Tips for Celebrating at Walt Disney World
Celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons, and graduations, among other things, at Walt Disney World is extremely popular, and for good reason. Not only is Walt Disney World a great place to visit on any ole ordinary day, but it’s a great place for a celebration! (Note that while these tips are specific to Walt Disney World, many of the general ones also apply to Disneyland and other Disney Parks around the world.)
If you’re celebrating during your Walt Disney World vacation, there are a lot of special activities and add-ons that can make the trip even more special, but the overall “regular” atmosphere itself is pretty conducive to celebrations. You don’t have to spend a ton (or any) extra money to have great trip celebrating a special event…unless you want to do so.
Disney prides itself on its parks and resorts being great places to visit to celebrate (although to be fair, I think they want everyone to visit, no matter what the reason…they’d likely market the parks as being great places for zombie enthusiasts if it were profitable enough demographic), so much so that Walt Disney World’s year-long marketing campaign was actually once called “What Will You Celebrate?”
Celebratory fun at Walt Disney World can come both from pre-planned activities and via the spontaneous acts of Disney Cast Members. Obviously spontaneity cannot be planned, but here are some of our recommendations for celebrating your special event at Walt Disney World…
Planning
If you’re a planner and want your celebration to be as special as possible, there are a few things you can do. First, when making any reservations with Disney, note that you’re celebrating an event. This is easiest done with Cast Members on the phone, although if you make online reservations, you can tell the Cast Members when you arrive that you’re celebrating.
When we celebrated our honeymoon, we thought it wiser to do it over the phone. Not that the Cast Members will do any advance planning for your visit (they probably see dozens of guests who are celebrating something each day), but to us, it made it seem like less of an after thought. The only place where it definitely made a difference in our experience was Victoria & Albert’s, which had printed menus that congratulated us (it was a nice touch).
Other things that should be planned in advance are add-ons like cakes, gifts, flowers, or other surprises. Cakes can be ordered by calling the cake hotline at 407-827-CAKE (407-827-2253), and everything else is possible via Disney Floral & Gifts. We’ve never used either (and I doubt we ever will unless we do a vow renewal at Walt Disney World). Disney cakes are expensive and while they look cool…they’re still just cake. We’d rather allocate that money towards a unique Walt Disney World experience (plus, we generally love the unique desserts at Disney restaurants).
As for Disney Floral & Gifts, they can do a lot of great things and help make an experience even more special, but they are similarly expensive, and we would rather put the effort into making special experiences ourselves that aren’t part of a “package” done by numerous guests on a daily basis. I doubt our Walt Disney World engagement story would be nearly as special if I just called up Disney Floral & Gifts and booked the pricey “Princess Dream Come True” package. But if you don’t want to plan, or want to enhance something you’re already planning, these services could be helpful–just make sure to book them in advance!
The only other advance planning to speak of is booking any add-on experiences described below in advance. If you’re booking a honeymoon or other adults-only celebration, you might consult our Walt Disney World Honeymoon Tips and our Walt Disney World for Adults pages for additional planning suggestions for the trip.
What to Do?
The degree to which you celebrate the occasion is entirely up to you. Walt Disney World trips are usually a celebration unto themselves, so if you only want to do a little to acknowledge the celebration, that’s pretty easy. If you want the trip to revolve around the celebration, that’s possible, too!
Celebration Button — I am firmly convinced that City Hall at Walt Disney World has a button in stock for every conceivable celebration. Celebrating a birthday? There’s a button for that. Honeymoon? Check! Anniversary? No problem. International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Okay…perhaps if you’re celebrating that one, you’ll just have to go for the generic “I’m Celebrating” button. But still, the selection is pretty solid. Grabbing one of these buttons is the single most important thing you can do to ramp up your celebration.
Besides City Hall, you can obtain in a multitude of places on property: hotel front desks, restaurants, guest relations, etc. If you are celebrating one person’s special event, besides just getting the birthday button for that person, make sure the rest of your party gets the generic “I’m Celebrating” buttons. It is worth noting that if you are shy, getting these buttons may not be the best of ideas. Cast Members (and even other guests) typically pay extra attention to guests wearing these buttons. It can be as simple as a passing “Happy Birthday,” or as involved as a conversation and a complimentary food item.
Conversely, you shouldn’t wear the button with the expectation that you will receive extra attention or freebies. If you do, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. On our honeymoon, we wore the buttons and received free dessert (or champagne) just about everywhere we ate. I’ve heard from more recent honeymooners who didn’t receive a single thing. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were abuses of Cast Member generosity, and Disney tightened up on the freebies. (Which makes for a good reminder: don’t abuse the system with these buttons.)
Decorate – If you stay on site, chances are that you’ve seen decorated room windows at one of the Disney hotels. While we’ve only ever decorated with Christmas lights and a Figment plush ourselves, we’ve seen all sorts of stuff in windows. (The best thing we’ve seen was a full sized Christmas tree in a Bay Lake Tower window!). Christmas decorations seem most common, but you can decorate for any reason.
