Celebrating a birthday while on vacation in The Disney Parks is always a special event and Disney has provided fun free perks to make it even more memorable.
5 Birthday Freebies.
It all starts when you book your resort hotel reservations. Inform your Travel Agent, Disney Member Services or make a notation in your reservation online requests that someone in your traveling party is celebrating a birthday. Provide them with their name and age. Once that’s done the information is in your file and on your reservation for all Cast Members to see and hopefully act on. Birthday celebrations can be celebrated 6 months from the actual date.
1. Upon checking in to your resort mention to the CM that there is someone celebrating a birthday in your group. They should already be aware but it’s always good to *remind* them just in case the information somehow isn’t there. Sometimes they will have prepared a little something special. We’ve had a surprise balloon delivery, towel decoration adorned with pins and a bottle of champagne delivered once on a cruise. I’ve heard of autographed character pictures too. There are no guarantees, it’s Disney magic when and if it happens!
2. All Guests (including those staying off-property) visiting the Disney Parks are welcome to enjoy this next perk. Visit the Guest Services in any of the 4 parks to obtain a “Happy Birthday” button similar to the one pictured above. The birthday persons name will be hand printed on the button by a Guest Services Cast Member. In the Magic Kingdom you would visit “Town Hall” on Main Street next to the Fire Dept. Wearing a birthday button always attracts special attention from the Cast Members. Sometimes a smile and a “Happy Birthday”, a part in a parade or show, even a FastPass.
3. Wherever you are dining in the Parks you should tell the Cast Member at the podium when you check-in for your dining reservation. They will make note of it and may already have it in your ADR. Ideally this information is then passed on to your server but it doesn’t always work out that way. Mention it to your server after you are seated. Table service restaurants have special birthday desserts that are often accompanied by a song. Via Napoli Cast Members sang the “Happy Birthday” song to me in Italian along with a special dessert with a candle, Le Cellier and The Grand Floridian have special birthday plates of chocolate, Liberty Tree Tavern has a birthday table decorated in glitter. Counter Service Restaurants often give the birthday person a cupcake, cookie or brownie and sometimes they’ll stop everything to sing a song. Pizzafari is great for that!
4. While in the Parks be sure to tell the PhotoPass Photographers that there’s a birthday boy or girl in your group. They may ask them to strike a special pose. The final picture might include some unexpected Disney birthday magic.
5. If you are staying on property ask the front desk or concierge desk about a special birthday phone call from one of the characters. What a fun surprise that is!
Although the next few perks aren’t free, they are inexpensive and will add to the birthday magic without busting your budget.
When the characters sign your child’s autograph book make sure they know it’s your child’s birthday and mention their name, the character might surprise them with a birthday greeting.
When my boys were young I would bring a large birthday card from home with my son’s name on it for the characters to sign. It makes for a cute addition to a birthday page in the scrapbook.
Bring some birthday streamers, balloons and party supplies from home. Decorations can be lightly taped up without damaging anything and it’s a fun surprise to have a birthday resort room. Mousekeeping sometimes joins in on the celebration too;)
Do you have any free birthday perks you’d like to share?
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The Disney Moms 
What a great list of birthday perks!
Thanks Heidi!
One perk that goes for B-day and special occasion buttons is asking if there’s a table at a restaurant without a reservation. When my wife and I went in 08 to the Coral Reef, dawning our Honeymoon pins, we didn’t have a reservation. Within 15 minutes not only did we have a table but it was right next to the tank.
Thanks Reid, what a great tip! That must have been a magical experience at the Coral Reef!! It’s one of my favorite restaurants!!
Birthday celebrations can be celebrated 6 months from the actual date.
in response to the above statement. Isn’t it always 6 months or less to someones birthday?
Yes, I’ve yet to hear of Disney saying no to a birthday celebration!
A couple years ago, at Disneyland at the Crystal Palace, they had a birthday party. Each person got their own “Mickey Cake” to decorate, drink and one on one time with Mickey and Minnie. It was a big birthday party and was awesome!!!
On our last trip to WDW, we were celebrating my daughter and husband’s birthday. One cast member did not want me to fill left out so he gave me a “Happy Un-birthday” pin!
Remember that absolutely nothing could happen, too. 😉 It’s up to you to make your/family member’s birthday special!
When we went in December for my son’s 5th birthday, we were in EPCOT for the day. I took a special notebook that he had picked out and in each of the countries, I asked a cast member to write a special birthday greeting in their native language. The also told me the translation of the message & I wrote that on the back of each of the individual messages. It was a nice way to give him a very unique birthday card!
Not sure if they are still doing this….Ask a Castmember at The Bakery at Magic Kingdom if they still offer “treats” for the person celebrating their birthday. In the past they have given our birthday boys/girls one of those sticks with 3 chocolate covered marshmallows free.