Birthday at Disney ~ What about Big Sister?

[kaylie&laurensmom]

OK Guys - I need some advice. I think I will post this in the Disney for Families forum as well because I need all the help I can get.

We are going to DisneyWorld Sept 23-Oct 1; and my youngest daughter Lauren will be turning 2 on Sept 29. How cool is that to have your birthday at Disney??

We have it noted on our room reservation at CSR and plan to get the "Today is My Birthday" pin from all 4 parks. We will also be going to Magic Kingdom the day of her birthday, only doing the rides she can go on (no parent swapping on her big day), and attending our first ever Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party that night. We are having breakfast at Crystal Palace and dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern. We will order a cake to be served at dinner and have her "birthday party". AND I am having Peggy deliver a super duper birthday basket to our hotel filled with all sorts of treats. Sounds great and wonderful, right?

The problem is ~ I am worried about her big sister! Kaylie turned 7 on March 3 and she had a party at the skating rink (exactly what she asked for). She picked out her Hello Kitty cake, had lots of friends there, had a great time and lots of presents. BUT THAT'S NOT THE SAME AS HAVING YOUR BIRTHDAY AT DISNEYWORLD!!!!!

Kaylie has never been really jealous of her little sister, she loves her with all of her heart. I am just so worried she will feel "left out" during Lauren's birthday celebration. Does anyone have any idea what I can do so she will not feel like Lauren is getting all the Disney attention??? I am planning on getting a basket for her from Peggy as well, but what else can I do? We can not afford to go to Disney again in March for her 8th birthday, maybe for her 9th, but that's a long time! At the same time, I want Lauren to have a great birthday just like Kaylie did. So, another question is, does anyone have any other birthday ideas???

HELP

 

[3mickeys&me]

Disney is all about Celebrations!!! Why not celebrate BOTH their bdays?!?! My son and my friends son turned 10 in October. We decided to take a Mommy and the boys trip to The World to celebrate the bday but couldn't go till November. Every Restuarant we went to we told them it was their bday and they were sang to and we celebrated. The boys were soooo thrilled. They were beaming. I think they will remember that trip the most!!

 

[__disneygirl]

I agree with celebrating both. When you go to the parks, get big sister a birthday pin one day and the real birthday girl a pin on another day. Same thing when you go to eat, one time it will be one girl's birthday and the next day, the other. They'll both have a great time no matter what!! Good luck.

 

[daisax]

At 2 years old, she's not going to care -- sounds more to me like the celebrating is for YOUR sake, not her's.

Why not give her a present and a cuddle and cupcake or whatever you'd do at home for a 2nd birthday, and just have a nice vacation for the entire family without creating a world of drama around it?

I certainly don't think teaching the kids to lie and scheme to get birthday perks when it's not their birthday is a good example to set. Turns them into adults who claim they just got engaged in order to get comped meals/desserts (I've met some of them )

 

[mmeb144]

Talk to your older DD about the B-day thing. She may be cool with waiting 2 years to celebrate her special day at WDW. We took a b-day trip for my DS when he turned 11. He had a blast! My DD, who was 8 at the time, was a little jealous, until we told her that the following year we could go for her 10th birthday. Then, she was cool with it. When we took that trip, her big brother was ok with all the attention that she got.

I wouldn't combine birthdays, unless they are relatively close together. In about 2 years, we will be celebrating my DD, who will turn 14, and my DH, who will turn 50, birthdays at WDW. Now, that's a trip I can hardly wait for.

Marie

 

[rcraw45425]

When we went last April, it was DD8s birthday. The GF knew we had two DDs, so on her birthday they sent the birthday girl a chocolate bar from the GF and an autographed birthday card from Cindy. Other DD got a card wishing her a magical stay. During dinner at 1900, they gave both girls tiaras.

 

[pooh2001]

Ask the CM at the restaurant to get both girls a cupcake ....
Our DD is having her actual birthday at WDW.
Our DS will have "graduated" elementary school the same week,
So when I made our CRT breakfast ADR - I asked for 2 cupcakes - one for each child. Celebrate a birthday and a graduation (we'll get each an appropriate card) at the same time.

My DD has had her birthday at WDW just abour every time we go - late June.
She has worn the birthday button each time.
What she has gotten - an extra birthday message in her autograph book, cupcakes and a balloon at meals, a dime from the CM at bag entrance check at MK.

