Hi Kathryn and welcome to planDisney.
How exciting that you're planning a trip to
Walt Disney World in 2026 and that you'll be celebrating your little one's 3rd birthday whilst you are there - it doesn't get much more magical than that!
Top Tip - Be sure to stop by
Guest Relations once you arrive to pick up a complimentary birthday badge for them to wear throughout your stay. When my children have celebrated birthdays whilst visiting Walt Disney World, it always made their day when Cast Members and other Guests stopped to wish them a happy birthday.
To answer your question, when booking a
Hotel + Ticket package directly with the Walt Disney Travel Company, here in the UK, you must enter the age on return travel date for all children.
In contrast, when booking a Hotel + Ticket package via the US version of the Walt Disney World website, you must enter the age at time of travel for all children.
This inevitably increases the price when booking via the UK version of the Walt Disney World website as a
Disney Magic Ticket is included for your little one, who will be 2-years old at the time of travel, but, 3-years old on the return travel date.
The only suggestion I can offer, in this instance, would be to change the dates of your trip to a couple of days earlier so that your little one will still be 2-years old on your return travel date.
If this is something that you would like to do, I would recommend
contacting the Disney Experts at the Walt Disney Travel Company, ASAP as currently, you can modify your Walt Disney World Resort Hotel and Ticket package, without fees, anytime up to and including 7 days before your arrival date, for arrival up to and including 31st December 2026. Just bear in mind that you will need to pay any difference in price, if the price is higher, and they will refund you the difference, if the price is lower, with a deduction of any applicable fees.
I am sorry that this likely wasn't the answer you were hoping for, Kathryn but hope that my suggestion offers an alternative option.
If we can be of any further help with the planning of your 2026 trip, please feel free to re-visit us, here at planDisney. You can even
ask me a question directly if you would like a UK perspective on anything at all.
Wishing you a magical holiday filled with memories which will last a lifetime!
Emma