Disney in a Minute: What is Pixie Dust?

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

Disney fans love to talk about “pixie dust,” but what exactly does this mean?

In Disney parlance, the term “pixie dust” has three possible meanings.

1. The original Disney use of pixie dust occurs in the film Peter Pan. Here Pixie Dust is a non-specific sparkly powder that gives one the ability to fly. Peter shakes Tinker Bell over Wendy Darling and her brothers, glitter rains down, and then when they think happy thoughts, they can fly. Another version of this sentiment is, “Faith, trust, and pixie dust.” In the Peter Pan universe there are various colors of pixie dust have different magical properties.
2. In the Disney theme parks, cruise ships, and related spaces, pixie dust is a fine glitter powder that cast members sprinkle on guests. Often this takes place at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique salons, provided as a finishing touch after a princess makeover, but sometimes they’ll offer a pixie dusting to any guest. In the photo below, the wand is filled with glitter and acts as a “salt shaker” to provide a light dusting of shimmer to the hair. In the theme parks, the character Peter Pan might also toss glitter over guests, calling it pixie dust.
3. Disney guests also use the term “pixie dust” as a catchall term to mean anything kind or special that happens at a Disney destination. Pixie dust might originate from Disney itself or it might be given by one guest to another. Uses might included, “We were pixie dusted with a surprise room upgrade at our Disney resort.” Or, “We couldn’t take our balloon on the airplane, so we pixie dusted it to a little kid on our way out of the Magic Kingdom.”

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