birthday fun card-- will it delay us?

[dsdevlin]

Let me say first that I am a total MK planner-- we arrive before rope drop, we wait for the opening and we hightail it back to FantasyLand to get on as many rides as possible before the park fills up. No leisurely walk up Main Street for my family!! LOL!! Having said that, I'm wondering how we go about picking up my son's birthday fun card (we are not doing the free admission thing) when we visit MK on his 3rd birthday this year. I want to make sure he gets the birthday button and the card but I'm worried that we'll have to do this inside the park after rope drop. Can anyone tell me where exactly you can pick up the birthday items? Want to make sure we do it as efficiently as possible!! And if there is anything else I need to know about to make his birthday extra-special? We've been to Disney many times (DH and I even honeymooned there) but never right on a birthday Thanks so much!!!

 

[Robo]

Let me say first that I am a total MK planner-- we arrive before rope drop, we wait for the opening and we hightail it back to FantasyLand to get on as many rides as possible before the park fills up. No leisurely walk up Main Street for my family!! LOL!! Having said that, I'm

1-wondering how we go about picking up my son's birthday fun card (we are not doing the free admission thing) when we visit MK on his 3rd birthday this year.

2- I want to make sure he gets the birthday button and the card but I'm worried that we'll have to do this inside the park after rope drop.

3-Can anyone tell me where exactly you can pick up the birthday items?

1- Do it later in the day.

2- You can grab the BUTTON at City Hall (Guest Relations) if you'd like.

3- Outside the gates at MK Guest Relations. #9 on the map below.
(You might ASK at City Hall and see if they can give you the BD Gift Card, too.)

 

[Playing With Matches]

We picked ours up at Guest Services desk outside the park. We actually entered the park before we knew where to go and they told us to exit and go to the Guest Services desk.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

You will not be able to get the Birthday Fun Card for him.

The above is based on the expectation that your first day will be before his birthday and you will take advantage of Disney's policy that he does not need a ticket. Since he will not have reached age three by the start of the trip, he is considered as Age Two for the entire trip for both park entry and meal purposes.

To get the Fun Card you must have a multi-day ticket for him. So you have a choice of considering him three for the entire trip and having a ticket and using it or not getting anything (other than the Birthday Button) for him. This is even more critical if you are on the Dining Plan.

 

[Kathy Z]

MK has a Guest Relations area in the waiting area before the area that is roped off. It is over to the right. If you are there early enough you can go wait in that line to get the birthday fun card before doing the dash to Fantasyland at rope drop. It will speed things up if you have registered his birthday online and printed up the certificate from Disney. You will also need an original copy of his birth certificate as proof of birthday. (Adults can use their driver's license.) If you arrive too late for that, do as Robo suggested and just pick it up later in the day. You do have to pick it up on his birthday but you have a whole year to spend it.

Editing to say I just noticed from post above that I missed the fact that this is a 3rd birthday. PP is correct that since you did not pay for any admissions for him he is not eligible for the funcard. But he can have the birthday button, and to a kid those are just about as awesome. Our DGD just told me when I was watching her yesterday that she still has her I'm Celebrating button. It was because it was her first trip to WDW.

 

[JCTigger]

if you are staying at a disney resort you can get the birthday button at check in and wear it for the length of stay and or you can get it at guest services at the hotel as well..

 

[dsdevlin]

Thanks to everyone. Just to be clear, I DID buy a complete multi-day pass for my son who turns 3 during the trip. I wasn't sure about the Disney policy on that and I had already registered his b-day so it didn't seem right to skip out on the ticket. Sooo, he will enter the park with paid admission and I WILL pick up his birthday fun card, right? Thanks again for such well-thought out answers!

 

[Robo]

Thanks to everyone. Just to be clear, I DID buy a complete multi-day pass for my son who turns 3 during the trip. I wasn't sure about the Disney policy on that and I had already registered his b-day so it didn't seem right to skip out on the ticket. Sooo, he will enter the park with paid admission and I WILL pick up his birthday fun card, right? Thanks again for such well-thought out answers!

What day will you be arriving at WDW?

Is that ON or BEFORE your child's 3rd birthday?

Are you staying on-site?

Is MK your first park to visit?

These answers can make a big difference in what you should and should not do
in regard to tickets for your young child.

The following is based on a child who turns 3 yrs. at some point DURING a trip (but not the first day.)

If he is still 2 yrs old on your first day in the parks, he will not need
any tickets.
He will be getting into the park free the entire trip and so there
is no need to get any kind of birthday "gift" from Disney.

He CAN wear the Birthday Pin and get all the "fun" that goes along with that.

You do not need the tickets that you bought for this child on this trip.
You may save them for use in the future.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I am ignoring the 3rd bday part until you get final clarification

As for getting the birthday fun card, at MK there are guest services windows to the right of the turnstyles (when you are facing the park). The windows will open at 7:45am for a 9am opening. There is plenty of time to get there early, get the fun card and still wait in line for rope drop.

 

[doconeill]

Just mentioned this in another thread...

If you look to the right of the right most bag check (marked "6" on Robo's map), there is a small round rotunda building. Sometimes the Will Call window will be located there. There is an arrow on a poll marked "Will Call" which will point either there or to the Guest Relations windows. Follow the arrow.

 

[WDSearcher]

What day will you be arriving at WDW?

The following is based on a child who turns 3 yrs. at some point DURING a trip (but not the first day.)

If he is still 2 yrs old on your first day in the parks, he will not need
any tickets.
He will be getting into the park free the entire trip and so there
is no need to get any kind of birthday "gift" from Disney.

Correct ... but if the Guest WANTS to purchase a ticket for their child in order to be eligible for the birthday gift card, they certainly can. It's not like the CM at the turnstile is going to say, "I'm sorry ... your child turned three while they were here ... we refuse to take his ticket." It's the guest's choice.

It's an odd trade-off -- to purchase a full child's pass at $100+ just to get the gift card, but you can certainly do it.

 

[Robo]

It's an odd trade-off -- to purchase a full child's pass at $100+ just to get the gift card, but you can certainly do it.

And, that's why I'm attempting to explain the "whys and wherefores"
of ticketing so a guest does not make a costly mistake, unawares.

I could understand (a little) why someone would choose to pay for a ticket and take the FASTPASS Birthday Gift... That's unusual and not possible to obtain, otherwise.

Buying a multi-day ticket when one is completely unnecessary...
looks to be a misunderstanding of standard ticket procedure to me.

 

[Lintasare]

I guess I don't understand, you are spending how much on a MULTI-day ticket for your child who doesn't need one just to get a gift card that is only worth a one day ticket? You are throwing away money for nothing.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I guess I don't understand, you are spending how much on a MULTI-day ticket for your child who doesn't need one just to get a gift card that is only worth a one day ticket? You are throwing away money for nothing.

Perhaps the OP wanted the DDP for her child as well, which requires a ticket.

 

[Robo]

Perhaps the OP wanted the DDP for her child as well, which requires a ticket.

Children under 3 do not need to purchase the plan.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Children under 3 do not need to purchase the plan.

Correct, but some people want it anyway so their children can order their own meal.
(I personally don't understand the value of paying for a ticket for a child just to get the meal plan when most WDW kids meals are $7.50 at TS and $5 CS when a park hopper ticket is more than than what those OOP meals would cost, but that is a whole other thread )