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Tips for Dressing Your Daughter As a Princess at Disney World

by Vern Woodruff on October 7, 2014

A visit to the Walt Disney World Resort is a dream come true for almost all children. It is a magical place where enchantment and dazzling experiences abound. It is a fairytale come to life, especially when princesses from Disney’s animated fairytales are available to be seen by and interact with your child. These qualities and the once in a lifetime feel of a visit to “the happiest place on earth” lead many to consider purchasing Disney princess dresses for their own little princess’ Disney visit. I know that I am not the only one to consider a little girl, princess dresses, and a visit to Disney, so I’ve put together this article based on my own experiences to assist others with this question. I hope you find the list of pros, cons, considerations and tips useful and informative as you consider dressing your daughter as a princess at Disney World.

Pros of Dressing Your Daughter as a Disney Princess at Disney World

Your little girl will be thrilled and feel special to be dressed as a favorite princess.
Disney cast members will give her extra attention and call her “princess.”
It is neat to be at Disney dressed as a princess. It helps make a childhood fantasyland even more magical and dreamy.
The number one pro in my opinion is that pictures with her are extra endearing, special and memorable, especially ones where she is with the princess that she is dressed as. In the future when your little girl has grown, I’m sure pictures like these will become treasured snapshots of a truly special moment in her childhood.

Cons of Dressing Your Daughter As a Princess at Disney World

Some dresses are scratchy or hot, so she may not want to wear it all day.
A princess dress is one extra item to pack and take special care of as you travel.
The cost of a special princess dress that likely will not be worn elsewhere (except maybe for Halloween) is fairly high.
Many dresses have glitter adornment, which results in pieces of glitter coming off and getting everywhere.
Compared to regular clothes, there is a greater concern with her getting dirty or messy or damaging the dress.

Considerations When Deciding Whether to Dress Her as a Princess

What is her temperament? Does she want to dress as a princess and would she enjoy it?
Is she shy? Would extra attention from people be uncomfortable for her?
What is your budget? Do you want just one dress or several, knowing that they are not likely to be worn much again after the trip?
Are you planning on meeting the characters? If not, you may not really want a princess dress.
Will you take a lot of pictures? Even if you do not meet many characters, general pictures of your little girl dressed as a princess in the Disney parks look great.
What time of year will you be visiting? Some dresses may be too hot or cold.
Do you have reservations for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Cinderella’s Royal Table or Akershus Royal Banquet Hall?

Does your little girl resemble one princess more than another? For example, my little girl with her long blond hair looks much more like Alice than Snow White.
Your girl will only be little and at this stage for a short time before she outgrows it.

Tips for Dressing Your Daughter as a Princess at Disney World

Plan ahead and watch for Disney Store sales and dresses for sale on eBay. The Disney Store website occasionally offers princess dresses for 25% off with free shipping, which results in the total cost for a dress being under $40. On eBay, you can find princess dresses that are gently used for much less than a brand new dress.
Visit a Disney Store so you and your little girl can see the dresses and feel the fabric to have a sense as to what she would be comfortable wearing.
Keep an eye out for shoes to go with the dress. Instead of the matching shoes from the Disney Store, we purchased regular shoes that were sparkly (black, purple, red). These shoes were more comfortable for her to wear all day. If she has special shoes to match her dress, make sure to take an extra pair of comfortable shoes she can switch to.
Add accessories that go with the princess dress, such as a crown, necklace or a stuffed toy. When my daughter dressed as Rapunzel, she had a Pascal toy to carry with her.
When selecting a dress, start with a favorite princess. If you are planning on obtaining a second dress, look for a more comfortable style if the first one seems scratchy.
Purchase the dress at a slightly larger size so that she will be able to wear it for a longer time.
For dresses that are scratchy or if it is cool, a white t-shirt or long sleeved white shirt worn under the dress will help.
The Minnie Mouse dress works great as a general dress to wear at Disney, and my daughter thought it was the most comfortable (assuming that the fabric is not changed significantly on future versions).
If you have multiple dresses, plan out the princess meetings ahead of time and bring the extra dresses to the park. The extra dresses can be carried in a backpack, handbag or put in a rental locker. Utilizing this strategy at Epcot, I was able to have my daughter wear three different dresses during the day for photos with Minnie Mouse, Alice and Snow White.
Have your little girl wear shorts under the dress. This will help with changes that may need to be made.
Depending on your little girl, you may want to work with her on smiling nicely for pictures and how to pose as a princess.

