Hello Kavya, welcome to planDisney! There's no better place than Disneyland to celebrate special occasions and make happy memories. As a mom of two young kids, you've got a friend in me to provide some recommendations to make your son's birthday visit extra special!
First things first: Grab a complimentary birthday button at the start of the day for your son to wear! Many retail locations and City Hall on
Main Street, U.S.A. have them – just ask a Cast Member. You can also get an "I'm Celebrating" button for yourself. We've experienced Cast Members, characters and even other Guests wishing us a Happy Birthday after noticing the button. It adds a little extra pixie dust to the day.
Kavya,
Mickey's Toontown would be a dream come true for your son! My kids love the interactive elements, clubhouse, and colorful roller slides at Goofy's How-To-Play Yard, which is for Guests ages 2-12. For water fun, take a few steps to the splash pad area at Donald's Duck Pond, also for ages 2-12. If you plan to go into the splash pad, remember to bring a swim diaper and a change of clothes.
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway is a "must-do" attraction for us. My youngest was two the first time she went on it and was in awe of the colorful, immersive scenes.
Some
attractions that may interest your family include: it's a small world, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, Peter Pan's Flight, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. The Winnie the Pooh ride has a birthday scene at the end – you can tell your son that the pals at the Hundred Acre Wood are celebrating with him! And, of course, you can go for a spin at the Mad Tea Party. We've seen the Mad Hatter there a few times celebrating his "unbirthday."
Leave time in the day to meet characters throughout the park. An autograph book would be a great gift so your son can get signatures with each encounter. Speaking of gifts, my daughters were always drawn to the light-up bubble wands sold in the park when they were your son's age.
California Adventure doesn't have as many attractions for toddlers, but there is still much to enjoy, including meeting superheroes at Avengers Campus, exploring Cars Land, joining the Disney Jr. Dance Party, and more.
Here are a few tips from one mom to another:
– Have a list of things you want to do, but try to go with the flow if plans can change.
– Take breaks to rest and snack. The Enchanted Tiki Room, it's a small world, and Pirates of the Caribbean provide entertainment with the bonus of resting your feet.
– There is a
Baby Care Center at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. with toddler-size toilets, changing tables, and a vending machine with essentials available to purchase like sunscreen and over-the-counter medicine.
– The
Disneyland mobile app is helpful. You can use it to filter attractions by age, thrill level, and height. Plus, mobile ordering food is a time saver – we like Pizza Planet.
Kavya, I hope this information is both enchanting and helpful for you. I wish your son a very happy birthday and an adventure that will be remembered forever, just like a fairy tale ending.
Kriss