This Company Is Every Girl's (and Grown Woman's) Princess Fantasy Come True
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Tucked away on Balboa Island in Newport Beach, CA, sits every little girl's dream wonderland — Once Upon an Island. The children's entertainment venue offers birthday parties, princess makeovers, and daily character events. Favorite princess and mermaid characters are around every corner; even adult women have gotten in on the finned fun, renting out their own flippers.
We wanted to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on what it's like to be a princess every day because, hello, dream job! Once Upon an Island's founder, Briana Baker, gave us the lowdown on all the surprising details she has learned from her experiences. Keep reading to learn more.
— Additional reporting by Tara Block
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How did you guys come up with the Once Upon an Island idea?
I spent most of my early 20s doing various character work, from theme parties to private events and birthday parties, all while studying child development. When I realized the retail space below my home was for lease early this year, the idea just sort of popped in my head! I knew I could create a unique place for little girls to come and feel like they were in a true wonderland. I wanted to create a space where imagination could run wild and girls could be girls that was still small enough to be intimate and personalized.
Tell me a little bit about your background. Have any of you been Disney princesses at Disneyland?
Every girl has worked as royalty at theme parks from California, San Diego, Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong. We like to keep the magic and say a true princess never tells! I will say that we have extensive experience entertaining children at the highest levels of training and standards.
Who was your favorite Disney princess growing up?
Ariel, of course! I think that's part of the reason that Once Upon an Island is very mermaid-themed. You have a huge mermaid clam shell in the first room for photos, mermaid attendants helping you get made over and dressed up, a magical jellyfish salon, and of course our ever-popular Mermaid Mondays, where girls get to be transformed into actual mermaids themselves.
Do you think these princesses make good role models for young girls?
I think any strong female character is influential with little girls. When we create our own version of the stories from classic tales, we make sure to inject a lot of inner strength and put an emphasis on kindness and inner beauty.
What's it like being in costume all day? What's the best part and the worst part?
Well it definitely sharpens your improve skills! We stay in character from start to finish! It's very fun and creates a youthful and unique atmosphere that lets you escape just a little bit from the real world! The worst part is probably wearing wigs all day, along with lots of makeup and eyelashes and often costumes that aren't very fun to wear for an entire day. Maybe I'll create a princess that loves to wear yoga pants and sweatshirts!
Those mermaid fins seem really popular with adults; have you swam in them? What's it like?
I have and they are so fun. I don't think the desire to be a mermaid goes away at any age! They are incredibly easy to swim in and you can go much faster than you would think. They really are fun for all ages.
Do you have any sweet stories since you've opened up?
I honestly probably tear up once or twice a week. People can say what they want about princesses and role models, etc., but at the end of the day, making a little girl feel pretty and watching her just play freely in a world we built just for her or interact with a character she looks up to is very touching. I think we should celebrate little girls just how they are.
Check out everything Once Upon an Island has to offer in the video above.