Hiya Ginnie,
Welcome to planDisney! A very Happy Birthday in advance to your soon-to-be three-year-old! My three-year-old loves celebrating her birthdays at Walt Disney World Resort (so much so that she has already requested to celebrate her 4th birthday there as well).
As you know, Mouseketeers under three do not require
theme park tickets in order to visit the Most Magical Place on Earth. But once they turn three, these little magical humans do require a ticket for admission. The tickets will only need to be for the second half of your trip, however, after your son officially turns three. Now there is one little caveat, Ginnie. Do you have a
Vacation Package, by chance? If you have a Vacation Package (a special type of booking), your son's age is determined by his age at check-in. Which means he would be considered a two-year-old for the duration of the trip and not require a theme park ticket (the system currently doesn’t allow for two different ticket types within the same booking). How do you know if you have a Vacation Package? If you booked your resort hotel reservation at one of Walt Disney World Resort Hotels and added on your theme park tickets (and perhaps a dining plan), then you likely have a Vacation Package. If you booked your resort hotel separately from your tickets (or are staying offsite), you do not have a Vacation Package and will need to purchase your son's theme park tickets for the day he turns 3 through the end of your trip.
I hope this was helpful, Ginnie! Before I let you go, I’m a big fan of celebrating big when it comes to birthdays. From
Celebration Cakes and
Enchanting Extras,
character dining (which is my toddler's favorite), and activities at the Resort Hotels, there are so many ways to celebrate at the Most Magical Place on Earth. If there is anything we can do to help you plan some magic for your son’s birthday, please let us know. We would love to help you in any way that we can.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.