celebration question.....

[UK Dis]

I am bringing my partner to WDW for her 40th in May. 2 weeks at BC in a standard garden view. It is a surprise and she won't know we are doing anything until the morning of the flight.
My question is that I have spent many months and a lot of stress "moving" money etc to pay and arrange this trip without her knowing and I want it to be special, I have told Disney it is a 40th celebration but what in reality will this do?

I have the funds to change our booking to a club level but obviously if there is any chance of an upgrade at check-in I don want to spend quite a large sum paying for a club level.

Any experience/advise please??

 

[Disneylover99]

The reality is, you can get a birthday button at check in and lots of people will say happy birthday and you might get a free cupcake at some TS meals, but that's about it. If you want club level, you should book club level. But if you really don't want to spend the money, don't. You'll still have a great time at the BC with a garden room, and with the money you save, you can buy more snacks/meals/drinks at Epcot since you're just a short walk away. Enjoy!

 

[purple figment]

Please don't count on getting a complimentary upgrade to CL when you arrive. You could ask how much it would cost to upgrade when you check in and if there is a room available you can decide at that time, but there would have to be a CL room available for your entire 2 week trip and that seems unlikely. Upgrades are actually fairly rare, in spite of what you may read online. At DW they are mainly done when rooms are overbooked or have to be taken out of service because of a repair or problem. If you want a CL room it is best to book it now so you will know you have it.

You can ask for a birthday button and many castmembers will extend their well wishes. Some restaurants will bring a birthday cupcake or other dessert, confetti on the table, signed card, or something else celebratory, but at others there will be absolutely no recognition at all. Probably half the visitors in DW are celebrating something special - birthday, engagement, honeymoon, graduation, first visit, multi-family get together, life changing milestone so if you want something special, it is best to arrange and pay for it yourself because castmembers cannot acknowledge everyone.

 

[krm222]

She might get a few free desserts or birthday cards. If she wears the button then everyone will wish her Happy Birthday but I agree with pp: if you want something special set it up yourself. You can order a cake or do a special dinner somewhere or a spa trip to GF. Lots of options!

I wish my hubby would surprise me with a trip!!

 

[DisMommyTX]

We stayed at the Poly club level last year and didn't feel that it was worth the extra we paid. We usually sleep in, go to the parks around noon and stay until close, so we rarely returned to the room in time to take advantage of the amenities. Compare the club hours to your touring plans to decide if it would be worth it for you to upgrade. For the same cost, you could plan several amazing experiences, like dinner at Victoria and Albert's, VIP tours, fireworks cruise, etc.

For example, we also ordered customized gift baskets from Disney Floral and Gifts and thought they were the perfect addition. I ordered everyone's favorite snacks, along with a bottle of wine and souvenir mickey wine glasses for our 15th anniversary. I smile every time I use my Mickey wine glasses!

I would use the money to customize your own 'upgraded' experience! Then, just relax and enjoy the trip--she is going to love it. Don't expect anything more than you have paid for or you will be disappointed. Pixie dust is a pleasant surprise, but much more on the order of an occasional cupcake than a room upgrade. Fwiw, wearing the button might get old really quick. Hearing "Happy Birthday" every 10 minutes for days on end takes some of the magic out of the trip.