Happy Birthday. I too will be celebrating my 40th the week before with a quick trip to my happy place. I have always told the kids we will not go to
Disneyland in the summer. However, we have celebrated my husband's 40th, Mom's 70th, and our 10 year anniversary in past years. I decided that it would not feel right not to go to Disneyland for my 40th.
I have some tips that I have used in years past to celebrate an occasion:
1. First off, don't be shy about it. From the minute you arrive, let it be known that it is your birthday. If you are staying at a resort hotel, let them know upon check-in. We have gotten autographed pics of characters, & balloons.
Wear your Birthday Pin, Birthday Ears, and sash with pride. Disneyland is infamous for its magic and you never know what they will have in store for you once they know you are celebrating an occasion. My mom said that one of her highlights of her 70th trip was all of the Happy Birthdays she got while wearing her birthday ears. I also made my husband 40th birthday shirts to wear each day. We have received hotel upgrades, restaurant discounts, & a serenade from Sligo Rags (the Irish band that sometimes plays in CA). Stitch even got everyone to sing Happy Birthday to my mom at our character meet and greet.
2. If you want to try out some of the fancier restaurants, go for just dessert. We had never done the Blue Bayou. For my Mom's 70th, I booked a late lunch time around 3:45pm. We were seated right by the water which was fun. We ordered off of the dessert menu bringing my mom a Mickey's Pirate Boat Birthday cake. It was fun and a fraction of what a dinner or lunch would have cost us.
3. If money were no object, or if I had started this plan earlier, do a VIP tour. The tour costs roughly $355/hour for a group up to 10 people. You get the VIP Tour Guide for at least 6 hours. You get immediate access to some rides, fast pass lines for others, special seating for parades and shows. Ah, how to come up with magic money. This is definitely on my bucket list!
4. PhotoPass+. I recently gave a a friend of mine a PhotoPass+ for her recent trip to Disneyland. Her husband has cancer and thought they would take a great Disney trip to perk up family spirits. I wanted to do something for her and thought this would be ideal especially since she is a "phone photographer". Their family now has all of those magic memories. I am debating this one for my trip. I am only going to be in the parks 2 days. I don't know if it will be worth it to me. 3+ days and I would totally buy photopass+. If you preorder it online it is cheaper too! I think I paid around $70 for hers.
5. Commemorate your trip with a cute Christmas ornament. Such an inexpensive way to remind you of an amazing trip each time you decorate your Christmas tree.
Have a wonderful trip!