To obtain more use out of a princess dress, think of other settings that could be used for additional pictures. For example, my daughter wore her Aurora dress when we visited a historic village, which allowed me to take a picture of her reaching for a spinning wheel. With her in a Cinderella dress, I had her descend the steps of our county courthouse leaving a shoe behind on one of the steps.
My daughter occasionally complained about wearing a dress when we first started our Disney visit, but she really liked to be carried on my shoulders. I told her that I could only carry a princess on my shoulders, and after that, she never complained about her dresses again. However, her slightly older brother was not happy with it because he wanted to be carried too (but he was too heavy anyway).

Please share your thoughts, experiences and suggestions on dressing your daughter as a princess below. Also, check out my other articles here on the Undercover Tourist. My daughter so enjoyed being a princess that I have already lined up her dresses for our next visit. Now, if I can only find a size 10 Elsa dress at the Disney Store.

Vern and his wife are the parents of two boys and a girl that all love Disney’s animated movies and shorts. He lives in Ohio and is employed as a mechanical engineer, which helps to explain his excessive attention to detail, organization and planning. His oldest son enjoys watching the animated shorts from the Disney Treasures series, his youngest son has the middle name “Donald” and he likes telling people that he was named after Donald Duck, and his daughter loves the Disney Princesses, especially Rapunzel and recently Elsa.

Tags: Disney Princesses, Character Greeting

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Sep 10, 2020 at 8:50 a.m.

allisonlewisphotography.com Says...

So excited to take my granddaughter to Disney for the first time! I have to admit, it s information overload trying to navigate through all the ins and outs of knowing where to be when ! I have a question about Royal Hall. Is a ticket or reservation needed to meet the princesses? I understand if we get the Castle Package at BBB, we have priority to meet them. But if we don t, are we waiting in line, or is there something else we should know? Thx so much! You re website has been a tremendous help!

Sep 10, 2020 at 8:23 a.m.

FrogBlog Says...

Hi there!

So exciting! We toadally get it - it can be a lot to take in! A sad caveat first: currently, FastPass is suspended and Princess Fairytale Hall is unavailable. However, once things are back up and running, Princess Fairytale Hall has two entrances: One to meet Cinderella and Elena, and one to meet Tiana and Rapunzel. You do not need a reservation to meet them, as there is a standby line available, but pre-COVID, the attraction did offer FastPass+, which would allow you to book a time in advance to skip the line and head to the front :)

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Jul 11, 2019 at 11:48 p.m.

Melissa Adams Says...

Hello,

I just discovered 'Little Adventures' for princess dresses. They are light weight, super comfortable, and less expensive than many other dresses. It's a win, win, win!

Jan 6, 2019 at 11:39 p.m.

Amy Says...

Hello!! I really like that Minnie Mouse dress! Where did you get it?

Sep 11, 2018 at 1:08 p.m.

oriana Says...

We were in disney in 2013 , my 4 year old granddaughter wore a reversible Cinderella dress one side the ball gown the other rags. She was applauded on the bus and off the bus driver asking the other passengers for their best behaviour in front of the princess. She loved it and so did we, we are going back next year and she is already asking about dresses as it will be Halloween.

Jan 12, 2018 at 2:40 p.m.

Della Says...

Do you have a suggestion on a dress for July? It will be so hot! Also, we are considering a Boutique makeover and wonder if we should bring our own dress or go with the one they offer. It seems to be an extra $100 for a dress and I can buy at least 2 dresses for that price!

Feb 13, 2018 at 4:14 a.m.

Kristin Says...

Check out Etsy for a cotton version of a princess dress, I made my daighter’s out Of symphony broadcloth, they were breathable, beautiful, and washable!! We got a ton of compliments!!

Jan 12, 2018 at 9:38 a.m.

FrogBlog Says...

