Hi, there!
Jennifer, I can't think of a better place to celebrate a special day than the Walt Disney World Resort. I'm happy to share some tips to make your daughter's birthday practically perfect in every way!
My son turned 3 mid-stay a few years ago, and I had the same concerns you do. We were certainly at "The Most Magical Place on Earth," but I didn't want our family vacation to overshadow his special day. I wanted to be sure we gave his birthday the same time and attention as we would have at home!
Rather than purchasing gifts prior to our arrival and packing them in our luggage, I waited until the evening before his birthday to start shopping. I paid careful attention to the things he had shown interest in when we strolled through gift shops during the first half of our vacation. Once he was asleep on his birthday eve, I went to our Resort hotel gift shop to buy some items I knew he had his eye on. I purchased a reusable shopping bag to use as a gift bag, but when I told the cashier what it was for, he sprinkled a bit of pixie-dust by adding tissue paper and a complimentary birthday button. When our birthday boy woke up the next morning, he was so delighted to see the gift bag next to his bed in our hotel room!
Months before, we asked our little guy which park he most wanted to visit on his birthday. He had picked
Magic Kingdom Park, so after his birthday gifts were opened, we hit the ground running for a day of magical adventures! I attached his birthday button to my backpack because he was not at all interested in wearing it for the day. Even with the button on
my backpack, he received lots of well wishes from Cast Members and Guests alike as we visited all his favorite attractions. Complimentary celebration buttons can be picked up from the Front Desk or Gift Shop at your Disney Resort hotel, or from Guest Relations at any of the four theme parks.
We had a reservation at
The Crystal Palace for a special birthday lunch, and it didn't disappoint! Not only did our little guy enjoy kid-friendly fare, but he also enjoyed the fabulous company of beloved Disney Characters. At the end of our meal, the birthday boy was presented with a cupcake and birthday card signed by Winnie the Pooh and his friends from the Hundred-Acre Wood! I very much recommend booking a
Character Dining Experience for your daughter's birthday.
You might also want to consider booking a unique experience like a royal makeover at
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Additionally,
Disney Floral and Gifts provides many services to make a birthday celebration extra magical!
I hope this was helpful, Jennifer. Please let me know if you have any other questions about your Walt Disney World Resort vacation!
Ashley