One of the greatest things about celebrating a birthday at Disney was how special Madison was treated throughout her day. I knew just being in the park on the day of her birthday would be enough, but there were a few things that made the day so much more fun for her and I’m so glad we chose to celebrate in this way.
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Happy Birthday Button
When we checked into the resort the receptionist immediately took note of the fact that we were there for Madison’s birthday. She gave her a button to wear the next day and got her all hyped up about her birthday. Wearing the button on one’s birthday is a must because it gets you next level treatment all throughout the park; including freebies, like sweet treats and drinks, at certain places.
Birthday Shout-Out
We spent her birthday in Magic Kingdom. She was stoked from the moment we arrived! She requested a balloon as we walked towards the castle, then she was completely in awe as she got to the castle, and Mickey and friends came out for the Move it! Shake it! Dance & Play it! Street Party!
She had an absolute blast dancing in the middle of the street with characters she’d seen on TV. Then at one point, someone on a float shouted out Happy Birthday, Madison, because Disney is just that awesome. She was totally stoked, and so was I!! Disney keeps up with everything, and finds ways to make everything so magical and special. That’s why it’s the perfect place to spend a milestone birthday, or any birthday for that matter.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
We rode on a few rides following the street party, then headed to the big castle for lunch. As soon as we entered the castle, Madison was able to have a meet-and-greet with Cinderella herself. Before we entered the castle, I bought her a photo-autograph book from a gift shop. Everywhere we went from that point forward we collected autographs and I took photos of her with each character so that we could fill up her book with photos after the trip (I absolutely could not wait to print them all).
In the castle, we had an amazing lunch. But the highlight of the character dinner was the characters, of course! Cinderella’s Royal Table consisted of Disney princesses; Ariel, Snow White, Jasmine, and Aurora (this isn’t always the line-up each time). The princesses filtered in throughout the lunch going from table to table, taking photos, telling stories, answering questions and just being a load of fun for the kids.
Did I mention we were in a castle?! It was majestic, to say the least, and the entire event was…you guessed it….magical! Madison was way too excited when her fav’, Ariel, came out. You can tell by her crazy smile below! She and Morgan also received a wand, that she still plays with to this day, and a wishing star as well.
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Later in the day, she was able to “perform” with another one of her favorite characters, Belle, in Enchanted Tales w/ Belle. Since Belle is my absolute favorite too, I may have been more excited than she was. How they incorporated the kids into the show was so, so cool. And, oh my, how real they made the wardrobe seem that we saw when we entered the hall. Take a look via the video below.
The Little Mermaid
Lastly, we were able to visit her absolute favorite character’s grotto, and thanks to FastPass we were able to ride this ride multiple times. She loved it every single time.
Listen, I can’t tell you how many rides we rode that day all over the park. By the end of it, she was completely exhausted (and so were we), but she was happy. Absolutely happy. In her own words, “this was the best day ever!” (picture me squealing*). My heart was completely full!
We don’t make a big deal out of birthdays except for ones I consider to be milestone birthdays, so it was so much fun making this day special for her. I couldn’t ask for a better 5th birthday for her; fun, sweet, and prayerfully, memorable. I’ve got plenty of photos and videos to jog her memory either way!
What a special way to celebrate a birthday! I took my son to Disney for his 5th birthday, but didn’t think to inform the hotel. Good thing there’s a younger child to benefit from my learning from mistakes. 😀
This is the sweetest! It looks like she had an amazing time at Disney. I never got to celebrate a birthday there but I wish I did when I was younger. What a great memory for your child!