In April I decided to dye my hair purple. I had dabbled with the idea in the past. I even had made attempts at doing so twice with a few strands here and there. But this time I went for it- I dyed my entire head. When I did, someone told me “Good idea, get it out of your system now before you turn 30.” But, I disagree. I choose to dye my hair purple at 29 and I may choose to do so at 35, 40, maybe 60 if I feel like it.
Honestly, it took a lot of thought before taking the leap to go purple. First of all, it is a MAJOR change. If you know me even a little, you know how much I hate change. It makes me anxious. But, sometimes change is good. Secondly, I seriously thought about what other people would think about me. After all, some people think a near 30 year old shouldn’t have purple hair.
But, I went for it anyway and I’m glad I did. Not only was I in love with the color- I got so many compliments at Disney the following week. I shrieked with excitement when one Photopass photographer told me she loved my “mermaid hair”.
This got me to thinking- how many times do you hear people say “Do it now while you’re young!” Or you see an article that is titled “10 Things Women Should Stop Doing Before They Turn 30.” To some extent, I think some of these lists and suggestions are crap. So, I want to share with you some things that people say are strictly “for kids” at Disney World. I also want to share why you should totally break these rules!
Let’s start with one of the most popular things to do at Disney- meeting characters. Most would classify this as a kid centric activity. I do think a lot more adults take part in this activity than most would admit. The difference being that kids really make the most of the interactions and a lot of adults don’t.
I don’t care how old I am, I will always make the most of my character meet & greets. Life is more fun when you can act silly and really immerse yourself in the fairy tales. Whether I am making fun of Gaston, telling Ariel all about having legs, or celebrating an unbirthday with Alice- it doesn’t get old.
Another activity that has always technically only been for kids is the magical, coveted Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointment. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a well thought out argument for Disney to let me, a 29 year old child, have an appointment of my own. Luckily, I kept this well rehearsed reasoning to myself over the last few years and Disney came through for us adults!
If you hadn’t already heard, Disney World has recently started offering Character Couture packages. Now, you don’t need to be an 8 year old to have your hair, makeup & nails done up like your favorite princess. Princesses not your thing? Well, the stylists are game for Villians or classic characters too!
The packages are certainly not cheap- but neither are BBB makeovers. Although I haven’t made my appointment yet, I am so on board with this recent addition! As Stacey would say, this is a must do!
After your Character Couture makeover, it’s time to take part in my favorite Disney World tradition. For me, every Magic Kingdom trip is not complete without a wish & some pixie dust! I always head straight to Castle Couture and ask for some. They are always happy to oblige when they aren’t busy! And for the boys & men out there reading this- make sure to go & ask to be knighted!
Next, it’s time to head over to Epcot for one of my favorite takes on a Disney kid activity. The Kidcot fun stops are a blast for both kids & adults. Children are entertained with arts, crafts & cultural education. But adults can & should totally get in on the fun too!
A few years back, my mom and I bought one of the Epcot World Showcase Passports & decided to use it to track what we ate and drank around the world. The passport is super cute & comes with stickers to track what countries you’ve stopped at. But we decided to have fun with it and stop at the Kidcot spots too! They were more than happy to stamp our passports. Some of the cultural representatives even wrote us notes in their native language or taught us something fun about their country.
After eating & drinking around the world this next “kid” activity is a must. Most parents will schedule a nap for children while at Disney, but I am an advocate for anyone taking a nap while vacation here. I usually go by myself or with my adult friends and family and you better believe I will sometimes schedule down time at the resort. On days I can’t find time to head back to the hotel, a quick snooze on a dark ride always helps. Although Ellen’s Energy Adventure was my favorite nap ride (RIP!), Carousel of Progress is a good alternative.
The most important aspect of napping during a busy trip is to help prevent another common kid activity- the meltdown. Us adults are not immune to these. You can ask my friend Jamie, who handled my huge meltdown at midnight on the Boardwalk one year because I didn’t want a certain brand of water. If you don’t rest & relax enough on vacation, a meltdown is inevitable!
With the Halloween season upon us, another fun kid activity comes to mind at Disney- trick or treating! Let’s be honest, if I decided to dress up and wander the streets of New Jersey trick or treating past the age of 16, I am probably going to get a lot of dirty looks. I may get screamed at or told off. Heck, I may very well get the cops called on me! But at Disney, not only is it okay for adults to trick or treat- it is encouraged!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UnIfJd-EEo
I attended my first Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2 years ago and it was an absolute blast. (See above for the trip video I made!) Without getting incredibly sappy on you, I want to share why trick or treating again makes me so happy. I lost one of my best friends when I was 18 years old. Before the accident, we had gone trick or treating together the few previous years and made a pact that we would keep going out on Halloween until we were 21. We felt like kids at heart and wanted to embrace that for as long as we could!
Once I lost him, I did not continue to go out trick or treating. I spent the next Halloween, my favorite holiday, in bed sleeping trying to forget about the memories because it made me too sad. My youngest sister actually convinced me a few years later to dress up as Hannah Montana so I would look as young as she was and go out with her. I only went up to 3 houses but it made me happy to reminisce and was exhilarating!
When I attended the Halloween party at Disney, I felt these feelings all over again. Something that I was told was only for little kids was completely allowed. I ended up sharing most of my candy, but the act of trick or treating made my night. I cannot wait to attend again this holiday season and experience it all over again!
So, I don’t know about you, but I plan on embracing my youthful side for as long as humanly possible. How do you still bring out the kid inside? Whether it’s something big like dying your hair a fun color or on a smaller scale like giving Mickey a big ole hug- I want to hear all about your adventures!
.
Love the hair Lisa! Age should never hold you back from enjoying life.