Walt Disney World has announced new enhancements coming to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Magic Kingdom, with similar changes also rolling out to Disneyland. This offers a quick look at what’s happening, along with our commentary speculating about the why of this.
For those unfamiliar with it, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique offers magical makeovers for royalty-in-training ages 3 to 12. Fairy Godmother’s Apprentices (Cast Members) will pamper and primp your child until they look storybook stunning. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique packages offer themed costumes, plus styling and accessories that will have children ready for a royal ball or a daring adventure.
With a sensational new look and a dash of imagination, it’s an experience they’ll remember happily ever after. Costumes range from size 3 to 14, with select styles available in extended sizes ranging from 5/6P to 16/18P. All styles and sizes are subject to availability.
All of the above is the current description of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. On the official websites for both coasts, new alerts have been added to the top of the page:
“New enhancements are coming to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, including special visits from The Fairy Godmother! We will also be rolling out new, simplified package options. These updates are coming in early October.”
Here’s a video accompanying the announcement:
The exact details of the changes have yet to be announced. One possibility is that Disney is going to find a way to raise prices, whether directly or by improving margins with cuts to existing offerings, nudging people towards more upcharges, etc. This is consistent with past precedent (charging more, offering less), and the timing around the start of the new fiscal year makes sense. This is the cynical view, and you couldn’t be faulted for this perspective.
The inveterate optimist, my gut says that this is essentially the opposite of a price increase. Walt Disney World and Disneyland typically do not lower prices, even on underperforming products. Instead, they release new packages at lower price points or make other changes to improve the value proposition when bookings are low. I don’t purport to be an expert on Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but that’s what I think is probably happening here.
More on that in the commentary below. First, let’s take a look at the current Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique packages:
The Carriage Package – Starting at $99.95 Plus Tax
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique T-shirt
- Princess sash and cinch bag
- Shimmering makeup and face gem
- Choice of nail polish and hairstyle.
The Castle Package – Starting at $199.95 Plus Tax
- Disney Princess gown of your choice with additional coordinating accessories
- Princess necklace, sash and cinch bag
- Shimmering makeup and face gem
- Choice of nail polish and hairstyle.
The Deluxe Castle Package – Starting at $229.95 Plus Tax
- Deluxe Disney Princess gown of your choice, selected from a limited number of Disney Princesses
- Coordinating boxed accessory set
- Princess necklace, sash and cinch bag
- Shimmering makeup and face gem
- Choice of nail polish and hairstyle.
The Princess Signature Dress Package – Starting at $450.00 Plus Tax
- Signature Disney Princess gown created with heirloom-quality fabric and intricate design details that tell the tale of the princess
- High-quality crystal tiara
- Organza garment bag and satin hanger
- Princess necklace, sash and cinch bag
- Shimmering makeup and face gem
- Choice of nail polish and hairstyle.
The Disney Encanto Package – Starting at $179.95 Plus Tax
- Mirabel or Isabela gown with coordinating accessories
- Princess sash and cinch bag
- Shimmering makeup and face gem
- Choice of nail polish and hairstyle.
The Knight Package – Starting at $19.95 Plus Tax
- Mighty sword and shield
- Hairstyling with gel
The Deluxe Knight Package – Starting at $79.95 Plus Tax
- Knight costume
- Mighty sword and shield
- Hairstyling with gel
For reference, here’s a rundown of packages and pricing from when Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique reopened in 2022:
- The Crown Package – starting at $69.95 plus tax
- The Carriage Package – starting at $94.95 plus tax
- The Courtyard Package – starting at $144.95 plus tax
- The Castle Package – starting at $199.95 plus tax
- The Deluxe Castle Package – starting at $229.95 plus tax
- The Princess Signature Dress Collection – starting at $450.00 plus tax
- The Disney Frozen Crown Package – starting at $119.95 plus tax
- The Disney Frozen Package – starting at $179.95 plus tax
- The Knight Package – starting at $19.95 plus tax
- The Deluxe Knight Package – starting at $79.95 plus tax
As you can see, prices haven’t really gone up all that much in the last 3 years. Some have increased a bit, others not at all.
Our Commentary
I try to have wide-ranging, high-level knowledge about Walt Disney World, even things that don’t really appeal to me. But honestly, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a complete blind spot. So the portion of this commentary that’s specific to BBB is going to be brief (by my standards).
Maybe this is simply a pure enhancement, motivated by the various entertainment, merchandising and management teams that work on Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Perhaps they had a good idea for a ‘story moment’ with the Fairy Godmother or have seen guest satisfaction scores and surveys, and want to enhance the experience. Any of this is plausible!
Personally, I’m a bit skeptical that they’d add a performer to the experience just for fun without underlying motivation, though. Entertainment isn’t cheap, and Walt Disney World is practically allergic to spending on it unless absolutely necessary. So there’s almost certainly a business justification for adding Fair Godmother.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique doesn’t seem as difficult to book as it used to be. When searching last-minute, I found available time slots in the morning, afternoon, and evening. It seems that there’s frequently pop-up and walk-up availability, too. It was my impression that this didn’t used to be the case. I seem to recall parents booking Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique 180 days out back in 2019 and earlier.
