Anna and Elsa's Boutique vs. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disneyland

On a recent trip to Disneyland (in California) with my 5-year-old daughter, we visited Anna and Elsa's Boutique for a hairstyle makeover. I made an appointment here because she had already experienced the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (BBB) twice on the Disney Fantasy, and Anna and Elsa's Boutique was less expensive and offered different hairstyles.

We visited Anna and Elsa's Boutique on the day we were in Disney California Adventure Park, so we had to exit the main park gate and turn left into Downtown Disney. The walk was fairly short--maybe five minutes.

The outside of Anna and Elsa's Boutique

We were there at 2:00 p.m. on a Thursday in May, and the shop was virtually empty. My daughter was the only one scheduled for a makeover at that time.

Inside the store

The shop is full of all things "Frozen". There were makeover stations at the front of the store and also in the back.

My daughter got to pick a hair streak color and a Frozen-inspired hairstyle. There were five possible hairstyle choices. She also got to pick a tiara, nail polish color, eye makeup color and lip color.

The entire makeover took only 25 minutes because she had two stylists working on her at the same time.

When the stylists were done and pixie dust was sprinkled on her head, my daughter was turned around to the mirror for the final reveal with a chorus of "Let it go!":

The final result-Elsa's style

My daughter got quite a few compliments on her hair in our remaining hours in the park, and several people asked where she had this done because they had never seen the style before.

Great things about a makeover at Anna and Elsa's Boutique:

*  It has a wider age range (3-15) than the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (3-12).
*  It has more hairstyle choices (5) than the BBB, with cool twists and braids.
*  The price is only $34.95 for the hairstyle, tiara, nail polish and makeup. The comparable package at the BBB is $59.95.
*  Theme park admission is not required since it's located in Downtown Disney. Unlike Disney World in Florida, Disneyland does not have a BBB in Downtown Disney, so a theme park ticket is required for the BBB in Fantasyland.

On the flip side, Anna and Elsa's boutique is a lot less formal than the BBB. The stylists are wearing t-shirts vs. the Fairy Godmother in Training costumes at the BBB. The BBB gives out a sash and special BBB cinch bag with the extra makeup, but Anna and Elsa's Boutique did not have sashes or a special bag. My daughter did get to keep a comb, brush, makeup, and nail polish in a regular Disney plastic merchandise bag. There were no PhotoPass photographers at Anna and Elsa's Boutique, but they are usually present at the BBB.

Fancier decor and atmosphere at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

My daughter and I both enjoyed her experience at Anna and Elsa's Boutique. I think if we were only going to Disney (parks or cruise) one time and had only one chance at a makeover, I would probably chose the more formal BBB. But Anna and Elsa's Boutique is a great choice for a less formal makeover and/or a repeat makeover. And in my opinion, the hairstyle choices are better! My daughter kept her hairstyle in for four days.

Have you gone to one or both of these makeover boutiques? What do you think?