The Plan
Precious. That is the best word I can use to describe our experience at The American Girl Store & Bistro in Orlando, Florida. After tossing around a couple of options my daughter decided that she wanted to spend her 6th birthday visiting The American Girl Store in Orlando. She has never been to the store before and to be honest she doesn’t have American Girl dolls. My daughter has the version from Target. However, she somehow started receiving the magazines a couple of months ago and her love of everything American Girl began. We decided an American Girl Birthday would be a fun way to remember her special day. She decided she wanted to have her doll’s hair done and have a lunch together with mama at the Bistro.
Before You Go
I would suggest you make a reservation ahead of time. We visited on a Monday so the crowd was relatively low. However I talked to many of the employees who shared that both the doll hair salon and the bistro are typically reservation only on the weekends. It would be terrible to arrive and not be able to do all the experiences they have to offer.
The Doll Hair Salon
*** Before we went I was concerned because my daughter did not have an official American Girl doll. Do not worry. The store will allow dolls from other stores. However they will ask you to sign a disclosure before they work on your dolls hair. If you have a non American Girl doll they also will not paint their nails or pierce their ears.
Our first appointment was at the hair salon. The sweet employee invited my daughter to choose which hair style she would like her doll to have. They have a couple of different pages to choose from depending on the style of hair your doll has (curly, straight, etc.).
The employee then took my daughter’s doll and placed her in a hair salon chair-again, precious. She then brushed and styled the doll’s hair. Next, she was allowed to choose what color hair ribbon she wanted for her doll.
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Shopping Time
One of the things my girl was looking forward to the most about our day was shopping at the store. Between our hair appointment and Bistro appointment we had about 45 minutes so we decided to tour the store. You can see our tour and our experience at the doll salon and Bistro in our YouTube video below.
My suggestion is to have in mind a budget that you will follow before you walk in the door. Even better it might be good idea to discuss it with your child before going in. We all know when those sweet little eyes are looking up at you it’s difficult to say “no” 🙂
I already had in mind that we were going to allow her to buy a Bitty baby. It is something she has been eyeing for a while so I knew once she saw them in person she would want one. There are so many precious dolls and accessories that it is difficult to choose. To get an idea of some of the things you will find at the store you can check out the selections below. You might even want to buy your girl something special before you make the trip.
Birthday Celebration At The Bistro
We worked up quite an appetite by shopping the store. I had booked the birthday celebration. As mentioned above I booked it over the phone but there is an option to book online. Here is the link to book at the Orlando Bistro. While we chose the birthday celebration there are other options like Bitty Baby Deluxe Birthday Celebration, Wellie Wishers Birthday Celebration, Deluxe Birthday Celebration, and Wellie Wishers Deluxe Birthday Celebration. You can see the descriptions of all these choices in the link above. I will describe the package we purchased below.
The Birthday Meal
The birthday celebration is $21 for adults and $31 for children. At first I was hesitant about spending that kind of money for a meal. However, after the fact I was so happy I did. I was amazed with the quality and amount of food we received. Each person was allowed to choose an appetizer, a main dish, and then we were given a piece of a 6″ Publix cake and ice cream. You are also given the remaining cake to take home with you.
For appetizers we had fruit fondue platter which came with two small banana muffins and yogurt to dip the fruit in. Our other appetizer was pretzel balls with cheese. As you can see in the picture below the presentation of the food was just as nice as the taste of the food. For the main dish my daughter chose the chicken fingers which came with macaroni and cheese and fruit. I chose the turkey club which came with french fries. Both dishes were a great portion size and we both had a large portion of left overs.
After we finished the main dish our waitress came out and announced to the restaurant that it was my daughter’s birthday and she asked everyone to sing along. It was a sweet time for my daughter.
Why the extra $10?
You may be wondering why there is a $10 difference between the adult pricing and child pricing. In addition to the food, the child receives a goody bag that has a “Let’s Celebrate” shirt for your 8″ doll, a plastic balloon for your doll to hold, a birthday activity book, a birthday bag for your doll, and stickers (see image below).
In addition to the goody bag my daughter was given a little plate and cup for each of her dolls that we were allowed to take home. She was also given a “Let’s Celebrate” crown for herself and one of her dolls. The napkin rings also doubled as hair ties and we were also allowed to take those home. She was also given a birthday sticker to wear.
Where To Stay
There are so many fantastic places to stay near the American Girl Store in Orlando. However, if you are looking for the ultimate American Girl experience then you will want to check out Rosen Shingle Creek or right at the mall, The Florida Hotel. Both of these hotels offer special packages to make your visit to American Girl a trip she won’t soon forget.
Best Birthday
In my opinion we could not have picked a better place to celebrate my daughter’s 6th birthday. In addition to being a special way to celebrate her birthday it was also some precious mother-daughter time. I’m pretty sure it will be a birthday that she will always remember.
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel (link found in the sidebar). You can also view our YouTube video touring the American Girl Store Orlando below. Stay Peachy!
Great concept for the kiddos!
Yes she loved it 🙂
An Amazing Birthday! It is awesome that the Bistro was not crowded! They really did give you a lot of food! What a perfect day!
Yes it was 🙂 We were fortunate to be able to go on a weekday in March so yes there was hardly anyone there. We had so much food! Thank you-it was the perfect day 🙂
How much fun! Wish I could have done this when my daughters were younger, maybe I’ll do it with my granddaughter.
