Greetings, Beth! Welcome to planDisney. Your magical vacation is almost here! You must be as excited as Cinderella preparing for the Prince's ball; it's a dream come true!
First of all, I'd like to wish your little princess a very happy birthday. Walt Disney World is the perfect place to spend such a special day. Be sure to stop by Guest Relations at Town Hall on Main Street, U.S.A. to pick up a celebration button. Cast Members love to know when a Guest is celebrating!
Currently, we do not know of a reopening date for
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but your granddaughter is welcome to enjoy the park in her favorite princess gown on her big day. Buy her a birthday balloon and take some classic photos in front of
Cinderella Castle! You might even catch the Fairy Godmother in Fantasyland waving to Guests and granting wishes as they pass. For a royally delicious birthday feast, check for
Advanced Dining Reservations at
Cinderella's Royal Table or
Be Our Guest Restaurant. Don't get discouraged if you don't see any spots available right now; Guests' plans tend to change as their travel dates approach, and I can sometimes secure reservations just a day or two in advance.
Since it's your first time staying in accommodation outside of the Disney Resorts Collection, you'll need to plan for parking at the theme parks since you won't be taking Disney transportation directly from your Resort Hotel. Plan for plenty of time to pay,
park your vehicle, and walk to the Transportation & Ticket Center, as parking lot trams are currently not part of our world. To complete the journey to the
Magic Kingdom Park, you'll need to take a bus, ferry boat, or monorail from the Transportation & Ticket Center. My oldest Mouseketeer is the same age as your granddaughter, and even though he has outgrown his stroller at home, we still bring it to Walt Disney World, mostly to cover the distance from either the parking lots or bus stops. We usually park it once we enter the theme parks and retrieve it later for the walk back to the car or bus.
If you have active
MagicBands from a previous stay in the Disney Resorts Collection, bring them! You can still use them to redeem theme park admission and link
Disney PhotoPass images. My parents live in Florida, and we keep a set of MagicBands at their house to use when we do a quick day trip to the theme parks or Disney Water Parks. You won't be able to tap to charge though, so be sure to have a credit or debit card handy to make contact-free and mobile app purchases.
I hope this is helpful, Beth. You and your family are sure to have a very merry birthday celebration next month in the Most Magical Place on Earth. Thanks for stopping by, and if there is anything else we can do before your adventure begins, come back again. We love to help!
Have a great, big, beautiful tomorrow,
Betsy