Magic Kingdom’s Harmony Barber Shop: First Haircut at Disney
My family after their haircuts at the Harmony Barber Shop at Magic Kingdom.
What is the Harmony Barber Shop?
Harmony Barber Shop is a charmingly old-fashioned spot where Disney guests of all ages can get a haircut—and some special Disney surprises. It opened on opening day, October 1st, 1971 and was originally located on the part of West Center Street on Main Street, U.S.A. It was nestled in the back of this area that used to be between the Emporium and the Disney Clothier. The shop originally had two chairs and ornate wood carving. It also included a shoeshine station.
In 2001, they connected the two gift shops and relocated the Harmony Barber Shop to it’s current location. Now the old West Center Street is completely enclosed in the gift shop. When Harmony Barber Shop relocated, it also dropped the shoeshine location (probably because no one wears leather dress shoes to Disney World anymore), and it added a 3rd chair. In 2015, it underwent renovations to gain its current look.
The stylists are all state-licensed cosmetologists, and they offer a variety of services, including haircuts, beard trims, and hairstyling. The cosmetologists are also called on to do cosmetology on many of the Magic Kingdom attractions, including the It’s a Small World, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean wigs.
Some of the things that makes Harmony Barber Shop so special are the surprises for the guests. There’s an abundance of toys, stickers, and glitter. And if you ask your stylist nicely, they might even give you a special Disney-themed haircut. Finally, if you’re really lucky, the Dapper Dans (the Main Street, U.S.A. barbershop quartet) may pay you a visit.
The Dapper Dans visit three times every morning to sing to guests. Third baby to the right is intrigued.
But, what the Harmony Barber Shop is really known for is baby’s first haircut. Our son has had two first haircuts there now (sorry, not sorry). Turns out, they don’t check your bona fides on first haircuts any more rigorously than that birthday pin you’re lying about, Susan. It’s an amazing and special experience for parents, and they are incredible at keeping the baby entertained in the process.
Whether you're looking for a classic haircut or a more creative style, Harmony Barber Shop is the perfect place to get your hair done at Disney World. And with all the hidden surprises, you're sure to have a magical experience. At the end, don’t forget to ask for a pixie dusting (actual pixie dust, not a free Lightning Lane) to increase the magic in the Happiest Place on Earth.
Where is Harmony Barber Shop at Magic Kingdom?
First, it might be helpful to know exactly where Harmony Barber Shop is before you book an appointment. Even though it’s on Main Street, I walked past it dozens of times before I ever noticed it. In fact, I never knew where it was until I booked the first, First Haircut for my son. When you walk through the entrance, under the Main Street train station, it’s in the top left of the Main Street circle, to the left of the Emporium gift shop, and to the right of the bathrooms and barn doors that serve as the exit for the parade floats. If that’s hard to follow, especially if you’re new to Disney World or Magic Kingdom, I circled it for you on the map here.
How to Book Your Harmony Barber Shop Reservation
Harmony Barber Shop accepts reservations up to 60 days in advance, much like dining. There are three ways to book your reservation for Harmony Barber Shop. The first and fastest way is to go to https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/enchanting-extras-collection/booking-harmony-barber-shop/ and enter the dates you want. You will need My Disney Experience account in order to book, and you will need to book with a valid credit card. As I mentioned, you can book 60 days in advance. To help you find available days faster, you can actually choose up to a 10-day block at once.
The second way to book a reservation is to use the My Disney Experience app. To find the Harmony Barber Shop, the fastest way I’ve found it click search (magnifying glass at the bottom) and type in Harmony Barber Shop. You can also go to the Magic Kingdom map, change the middle drop down menu to shops, and click on the shop at the bottom left of map. DO NOT click on “buy merchandise,” this will take you to ShopDisney.com instead of reservations. Just click the name. HOWEVER, this is a huge waste of time because it will redirect you to the website in the link above. Save yourself a bunch of time and just click that link, especially since I’ve already given in to you. In fact, here it is again. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/enchanting-extras-collection/booking-harmony-barber-shop/
The third way to make your reservation is even more time consuming than using the app. Just like with dining, you can call Disney to make a reservation. They won’t have any reservations that you can’t find online, and you’ll usually have to be on hold for a little bit. Woe to you if you call Disney on a day when a new promotion is released. It might take you hours to reserve a haircut. Call 407-WDW-PLAY (407-939-7529)
These are the ways to reserve a haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop. However, I’ll warn you that it is extremely difficult to book a reservation. If you want the peace of mind of having a reservation, you absolutely need to book exactly 60 days out from the day you want. I checked the app on August 2nd to write this, and September 30th (the 60th day) was the only day that had a reservation available. So be diligent about booking this with your advanced dining reservations at 60 days.
