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Ways
to Celebrate
a Child's Birthday at WDW |
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Tell your
server at every restaurant you dine at (Especially true at Whispering
Canyon, Prime Time Cafe, 'Ohana, and Character Meals). Take a Birthday Fireworks/IllumiNations Cruise Dial
the operator on your Disney Resort phone and ask for Goofy's special birthday
message! Birthday Cakes may be ordered by contacting your Disney resort room service or the Lobby Concierge desk. Decorated cakes are available through the Goodings Bakery located at Crossroads, call 407-827-1200. ALL EARS® Team Member Glo in Miami passes on this info from her 8/05 trip: We celebrated our granddaughter's 2nd birthday with dinner at Chef Mickey's and wanted a special birthday cake for her. I called the main switchboard (1-407-824-2222) two days in advance and asked to be transferred to Chef Mickey's. (Make sure you tell the operator you're NOT trying to make reservations or you will be transferred to the dining line... and try not to call during the busy breakfast or dinner hours. You can do this for any WDW restaurant you're dining at, by the way.) The Cast Member I spoke with made sure I knew that desserts were included on Chef Mickey's buffet and also that a complimentary cupcake could be served... but we wanted an actual cake. The Cast Member asked if we wanted (1) chocolate or white cake; (2) chocolate mousse or vanilla filling; (3) chocolate or vanilla buttercream frosting and (4) birthday Mickey or birthday Minnie on the top of the cake. Cost was $16 (plus tax) for a 6-inch cake and had to be paid for in advance, at the time the cake was ordered. When we arrived at Chef Mickey's, the hostess let us know that the cake order had been received and would be brought to our table at the appropriate time, and it was. We chose vanilla cake with chocolate mousse filling and vanilla frosting. The cake was delicious! And the Mickey sprinkles were a really cute added touch. When we were finished, our server brought us the cake box so we could take the "leftovers" with us. **********READER BIRTHDAY IDEASPRESCHOOLERS Our son has had both his birthdays (he is 2) at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary. This is a wonderful place for a small child! It is noisy & busy which keeps their attention and they can meet the characters that a small child is most likely to know in a less hurried setting. (For children under 2, the quick meets in the park can be difficult since they are just getting used to the large character when their turn is over.) It is a place you can sort of relax with a small child - it is already so noisy you don't worry about disturbing the other guests. If you ask
your server, they will bring a decorated cupcake to the table with a candle
in it during one of the "Celebration" periods so your little
one can still get to blow out their own candle. (Pamela in Illinois) ***** Go to City Hall and get an "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY" button. During the day Cast Members will go out of their way to wish your child a Happy Birthday. Also, if you get autographs from the characters, some will write a special Happy Birthday note in your child's autograph book. At the end of the day, plan a birthday dinner at Chef Mickey's. When making the reservation, mention that your child is having a birthday. After the Celebration song is played, one of the characters may come to your table and bring your child a birthday cupcake, candle and all. My daughter just celebrated her 2nd birthday at WDW and it is a day none of us will ever forget. (Debbie Podzimek) ***** For my Son's 4th birthday we arranged to have a small Party at the Grand Floridian Cafe around Lunch. It was very convenient and we could just hop on the Monorail from the MK to get there. I called a couple weeks in advance of our arrival and ordered 2 small cakes-- one with Capt. Hook and one with Peter Pan. They turned out wonderful. When we arrived our table was decorated with Balloons and my son was treated like a king. The Cast Member in charge of arranging the event even went so far as to arrange for his presents to be sent back to our Disney resort room. Also as a little side note-- I had collected Disney themed Birthday cards for a few months prior to his birthday-- and signed them as the characters that were on the card-- i.e..