Hey there Bonnie,
Welcome to planDisney - the second happiest place on Earth (at least according to me) next to the Disneyland Resort. Thanks so much for your question!
We have two little ones who are now 5 and 2, and I remember taking our older a bit before his third birthday. We wanted him to feel special so we told him we were there to celebrate his birthday, and got him a birthday pin to commemorate. It was such a fun trip!
When visiting the Disneyland Resort, anyone aged 3 or older does need their own
theme park ticket - this would include if they turn 3 during a trip (in other words, Guests need tickets for when their little ones turn 3 and after).
However, to your point, when we were on our trip to celebrate our son's birthday early, we were not questioned about his age or asked to show proof that he was not 3 yet. In fact, multiple Cast Members went out of their way to make sure our son was having a fantastic time!
So, Hakuna Matata, Bonnie! All you'll need to worry about is celebrating your little one during this special trip and making lots of memories. As I mentioned above, I would highly recommend
getting a special birthday pin, and you could also consider purchasing
Disney Genie+ service so you can get access to
unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass photos of your trip (not to mention the ability to book
Lightning Lane return times on some of the most popular attractions for shorter wait times).
Thanks again for your question, Bonnie! I hope you have such a fun time visiting the Disneyland Resort.
Have a Magical Day,
Greg