Your child's first hair cut is pretty special. Add in a sprinkle of pixie dust in Disney and you've got an extra special baby's first haircut.
The place to get your first haircut at Walt Disney World, is at Harmony Barber Shop, in Town Square on Mainstreet USA, Magic Kingdom. The barber shop offers hair cuts for all - you can get an adult haircut for $19 or child haircut up to 9 years for $18. But the big draw is their "My First Haircut" package. With this you get your little one's hair cut, plus a certificate and a special Mickey ears hat, embroidered with "first haircut" on the back. It currently costs $25 - which isn't much more than a regular Mickey ears hat.
We really wanted our eldest daughter to have the first haircut experience at Harmony Barber Shop. Unfortunately for us, her hair just wouldn't grow! When she was 2 and half it was just about long enough to justify a haircut. Just. And this coincided with a trip to Walt Disney World so I booked her in.
The barber shop is in a traditional style - you'll see the red and white pole outside and an old fashioned feel on the inside, complete with 3 barber chairs. When we arrive we checked in and only had a few minutes wait before we were taken over to the barber's chair. With a giant booster seat. There are mirrors in front of the chairs, but with the little ones, they spin the chairs around so the kids can face their grown-ups, for that extra bit of reassurance if they need it.
My only concern with our appointment was how well our 2 year old would take to sitting still and having that haircut. But I really needn't have worried. The stylists are not only licensed hair dressers, they also cut tiny people's hair all day long and are very used to keeping them happy while it is being done. Our daughter was given two light up spinning dolls to play with, Minnie and Rapunzel, and they kept her fully entertained during the whole hair cut. Those and a lot of Mickey Mouse stickers did the job nicely!
The haircut itself is done damp - using a water spray. It is a fairly quick experience - the whole thing lasted about ten to fifteen minutes for us. But then our daughter didn't have a lot of hair. After the trim, Barbara, our stylist produced her Mickey ears hat and showed her the "First haircut" words on the back. She put it on for her, and then showed her her hair and hat in the mirror.
You are also given a certificate, with their name and date on it. They put a clipping of the hair in a little envelope - stuck to the back of the certificate with a Mickey sticker so we wouldn't lose it.
How to book a first haircut at Walt Disney World
You don't have to make a reservation to book a first haircut - walk ins are welcome. But it is very popular so if you know you want to have a haircut at Harmony Barbershop, we recommend booking well in advance. Especially if you don't want to give up lots of park time waiting.
There are two ways to book your haircut, and you can do so from 180 days in advance. You can phone Disney directly on +1 407 939 7529. (+1 407 WDW PLAY).We typically use skype to make this call so that it is free, as that is a US number. Phone lines open at 7am EST - so 11am GMT.
Very recently, Disney have made it possible to book online. Go to the website and on the right hand-side you will see a 'check availability' button. Or you can do it directly in the My Disney Experience app - just search for 'Harmony Barbershop', then click 'Book Experience'.
Having your child's first hair cut at Disney World really is a lovely experience and we do recommend it. It doesn't take long - in fact it did feel a bit too short, like it was over before we knew it. But at least it doesn't take away from your day for too long! And you get some fab photos, nice momentos, and truly special memories.