- the Toy Story Card I found was signed by "Buzz and Woody". All in all it was a wonderful memory for him and for me as well. In addition to his special party-- we told the characters at Cindy's Castle Breakfast and they gave him a special certificate that they all signed for his birthday. (Julie Tomas) ***** We had a great idea for our upcoming vacation for my 4 yr. old granddaughter's birthday. The night before her birthday we would stop in at the Tinker Bell Gift Shop in Fantasyland so she could pick out her favorite Princess outfit for herself. The next day we would have her party at Cinderella's Royal Table with breakfast with the Princesses with her in costume! A terrific photo op. for us to get our Princess Summer with the other Princesses!!! (Prinbeebe) ********** AGES 5 TO 11 For my son's 7th birthday last year, my brother and sister in law treated us to 3 days at Coronado Springs for a pre beach vacation trip. Since my brother lives out of town, just spending time w/ him was the best birthday present. They spent time in the great pool at Coronado and we did 3 parks in one day. Sometimes just being able to spend time together is the best birthday. He has already been in 3 parades and we were the Met-Life family of the day. But he still talks about riding Tower of Terror w/ Uncle Bobby and Aunt Luci. Simple is best! Debi ***** We celebrated our daughter's 7th birthday at WDW and had a blast. When you book your dining reservations, be sure to mention that you will be celebrating a birthday. If you're staying on Disney property. Call the operator or the front desk and ask for the special birthday message. Your child will receive birthday greetings from Goofy. (Susan Klein) ***** I read how the special birthday person can get a button at Town Hall and thought that wasn't enough for our little Disney fanatic. I spent a few often painful hours with a needle, thread and fabric paint to put together my masterpiece: the birthday shirt. Included on the shirt was my daughter's name, the date, her age and lots of other decorations. My creation was a HUGE hit with guests and Cast Members alike. My daughter was amazed at the amount of people who not only knew her name but also wished her a happy birthday. I hope this at least gave someone an idea or two for a special birthday at the happiest place on earth! (Todd, Michelle and Alyssa Von Almen) ***** Our
last visit to Disney coincided with our son Dylan's 7th birthday. While
getting haircuts for all the kids at the barber shop on Main Street in
the Magic Kingdom, the hair stylist discovered it was his birthday. (He
told her) She spiked his hair with green gel (he chose the color) and
sprinkled confetti. Then one of the Dapper Dan's happened by and he rounded
up the rest of the group to sing "Happy Birthday". They also
told us about a pin you can get from the town hall stating that it is
the wearer's birthday. Cast members are on the look out for those pins
and they all wished him a "Happy Birthday" whenever they noticed
it. With all the salutations, not to mention the attention and comments
he received from his "cool" hair, Dylan was floating on air.
It was almost as if Tinker Bell had sprinkled him with pixie dust. ***** We spent my son's 6th birthday camping at Fort Wilderness. With us camping, we had the usual assortment of craft supplies available in our camper, so me being the industrious dad, the night before I took a paper dinner plate and glued letters on it made out of felt saying "Be Nice to Me, I am 6 Today!!" This was hung around his neck on a cord braided out of some left over wool. All in all not a terribly attractive thing, but he thought it was really neat. And, during our day at the magic kingdom we had dozens and dozens of people wished him a Happy Birthday. We had a cast member give him an Ice Cream Bar, we had another cast member take us past a very long line and to the front a line for splash mountain. Many magical things happened because of that. (JonNC) ***** Our seven year old was a WDW veteran for his birthday in September. It unusually falls around Labor Day. We stayed at a Boardwalk Villa with a view of the waterway and the Swan and Dolphin. We told the CM's at the front desk it was his birthday when we checked in. The highlight of the day was the Pirate Cruise at the Grand Floridian. They get to go out without the parents and with only cast members. The numbers are small and the attention from the great CM's are wonderful. These programs have some of the best CM's outside of the park. They may not have the "character" of a park adventure, but they treat the kids with respect and make lasting friendships. What better way to end a day that started with Mickey calling and waking you up, but to view the fireworks at the Studios, plus special GRAND fireworks at the Swan and Dolphin that night. The front desk told him to look off his balcony that night for special firework's for his BD. We thought that they meant the Studio, but WOW. Also that day they brought balloons, photos and a White Chocolate Mickey in a Ebony Shadow Box. Many other things were special that day. We told him that he could never beat that birthday his entire life. (Roxanne Stritt) ***** We are celebrating our daughters 7th birthday at WDW and this is what we have planned. Day before go to MK and pick up her birthday button at town hall. Day of birthday: Breakfast in the room on Disney themed paper goods. Give her
