So you’ve decided to celebrate your little one’s birthday (or yours) at the most magical place on Earth…..what now? Where do you start, how do you make their day as special as they are to you, and how much is this all going to cost?! We all know Disney isn’t cheap! But it can be quite magical and worth all the planning. We have celebrated 3 birthdays in the past two years at Magic Kingdom, and here are my top 8 tips on how you can do it for a (hopefully) stress free celebration day!
- Use THE app- be sure to download the free My Disney Experience app. If you don’t have one already, create an account. This is a SUPER handy tool to use, for everything from ADR’s (advanced dining reservations), to your Fast Passes (everyone gets at least 3 a day no matter what kind of ticket or passes you have), to character/entertainment schedules, and also wait times for all attractions. It’s your Disney Bible, so to speak.
- Plan as far in advance as you are able. You can make Advance Dining Reservations (you’ll see them referred to as ADRs) up to 180 days in advance. Which immediately stresses people out, because how the heck do I know what I want to eat 6 months from now???? The good news is you can cancel any reservation up to 24 hours in advance. After that you get charged $10 per person if you don’t show up. This can seem intimidating, but I have called 2 hours ahead of time when my sister joined me last minute with her brood of 5 kids and we decided a sit down restaurant with 8 kids and 2 adults wasn’t going to be an easy undertaking, and they let me off the hook without any grief. I can’t say for sure they will do the same in every situation, but if you ask nicely and have a decent reason (and aren’t a repeat offender very often), it may just work for you. So my advice is to always book as far out as you can and then you can cancel if your plans change. If you want those big ticket restaurants with the character meet n greets, like Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest, grab them ASAP. Cinderella’s Royal Table is booked within minutes of the times being released… you can book them on the app/online at 6am, 180 days in advance. I would recommend using Google to read some reviews of the restaurants you want to go to, as some of them are more pricey than others!
I will say- do not be upset if you don’t get the ADR you want at 180 days out. People change their minds all the time and things pop up! So just keep checking back every so often. You can also (probably with the exception of Cinderella’s Royale Table) walk up to the host stand when you arrive at the park and ask-you never know what pixie dust you might get sprinkled on you!
What the app looks like 
Options using the app 
Example of dining for lunch
3. Get a free celebration button! Stop by City Hall, the front desk at your Disney hotel, any guest relations booth, most gift shops, and there’s even sometimes a cart on Main Street to get a celebration pin. Disney lets you celebrate pretty much anything, not just birthdays. Did you hear about the mom who went to Disney to celebrate her kids being back in school in August?? Read the article here! So fun!
With your birthday pin on (and I always have my kids in a special shirt as well) cast members and speaking characters will wish you a Happy Birthday all.day.long. Sometimes you even get some more of that pixie dust and are given random things, just because. I don’t expect it, but that’s the beauty of Disney, things just happen out of nowhere! On my daughter’s 4th birthday, our server gave her an extra fast pass (for all of us), just because. It was soooo special and a memory we won’t soon forget!
4. Call a couple of days ahead of time (or you can even ask when you sit down at your meal) and order a celebration cake. It does cost a bit extra ($35, and they just add it on to your bill), but it’s SO delicious and perfect! We have 5 people in our family, and could not finish it all, not even close, and it makes for a very special moment. Click HERE for a list of participating restaurants at Disney who will do the celebration cake.
Hannah’s 5th Birthday 
Hope’s 3rd Birthday
I know a lot of table service restaurants sing Happy Birthday to you, but we LOVE The Plaza Restaurant because they fully embarrass your loved one! They make the entire restaurant stop what they are doing and announce the birthday, then ask everyone to sing! It’s awesome!!! Take a look at the short video below to see our latest birthday fun at The Plaza. BONUS: The Plaza overlooks the hub and Cinderella Castle. It doesn’t get much better than that. And while it’s not super cheap, it’s not bad either. It is on the Disney dining plan as well!
5. Let the birthday guy/gal choose the attractions of the day. When we went for my youngest daughter’s 3rd birthday a few weeks ago, I chose our fast passes based on her age and likes. She is just getting into Disney princesses, so we met Ariel, Cinderella, Elena, Rapunzel and Tiana. We took her on her first roller coaster, which she loved (check out the video below), and let the kiddos go in the splash pad fully clothed. They loved it. Don’t be afraid to “let it go” and just enjoy the day. Throw out the usual rules (I know moms, it’s hard to do, trust me) and just focus on each other. That’s what we love best about Disney- the time together, with no real responsibilities.
6. Bring along a small gift bag with treats throughout the day, like a bubble maker, special pin, necklace/bracelet, hat, stuffed animal, stickers, autograph pen/book, or anything your birthday guy/gal would love. It’s also nice because (hopefully) if he’she is excited about the gift bag you have, they won’t be looking to go into the fancy (ahem, pricey) shops!
7. Speaking of the fancy shops….You know when family members/friends ask what to get you or your kids for birthdays? Have them give a Disney gift card. This way, your child can choose a special treat from all the gift shops at Magic Kingdom, and you don’t have to have any arguments about it! And there are so many adorable places for pictures, you can snap a cute pic and send it as a thank you note almost immediately (I like to use the INK app- you can make a thank you postcard right on your phone- one less thing to do when you get home)! Win win for everyone!
8. Take SO many pics! I know this goes without saying, but if you take the time to plan the trip, and sometimes even coordinate outfits, find a side castle shot like the one below, or get up close to the front of the castle, or even go to the side of the castle on the new walkway, in front of the purple wall, down the “alley” (technically called Market Street) on Main St. and even one with balloons!!! Did you know that (most of the time) if they aren’t super busy, cast members are happy to stop and let you take a picture with the huge bouquets of balloons?? They will hold on to the strings of course, but you can too!
I hope these tips were helpful, and if you have any I need to add, drop a comment below to let me know, and I wish you happy planning and the Happiest Birthday at the most magical place on Earth!
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