Hiya Julie,
Welcome to planDisney! A very Happy early birthday to your Mouseketeer! I’m biased, but I think the most magical way to celebrate your birthday is at Walt Disney World Resort. I always pick up a celebration button first thing in the morning, and it makes me smile whenever someone shouts “Happy Birthday” when they walk past.
Julie, it has been my wish to be picked to be the honorary Grand Marshal for a Disney
parade, and I agree that it would be a magical way to celebrate your child’s birthday. Unfortunately, being selected for this honor is random, so there is no magical way to ensure you are chosen. Selection happens early in the day when Magic Kingdom first opens, so if you want to be considered, I would suggest getting there close to the rope drop. Now, while I don’t have the inside scoop on what makes a family “stand out above the crowd” of other Guests and get selected, leading with kindness is never a bad idea. I once interacted with a family who was chosen to be Grand Marshal by happenstance, and I remember how positive and kind they were. I can’t know for sure if that is why they were selected, but I remember not being surprised when I saw them at the front of the parade later that day.
I wish I had the magic ingredients to help you with this question, Julie, but I hope this was helpful. Before I let you go, I wanted to give you some other ideas for making your child’s birthday special. My go-to for extraordinary experiences is the
Enchanting Extras Collection! There is something for every interest your child could have. My favorite one was for my scuba diving Prince Charming last year. I booked him a
DiveQuest Experience, and he had a blast swimming with all the creatures in the Seas pavilion. Another great idea is to do a
Capture Your Moment photoshoot. Nothing makes you feel more VIP than having a Cast Member take pictures of your child or family in a photoshoot just for you. They take special care to get the best photos; you don’t have to wait in line! Please come back and see us if you need any suggestions for making your child’s birthday memorable.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.