There is nothing more magical than planning a Walt Disney World birthday celebration. Especially for kids! If you are considering celebrating a special birthday at Disney World, let me give you some tips today on how we’ve celebrated a Disney birthday with both of our kids.
How to Plan a Walt Disney World Birthday for Kids
Disney Birthday Buttons
Don’t forget to pick up a Disney birthday button to celebrate. Where Do You Get a Birthday Button at Disney World? You can easily find one of these buttons at select locations around Walt Disney World. Here are locations I have found them at:
- Guest Relations at City Hall in the Town Square area of Main Street, Magic Kingdom.
- Select merchandise registers.
- Certain food service locations (example: the Island Markets at Caribbean Beach Resort)
- The front desk of most Walt Disney World Resort hotels.
If you have other children who aren’t celebrating their specific birthday while at Walt Disney World, don’t forget that they can have fun too with some of the other offered celebration buttons. Such as an “I’m Celebrating” button to cheer on their sibling. Perhaps it is their “1st Visit”. There is a button for that too!
Make it the BEST DAY EVER
Get in the fun with your kiddos. Dance during the parades, do a little footwork down Main Street U.S.A. Make it fun for them all day by celebrating every chance you get. See every character they want to see, ride every ride they want to ride. You won’t forget these moments!
Don’t be afraid to stop and take photos and savor the moment. They go by so quickly.
Special Birthday Perks
Did you know there are a few special things you can receive for FREE while celebrating your Walt Disney World birthday? Head over to Club Cool at Epcot for a free slushie. That’s right! FREE slushie! And full-size too.
Also, from time to time, you never know when a Magical Moment will happen. Sometimes Quick Service locations will do something special. Lotus Blossom Cafe in World Showcase, Epcot, gave my husband ice cream and a special birthday card written in Chinese when they saw his birthday button. It was pretty spectacular!
Pack a Special Outfit
If you are handy at crafting, creating a special outfit is a lot of fun. I created a shirt for our son’s 3rd Walt Disney World birthday celebration. It was easy to use my Cricut to design it and use iron-on transfer paper onto a simple white shirt.
However, I’ll admit. For our daughter’s birthday, I just ran out of time to create something. Never fear though, Etsy is my go-to place for all Disney themed shirts.
greylittlearrows is my favorite Etsy shop for Disney clothing but there are so many amazing shops that offer adorable things to wear for Disney birthday celebrations. Including custom ears, which I say to check out my friend Karin for this one at DznygrlEarz. She’s amazing!
Advance Dining Reservations
Remember to make Advance Dining reservations somewhere that your child will love. You can begin booking Walt Disney World Dining reservations 180 days out from the first night of your reservation at Disney Resort hotels. This means you can even book out toward the end of your trip which might open up more opportunities.
Some of our favorites for Character Dining during our Walt Disney World birthday celebrations have been Ohana at Polynesian Resort and Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom.
One of the best ways to book Advance Dining Reservations is in the My Disney Experience app. However, I have found that the app can sometimes be a bit slower than a desktop computer, so if you are looking to book a popular table service restaurants, I suggest using a desktop to book.
Reservations online open up at 6 AM ET and phone lines (407-WDW-DINE) open at 7 AM ET. However, I’ll admit that I’ve set an alarm for midnight at the 180-day mark and have gotten a reservation My Disney Experience app. Coincidence? Maybe. But it was for ‘Be Our Guest’ when it first opened, so I’m going with that I got lucky.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get in before your stay. Try again a few days before you leave. I’ve more than once snagged a reservation that opened up last minute when someone canceled.
Mention the Celebration at Restaurants
Be sure to mention that you are celebrating at Disney restaurants. Sometimes you will receive a special dessert or even a card signed by characters if you are attending Character Dining. You never know what they might come up with.
Special Walt Disney World Birthday Merchandise
If you are looking for special Mickey Ears while at the parks, the ‘Happy Birthday Ear Hat’ can be found at The Chapeau in the Magic Kingdom. I’ve also spotted it at other retail locations around the park and on the Shop Disney Parks app on occasion.
There is also a special Mickey Mouse Birthday Ear Headband that I have found on the Shop Disney Parks app from time to time.
Memory Maker
I’ve mentioned Memory Maker before in my 10 Reasons Why Memory Maker at Disney is Priceless for Parents post. Celebrating a birthday at Disney World might be number 11 as to why it is so priceless. You can create special memories of milestones by taking photos around the parks.
Plus, you can check out keepsakes to order from disneyphotospass.com. Creating a digital scrapbook of the celebration is a way to keep the magic for years to come.
Decorate Your Resort Door
This is something that kind of began as a Disney Cruise Line tradition. However, I found it fun to use magnets on our resort room door too. We created a matching magnet for our son’s birthday shirt, with a “happy birthday” magnet too. Perfect for a room celebration!
When we ordered room service, he received a very special greeting from our server. The room hostess even left a little greeting for him. He loved finding our room every night with the “Birthday Mickey” on it.
Special Additions from Disney
There are so many other fun ways to celebrate. From special gifts to order to special rooms, you can book. Disney can really help you do it right. Be sure to check out their website to see more options for customizing your celebration.
Also, when booking your Advance Dining reservations, ask about ordering a celebration cake for your little one. It is so cute and easily feeds more than 5 people. It costs an extra $35 (subject to change) to your meal and well worth it. Our daughter was surprised by her birthday cake at Crystal Palace and our server spent every moment making her feel special. It was perfect!
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
If your prince or princess is celebrating a birthday at Walt Disney World, now is the time to book a special package at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! We booked The Castle Package for our daughter and mentioned it was for her birthday. She received a special birthday sash and sparkly birthday button just for her special day. It is worth every penny for every magical moment there!
The Cast Members are amazing and take the time to make every little one feel like the Disney Princesses. My son even enjoyed some pampering with the Knight Package.
With locations at Magic Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the Grand Floridian, you can grab a reservation for most anytime during your stay. Just be sure to do it right away so they don’t become booked up.
With these celebrating children’s birthday at Disney World ideas, you are sure to make a splash when putting together the happiest day on earth. I don’t think there is a much better place to celebrate. I celebrated my 16th birthday at Disneyland, and I still remember it to this day as one of the best birthdays I ever had.
Go celebrate! Have fun! You’ll never forget the magic you create.