This post is part of a series that tours the Magic Kingdom from A to Z. For other posts in this series, click here.
After seven stops on our A-Z tour of the Magic Kingdom, we’ve visited almost every area of the park: we’ve purchased a Dole Whip in Adventureland, practiced our riflery skills in Frontierland, hopped aboard a riverboat in Liberty Square, ridden a caroussel and enjoyed a snack in Fantasyland, flown in Goofy’s plane in Mickey’s Toontown Fair and driven race cars in Tomorrowland. That leaves one area of the park that we’ve missed: Main Street, U.S.A. Fortunately, that will no longer be the case after today’s stop, the Harmony Barber Shop.
The Harmony Barber Shop has been in operation since the Magic Kingdom opened in fall of 1971, providing quality hair cuts for guests of all ages. When the Magic Kingdom opened, Harmony Barber Shop was located on West Center Street. What’s West Center Street, you ask? Well, as you walk north up Main Street toward Cinderella’s Castle, there’s a small street on the right where you can purchase a silhouette or caricature of yourself; this street is named East Center Street (tip: if you buy a treat at the Main Street Bakery and can’t find a seat, there are a few tables tucked away at the end of this street).
So if there’s an East Center Street, there must be a West Center Street, right? Well, up until 2001 there was such a street directly across Main Street. At one time, this street included such stores as New Century Clock Shop (sponsored by Elgin National Watch Company), Greenhouse Flower Shop, Card Shop (sponsored by Hallmark) and, you guessed it, Harmony Barber Shop. In 2001, all of the shops in West Center Street were closed or moved to allow for the expansion of the now mega-store Emporium. I asked a knowledgeable Cast Member about the reason for the expansion and he said that it was done to expand merchandise area, relieve crowding of the previous Emporium and to provide a covered route for guests to walk up and down Main Street when it’s raining. As part of this expansion, the Harmony Barber Shop was moved to the northwest corner of Town Square, between the Emporium and Car Barn.
Harmony Barber Shop, Main Street, U.S.A.
When you enter the barber shop, you’ll immediately feel as if you were transported to the early 20th century. The store is full of authentic items from that time period: a pot-bellied stove, a fully functional Western Electric phone box and, perhaps the coolest of all, a cash register dating back to 1912 that the barbers use to ring up sales. If you’re lucky, you may see the barbershop quartet the Dapper Dans drop in and perform a few song for guests.
The Harmony Barber Shop is perhaps best known for giving children their first haircuts. Young guests who have their first haircuts here are treated to a number of surprises, including pixie dust (plastic Mickey confetti), Mickey Mouse stickers, a certificate and special “My 1st Haircut” mouse ears. In addition to this special offering, the Harmony Barber Shop has the following services: adult haircuts for $17, child (ages 12 and under) haircuts for $14, beard and mustache trims for $10 and, my personal favorite, colored hair gel and pixie dust for $5.
A few years ago I attended Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with my parents and, since I didn’t have a costume, I stopped in for some colored hair gel and pixie dust. I opted for orange hair gel to match the holiday’s colors and the Cast Member went all out. She put the colored hair gel in my hair and topped it off with some pixie dust; additionally, she drew a Mickey head on the back of my head using the colored gel. Below is a photo of what my hair looked like after visiting the Harmony Barber Shop.
Harmony Barber Shop's Colored Hair Gel and Pixie Dust
The Harmony Barber Shop is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., averaging 350-400 services each week. Unfortunately, they only accept walk-ups, so if you’re interested in having your or your child’s hair cut here, it’s best to get there early as the wait can be rather long later in the day.
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Great run-down of the history of the area. Even though WDW is still relatively new, there have been so many changes since it’s opening!
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