Celebrating at Disney World

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Several years ago, we celebrated my son’s 6th birthday at Disney World instead of having a party at home. A couple months before our trip, he informed me that Mickey Mouse would be giving him birthday gifts during our trip. I asked him how he knew that. He told me that his plush Mickey Mouse told “the real Mickey” that he would be there for his birthday. So, Mickey would get him a present.

Well, I had a slight panic attack. I didn’t want him to be disappointed or ruin the magic for him. Luckily, I stumbled on Disney Floral and Gifts. This is Disney World’s flower shop. I contacted them and ordered a balloon bouquet with a plush Mickey Mouse and arranged for it to be delivered to our hotel room. I had them sign the card “From Mickey and friends.”

On the first full day at Disney World, we came back to our room to find the balloons sitting on the table. My son was thrilled. He looked at me and said, “See, I told you Mickey would get me a present!” That’s when I knew that celebrating at Disney World can make special occasions even more magical.

There are numerous ways to celebrate at Disney World. Some of them you can plan, while others happen with the magic of Disney. Here are some ways you can create memorable celebrations at Disney World.

Celebrating at Disney World Your Way

You can plan special touches to celebrate your family’s milestones at Disney World. These can be as simple or elaborate you want. It all depends on how much time and money you want to spend.

Pick up a celebration button at the front desk of any Disney resort or at Guest Relations at any Disney park.  There are four types of buttons:  Happy Birthday, First Visit, I’m Celebrating, and Happily Ever After.  These buttons are FREE!  All you have to do is ask.  Usually, on the birthday buttons, the cast member will write the guest of honor’s name on it.  On the general celebration button, ask the cast member to write your special event on it.

Room Decorations

If you are staying at a Disney resort, you can add some festive touches to your room by bringing your own decorations.  Clearly, you can’t go crazy here, but Disney is ok with simple displays.  For instance, decorate the windows, door, or mirror in your room by taping up some decorations.  At Christmas, bring your own mini tree and/or stockings.  Please be respectful and don’t do anything that will damage the furniture or room itself.

 Disney Floral and Gifts

This is the flower shop I used to make my son’s birthday so special.  They have a wide selection of gifts available from candy and balloons to Mickey ears and autograph books.  You can also get golf towels, wine glasses, cookbooks, and many other things.  They also feature items with a variety of Disney and Star Wars characters and many items for specific holidays.

To order your gift in advance of your trip, visit their website.  The best part of using Disney Floral and Gifts is that they can deliver to your resort room if you are staying on property.  If you aren’t there at the time of delivery, they will leave it inside your room.

Cakes

What’s a celebration without a cake, right?  Disney can help you with that too!  According to Disney Travel Babble, if you want a simple, generic 6″ cake, ask at any Disney table-service restaurant when you check in for your reservation.  They will have a cake for you.  They cost $35 plus tax.

If, however, you want something a little more custom, call Disney’s Cake Hotline at least 48 hours in advance to order your cake.  You will have a variety of flavors and sizes to choose from.  You can also decide exactly what you want the cake to look like.  Disney will deliver these cakes to most Disney World restaurants.  See Disney Travel Babble for all the details, including flavor choices, the phone number to call, where cakes can be delivered, and prices.

Celebrating at Disney World with Disney Magic

Sometimes, cast members will give you an extra dose of Disney magic if you are celebrating.  This is NOT something that you can plan or ask for.  You just need to have a little luck and be in the right place at the right time.  There are no guarantees with any of these things. See my tips for getting extra magic at Disney World.

Of course, you need to let the cast members know that you are celebrating at Disney World.  To do this, mention your special occasion when booking your trip.  You may be asked about celebrations when making dinner reservations or checking in online to your Disney resort.  Don’t be shy about letting them know.  When checking in at the restaurant for your dinner, mention it to the cast member.  Let all cast members know about your special day by wearing the celebration button mentioned above.

Good Wishes

When wearing a celebration button around Disney World, you will hear lots of well wishes from cast members and other guests.  It’s amazing how good it feels to have everyone you meet acknowledge your birthday.  It just brings a smile to your face.

Free Things

Many times when wearing a button, you will get something for free, such as a drink or dessert.  On multiple occasions, we have received a free drink or dessert because someone in our party was celebrating at Disney World. During my son’s birthday trip, he got a free round of miniature golf at Winter Summerland.

The cast members will more than likely tell you no if you ask for something for free.  They don’t hand out extra magic to people who look like they expect it. They do these things to make people happy, not to cater to someone’s entitlement issues.

Birthday Cards

If you eat at a character meal and the staff of the restaurant knows it’s your birthday, the characters will probably give you a birthday card.  My son got birthday cards from the characters at Hollywood and Vine and Garden Grill on his birthday trip.

Be a Part of the Show

Hundreds of times throughout the day at the Disney parks, random guests are asked to be a part of a show.  This ranges from being asked to help open a restaurant for the day to being chosen as a volunteer in one of the shows.  Being chosen for one of these experiences is all about being in the right place at the right time.  Wearing a celebration button can sometimes help you to be chosen though.

During my son’s birthday trip, we were chosen to be the Family of the Day at the Magic Kingdom.  On the same day, cast members chose him to be Deputy of the Day at Pecos Bill’s Cafe.  The cast member who picked us to be Family of the Day told us that he chose us because of my son’s birthday button.

Conclusion

Celebrating at Disney World can make special occasions even more special. There are tons of ways to make the day or trip extra magical. I hope the above ideas help you plan how to create those extra memories for your loved ones.  Enjoy celebrating at Disney World.  For help planning your trip, see my step-by-step guide, best resources, and quick tips. Happy travels!

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