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Disney World - Empowering Little Girls at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

by Daniel Mallock, BookFolks

Recognizing the Need for Supporting Youngsters Boys and Girls

There has been a serious debate in our culture for approximately 15 years about helping girls achieve in academia, in business, and in life. If Oprah covers it, it must be of some moment, right? Some schools have even created girls-only classrooms believing ridiculously that “girls only education” without the apparently negative influence of boys will somehow elevate the intellectual capabilities of the girls. This absurd notion has found a strong foothold in society. I think it a better approach to empower girls in general, just as we ought to empower our boys, and teach them to get along with mutual respect for one another. This silly idea of separating the sexes early on in education is another way for the education industry to suggest a solution to a problem of their own failings. Doubtless young boys and girls have difficulties during their early years but both should be encouraged and supported in equal measure according to their needs. But I digress.

Disney World, Orlando, Florida - long the bain of many cultural snobs, literatti, and Puritans has a new, expensive but superbly important offering - their contribution to empowering little girls.

All Kids Need to Feel Good About Themselves

As a parent or educator there are many options to help our children feel empowered- films, books, sports, etc. But we should also include essential character building with empowering activities and entertainments. For girls, building a sense of personal value and personal power will help them overcome the very strong negative messages of peer pressure and advertising from Madison Avenue. Here is a good bit against advertising, and another one and another good one here on deceptive weight loss advertising . One of the most important aspects of empowerment is making girls and boys feel good about themselves whatever their condition may be. Barbie movies of recent vintage are particularly impressive. These movies even have good animation. But most importantly they all include a message of responsibility, empowerment, and personal strength. They are a pleasant surprise amidst all the drek available for children’s entertainment. Much of this drek is general drek that children might mistake for children’s drek, but is really adult-oriented drek. But drek is drek, right? We’ve got the whole Barbie movie collection and I am quite happy to watch my little one enjoying them. They are well-written and the producers understand the value of positive messages for little girls. Of course, they are also repulsively cute, but that is not a problem for the little one.

How Disney World Helps Little Girls Feel Special, and Empowered - Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Disney World in Orland, Florida has a new offering called Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique . There are two locations at Disney World-one in Downtown Disney, the other in Disney World itself at the Princess Cinderella castle. At the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique little girls get a makeover, and walk out looking like a proper Disney princess! There are several fairy god-mothers in training (hair stylists and makeup artists) who pamper and primp the little girls. Parents can choose from three levels of princess makeover, from mildly expensive to quite pricey. Go for the lowest price, then save some money for a tip for the fairy god-mothers. If you can get a nice princess dress for your little girl, bring it with you, too. Making children feel special is something that Disney does very very well. They charge a pretty penny for it, but it’s worth it if you know how to pre-plan a vacation and save some money. I am not a shill for Disney by any stretch having thought the entire concept of Disney World was hooey until only recently. I’ve been to Disney World several times and enjoy it each time. (An excellent forum for all things Disney can be found here. )

This trip was particularly positive on account of the superb treatment of my little one at the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique! The attention that she received, the positive reinforcement, the excellent service given to her for her about her was almost more than she could believe. All smiles, she walked in a proper princess but exited also looking the part, too. And all day throughout the park many guests and most staff greeted her with “hello princess” some even bowing and curtseeing. It was a pleasure for me as a parent to see. My little one is my princess, after our visit to the boutique everybody else saw that she was a princess, too! While the notion of “princess” might seem silly to those older and more jaded, for little girls it’s a very serious matter. And what better way to teach social responsibility, empowerment, manners, bravery, personal strength, comportment, etc., than to explain what a proper princess would do and wouldn’t do. As a former disdainer of Disney I can say now that I am most impressed and would recommend this boutique experience to anyone travelling to Disney World in the company of a princess.