Hello, Sherri, and welcome to planDisney! First of all, happy early birthday! The festive atmosphere of the
Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration will make your visit extra magical! I'm happy to share some ideas for your birthday trip.
Sherri, start your day by picking up a complimentary birthday button in the park. The buttons can typically be found at various retail locations, as well as City Hall on Main Street, U.S.A. and Guest Services on Buena Vista Street. As you wear the button, you may receive birthday greetings from Cast Members, Characters, and even other Guests!
You seem to have a good idea of the special entertainment coming soon to the Disneyland Resort, such as
Paint the Night, Wondrous Journeys, and a new
World of Color show. Try to see these if you can – they'll be truly spectacular! Of the other experiences coming soon as part of the 70th Anniversary Celebration, I think your group would really enjoy the
Key to Disneyland. Think of it like a scavenger hunt, where you'll search for nine lock stations across Disneyland and use a large, colorful key to unlock special lighting effects and music. Once you visit all nine lock stations, your key will deliver a commemorative keepsake! I envision your family dividing into teams and seeing which group will unlock their key's surprise first. By the end, your family will collectively have a few keepsakes to take home.
Sherri, a sit-down lunch or dinner with your loved ones would be another enchanting way to celebrate your special day. Since you have a large group, you might need to make two separate reservations online for the dining location where you'd like to eat. There's also a
phone number you can call to book a reservation for a large party at one of the Disneyland Resort hotel restaurants. Character Dining at Goofy's Kitchen or Storytellers Cafe could be fun.
Donald's Tales of Adventure Dinner Buffet is a new offering that will begin just before you arrive.
I have a few attractions for you to add to your itinerary. There's a birthday scene at the end of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and the ballroom scene in the Haunted Mansion shows a happy haunt blowing out candles on a cake. You can also go for a spin at the Mad Tea Party – I've seen the Mad Hatter there a few times celebrating his "unbirthday" with Alice. It could also be fun for your group to ride together on the Mark Twain Riverboat or even the King Arthur Carrousel!
And since it's your birthday, Sherri, you should pick up something special for yourself! Check out the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration merchandise
highlighted on the Disney Parks Blog. Some collections prominently feature "70" on them, which would be fun since you'll be there celebrating your 70th birthday.
Sherri, on behalf of all of us here at planDisney, I'd like to wish you a wonderful birthday filled with magical moments and happy memories. If you have any other questions ahead of your trip,
you know where to find us.
As Mickey would say, “See ya real soon!”
Kriss