some Disney paper wrapped gifts (all with Disney theme). We will do MGM
for her birthday. She wants to see Playhouse Disney. Then lunch with Minnie
(favorite character) at Hollywood and Vine. Back to the room in the afternoon,
hopefully, to find flowers and birthday balloons delivered to our Dolphin
room. Get into bathing suits and go for a swim. Do dinner .... not sure
where yet, and then watch the EPCOT fireworks from our balcony. It's not
a very fancy or expensive day. But I think for my daughter who just turned
7 years old, it's plenty. Just the idea of being in WDW for her birthday
is exciting for her. So as not to have my son, who is 10 get jealous,
they are both going on the Pirate Cruise. (Wendy S Young) ***** You can call ahead to the restaurant where you will be eating. You will need to actually call the restaurant not WDW Dining. They will have a cake made for your special occasion for an extra charge. We did this at Crystal Palace. The cake was very good and had two ceramic figurines on it for decoration. My 6 year old nephew was very impressed that the cake had HIS name on it! Tammy King ***** PRETEENS This
past October, we celebrated our daughter's 12th birthday while
we were at WDW. It was her first trip to WDW,and since we had adopted
her earlier in the year, we wanted to make her first birthday with us
as special as we possibly could. ***** TEENAGERS For my daughter's 16th birthday at WDW, we used Jane from Gifts of a Lifetime who was absolutely wonderful, my daughter is a big Tinker Bell freak and Jane made sure it was well Tinker Bell themed. We also celebrated at Hollywood and Vine and she got to dance with Goofy swing dancing. She loves to dance! The cast and characters sang happy birthday and that is also one of the only places I know of that gives you a balloon along with a very large cupcake and a little Winnie the Pooh statue that she still has, its 2 years later now. (Debbie Jeffers) ********** Don't even tell the birthday child that they are going. This is tough when all other family members know, but the surprise is worth it. When you get to the airport, tell them right before you get on the plane. Even in today's tight security, the flight attendants will even help you with an on the plane surprise! Tell everyone else along the way...When you make your reservation - LET THEM KNOW...we have returned to a decorated room. Let the child pick the park for the day, and the plan of attack. Plan a character meal...and tell the restaurant! We've asked that the "favorite" character bring out the gift. We've got a May surprise planned, and my little guy has no clue. His sisters know, and are beside themselves helping plan, because they have the memory of how great their WDW birthday was. (Kelley Olley) ***** The
following birthday ideas would be more suited for families who are traveling
and not so much for families who may live in the area and be taking
a group for the day: ***** Be
sure the birthday boy or girl wears a Guest of Honor badge. If his or
her name is not available on the rack, there are blanks and the name can
be engraved. It's fun to have a name badge on and be called by name. I
was even mistaken once by another guest who wanted to know why I was just
sitting on a bench instead of working! ***** We are planning a trip to Disney this April and will be there for my daughter's birthday. To make the day special for her, we have allowed her to plan the entire day. She is making the itinerary for the day, including what theme park to visit, where to eat lunch and dinner, and what shows to see. It is totally up to her and she is having a blast planning the day exactly as she sees fit. This planning process is an added excitement for her, even before the trip actually takes place. (DeAnna in New Jersey) ***** Breakfast
at Chef Mickey's is always a lot of fun, with a special cupcake for the
birthday person and extra attention from the characters. Then it's off
to the Magic Kingdom to get a birthday pin from City Hall and a special
birthday call from a character. The rest of the day is theirs to call
the shots. We almost always end up at Beaches and Cream for a Kitchen
