Anonymous wrote:While there will be little girls wearing princess dresses everywhere you go, the only place that _everyone_ (or close to it) will be wearing them is if you do the Cinderella's castle character meal. We went when my kids were about your kids' ages (2.5 and 5.5) and we brought the dresses but they only wore them to the castle meal. They're not practical for walking around and going on rides.

This was our experience. We brought dresses I ordered online from a costume supply place and carried them in my dayback with sparkly dressy shoes, tiaras, wands and thoise satin elbow length gloves and the girls put them on before we went to an early dinner at the castle. One of the girls wanted to wear hers for a while after, while we were riding the train etc. but they wouldn't have been comfortable for a whole day of rides and walking.

If you are doing a character meal, I would bring one dress for each girl to just wear over her normal clothing. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother with a dress to just walk around the park.

My DD loves to wear them, but we don't go during the hot months. We take the Target versions b/c they aren't itchy, aren't as hot and we don't care what happens to them. She doesn't wear them to AK.

If your child wears a dress, the cast members will address her as that character.

My five-year-old was so excited to be at Disney and to be having breakfast at Cinderella's castle, I honestly don't think she noticed there were other little girls there, much less girls wearing princess dresses. She did make a very deliberate decision to wear a (cotton, casual) dress that day and to wear a headband, since Cinderella does. But not even a peep about a princess dress.

OP here.

Thanks for the encouragement and the limits (for Character meals.) and personal stories.

It calmed me down considerable, and I'm definitely less overwhelmed.

Gah! What a headache. We went to DisneyLAND (in CA) last summer and I saw very few girls in dresses.

We go to Disney a lot. I see lots of girls who aren't in dresses and some who are. It's a pain to dress up every day, but its really fun and special to let them dress up for a character meal with the Princesses or at the Magic Kingdom.

If you want new dresses, Disney has a bunch on clearance at the Disney Store website after Christmas special.

DD was 5 when we went - didn't bring a dress, did do 2 princess meals without it. She didn't seem to notice or care. She did do the princess makeover, complete with a new dress, but that was towards the end of our visit. She was THRILLED after that, because everyone addressed her as Cinderella...I can't even tell you how much she loved the attention. It even lasted the next day when she still had her hair done up but wasn't wearing the dress.

Obviously the kids won't know what they're missing, but I'm glad we spent the money on that because it was the most "magical" part for her.

The exception is wearing the dresses. Don't do it!