not all that tight. We were looking at the BBB FAQ thread on the Theme Parks board last night (under the guise of gathering information for her friend's mom who is planning a trip for January ), and DD really couldn't make a decision as to which hairstyle she liked best. I've been assuming she would want the Fairytale Princess because that's the classic "princess look", but maybe she'll choose something else.

Hopefully GraceluvsWDW will post, since she has a DD who was a lot like your daughter, and now BBB visits is one of her favorite WDW events. Never underestimate the magic of Disney.

I truly believe in Disney magic. I'm thinking DD will be so excited to get made up like a princess that she won't even notice the brushing, combing, and tugging. I was talking to her OT a couple weeks ago about how DD can be extremely bothered by clothing tags or clothes that are too tight or itchy in general, but when it comes to princess dresses all her sensitivities disappear. She can wear the scratchiest, itchiest princess dress without complaint. The desire to be a princess overwhelms all else.

 

[misch88]

We were looking at the BBB FAQ thread on the Theme Parks board last night (under the guise of gathering information for her friend's mom who is planning a trip for January ), and DD really couldn't make a decision as to which hairstyle she liked best. I've been assuming she would want the Fairytale Princess because that's the classic "princess look", but maybe she'll choose something else.

I love that it is going to be a surprise ! The Fairytale Princess was my personal favorite so if your daughter decides to get that one, I'm sure it will be gorgeous. There is always the option of having the FGIT switch the hairstyle part way through (before the tiara is put in) if the Fairytale Princess is too much for her. I wish you the best, but I'm sure she'll be willing to put up with a lot to be a princess like you said.

 

[livndisney]

We went when they first opened at DTD. It was NOT a success. It was just too much for DD and the FGIT would not back off. It was loud, bright and full of activitiy. (Crowded). I was disappointed since I had spoken to the manager before and was assured they would work with us, but it did not happen. DD refuses to go back.

I have heard both good and bad experiences since.

Op I hope your DD has a magical experience.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

We went when they first opened at DTD. It was NOT a success. It was just too much for DD and the FGIT would not back off. It was loud, bright and full of activitiy. (Crowded). I was disappointed since I had spoken to the manager before and was assured they would work with us, but it did not happen. DD refuses to go back.

I have heard both good and bad experiences since.

Op I hope your DD has a magical experience.

Thanks for sharing your experience. My concerns about how DD would handle it factored into my decision to NOT schedule an appointment during our last trip. Of course, DD had to insist on watching the in-room TV channel talking about all the fun stuff there is to do at WDW, and the BBB is frequently promoted on there. She was disappointed that I didn't let her do it, and it has been at the top of her list of things to do next time we go... whenever that may be So I have the appointment and am crossing my fingers that it will go well. If worse comes to worse, I can stop the hairstyle and just have them do the makeup and nails. But like I said above, I have faith that the Disney magic will take over for her. And that's all I need, right? Faith, trust and pixie dust!

 

[livndisney]

Thanks for sharing your experience. My concerns about how DD would handle it factored into my decision to NOT schedule an appointment during our last trip. Of course, DD had to insist on watching the in-room TV channel talking about all the fun stuff there is to do at WDW, and the BBB is frequently promoted on there. She was disappointed that I didn't let her do it, and it has been at the top of her list of things to do next time we go... whenever that may be So I have the appointment and am crossing my fingers that it will go well. If worse comes to worse, I can stop the hairstyle and just have them do the makeup and nails. But like I said above, I have faith that the Disney magic will take over for her. And that's all I need, right? Faith, trust and pixie dust!

Another option for you that may be a little less intense is the barber shop. They do not take appts but they do some cute things and LOTS of glitter and pixie dust.

I hope you have LOTS of pixie dust!

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

Hopefully GraceluvsWDW will post, since she has a DD who was a lot like your daughter, and now BBB visits is one of her favorite WDW events. Never underestimate the magic of Disney.

bookwormde

My dd has done BBB 3 times. The first time she did it she was 4 years old and absolutely hated it! She cried much of the time and I felt so sorry for the Fairy Godmother. They did their best to put her hair up but at that time her sensory issues were very severe and it was just not a pleasant experience for her. She did not have the "whole experience" of the reveal, glitter, etc.

2 years later we visited on her birthday when she turned 6. To my surprise, she said she wanted to go to BBB to spend her BDay giftcard. We popped in and they were able to fit us in that day. She enjoyed the experience immensely. It was exciting for her to be "pampered" and they were very sensitive to her needs. Both of these times she got the "Fairy Princess" hair do, the makeup and the nails and they were both at the castle location. She wouldn't allow them to put the sticky thing on her face or sprinkle her with glitter.

This year we were also there for her birthday. She once again wanted to do BBB. I was only able to get us in at DTD. They did her up in the front window and she loved it. They were so sensitive to her needs and took over an hour to complete her makeover, going very slowly and asking her before they did each thing. She wanted the Diva hairstyle and she even got the face sticky this time. Here is her photo:

I never once told the FG of dd's issues but they are very intuitive and could tell they needed to be extra descriptive and slow. Perhaps we were lucky but each one of our FG's did their best to accommodate. I would suggest you call and ask if you can come in to observe due to your dd's issues. Then, if she still wants to do it then give it a try.