Sink. Ask the server for bowls so you can take the pictures and then scoop
out what you like before everything melts together! We love our WDW birthday
memories! (Doreen Wallen) ***** We celebrated a birthday by renting a party barge from the Grand Floridian. The food and cake were catered by their catering department. We left the dock in time to see the fireworks being shot from the Magic Kingdom (we had a perfect, unobstructed view). Then we enjoyed the light parade they have on the lake every evening. You couldn't have a more perfect birthday. (Kay Holt) ***** Get an 'I'm celebrating my Birthday at WDW' button and wear it proudly along with some kind of funky hat that says on it 'today's my birthday' or 'today I'm...whatever age) (Laura D) ***** We are planning a trip to Disney and will be there for my daughter's birthday. To make the day special for her, we have allowed her to plan the entire day. She is making the itinerary for the day, including what theme park to visit, where to eat lunch and dinner, and what shows to see. It is totally up to her and she is having a blast planning the day exactly as she sees fit. This planning process is an added excitement for her, even before the trip actually takes place. (SMSDLS) ***** If you ride Space Mountain, make sure an operator sees your button for a possible extra special surprise! Stephen Grubb ***** Find a hat that your kid likes and buy two of them and personalize them for this specific birthday. Then go find Mickey and have both your kid and Mickey don the same birthday hats and snap a picture -- your own private memory of Mickey and your birthday. Depending on the type if hat, you may want to tie extra long string onto Mickey's hat so that it fits on his head. If Mickey is real busy and doesn't want to deal with both hats, then just have Mickey hold the hat over your kid's head so it looks like Mickey is putting on your kid's birthday hat. Of course, make sure Mickey signs the hat. (Marsha Emch ) ***** One all time favorite way to spend a birthday @ WDW is the Character Breakfast. Three of our children were fortunate enough to celebrate a birthday at Disney. Each birthday boy was able to dine with his favorite character. Some restaurants will even provide a birthday cake upon request. I have also purchased individual Mickey Mouse shaped cakes from the bakery at the Boardwalk. (Crystal Johnson) ***** I think it would be great to have a "Character Birthday Tea". This could be for Birthday folks and their guests only. An afternoon tea, like the character breakfasts but in the afternoon with birthday cake and cookies and "finger foods" served. Everyone pays like at the buffet, except the birthday guest. It would be quite memorable to have the Disney Princesses, or Pooh, or Alice in Wonderland at your birthday. (Deb's Note: You can "hire a character for an event, but prices start around $500 for 30 minutes) (Kathy Harrell) ***** The
very best way to celebrate a birthday at WDW, either as an adult or child,
is a Birthday Celebration Illuminations Cruise. On a recent trip, I had
two children's and one adult (The Big 50 ) birthdays. I booked two boats
for the Illuminations cruise, one from the BW and one from the YC/BC.
They were moored together under the bridge inside of EPCOT from UK to
France. Both boats were decked out with balloons, streamers, birthday
signs. Cake & refreshments were provided. It was hard to tell who
had more fun, the adults or kids. This was a birthday event that will
be remembered for years to come. (Jim Sosinski) ********** READER BIRTHDAY STORIESWe spent
Oct. 9-18 at WDW celebrating my daughter's 5th birthday. Per your wonderful
website, we told everyone that it was her birthday. She had birthday pins
from all the parks on her lanyard so no one could miss her. Many cast
members stopped to say, "Happy Birthday", Princess! all
week long. They didn't care if her birhtday had been a day or 2 before.
At our resort, she received a citation from the front desk, a card from
Minnie, and balloons! At a character breakfast at the Crystal Palace she
received a card signed by all the Pooh characters and a cupcake. The table
was decorated with streamers and confetti. At The American Pavillion in
Epcot, the cast member on duty took her by the hand as we came out of
The American Experience. He asked if it was her birthday then took her
next door to the restaurant where he got everyone's attention and announced
that it was Laura from Rhode Island's birthday. He then had everyone do
a Hip, Hip, Hooray. He also took her up to the counter and got her a red,
white, and blue jello and one for her sister who looked so dissapointed.
