Dear Tammera, thanks for visiting us at planDisney with your question! I am honored to help you plan birthday surprises for your sweet grandsons! How very special to be celebrating three birthdays – triple the fun!
Dining reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance, so you might find that many table-service restaurants are not showing availability for March 21. Hakuna Matata, it means no worries! Most restaurants have a walk-up list. You can inquire about adding yourself to the list at the host stand.
As for kid friendly menus and ambiance, here are some of my favorites:
Goofy’s Kitchen: this is one of the best character dining experiences in my opinion. It is located at the Disneyland Hotel, but you do not need to be a hotel Guest to dine there. It is the only one that has characters there for meals all day. I often see last minute reservations pop up in the Disneyland mobile app, but you can also check at the host stand as mentioned earlier. Let them know you are celebrating birthdays and they will bring your little guys each a special birthday cupcake, on the house! The food here is amazing – LOTS of kid friendly options, including classic favorites like pizza, chicken tenders, and of course Mickey-shaped waffles, all day long! Chef Goofy and his pals will dance around the restaurant about every 15-20 minutes, so you are sure to see them multiple times during your meal.
Naples Ristorante e Bar: located in the Downtown Disney District, they have a lovely outdoor patio where you can enjoy their delicious pizzas and pastas - very kid friendly cuisine. You could pop into
Marceline’s Confectionery (very close by in the Downtown Disney District) and pick up a special sweet treat for the birthdays, and ask the host stand to store it for you until you’re ready for dessert!
Lamplight Lounge: this is perhaps my favorite restaurant of all, with a beautiful view of Pixar Pier. Their kids menu items include burgers, chicken and pasta, and this is one of the restaurants where you can order a
Mickey Mouse Celebration Cake to come to your table! Ask the host stand about it when you arrive.
Don’t forget to pick up complimentary birthday buttons for the boys at any Disney gift shop or Guest Services location! You can get “I’m Celebrating” buttons for others in your party and write in the boys’ names.
For priceless family photos - if you get
Disney Genie+ service to use the faster Lightning Lanes on attractions, you’ll get complimentary access to
Disney PhotoPass, meaning you can get your family photos taken at multiple locations throughout the parks by talented Disney PhotoPass Photographers and have unlimited digital downloads! It’s a beautiful and fun way to capture the special occasion with your sweet grandsons. Without Genie+, you can still purchase PhotoPass for $19.99/day to have access to all your photos from the day! (Prices subject to change.)
Tammera, you’re such a sweet grandmother to be planning this for your grandsons. I hope you have the most magical celebration ever! Hug those birthday boys tight and have a lovely time!
Kamini