Disney World’s Harmony Barber Shop – A Magical First Haircut

When planning our most recent Walt Disney World trip, we knew the crown jewel would be the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for our two daughters. It was something we had anxiously waited for and now it was finally going to happen. But, as we sat contemplating our other activities, my one year old son played on the floor in front of us. Not born bald, yet not born with the flowing locks some other children escape with, he was looking a bit shaggy for the first time. Though allowing him to cultivate a perfectly feathered mane of epic proportions entered my brain, I quickly yielded to my wife’s suggestion: as Disney fans, what better way to enhance our upcoming trip than to get our son’s first haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street, U.S.A.?

We had stopped into the Barber Shop on one previous occasion, just to check it out. Located at the beginning of Main Street, near where the Festival of Fantasy parade exits and around the corner from the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom stop in the firehouse, it is a small space with only four barber chairs and limited seating to wait. At that time—which was early May—we could hardly peak our heads in the door due to the number of people waiting for a trim. With this in mind, I went ahead and made an advanced reservation. I knew the day we would be in Magic Kingdom was a day it had a 7:00 PM closure, so I tried to make a reservation for as late as possible, thinking we could stop by for the haircut on our way out of the park. Unfortunately, the latest reservation available was for 5:15 PM. It would have to do.

We arrived around 5:00 PM and were surprised to find only one other customer in the Barber Shop, and they were just finishing up. Now, we did go during one of the slowest times of the year—early September—so I’m not really sure if the norm is closer to when we stopped by in May, or this occasion. To be safe, like most things, I would recommend making a reservation. For reservations, call 1-407-WDW-PLAY (393-7529).

Don’t let the barber shop stereotype deter you—it was an all female staff cutting hair that day, and they offer cuts for both men and women, boys and girls. Adult cuts will cost $19.00, while children cost $15.00. An added option for children is the First Haircut package, which includes a cut and comes with complimentary Mickey ears that read “My First Haircut” on the back. The cost was $18.00, which I felt was a great value as the cost to get our daughter’s first haircuts at our local Cartoon Cuts was $17.99 and obviously did not include a set of Mickey ears.

Though excited for our son to get his first haircut, we were concerned that he would not make it an enjoyable experience for anyone within earshot. He had already had two breakdowns earlier that day, and dinner time was inching dangerously close. We warned our barber that things may not go smoothly, to which she smiled and reassured us everything would be fine. She whipped out a few Mickey Mouse and Cars toys, which did well to distract him for most of his cut. She was very gentle with him, clearly having been in this situation numerous times before. After the first few snips our barber stopped to gather the cut locks and hand them over to us to commemorate the event. She quickly went back to work and before we knew it, it was all over. He had not only behaved, but was reluctant to relinquish his thrown—and new toys. While our son was still seated in the barber’s chair–and distracted–our barber presented him with his commemorative Mickey ears, and gently put them on his head. We were also given a certificate of recognition for his first haircut. The haircut took approximately 10 minutes and our bill was exactly $18.00 (ed. – Disney’s web site lists this package at $19). TIP: You can pay for your haircut via credit card, but if you want to leave a tip for your barber you will need to have cash handy as you will not be able to add it on to the total amount charged.

All in all…it was a haircut. It’s not the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, nor is it the Pirates League. I actually thought the Harmony Barber Shop could have been themed a little better, to be honest. I probably would not take the time out of my vacation to get my own haircut there, but that speaks more to my feelings on how precious time is while at Walt Disney World. That said, I felt this was a truly great value for a unique Walt Disney World memory. The haircut was good, and the Cast Members were very attentive to my son. The milestone in my son’s life, though small, was enhanced for us by knowing it came on Main Street, U.S.A.

The details

• Call 407-WDW-PLAY for reservations. Walk-ins are also accepted but expect a wait.
• Kids’ (12 and under) cuts – $15, adults’ cuts – $19, My First Haircut package – $19, all plus gratuity and tax. Colored gels and hair glitter are available for an extra charge.
• These are cuts only, no shampoo.
• There is a $10 charge for no-shows for reservations if you don’t cancel 24 hours ahead of time.
• The hours for Harmony Barber Shop are not posted online and do vary, but are generally 9 or 10 AM to 5 or 6PM.