We celebrated all week long. We couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable
and memorable experience. Janice Dion ***** Obviously not all of us can celebrate our birthday at WDW but when you do have a chance to visit then take the opportunity to Celebrate Your "Unbirthday". Remember the tea party in 'Alice in Wonderland'? That's when I first learned that there are 364 "Unbirthdays" in a year. When we went to the character breakfast at 1900 Park Faire (Grand Floridian) which featured the Mad Hatter, he got all the characters that day to sing "A Very Merry Unbirthday" song to my princess--my wife, Gayle. Obviously she is not a child but she certainly felt very young again and her face shined from all the attention----or was it just from being embarrassed?!?! (Ray Meany) ***** This May 10th my son will be turning 16. His entire High School band will travel all the way from West Virginia to be at Walt Disney World to help him celebrate. Actually, the field trip was planned by the band director without any knowledge of my son's birthday, but I think parading down Mail Street USA is a pretty special way to celebrate your sweet 16, don't you? Marjie Phillips ***** For my daughter's 5th birthday we had a Character Breakfast scheduled at Cinderella's Royal Table. We got in early with our PS and proceeded to City Hall for our birthday button. When we got to the castle they noticed her birthday button and asked her to "Open the Park" at 9 am. We also had dinner at the Whispering Canyon Cafe where she stood on her chair at dessert time and the whole restaurant sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She loved the birthday cupcake with the gummy worms on it. Deborah Benedict ***** We were planning
to travel to WDW to celebrate our Daughter's 6th Birthday. Her
fondest Birthday memories to date were spending a special 5th Birthday
at Hershey Park. She had not stopped talking about the fun time she had
that day. So, we needed to top that day and knew that a Birthday in Disney
would be unforgettable. I began to make some phone calls to Disney to
get some ideas on Birthday events at the park. I called Disney Guest Relations
(several times) asking for ideas for a special birthday in the park. Mostly
I was told that I needed to create my own magic at the park and that,
other than the Birthday Pins, there was nothing that Disney does for special
birthdays. Well, I knew better and kept calling. I eventually got to a
receptionist that covers the Customer Relation Managers at the MK. She
was, by far, the most helpful person I talked to by far. And the fact
that she went over and above her responsibilities and took 25-30 minutes
to talk with me about birthdays in the park and gave me some very good
ideas for making my 6 year olds birthday VERY special. Because she spent
quite a bit of time with me, I wanted to thank her and let her manager
know I very much appreciated the time she took. She forwarded me to her
managers voice mail and I left a message indicating my experience with
the receptionist. *****
We've been to WDW with our boys now 7 & 3 six times in the last four years. Two times have been for their birthdays. When making priority seating for our meals, I always have them note that we'll be celebrating a child's birthday. When we arrived for our lunch at the Crystal Palace they announced that we were celebrating Grant's second birthday. They decorated the table with Mickey Ear confetti before we were seated. Then after eating our lunch, Piglet delivered a cupcake & candle along with a card signed by Mickey & friends while Tigger and Eeyore came cheering & clapping and the cast members & guests sang Happy birthday. It was very nice. We also did that for Craig's sixth birthday. The villains delivered a cupcake & card at the 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian. The cast members sang & made the birthday extra special. It's worth it to mention that you're celebrating a child's birthday when you check in at the restaurant. They really make it a special time! (Mary Ann Wolfe) ***** We were in WDW last December 1-10, to celebrate both of our children's birthdays. We let them each choose a restaurant for their special birthday dinner. Of course, my daughter (age 6) chose to spend her birthday at Cinderella's castle. We made dinner reservations there for 6:30 p.m. on the Wednesday evening. It was perfect because we watched the fireworks just before entering the castle, and while we were waiting for our table Cinderella appeared in the lobby. My daughter was thrilled and we took pictures of her and Cinderella sitting on the huge throne in the lobby area. The restaurant staff brought both our kids a special birthday dessert with a small chocolate crown on the top, and sprinkled the kids with Mickey Mouse confetti while the whole restaurant sang Happy Birthday. My daughter felt like a princess and this is her most special memory of our whole vacation. We