the disney dress shop (review + experience)

I had big plans for the Dress Shop at Walt Disney World. Big plans. Money was set aside in my spending budget for a dress of my very own. The Dress Shop (there is one in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and of course, online) features a selection of Disney inspired dresses, purses, and accessories. These are no ordinary dresses though. They are typically retro inspired and have bold colours and prints. Just one look at the designs and you are sure to fall in love. Though I didn't have any luck at the Dress Shop on my last Disney vacation - because the Orange Bird dress I tried on didn't seem to flatter - I was still optimistic. I knew this would be my moment.

Before I let you know how my experience at the Dress Shop went....do you want to take a look around? I tried to take lots of pictures of the store so you could all see what it was really like. Though the store itself was fairly small (in Walt Disney World's Disney Springs, it is a mid-sized store inside of a building with lots of other stores) there was a whole lot to look at in terms of Disney fashion.

As you can see...everything is ridiculously cute. Expensive, but cute. The dress prices varied but were generally between $125-200 USD. There were some more affordable accessories to choose from though! Despite the high price tag for the dresses, I fully understand the reasoning. The materials are very high quality and the prints on the dresses are totally unique. My mind was made up before we even stepped foot in the store: I wanted the snack dress. (The blue dress, pictured above.) It had all sorts of Disney themed snacks printed on the dress and I could not wait to wear it.

Until I tried it on. Unflattering, to say the least. I love a good retro style dress but this one made me look like a deranged cupcake. It simply wasn't flattering whatsoever. The waist didn't hit at the right place and the neckline didn't work. Sigh. It was extremely disappointing. I had been so certain that the snack dress was the one for me. But I wasn't going to spend that kind of money on something that I didn't love. If the dress didn't make me feel good....it was a no-go. After that disappointment, I went on the hunt for another dress I might like. There was a really cute one with lots of Disney dogs. I tried it on and again, looked like a deranged cupcake. I tried a gorgeous classic Disney dress with a red cardigan. Same issue. I don't know why, but none of the dresses seemed to look good.

Though the dresses are beautiful and the prints are out of the world....I would definitely recommend trying on a dress before purchasing it. If you are slightly taller (like me) or have any concerns about fit, it's always best to try it on in store if possible. Or be sure to look into the return policy on the Disney website, if you are choosing to shop online. It may have been a disappointing experience overall (nothing worse than not being able to find a dress that makes you feel fabulous) but the shop itself is really special.

Have you ever visited the Dress Shop? What do you think of these designs?