Since your children are at an age of jealousy - get 2 buttons - ask for 2 cupcakes at meals, .... and do some magic on your own - the day you celebrate - on the way out of MK buy each a big Mickey head balloon, get each their own popcorn tub to carry, get each a treat from the MK bakery, go to the barber shop and let both have pixie dust placed in their hair ... just a thought

 

[georgina]

At 2 years old, she's not going to care -- sounds more to me like the celebrating is for YOUR sake, not her's.

Why not give her a present and a cuddle and cupcake or whatever you'd do at home for a 2nd birthday, and just have a nice vacation for the entire family without creating a world of drama around it?

I certainly don't think teaching the kids to lie and scheme to get birthday perks when it's not their birthday is a good example to set. Turns them into adults who claim they just got engaged in order to get comped meals/desserts (I've met some of them )

Well said. I agree that a 2 year old won't really care about the fuss, and don't think it is right to celebrate a March birthday in September. Just go and have a great time.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I'd have to agree that it sounds like too much hoopla for a two year old. Not only is she not likely to connect that it is all in honor of her, she may find it all a bit overwhelming. If you tone it down, your older DD won't likely think much of it other than it is her sister's birthday. I am sure with all of the planning you are doing, it is going to be a wonderfull trip for the whole family!

 

[StinkerbellsMom]

I must say that while I am a big kid at heart and am all about BIG bday celebrations, at age 2 ... well, its
a bit too much, IMO. She may, as others said, get a bit overwhelmed. That being said, if you do decide to go
all out like this and are in fact afraid of jealousy, why not include the oldest dd in the planning. We have 3 girls
ages 6, 11 and 13 and they are all about Disney! We've been there a bunch of times and two of them had their
bdays there. The one that has not had her bday there did remark that she will never get to celebrate her day
there because she is not off from school anytime near her bday. So, what we have done with her is just to have
her be our "Official Planner" and we bought her the Kids Guide to WDW and let her highlight what she thinks we should
do to surprise the bday person or where we should eat for that day. Little things that made her feel special. Of
course, we have TWO that don't celebrate bdays when we go and do celebrate the one, but we have always
taught them that it is just as much fun to help make others feel special than it is to be the 'center of it all'. Thankfully,
its never been an issue, they all realize that on THEIR bday, its their day, and that day will come to each of them
at least once a year!

 

[new_mouser]

I'd give the 2-year-old one day (her actual birthday) to "celebrate" and let her wear the pin that day only, give her a gift and a cake, and do the kiddie rides just for her. The rest of the week I'd make a family celebration, and I would definitely not include the Halloween party as part of the birthday celebration - do it on another night. That way, the birthday girl gets her day, but Big Sis can enjoy the rest of the week without having EVERYTHING centered on her little sis.

 

[kaylie&laurensmom]

Thanks to all for your helpful advice. Just to let you know, the Halloween party is not really part of the birthday celebration - that's the only time the party will be occurring while we are there, it just happens to fall on her birthday.

We are planning on doing the Princess Storybook breakfast earlier in the week, and I have decided to make that "Kaylie's Special Day". I will have Kaylie's basket delivered that day, she can pick out a special souvenier, and she gets to pick what to ride, etc. I will make sure she gets some type of special dessert that night for dinner as well. The other 7 days we are there will be family days of course!

I really don't think a birthday present (the basket) and a birthday breakfast and dinner are "overdoing" it as a few of you have mentioned. I was only planning on letting her wear her pin on her actual birthday; I just wanted to collect the pins from all the parks as keepsakes. This will be her only birthday celebration - we are not doing any parties before or after we come back. Kaylie has always had a party, so I really don't want to NOT celebrate Lauren's birthday at all! The comment one poster made that I was doing this for myself was a bit much EVERYTHING I do is for my girls!

Thanks again to everyone for your help.

 

[belle&beast]

We celebrated DS's 2nd birthday in WDW on his actual birthday with all the bells and whistles and he LOVED it! He may not remember everything, but we have videos and photos and scrapbooks to help with that! Celebrate however you feel is right for your child!

As far as your older child goes, my DD is 4.5 and like your daughter loves her little brother and was never jealous. She loved telling everyone that it was his birthday and at MK they gave her a pin to save to wear on her birthday even though we will not be in WDW then. I took her shopping and let her pick out a little gift to give him on his birthday which made her feel special, too. Now she thinks we should go back every year for his birthday- our whole family enjoyed that big birthday bash! Have a wonderful trip!