Hi Della,

Many Mama and Papa Frogs recommend purchasing a dress in advance and bringing it along...you're right, you can save a good chunk of change this way. Most of the princess dresses are short-sleeved, so go with whatever your little one wants, and try finding one with minimal "poof" to stay cool!

Hoppy planning!

Mommy Frog

Feb 9, 2018 at 4:15 a.m.

Emily Says...

I found a cheap Elsa dress at a thrift store, most discount stores have dress up dresses for a max of $20 or on amazon for a bit more. Usually run 4t-6x. I’m debating wether to bring her dress in, since I know she will want to change out of it at some point. We are going on late April. BUt she loves Elsa and will soon be “too old” to want to dress up and be a princess. We have the crown I bought from Walmart as well. I’m not spending the money on bibbity bobbity boutique, I’ll be doing her hair on my own before hand, and for shoes, I bought water sandals, so they are breathable but dry quickly and won’t fall off her feet. I plan on packing a backpack and bringing an umbrella stroller even though she is 7, we plan to stay all day so when we want to zoom places quickly or she gets tired she can ride, when not, that’s what the backpack is going in, also something to store the backpack while on rides, even though I’ve read you can carry bags on rides with you.

Jan 19, 2015 at 9:53 p.m.

David Says...

Arrrr matey... Similar to, but on a separate trajectory, is The Pirate's League, which does makeovers for both girls and boys. So, your little tomboy can become both a Pirate AND a Princess. In Adventureland

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/pirates-league/

Jan 16, 2015 at 5:41 p.m.

Vern Says...

To meet the characters at Disney, you just need to know where they are located and their greeting times. Then, go to their meeting location and stand in the character’s line (note: several character greetings are available with FastPass+). If you are unsure where to stand, there will usually be a Disney cast member or photographer in the area that can assist you.

To find out the character’s meeting times and locations in advance, go to the main Disney World website (disneyworld.disney.go.com), hover your mouse pointer over “Parks & Tickets”, click on the theme park of interest, scroll down and select “Entertainment”, on the "Filter By" ribbon, select "Entertainment Type" and check “Character Experiences”. Information on the various character meet and greets will then be listed. Also, when you are on the theme park of interest’s webpage, on the right-hand side under the listed hours should be an option to download a printable map. This map will have icons showing the various character meeting locations. However, not every character is listed, so you likely will find a few unexpected characters as you travel around the parks. If you are at the parks, make sure to pick up a map and times guide. The times guide will list information for meeting the characters.

In addition to the information on the Disney website, there are several articles in the Undercover Tourist blog archives that you will find of interest. There is one with tips for meeting Anna and Elsa. Also, if you click on my name at the top of this article, you will be taken to a listing of items I have written. One of these articles contains tips for meeting the characters. My kids loved meeting the characters last month (ages 10, 9 and 7). Hope you have a magical trip!

Oct 10, 2014 at 4:09 p.m.

Vern Woodruff Says...

Jessie,

Thanks! We visited at the end of November, after Thanksgiving, so the weather was not as much of a concern for us. We did not try matching the dress to the weather because we would have a jacket and sweats for her to wear in the morning before the weather warmed up. If the weather is warmer, than as you suggested, shorts and a light tank top (if needed) under a dress would work. You can see in the one Cinderella picture that she has on a white turtle neck and in the Rapunzel picture, her white sweat pants can be seen on her ankles. We also would have her take off her jacket temporarily when she would have a picture taken (if she had it on).

Jan 12, 2015 at 11:19 a.m.

Aurora Says...

Can you please tell how to meet the disney princess And queens

Sep 16, 2015 at 7:56 a.m.

charla Says...

this is the same date as my birthday

Oct 9, 2014 at 7:14 p.m.

Jessie G Says...

First of all, thank you for all your information.

2nd, loved the pics and ideas.

3rd, Did you try making the dress to match the weather? Some toole and satin material, ribbon, and glitter over the same color biker shorts and tank top will be cooler in the summer and turtle necks and long pants wamer in the winter. The summer outfit the toole skirt can be shorter and still be puffy, both winter and summer outfits will be less scratchy!!