How to get a Walk-In Appointment at Harmony Barber Shop
2nd and 3rd kids to the right smearing the windows at Harmony Barber Shop.
Luckily, unlike hard-to-get dining experiences, I have found it easier to walk up for an appointment the day of than get one online. The first time I visited Harmony Barber Shop, I went there at park open and got an appointment for my son at noon (3 hours later). This was President’s Day weekend, one of the busier times of the year. When I returned in July for his second first haircut, they were able to take all three kids immediately, which gave me lots of time to ask questions, so I could write this blog for you.
I’m not making any promises. It’s definitely a risk to try to get a walk-in appointment, but if you can’t get an appointment online, don’t lose hope. However, I do recommend getting there as early as possible. This limits the chances of the slots filling up, and it gives more time in the day for them to have a slot available. If this a priority to you, rope drop it (go as soon as the park opens).
How much does Harmony Barber Shop Cost?
Harmony Barber Shop offers a variety of services. Here’s a list of the current rates at the time of writing:
Child’s Haircut: Starting at $20
Adult haircut: Starting at $21
Beard Trim: Starting at $8
Baby’s First Haircut: Starting at $28
Pixie Dust: Free
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TIPPING: Just like at any barber shop or salon, I highly recommend tipping. Unfortunately, the barbers at Harmony Barber Shop can only take cash. Please be prepared for this. Given how inexpensive this experience is, I think $10 or more is fair for this. MAKE SURE TO BRING CASH.
You can ask for custom things done, which will increase the price. And the Pixie Dust (glitter) is free. In fact, you can walk in there and ask for a free dusting any time you want, which a fun treat. I guess that means you get pixie dusted by pixie dust. All five of us got dusted, and it took the rest of the week before it was out of my beard, and I couldn’t fly any more.
Of course Second Dad to the Right had to get Pixie Dust.
Disney adult/child pricing always cracks me up. I get it that adults should cost more than kids for haircuts or theme park tickets, but the difference is so arbitrarily small that it seems they spend more money on the extra signage then the added revenue they get. I’m sure there’s some genius accounting/business psychology logic behind it that I don’t understand.
I can’t overstate how reasonable the pricing is for haircuts. It’s as cheap as a typical haircut outside of the park, and far cheaper than the fancy salon prices my wife pays. Couple that with the typical markup you usually see at Disney for basic things ($4 for a fountain drink with no refills?), and I’m actually shocked the prices stay that low.
Bippity Boppity Boutique ($100+) vs. Harmony Barber Shop ($20). No nail polish, fancy bag, or hair extensions, but still.
Now onto the best part of Harmony Barber Shop, the esteemed First Haircut.
Get Your First Haircut at Disney World
A pretty cute baby getting his first haircut at Harmony Barber Shop.
There can be no more magical way to get your child’s first haircut at Disney World. Not only is already the happiest place on Earth, but Harmony Barber Shop goes above and beyond to make it extra special for you and your littlest Mouseketeers.
Included in the fee for the first haircut are stickers, pixie dust, a certificate, a lock of hair saved in a souvenir bag, AND a classic Mickey Ear hat that says “My 1st Haircut” on the back (and plenty of photo opportunities). These are awesome gifts from a sentimental standpoint, but even from a cold financial standpoint, those ears without the embroidery would cost $20 in the gift shop.
On top of all this, the barbers at Harmony Barber Shop are well prepared and equipped to deal with squirmy toddlers who have no idea what’s going on and don’t follow directions well. They have big booster seats with buckles that keep your child safe, and they entertain them with bubbles and other toys that distract them while they get their hair done. I was blown away how well they were able to keep my little guy occupied during his…two…first haircuts. We had to do it twice. We forgot to bring the Mickey Ears.
Gladys gave our son bubbles to stay entertained. I saw her in a picture dated 2004 while I was researching this blog!
Further Reading
All in all, the Harmony Barber Shop is a historic, charming, and magical experience for your children and you (you can go by yourself and get a haircut if you want). It has roots, it has barbers that work on the attractions, it has pixie dust, and it has all the magic you’d expect from a haircut at Disney. And, as I pointed out, the first haircut experience might be the best option for a baby’s first haircut in the world. Our little guy absolutely loved it (both times). Speaking of which, if you’re bringing a baby or a toddler to the park, make sure you check out my post on tips for bringing babies to Disney World.
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