A Special First Haircut at the Magic Kingdom

Those of you who have followed the saga of Graham’s mullet know its level of ridiculousness is second only to that of the Mickey ears balloon we bought at the Magic Kingdom (that actually floated for 7 weeks!). The boy needed a haircut. As badly as my mama heart didn’t want to do it, it needed to be done.

I’d heard about the Harmony Barber Shop at the Magic Kingdom and thought it would be a fun place for the first cut, but I had no idea just how special they would make his day. I just had to share this with you guys since I know your kids will love it too! Make sure to check out my tips at the bottom of this post for making the most of your experience!

We started our day at the Harmony Barber Shop. I wasn’t able to get a reservation on the phone, so we decided to just show up and see if there was any availability and there was! We had to wait about an hour and a half, which ended up being perfect because we needed lunch and I wanted to get Graham’s silhouette done to remember that sweet curl/mullet forever. I also made sure to tell them that we wanted the first haircut package so they could be ready for it.

The silhouette took less than 10 minutes and it was a great experience. The artist did a freehanded cut and it’s just perfect! You actually get two silhouettes because of the way the paper is folded and we bought frames for both (you could totally frame them yourself too). The total for this awesome, personalized keepsake? Less than $30! I also like that it doesn’t have “WALT DISNEY WORLD” emblazoned across the frame or silhouette backing because it features the actual art and lets you tell the story for yourself.

After lunch, we headed back to the barber shop and checked in. While we waited for our chair to open up (about 15 minutes), we got to watch a couple other people get their hair cut (there were several adults we saw waiting to have their hair cut too!).

Then, it was our turn! We popped Graham up into one of the three chairs in the small shop and Margaret started working her magic. She made sure he felt comfortable with her before she ever got out the scissors – blowing bubbles with him, giving him tons of Mickey stickers, and letting him play with a little spinning toy.

Once he was ready, she started by clipping off that sweet little curl. I asked her if she would save it and she said “oh of course! We save it all!” and she lovingly wrapped the curl up separately from all the other locks she cut off. At the end of the haircut, these were put in a little fabric bag with some “pixie dust” that we could take home as a keepsake.

At the end, for the grand reveal, Graham got a pair of Mickey ears that say “My 1st Haircut” on them and Margaret made sure to position me perfectly so I could get just the right camera shot of Graham checking out his new ‘do in the mirror. He also got a certificate to take home that shows that he got his first haircut at the Magic Kingdom.

I can’t recommend this experience enough, even if it’s not your child’s first haircut! All of the cast members in the shop are state licensed cosmetologists, so they know what they’re doing, and they’re all so nice.

The Basics

• Harmony Barber Shop is located in the Main Street, USA section of the park, right by the Emporium and the Fire Station.
• The most expensive haircut on the menu is the My First Haircut package, and that’s only $25! I thought this was really reasonable for Disney! A regular child’s haircut (with pixie dust!) is $18 for kids 9 and under and an adult haircut is $19.
• Bring cash for a tip. There’s not a place to leave one on the receipt, but there is an ATM located at City Hall.

Pro Tips

• Don’t bother with trying to make a reservation unless you’re doing it a couple months in advance. Honestly, I usually rave about Disney’s efficiency, but the only way to make a reservation is to sit on the main reservation phone line (along with everyone else booking their recreation activities) and each time I tried to call (at various times throughout the day) the wait was at least 45 minutes… And I didn’t even get a reservation because the four dates I asked about were booked up! The best way to go is just showing up in the morning and heading straight for the shop. You might have to wait a few hours, but there’s plenty to do… You are at the Magic Kingdom, after all!
• This is an awesome, cheaper alternative to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (which is also amazing if it’s in your budget!), so consider it if you don’t want to shell out the cash for the full Bibbidi Bobbidi experience.
• If it’s your child’s first haircut, consider doing a silhouette first. It’s not expensive and it’s a keepsake you’ll have forever!