were staying at the Caribbean Beach resort, and one day we returned to our room to find birthday cards and gifts from Mickey Mouse on the kids beds. Our thoughtful chambermaid had seen the kids birthday cards in the room, and decided to spread a little Disney magic. The kids thought that Cinderella had told Mickey not to forget about their birthdays. We will all remember the 'Disney Birthdays' as truly special events. ( Kelly Banks) ***** We were in Disney World for my daughter's 8th birthday in September 2000. It had been a difficult summer for us. We lost both her grandfather and one of our dogs. We had to postpone the trip, which was originally planned for May, due to the declining health of her grandfather. She was understandably upset even though she understood why. We explained that we thought Grandpop and God had a special plan for us. We were going to Disney for her birthday. Turned out to be the best vacation we've ever had! My daughter was treated like a queen for the entire week. We stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort. When I made the reservation, I let them know it was her birthday. Not only did we get the magical Disney touch from Housekeeping, but they also left her a present and card one day and another day they left a card that was actually signed by tons of characters! The night before her birthday, after she was asleep, I decorated the entire hotel room with signs saying things like Happy Birthday, Katie is 8! Today is Katie's birthday, Happy Birthday, Katie! that I had brought with me. I even put them on the window and door of our room so all who passed by would know what a special day is was. We left them up all week. Before we left from home, I had gathered a bunch of Disney oriented small gifts and tucked them in my suitcase with a gift bag. The day of her birthday, I pretended to forget something in our room. While she and my husband went down to wait for the bus, I put the gift bag on the bed and left it with a card signed from "Mickey Mouse." To this day, she still thinks Mickey Mouse left her the presents! I made several priority seating reservations at various restaurants throughout Disney. I made sure to tell them we were celebrating a birthday. Each time, she was treated to a very large cupcake with a candle and characters gathered all around and singing. Even on a spur of the moment, just she and I went to the SciFi Cafe. We were able to just walk right in since they had a few empty tables. Our waitress found out it was her birthday. Another cupcake with candle and singing.... Before we left home, I had found a headband with a birthday hat on top that said Happy Birthday at Target. I gave it to her to wear the day of her birthday. Because she had that hat on while we were waiting for the Remember the Magic parade at the Magic Kingdom, she was selected to be in the parade. Also, while meeting Cinderella and Prince Charming in Disney's Toontown Fair, Prince Charming personally asked her to dance with him in the parade since it was her birthday. She was a very popular girl in the parade. It was a very magical week for us. I told her next time we go, we're going on my birthday! Several times during the week, I was almost in tears for the magical week we had. Everyone went the extra mile to make it a special week for her. We will never forget it. (Kimberly Doucette) ***** We were in Disney World for my daughters 10th birthday and were staying at the Wilderness Lodge. We wanted to do something special to celebrate. We had a pontoon boat pick us up at the Wilderness Lodge dock; it was decorated with balloons and streamers. The look on her face was priceless when she realized our little walk down to the dock was actually her birthday party!! Disney supplied a custom-made birthday cake and refreshments. The CM who 'captained' the boat was named Michael, (he's a lifeguard at the Contemporary) and he made the trip truly wonderful. After departing from the Lodge he took us over to the Seven Seas Lagoon and parked in just the right spot to watch the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. It was fantastic! Then he took us all around Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake and told us all sorts of Disney trivia. He also showed us the secret bear face on the exterior of the Wilderness Lodge. After a very surprising and wonderful experience he dropped us off at the Grand Floridian for dinner at Citricos. The cost of the boat with everything included was $175. I highly recommend this for people who are looking for a special treat during their stay at WDW! (Tracey Taylor) BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATION OPTIONS Never Land Club at Disney's Polynesian Resort
Disney's
Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course Celebration
Cruise
Specialty Cakes - 6" to full sheet area available at certain resorts. Contact Lobby Concierge
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