Walt Disney once said “growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional.” I’ve always taken this quote to heart, and I wanted to keep my inner child alive into adulthood and find a job that fulfilled this need. I’ve always loved Disney movies as a kid and I admired the Disney princesses for what they stood for. Besides being pretty and having lovely outfits, they were examples of strong women, who held on tight to their dreams, weren’t afraid of adventure, and approached the world with a kind heart. It’s been two years since I’ve started working for a princess party company outside of my hometown, and I’m so happy that I get to spread these messages to the children I interact with as the characters I play. We do smaller events like birthdays and tea parties, but I want to walk you through one of our bigger events, a Princess Ball, a large princess event that makes a bunch of little children’s dreams come true.
5:45am – Wake Up
Yep, you read that time right. I’ve taken to calling these wee hours of the morning “princess o’clock”. Normally, we would have driven to the city we’re performing in and slept in a hotel the night before. We get up, and start applying our base makeup for the day and gathering what we need: food, wig caps, tights, extra makeup, bobby pins, aspirin in case of headaches, water bottles, etc.
7:00am – Call Time at the Venue
Then we’re at the venue! We move in, bringing in our costumes wigs and accessories. We then finish getting ready, applying eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick, and then get dressed. Some costumes are easy, just a dress and shoes. Princesses with big hoop skirts, like Cinderella or Belle, normally end up wearing about 3-4 layers of clothing under their dress, so they are appropriately poofy. We help lace each other in or pin on our wigs, and we spot check each other’s makeup. This is honestly one of my favorite parts of the ball, because we are all helping one another and we’re all so excited for the ball to start.
8:45am – Walkthrough
Once we’re all ready, we walk through the venue and talk about where people will be standing and what activities we will be leading. Also, usually at least 3 princesses sing at these Balls, so they run through their songs to make sure they’re perfect!
9:00am-12pm, 12:30pm-3:30pm
Let the Ball begin! Each session is three hours long, and usually there are 2 of these sessions in one day. We spend the next 3 hours dancing with children, making crafts, singing songs, and taking lots and lots of pictures. These are the times where the children are meeting their idols, asking a million questions and giving the biggest hugs. These are the moments that remind us why we do our job, seeing the biggest smiles on their faces and hearing their parents say “You’re all they talk about!” or “She’s named after you!” or “We can’t wait to come back next year!”
After the last child has left the Ball and given their last wave goodbye, we pack up all of our things and head home, bodies sore and ready to rest. But, despite the travel, the sore feet, and the children who aren’t quite feeling ready for a meet and greet, it’s always so worth it. Seeing the smiles on each face that leaves the Ball, for me, is worth more than gold. I hope that I am making just as much of an impact on these children that the original films and characters made on them, and me. I hope that when they think of these events and these characters they always remember to have courage and be kind, to reach as far as the second star, and to never stop dreaming. Because that’s what these princesses have taught me.