Melissa,
You should definitely check it out with your granddaughter. It is simply a magical experience!
Heaven on earth for little girls!
Yes for sure! 🙂
When my daughter was younger she loved this store. She went to a party there and they all had the doll hair done and tea – so dang cute!
That’s great! It really is so cute! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Stay peachy!
I’m so glad your daughter had a great birthday. This sounds like an amazing way to celebrate!
Thank you Candy. We really did have a fantastic time! Stay Peachy!
Precious is right! What a wonderful memory you made for your daughter that day!
Aww thank you! I appreciate your kind words! Stay Peachy!
American Doll Stores are amazing! I got to see my first at the Mall of America so when they came to Hawaii for the holiday season, I had to take my girls. They both ended up getting a doll but since the store left after the holidays, the excitement also disappeared. What a super special day for your daughter! I know for sure she will NEVER forget this birthday!
Ruth,
Thank you for your sweet comments! That’s interesting that they had a store just for the holiday season-bummer 🙁 Maybe you’ll get an opportunity to come to Orlando some day and you can take them then 🙂 Stay Peachy!
Such sweet memories! We did this with our daughter in Chicago and she loved it.
Thank you! Chicago was actually the first one I ever went in but I didn’t have a daughter at the time. I admit I think I had just as much fun as her 🙂
What a cool place to have a birthday party. I lived near an American Girl factory on the WI/IL border and they had a small store there that I would stop at sometimes. So glad your daughter had such a great birthday!
Nikki,
It was a great place for a birthday party 🙂 That’s so neat that you lived near the factory. I’m sure that was fun to visit! Thanks for commenting! Stay Peachy!
I have all boys but still LOVE this store! Maybe this is why I have all boys – someone knows how much fun I would have!
Girl I know. I told people I think I had just as much fun as she did-ha! You’ll have to borrow a niece or friend’s daughter for the day-it’s so fun!! Thanks for commenting-stay peachy!
My daughter loved her American Girl. Still have it and all the accouterments as well. What a great B-day party!
They are such great dolls. My daughter loves hers as well 🙂 Stay Peachy!
This sounds like an amazing time in something I will definitely recommend to my friends with young children. I love love love the idea that they let you bring in other dogs to get their hair done etc. ( of course they are pretty sure you’re going to buy from them so it’s a win-win). Thank you for sharing this wonderful experienc
Thank you Margaret. I was relieved when I found out that they allowed you to bring your own doll. Your right about them knowing they’ll make money off of you regardless-ha! It was such a fun time. Thanks for commenting! Stay Peachy!
This sounds like a brilliant idea and you seem to get a lot for your money too!
Thank you! Yes I was suprised as well by the amount of stuff we were able to get. It was worth every penny!
I am so in love with this idea! So cool and I’m sure you had a blast!
Haley,
Thank you! We had such a great time! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
My daughter would absolutely love this. Great idea for her next birthday. I didn’t realize they would work on any doll.
Thank you! Yes, you should definitely check it out. I bet your daughter would love it! Thanks for your comment. Stay Peachy!
This is just the sweetest idea ever. I love this bday party.
Thank you so much. We loved it as well 🙂 Stay Peachy!
What a fun and truly precious birthday event idea! I bet you’ll both hold those memories dear for a lifetime!
Thank you! I agree that we will both always cherish it. The week after we went she was already asking to go back 🙂 Stay Peachy!
I’m so touched! It is very important to know how to make our kids feel special and this was just the ticket. Good job, mama!!!!
Karla,
Thank you so much for your kind comment. We had such a great time together. Stay Peachy!
So fun! I used to have a couple AG dolls, and my daughter is a bit young for them but I bet she’ll be into them someday. How fun to look forward to a bday like this for her!
You must be a yougin 🙂 Yes definitely save those as I bet your daughter will love them-and you’ll save a lot of money 🙂 It will be fun to have a birthday with her at AG 🙂 Thanks for your kind comments!
This was a special birthday celebration that your daughter will always cherish! It sounds lovely!
Cindy,
Thanks so much! Stay Peachy!
I have boys, but I do have a goddaughter that loved these dolls. We went to the store in Chicago and I was blown away. I always wanted a doll for myself, but my husband never took the hint. LOL!
Heather,
I always wanted an American Girl doll as well. I think that is why I enjoyed visiting just as much as my daughter 🙂 The Chicago store was actually the first store I ever visited and I was blown away by how adorable it was! Thanks for leaving a comment. Stay Peachy!
Awww….what a fun thing to do! I remember my own girls getting their first American Girl dolls. Now, I only have grandsons, but I”m sure there will a girl somewhere along the way who I can spoil with dolls! Right now it’s dinosaurs and trains! LOL
Thank you Laura Lee. I agree that there will be a girl somewhere along the way to spoil 🙂 I totally understand the dinosaurs and trains. My three-year-old is a boy and we are all about both of those things right now! 🙂 Stay peachy!
What a special memory!!! I have three teenage boys, so visiting this place is not in my foreseeable future, but perhaps one day. LOL. Looks like you had a spectacular time and what a way to celebrate a birthday!
Thank you! We did have a wonderful time 😉 Stay peachy!