Oh, by the way, due to dd's sensory issues we always took the hairstyle down that evening for bed. If she wanted I would put it back again somewhat but mostly it was just a one day thing. Hope this helps!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Another option for you that may be a little less intense is the barber shop. They do not take appts but they do some cute things and LOTS of glitter and pixie dust.

I hope you have LOTS of pixie dust!

Thanks for the suggestion. I've certainly thought about that before, but DD's heart is set on BBB. I think she'd be let down if I had her go to the barbershop instead.

My dd has done BBB 3 times. The first time she did it she was 4 years old and absolutely hated it! She cried much of the time and I felt so sorry for the Fairy Godmother. They did their best to put her hair up but at that time her sensory issues were very severe and it was just not a pleasant experience for her. She did not have the "whole experience" of the reveal, glitter, etc.

2 years later we visited on her birthday when she turned 6. To my surprise, she said she wanted to go to BBB to spend her BDay giftcard. We popped in and they were able to fit us in that day. She enjoyed the experience immensely. It was exciting for her to be "pampered" and they were very sensitive to her needs. Both of these times she got the "Fairy Princess" hair do, the makeup and the nails and they were both at the castle location. She wouldn't allow them to put the sticky thing on her face or sprinkle her with glitter.

This year we were also there for her birthday. She once again wanted to do BBB. I was only able to get us in at DTD. They did her up in the front window and she loved it. They were so sensitive to her needs and took over an hour to complete her makeover, going very slowly and asking her before they did each thing. She wanted the Diva hairstyle and she even got the face sticky this time. Here is her photo:

I never once told the FG of dd's issues but they are very intuitive and could tell they needed to be extra descriptive and slow. Perhaps we were lucky but each one of our FG's did their best to accommodate. I would suggest you call and ask if you can come in to observe due to your dd's issues. Then, if she still wants to do it then give it a try.

Oh, by the way, due to dd's sensory issues we always took the hairstyle down that evening for bed. If she wanted I would put it back again somewhat but mostly it was just a one day thing. Hope this helps!

Thanks for sharing your experience. That's awesome that your daughter has been able to overcome her sensory issues in order to enjoy it. I might stop over at the BBB the first night we are there and ask if DD and I could peek in.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Hi Everyone! I wanted to update this and let you know how wonderfully DD's visit to the BBB went. We didn't end up stopping in ahead of time. DD was having trouble waiting until her appointment day/time and I was afraid stopping in before it was her time would lead to a meltdown.

We had FGIT Christina, and she was absolutely superb with DD. I had brought DD's special brush and a comb, but Christina asked to try with the combs they have first because she likes using the pointy end of the comb to separate sections of hair. She told DD the comb was magic and it wouldn't hurt at all. And I think she was right! I didn't see DD even flinch while Christina was fixing her hair. I haven't downloaded my photos yet or I'd post some. DD didn't stop smiling the entire time she was there. She even handled the face sticky without complaint.

The biggest problem was the heat. We planned to leave to go back to the resort right after the appointment so we could relax in air conditioning before our ADR at 1900 Park Fare. It was so hot DD wanted to go swimming and I had to tell her she had to wait at least until after dinner. I'd read where some parents have said the hairstyle lasted multiple days through swimming, but that wasn't the case with us. It fell apart in the pool during that first swim. At least I got some great pictures and it lasted all of 5 hours before we ruined it.

 

[blessedmom4]

Hi Everyone! I wanted to update this and let you know how wonderfully DD's visit to the BBB went. We didn't end up stopping in ahead of time. DD was having trouble waiting until her appointment day/time and I was afraid stopping in before it was her time would lead to a meltdown.

What an AWESOME report!I am so happy you shared your experience and I look forward to seeing the pictures. I hope your entire trip was one full of magic and pixie dust!

 

[livndisney]

Hi Everyone! I wanted to update this and let you know how wonderfully DD's visit to the BBB went. We didn't end up stopping in ahead of time. DD was having trouble waiting until her appointment day/time and I was afraid stopping in before it was her time would lead to a meltdown.

We had FGIT Christina, and she was absolutely superb with DD. I had brought DD's special brush and a comb, but Christina asked to try with the combs they have first because she likes using the pointy end of the comb to separate sections of hair. She told DD the comb was magic and it wouldn't hurt at all. And I think she was right! I didn't see DD even flinch while Christina was fixing her hair. I haven't downloaded my photos yet or I'd post some. DD didn't stop smiling the entire time she was there. She even handled the face sticky without complaint.

The biggest problem was the heat. We planned to leave to go back to the resort right after the appointment so we could relax in air conditioning before our ADR at 1900 Park Fare. It was so hot DD wanted to go swimming and I had to tell her she had to wait at least until after dinner. I'd read where some parents have said the hairstyle lasted multiple days through swimming, but that wasn't the case with us. It fell apart in the pool during that first swim. At least I got some great pictures and it lasted all of 5 hours before we ruined it.

I am glad you had a positive experience with BBB.

 

[dclfun]

Thank you for posting the happy ending!! I'm sure that 5 hours of being a princess was worth every penny. Livndisney- I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with your princess. We had a bad experience with DGS at the barbershop- it was just an inattentive lady barber who spoke very little English and who had only a bunch of broken toys on hand so nothing to distract, and who also would not STOP when asked repeatedly to do so. I understand the disappointment when you want so much for a wonderful experience and you've paid for your child to be miserable. Sounds like alot depends on the FGIT being intuitive and making magic for each child.---Kathy