Surprises! – Try to spice things up with some surprises unique to the person for whom you’re celebrating. If you just got engaged, a bottle of champagne in the room is great. Same goes for a honeymoon…you can use your imagination for some other in-room honeymoon options…this is a family friendly blog. For a kid celebrating a birthday, consider an in-park scavenger hunt leading them to a present “from” their favorite character.
For example, if they’re a Figment fan (by the way, kudos on raising an intelligent child), buy some awesome Figment toy on eBay and have the clues lead them to the leapfrog fountains where they can “find” the toy. Just remember that 30,000 other people are enjoying the parks along with you, so don’t trash the place with clues (or presents!) throughout the park and expect them to stay put. Also remember that doing this might create unreasonable expectations for future trips and your other kids might wonder why characters aren’t giving them gifts!
Itinerary — If we ever visit Walt Disney World for my birthday, you better believe our day will consist of TTA, Carousel of Progress, TTA, Country Bear Jamboree, Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and…repeat. Now, if my birthday demand was instead to ride Expedition Everest, Mission Space, and Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster in the same day, I don’t think Sarah would be as accommodating with my birthday itinerary. (Although she should be required by law to honor my birthday wishes!)
This is an easy and cost-free way to make things extra special for the person celebrating the special occasion. Even adults will like this, as I’m sure most of us have at least one favorite attraction that the rest of our parties dislikes. In my case, the majority of my favorite attractions are disliked by others!
Snack or Drink Around the World in Epcot — We first drank around the World Showcase for Sarah’s 21st birthday, then again during our honeymoon. It’s a great way to celebrate a special occasion (lots of people do it with custom-made t-shirts). Both times we did it were incredibly fun, albeit pricey. Realizing we’re no longer in college or at the height of our drinking prowess, we’ve since snacked around the world a couple of times.
Doing both plus the World Showcase attractions would be the ultimate achievement, sort of like a triathlon, except for something actually important. We have dedicated guides with recommendations for Drinking Around the World and Snacking Around the World, so consult those if you plan on conquering either trip “Around the World.”
Evening of Signature Dining — With this, I don’t mean doing as many Signature Restaurants as possible in an evening (this isn’t “Signature Dining Around the World”), but instead having a slow-paced “date night” evening in honor of the celebration. Basically, this means booking a Signature Restaurant that will allow for a nightcap. Restaurants on the monorail loop are great for this (our favorites being California Grill and Victoria & Albert’s (the latter of which is the absolute best option for a romantic meal at Walt Disney World)) thanks to the Electric Water Pageant and Wishes!
You can either make your Advance Dining Reservation early enough so that you’re done with dinner by the time the evening entertainment begins, or time your meal so that dessert coincides with the fireworks (arrive early to the restaurant and request a window seat). Same goes for dinner at an Epcot-area restaurant (our favorites being Flying Fish Cafe and Yachtsman Steakhouse) followed by Illuminations. Conclude the evening in a lounge.
I’m of the opinion that this is best as an intimate experience for a couples’ celebration (not because I think kids don’t belong in Signature Restaurants, but because I think a big part of the experience is lost when you remove the intimacy), so if you have the extended family or kids in tow, think about ditching them…or I suppose you could go to a location that is more conducive to family gatherings, like ‘Ohana or Beaches & Cream (get the Kitchen Sink!).
If you really want to get ambitious with this, you could make it like a progressive meal. If the person you’re celebrating has a favorite appetizer at one restaurant, a favorite entree at another, and a favorite dessert at another, book three separate reservations spaced far enough apart to allow for transit between the two (and delays/waits at the earlier restaurants). Or, if you’re sane, you could do breakfast, lunch, and dinner that day at the person’s three favorite restaurants instead of a single progressive dinner. But
Private Event, Fireworks Festivities, or Tour — Depending upon what you want to do, this can be relatively inexpensive, or very expensive. On the inexpensive end of the spectrum is the Wishes Dessert Party at the Tomorrowland Terrace in the Magic Kingdom. Now, I’m not absolutely enamored with the view from over here, but these dessert parties offer a nice way to escape the crowds and provide all you can eat desserts! On the other end of the spectrum, the sky is the limit on private events, such as the Tower of Terror private party.
Somewhere in between these two options, price-wise, is the Illuminations Cruise. If fireworks aren’t your thing, try the Wild Africa Trek, the Keys to the Kingdom tour, or Behind the Seeds at Epcot. Note that kids are not allowed
Fun for the Kids — Since kids aren’t allowed on many tours, if the celebration is for a child, you’ll need an alternative. (Well, unless they’ve been really bad and you want to reward yourselves for surviving another year with the kid!) The Pirate Cruise at the Grand Floridian and the Wonderland Tea Party are out of the ordinary options that are geared towards kids. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Pirates League are two more common options, and are great not just for the experiences, but for the photos you can get of your kids all dressed up on their birthday. If your child really enjoys having their hair cut for some reason, try a pixie dust sprinkled hair cut on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.
