Disneyland days have always been magical for our family. Celebrating a birthday at Disneyland is something everyone should try to experience. After my daughter’s third birthday, we decided to start celebrating the kids’ birthdays at The Happiest Place on Earth in lieu of throwing big birthday parties. My son’s birthday is close to Halloween and we have a blast taking in Halloween time at Disneyland. My daughter’s is near Christmas; another amazing time to visit. Somehow they still manage to talk us into throwing them birthday parties at home and at Disneyland (that is for another conversation on a later day!). The main reason we do the Disney birthdays is because we (the parents) have a blast too!
Here are five ways to make your birthday even more magical at Disneyland:
Birthday Pin
Wearing your birthday pin means that cast-members, characters and even other park patrons will wish you a happy birthday! The characters in the parade will also shout out a happy birthday if they see the pin as they are walking by…the look on the kids’ faces when this happens is priceless! Pure JOY! People who work there go out of their way to make the birthday boy/girl (young/older) feel special!
You can get these pins at City Hall of both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, but I recommend skipping the line and heading into one of the shops by the entrance. If you are staying on property at a Disneyland hotel, they may have them a the front desk. Ask upon check-in.
The Royal Treatment
My daughter has celebrated her birthday with a royal hairdo and makeup application at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. They have various packages (at different prices) that you can choose from for children between the ages of 3-12. My daughter loved her experience and still has her special sash and cinch bag in her room. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique does have a knight experience too that we want to try with my son (includes hairstyling, sword and shield). We made reservations weeks in advance (when we booked the trip) as they can get busy.
Reservation at your Favorite Disney Restaurant
Both kids requested Carnation Café as the location for their special birthday dinner. My daughter has always wanted to sit in the “gazebo” on the patio. Over the years we have come to learn that if you check in early enough and ask for the gazebo, a little bit of pixie dust might grant that wish. This is totally dependent on timing (and pixie dust, of course!) so they cannot guarantee you will get your favorite spot. This time it worked out and we got the gazebo. If that spot is occupied, request outdoor seating. It is fun to watch people walking by and you may get lucky and catch a glimpse of a parade.
Make sure to mention that you are celebrating a birthday at any full service restaurant, many times they bring out a special birthday treat. We have had chocolate Mickey cupcakes in the past. Lamplight Lounge has a birthday sorbet! Speaking of Lamplight Lounge…It’s my fave because the food and drinks are unique and delicious!
A Piece of Cake (well actually a whole cake!)
We started ordering cakes for the kids a couple years ago. The first few cakes we ordered were plain (but delicious) as we never explored options. We started getting adventurous with our last few cakes. We always have people ask us on the way out how we got a custom-bakery cake delivered to our table. These magical cakes can be ordered through Disney Dining!
Here are some tips:
- Order at least 3 days in advance (a week if you have allergy-friendly requests).
- You must have a reservation at a restaurant at the resort/parks. Check to see which ones participate.
- Decide on the size… we have always ordered the smallest 6 inch round cake and last time we were able to get 8 generously-sized slices out of it! Disney dining also has 10 inch and a half-sheet sizes. Visit here for current prices.
- Decide on the theme. We went with the kids’ favorite characters (they have so many to choose from: Cars, Incredibles, Minnie, Ariel, Princesses, Star Wars and more!). My son had a Haunted Mansion cake with the hitchhiking ghosts as the topper and the Haunted Mansion wallpaper as the frosting (so incredible!!). My daughter’s cake surprise was a two-tiered Minnie Mouse cake that was adorable!! I have heard the Ariel one is also spectacular!
- Call Disney Dining (714) 781-DINE (3463) to learn more about flavors. We have had vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. The last two cakes were churro flavored and pineapple (like a dole whip) flavored…so good and not overpowering.
I apologize for the low quality pictures, I am always so in the moment. I forget to get that perfect blog-shot!
Special Photo to Remember
There are so many awesome places to take a great photo to commemorate your birthday trip. I have a round-up of my favorite spots on an older post that I wrote right here. The Max Pass is a great addition for shortening line wait-time but also gives you the ability to download all of the professional photos taken by a Disney Photo Pass photographer.
Wishing the most magical birthday!!
With love,
Shahla
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