Best Ways To Celebrate At Walt Disney World

Whether it’s a birthday or an anniversary or a family reunion there are lots of great ways to make your celebration at Walt Disney World unique and memorable.

First things first! Make sure you note on your resort reservation and dining reservations that you are celebrating an event. You may just receive a “Happy Birthday” from a cast member upon check-in or a signed card from Mickey Mouse. Or more. Anything is possible.
This is the card that awaited our daughter when we checked into our room, congratulating her on her recent high school graduation.
Purchase the Memory Maker option in advance. Not only will you save money on pictures, it’ll be one more thing off your to-do list before you leave. Memory Maker gives you the option of having an unlimited amount of digital photos, commemorating your trip, sent right to your front door after your visit. This is especially advantageous for large group reunion visits. All pictures will be linked to one account. So every ride photo, every photo taken with characters, every group and single photos taken by Photo Pass photographers will be all together in one place. For more information click here. I love this option because I’m usually the one behind the camera. When we have Memory Maker there is definitive proof that I was, indeed, on vacation with my family.
Let them eat cake! A customized cake, to your specifications, can be delivered to just about any resort or table service restaurant, as long as you order ( WDW (407) 827-2253) at least 72 hours in advance. Standard 6″ chocolate or vanilla cakes are available with almost no notice at all. Just alert your server as soon as you arrive at the restaurant.
Get a celebration button at Guest Services, located at the front of every theme park. They are complimentary and they let everyone know that your visit has special meaning for you. We’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, Gotcha Days, graduations and have heard of less popular, but nonetheless meaningful events; first marathon, lost weight, or new job. Again, this is not guaranteed, but wearing your button leaves the door open for a little extra magic to come your way during your trip. (My son received a free Mickey Bar from a Cast Member while he was wearing his birthday button. Yum!)
Grab a hat! There are Mickey Ears for all kinds of celebrations: birthday, New Years, even bride and groom hats. Go to the nearest souvenir shop in any of the parks and take your pick!
From birthdays to holidays to anniversaries and weddings; there’s a hat for every kind of celebration at Walt Disney World shops.
Splurge on a special event. Walt Disney World offers a large selection of special ways to celebrate your visit, from private fireworks boat rides to spa treatments to dolphin encounters — even VIP Tours with your own private guide and fast access to attractions. The possibilities are endless. Review what WDW has to offer here.
Take advantage of the season. My birthday falls in the month of December. And the Christmas holiday season is my favorite time of year. It also happens to coincide with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I love celebrating my birthday at Walt Disney World amid the holiday decorations and with the added bonus of celebrating with Mickey at his party. There is also Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival or EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Show.
Have dinner at a signature restaurant. Enjoy Magic Kingdom’s fireworks while you dine atop the Contemporary Resort at California Grill. Or, for a real treat, dine at the Chef’s Table at Victoria and Albert’s located in the Grand Floridian Resort for an experience you’ll never forget.
For the kids, and young-at-heart-adults, character meals are the perfect way to celebrate. Each theme park and many of the resort restaurants offer some kind of character dining. What better way to celebrate than with Donald Duck, Cinderella or Alice in Wonderland. Click here for a funny (true) story about character interactions and tips. More tips here. For a complete listing of restaurants go here.