Shopping Spree! – If money is no issue, give the person celebrating your credit card and an hour in World of Disney or Art of Disney. On a side note, if you’re considering doing this…do you need a personal photographer for your next trip? 😉
These are just some of the basics for celebrating at Walt Disney World, and the unique ways you can celebrate are truly endless.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Use our resources to help! If you’re interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides” are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
Your Thoughts…
What have you celebrated at Walt Disney World? Do you have any tips or additional suggestions for celebrating? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Where is the most SPECIAL secluded / out of the way place to propose. We’re coming the 2nd week of Nov. 2019 staying at Pop Century.
MAY 8, 2019-2099
HAPPY 30TH, 40TH, 50TH, 60TH, 70TH, 80TH AND 130TH BIRTHDAY
ADULT GOOD NEW BOYFRIEND TOMMY DULANEY OF BRONSON FLORIDA
Do the ‘celebrating’ pin badges change each year?
I took my daughter to WDW for her 4th birthday and when I told the Cast Member over the phone she had apparently set up a sweet surprise. The day of my daughter’s birthday we visited Magic Kingdom and they announced her as the “Honorary Princess of the Day”. It was so sweet and completely unexpected. We didn’t get any freebies but that was definitely the highlight of our entire trip!
CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE WHERE I GET A BIRTHDAY BUTTON FOR A SPECIAL GUEST WHO WILL BE VISITING WDW IN THE B\NEXT 14 DAYS
Great article. I think it is very balanced and realistic. Can anyone think of activities that are unique that you did as a family that enhanced the celebration? I love the things that Disney does but I am willing to make an investment of time and effort for my beautiful bride of 30 years (Jan 2018). Special activities, room decorations that worked. We have been greatly blessed and truly want to celebrate the many blessings we have been given, our family, and the great talents and creativity that has been given. We try to share to others on every trip. What things have blown you away during a celebration?
hope I’m not repeating this story, but for our 30th we did a carriage ride at ft wilderness followed by hoop dee doo
and I presented my husband with a replacement wedding band Because on our honeymoon at wdw, he lost his wedding band at wdw s river country. carriage ride is relatively inexpensive
We wore the “I’m Celebrating” buttons on our last trip which was a month after my husband finished chemotherapy. The responses we got when we told cast members what we’re celebrating were so varied. From a cast member who gave my husband about 50 high fives (she would not stop), one who asked “is that a good thing?”, and a chef who personally came over to our table to congratulate my husband and wish him well. We did not however receive any free goodies or get to cut any lines. We’ll be back in December for my husband’s birthday which should be very self explanatory 🙂
My daughter and I were checking in to the Grand Californian (at Disneyland) and we were asked if we were celebrating anything special. We looked at each other, (my husband had died 5 years earlier and we like to celebrate his birthday) then I said “well, we’re celebrating my dead husbands birthday”. Without missing a beat the Cast Member replied, “oh, I’m sorry, we don’t have a button for that.”
Great article, very helpful! My fiancé and I will be honeymooning this coming September (already starting the countdown haha) and we wanted to do at least one nice signature dining experience. However, her and I aren’t really fancy people. Victoria and Alberts for example, really isn’t our style. What’s one signature restaurant, that isn’t overwhelmingly fancy, that you would say we HAVE to do while we’re there?
The Yac and the Yeti at Animal Kingdom!!! Asian inspired and amaizing!!!
I was wondering if they confirmed your child’s age at all. I am planning to take my two and one year old to DW next year. I noticed that you don’t have to pay for children under 2. Do they check the ages? Or what is the process for that?
My son and now daughter-in-law got engaged at WDW in 2008 during an all-family vacation (9 of us all together). We celebrated with them by having a cake delivered to our dinner celebration at the Germany restaurant. It was fabulous and enough to share with the party at the next large table! A friend also treated us to a private pontoon boat tour one evening, complete with snacks & drinks(you can arrange for more elaborate food), departing from the Contemporary Resort. Even after 25 visits, we never knew this existed! We sailed around the entire lagoon, saw the electrical boat parade and then parked in front of MK for the fireworks, with on-board stereo narration & soundtrack! Upon our return, a balloon bouquet was waiting for the bride-to-be. What a memory! For really special arrangements, call ahead and they will help you with suggestions!
We will be celebrating my daughters birthday in sept at WDW, do you have any suggestings for things for a 4 year old birthday please
I know this post was 2 years ago but we’re going this September to celebrate our daughter’s 4th birthday. What types of special things did you do while there?
We are planning to celebrate my husband’ s end of chemotherapy in August!!!
That is a great reason for celebration. Best of luck to you and your family! 🙂
I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with you on the “it’s just cake” comment. I had a Mickey head shaped cake for my birthday last year and it was the best birthday cake I’ve ever eaten. It was not your run-of-the-mill birthday cake. It was a white cake with a cream filling covered in fondant and molding chocolate. Yes, it was more expensive than a birthday cake from Walmart, but it was totally worth it. My family and I are still talking about that cake a year later.