That was at a time when there were also Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique outposts at both Disney Springs and the Grand Floridian. Both of those are still listed as “Temporarily Unavailable,” and at a time when staffing shortages are no longer a material impediment to reopening shuttered venues.
It stands to reason that if Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique were still a high-demand, license to print money, Walt Disney World would’ve reopened those locations. It also stands to reason that prices would’ve increased more during the pent-up demand period were that true.
Even without specialized expertise or knowledge of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, I think it’s fair to look at bigger picture trends at Walt Disney World, apply those here, and surmise that Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique probably isn’t as popular as it once was. Why is that?!
One theory is that this kind of experience has fallen out of favor.
Not necessarily with the Disney faithful, but with the park-going public as a whole. I don’t really want to open this can of worms too far, but I can say that Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique doesn’t appeal to me in the least–even as the father to a little girl who has a burgeoning princess interest.
For a number of reasons, I’d rather just buy a trunk of princess dresses on Amazon (4 for $35!) and be done with it. But it’s not just about the cost, honestly, because we’d find a way to justify BBB if it were really important to us. It isn’t. I don’t want to extrapolate too much from my own preferences, but I wonder if this line of thinking is becoming more common.
One thing that we absolutely know is more common is demographics shifts. Adults without children make an ever-increasing slice of the pie at Walt Disney World. It’s fairly undeniable that Childless Disney Adults are a huge growth opportunity for Walt Disney World.
Otherwise known as DINKs in the real world, this demographic has disposable income to blow on food & beverage, merchandise, and more. This growing demographic is underserved currently, which explains why Walt Disney World just opened GEO-82 and the Beak & Barrel Bar. It also explains why both are insanely popular at a time when ADR demand is on the decline.
This upsets some families with small children, but I’m not really sure why. America has an aging population with a declining fertility rate. It is critically important for the future viability of Walt Disney World that it aims at childless audiences. That’s just a practical reality–an ‘it is what it is’ kind of thing. Even in the here and now, fewer families are visiting Walt Disney World, and more Childless Disney Adults are visiting. Obviously, the latter has no use for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Another potential explanation revolves around overall vacation costs. This is a topic we’ve discussed at length, from multiple angles. A multifaceted one with Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique could be that the cost of this plus Cinderella’s Royal Table (the obvious one-two punch) is just too much for most families. This is exacerbated by the realities of Florida weather ~9 months of the year, when it just doesn’t make sense to get made-over. Why spend so much money on BBB at the expense of something else?
None of that is nothing new, but it has been amplified in the last few years. One more recent development that we’ve heard from countless travel agents and third party ticket sellers is that the average duration of visit to Walt Disney World is on the decline. That basically, many guests are feeling squeezed, and as opposed to not visiting at all, they are spending fewer days in the parks. I’ve seen enough evidence of this theory to believe there’s truth to it.
If people are spending fewer days in the park, that time becomes more valuable. Guests are less inclined to spend it on things like table service restaurants and experiences like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Now, maybe these guests weren’t the target demo for BBB in the first place, but at least some of them were doing it.
Speaking of table service restaurants, another thing we’ve discussed at length is the reallocation of vacation budgets.
Another reason ADR demand is down is the monetization of FastPass via the various Lightning Lane tiers. What was once free is now paid, and is a “non-negotiable” add-on for many Walt Disney World guests. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Most people don’t have bottomless vacation budgets, and expenses incurred on a new product offering result in cutting something else. This means that discretionary spending gets cut, disproportionately impacting things like table service dining or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
If this were a thesis about the downstream effects of Lightning Lanes, it’d be a lot longer. Suffice to say, I strongly suspect that the monetization of FastPass has had untold negative ramifications for huge elements of Walt Disney World’s ~2019 business model. Frankly, it’s to the point where a return of free FastPass during the next economic downturn would not surprise me in the least. But that’s another topic for another day.
The bottom line here is that Lightning Lanes being a “non-negotiable” for many guests has probably reduced guests’ propensity to purchase the Park Hopper add-on, Disney Dining Plan, Enchanting Extras, and other bells and whistles. Among those things: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Anyway, all just theories I’m throwing at the wall to see what sticks. But I think at least 1-2 of these are right on the money, which is why I believe Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique won’t be charging more money when these changes hit in October 2025.
Assuming I’m right, this could mean positive changes for other things “we” care about. As for what could be next, perhaps counter service breakfast and lunch at Be Our Guest as well as a return of the Beast meet & greet. Who knows, maybe other entries from our list of the Big ‘Little Things’ Walt Disney World Needs to Bring Back!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Are you excited for the Fairy Godmother and other enhancements coming to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique later this year? Why do you think these changes are happening? Simply to improve the guest experience, with no deeper rationale? Or is there a business justification? Think we’re wrong and these changes will actually be accompanied by massive price increases? Or has BBB seen its popularity fade, and is in need of a refresh? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!