celebrations...

[Caitriona]

We'll be celebrating our kids birthdays, (they have their birthdays close together, and the trip is a joint Birthday present in leau of any parties) so I had all of our celebrations noted under our ADRs and I'm kind of confused. I went through saying which kid was celebrating at which restaurant. Sometimes I have all 3 kids listed at each restaurant, but I'm particularly concerned about my CRT reservation when I view it online - it says it's my son's (who will be 3) birthday celebration, but her name is then listed underneath it. It then lists her birthday as March and says that she's turning 3, but she's actually turning 8 and the meal is going to be on her actual birthday. I know the age bit doesn't matter, but I'm kind of especially worried that the celebration header lists my son's name and she'd be heartbroken if the servers think that it's his birthday and not hers.

Then there are a few ADRs where the celebrations don't match up with what I said, even though the CM double checked and confirmed everything.

Should I call back? Or is it just how it appears in my reservation details and will they have the correct info in their system?! I did call back once already to add a celebration, and to fix some, but they still look messed up

 

[DrDoofenshmirtz]

My advice would be to keep calling until everything was straightened out. Just explain slowly, and as clearly as possible to the operator what the situation is. If you get an operator who's not quite getting it, thank them for their time, hang up, and call back. You're almost certain to get another operator.

If you're still not 100% sure they got it right, when you show up at CRT, quickly explain to the hostess or your waitress what the deal is.

Disney goes to extraordinary lengths to accomodate it's guests. I'm sure everything will turn out fine.

 

[catne]

You can call and ask them to get it right on the reservation, or you could correct the info when you check in at each restaurant.

But, have to warn you: there is no guarantee that anything at all special will happen at the restaurants whether or not the information about celebrations is on the reservation. We have been at Disney World for many, many birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and have to say it's about 1/3 of the time anything special happens at the restaurants. Don't get me wrong--there have been some very special moments (getting serenaded with a birthday song in Swahili at Sanaa was fabulous...same with a bunch of the Italian waiters in Via Napoli singing an Italian celebration song.) But just as often, it was just the server saying "Happy Birthday" or "happy Anniversary" etc. Or nothing at all happens other than the check-in person asking if you're having a good birthday.

Or maybe they will put confetti on the table & bring out a birthday cupcake (if you're on the dining plan, chances are they will put a candle in the dessert you order on the plan...even if it's ice cream.) The servers may sing Happy Birthday, or announce the birthday. There's a big range of things that might happen if you get some pixie dust.

But just as often, NOTHING happens other than people noticing the Birthday buttons and wishing you Happy Birthday.

Just so you know...sometimes people get so upset that nothing exceptional happened. If you really, really want to be sure something special happens, you might want to order a specialty cake ahead of time.

 

[daisyduck123]

I would not bother calling to try & straighten all of that out as there's no guarantee that any of the restaurants are going to do anything anyway.

Whenever we have been at WDW on one of my kid's actual birthdays I always plan the celebrations myself. I've ordered cakes, , booked an Illuminations Celebration cruise, had helium balloons delivered, etc.

 

[Caitriona]

Thank you, I might call again to fix CRT at least, but it's good to know that I could also fix it at the podium, even though I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing that, since it would make me feel as though I'm expecting something.

I booked character lunches at CRT, Crystal Palace & Tusker House and then lunches at Biergarten, Rose & Crown and dinner at 'Ohana (don't expect anything at the last 3 at all) and if anything special happens, that'll be great, but if not, then I'll be okay with that - as long as can arrange for the 'possibility' for something to happen, then I'll be more than happy -- I don't really know how much the boys would really care though about the celebrations (they'll have just turned 3 & 1,and all my toddler cares and talks about every day is that he's going to get a hug from Pooh and Mickey - so we'll have good memories of their birthdays & the meals regardless)

I've been debating getting my DD the chocolate slipper at CRT, but then if they always do something for birthdays there, then I don't want to... but then again, I'm still kind of tempted.