I assure you that this question is completely rhetorical: Are your kids still as Frozen obsessed as mine?
Now, it’s completely adorable to see my fair-skinned platinum blonde 3.5 year old and freckled strawberry blonde 2.5 year old daughters finally playing nicely together as Elsa & Anna; however, you can seriously break the bank on the Frozen merch (that’s short for “merchandise” for us shopaholics) they want. We always consider want vs need (and sometimes give in to more “wants” than are needed), but I do love seeing the excitement my kids have in this fun story of two sisters overcoming tragedy & fear through friendship and love.
That said, we’ve held out for some key favorites only to be totally burnt (like on this first item for sure), so here are my favorite options for saving on Frozen costume goods.
The Gorgeous Anna Coronation Gown
The Disney Store Anna Coronation Gown Costume is BEAUTIFUL and would make any little girl smile if their parents are lucky enough to find one and willing to fork over $89 + tax for it.
At under $30, this version sold on Amazon.com will delight your Frozen fan without driving you to sneak into Oaken’s barn for shelter at night.
At under $25, this version with a solid skirt (the others have sheet skirts over a solid lining) from Amazon.com will make your wallet even more happy and your princess will still feel as royal as the princess of Arendale.
Anna’s Blue Traveling Gown
Okay, so the Disney Store has blown away the other options on this gown, but of course it’s completely unavailable and the new versions that I’ve seen from the Disney Store have been different (much less impressive). For $50, I thought this costume was a great deal since it would cost me more to make it, but I’m not sure I would buy the new version for 50 bucks because it has fewer layers and more dreaded costume glitter.
I love that this version is shorter since the Disney Store Anna dress is floor length and I like being able to buy a size up to get more wear out of costumes. This version does not include a cloak like the Disney Store version, but capes and cloaks are easy to come by (and make) for a bargain. This dress is currently well under $30 on Amazon.com.
For even less out of your pocket, you may want to consider this version of the Anna costume for under $20 on Amazon.com. It looks to be a knock-off (hence the similar but not spot-on details), but still a great option at less than half of the retail of the Disney Store version.
Elsa’s Famous Blue Ice Gown
Although the Disney Store’s Elsa Custom is gorgeous, and they are no longer going for $150+ on eBay, they are still pricy at $50 and are still hard to find, especially for those who don’t have a local Disney Store.
Don’t fear, Amazon.com has you covered again with this budget friendly version of Elsa’s ice dress for under $35. As a bonus, this dress isn’t super-long so your princess can order a size up and get more wear out of this costume version, making it make even more “cents”.
Elsa’s Coronation Gown Costume
This one may be a bit of a disappointment since this gown is still not available from the Disney Store or other popular costume makers. We made our own, you can see a detailed post on how here. Since it has embroidery and high quality materials, the cost to make this costume was around $75. It can be made for less with less expensive fabric, paint instead of embroidery, and without the full lining that I did. I have considered selling these, but would need to charge a lot so it wouldn’t be a budget dress.
If you have to have this dress, there are options on Etsy that currently start at $50 including this cotton dress.
I am completely baffled as to why more sellers aren’t making this dress, but they may have the same problem that I had which is this dress is time consuming to make, so even with $15-20 on materials, sellers need to make more than a few dollars for a couple days of their time.
Elsa Costume Shoes
Elsa’s ice shoes from the Disney Store are fabulous and made from a glittered “jelly” material. At under $17, you may want to buy the Disney Store version if it’s available and can qualify for free shipping, but if you’d like to save some cash for the next Disney princess…
This costume version of Elsa’s shoes are great for dress up since the open heel allows for a more forgiving fit (more years to play!) and shouldn’t give the blisters that some have gotten from the Disney Store shoes. Plus, at under $10 on Amazon.com, it’s quick and convenient to make them your own.
Anna’s Costume Shoes
It’s been forever since we’ve seen these available from the Disney Store (February 2014 maybe?) and they are gorgeous, but pricey – and still unavailable as of this post unless you pay a pretty penny from a reseller.
Why not consider this option (available from Amazon.com for under $10) in the familiar plastic dress-up shoe that can double as a matching shoe for another dress in this basic color.
Elsa & Anna Crowns
Okay so I’m in love with the new Disney Store crowns including this one designed for Elsa. Although it coordinates beautifully with the blue Elsa ice gown, my daughter has pointed out on several occasions that Elsa does not wear a crown in her blue dress. If you want to splurge on the Disney Store Elsa crown for $14.95, it is becoming available more regularly (and is available currently as of this post). In our home, it as officially become an Ariel crown because my daughter feels that it captures the Ariel spirit much better than the Elsa spirit. I think she’s on to something.
The Disney Store Anna crown, on the other hand, is also beautiful but we feel it is more versatile. My younger daughter loves to wear it as an Anna crown with both her green coronation Anna dress and her blue Anna traveling dress. My older daughter, on the other hand, likes to wear this with her favorite costume, the Elsa coronation gown, and it looks beautiful! This tiara is not available as of this post, but has been available regularly so check online and retail stores. This one was worth the splurge for us, in fact we now own 2, but there are other options if you’d rather consider a budget version.
This blue, plastic Elsa crown is still beautiful, although not as durable as the Disney Store versions. I’ve heard others tell me that they prefer this blue version and have seen these spray-painted silver or gold for a DIY budget version. It is currently under $7 on Amazon.com.
The plastic pink and purple Anna tiara is gorgeous, although again it is plastic so it is not as durable. Your princess may prefer this pink version, especially if you purchase the budget shoes above. This tiara is currently $8.99 on Amazon.com.