Character meals on child's birthday?

[westie55]

Hi everyone,
We will be celebrating my son's 4th birthday on our next trip. I would love to hear your experiences with celebrating a birthday at a character meal. What meal did you attend and was anything special done by the wait staff and/or the characters in honor of the birthday? Thanks for any info you can provide that would help me select which meal to choose. Fur characters are preferred to face characters.

 

[Micharlotte]

We always go for my daughters birthday week. She wears her pin wherever she goes. I always ask a dining rep to add that it’s her birthday on all our reservations. Some restaurants will give you a card with signatures, some have given her a dessert cupcake with a candle, some have decorated the table and some have done nothing. It’s not consistent and can not be expected, but it’s a nice surprise when they do. This year she’s turning 12 and has requested Crystal Palace as the meal for her actual birthday. Have a great trip!

 

[CynBeth]

We celebrated my DH’s birthday on our last trip. I was surprised he agreed to wear the pin. Even though we are adults we like to do a few character breakfasts and were at Cape May on his special day. He was brought a donut with a candle in it and was sung to and got a card with all of the character’s signatures. We had lunch at Tutto Italia and dinner at Le Cellier and because he has food allergies they brought him sorbet with a candle in it and sang to him. We noticed this for other adults and kids at any TS we were that week.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As PP's have noted, it's very hit or miss. The best you can do is note it on your reservations, have DS wear a birthday pin and also mention it to the host when you check in. If you want to go to a restaurant that consistently acknowledges special occasions, you could consider going to HDDR.

 

[Allison Carpenter]

I’m wondering the same thing. I was thinking of getting our son, who will turn 3, a cake when we go to Chef Mickey’s. The cakes are so cute and start at something like $25.

 

[DISNEY1975]

My daughter wore a pin during our entire trip and got a special dessert at each meal, including breakfast. In some restaurants, she even got a card signed by all the characters there.

The Plaza (lunch)


Chefs de France (dinner)




BOG (dinner)



Tusker House (breakfast)




Artist Point (dinner)




Cape May (breakfast)




And a few more I cant find pics of at the moment. I know Hollywood and Vine breakfast was a cupcake and card. 50's Prime Time was a huge cupcake. I dont recall anything at Chef Mickeys. She went on stage during Spirit oh Aloha (they asked for all kids with a birthday to join them on stage) and Mickeys BBQ she was picked to do the rope trick, and given a certificate and trick rope to take home. Every place she went or walked past, she got a "Happy Birthday Princess" from a CM!! ...really every place except Chef Mickeys (breakfast) and Trails End (dinner).

 

[KenHutch]

In 2012 we went on my daughters actual birthday. The biggest thing she got was a ride on the Magic Kingdom Fire Engine to her birthday breakfast at CRT (It was preopening and they saw her pin and talked to her). At CRT all of the princesses stopped by our table and signed her card. Even at 12 she was happy.

 

[Mariearistocat]

Like others said, have her wear the pin on her birthday. Don't expect anything but be grateful when it does! (And it usually does!) Mine only wear a birthday pin on their actual birthday. The person above who had her daughter wear it all week is one of the reasons pixie dust like this is becoming rare, people take advantage. It's a birthday, not a birth week!

 

[Micharlotte]

Like others said, have her wear the pin on her birthday. Don't expect anything but be grateful when it does! (And it usually does!) Mine only wear a birthday pin on their actual birthday. The person above who had her daughter wear it all week is one of the reasons pixie dust like this is becoming rare, people take advantage. It's a birthday, not a birth week!

Thanks for your opinion. We are there on her actual birthday every year. As a matter of fact the cast member who checked us in on our first stay specifically said to make sure she wears it every day. The thing she likes the most is when characters or cast members wish her a happy birthday. It is her birthday trip, but thanks.

 

[whitney37354]

We've been to WDW for DD's birthday week three times. We've had different things each time for character meals. Autographed birthday cards, autographed place mat, confetti on the table, lots of birthday cupcakes, having "Happy Birthday" sung to her, by either our CM or the entire restaurant.

 

[The13thLetter]

Like others said, have her wear the pin on her birthday. Don't expect anything but be grateful when it does! (And it usually does!) Mine only wear a birthday pin on their actual birthday. The person above who had her daughter wear it all week is one of the reasons pixie dust like this is becoming rare, people take advantage. It's a birthday, not a birth week!

I have to say I respectfully disagree with this statement. Some people go to Disney once a year and maybe even less often so sometimes you may celebrate multiple things that are close to your trip dates because you cannot afford to go multiple times a year for each specific thing. Multiple cast members have told us it doesn't have to be the exact date to celebrate something (we often go near my wife's birthday but usually not the exact date and they have practically put the birthday pin on her themselves when we have told them that) so as a policy I really do not think Disney has an issue with people celebrating special things that may not be exactly during their trip. If you went on a special European vacation to celebrate your anniversary and it was 2 weeks after your actual anniversary because you could not get the actual date off from work, are you not celebrating your anniversary anymore? Would you not still tell the hotel that it is your anniversary in hopes you get something special to help celebrate?

 

[Jim Libasci]

I was told by a CM once that to celebrate it had to be within 6 months of the beginning or end of your trip

 

[Figmentmommy]

There are no rules - official or unofficial. Celebrate whatever way you want to!

 

[KrazeeK120]

We went the week before my son’s 3rd birthday. His birthday is 2 days before Halloween and we wanted to be home for trick or treating. He wore his birthday pin the whole trip. We did not ask for, not expect to receive, anything. He did get a free cupcake at the CS at our resort (Poly) and a cupcake with a candle at Tusker House. Let’s be realistic...those mass-produced cupcakes cost Disney very little. People can celebrate whatever they want whenever they want. Disney is still making plenty of money even if they hand out cupcakes.

I did order a personalized mini cake to be delivered to our Kona Cafe dinner one night of the trip and my son loved it. If you’re willing to spend a little $$, I think that’s a great treat for anyone!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

My DD celebrated her 6thbirthday at CRT and all the princesses signed a card and gave it to her. And she got plenty of special attention.

 

[DISNEY1975]

The person above who had her daughter wear it all week is one of the reasons pixie dust like this is becoming rare, people take advantage. It's a birthday, not a birth week!

Yikes. Thats my daughter and I would guess with confidence kids wearing pins all week have nothing to do with dwindling pixie dust. When I made my reservation through WDW Travel Co, they asked if we were celebrating anything special. I stated my daughters birthday. When we arrived at the hotel, the pin was there waiting for her. We didnt ask for it. She pinned it to her little pocketbook (see on the table in the Tusker House photo and the blank line across some of her outfits in some of the other photos is the pocketbook string) Although super tall for her age, she turned 9 on that trip. Shes a kid, on vacation, and likes the pin. What should I have done, make her take it off?

On a previous trip, not near her birthday, we were at 50's Prime Time. She was 6. She noticed someone at another table had a cupcake. She asked if she could have one for dessert. I didnt see it on the menu and asked the waitress about it. The waitress said it was for birthdays. I said OK and told my daughter since it wasnt her birthday yet she needed to pick something else, like ice cream (which she loves). She was fine with that. The waitress took our dessert order, went into the kitchen, and next think I know about 10 CM came out with birthday pins singing Happy Birthday to her and gave her a cupcake. After they sang and put the cupcake in front of her she said "But its not my birthday: The CM said :Wehn youre at Disney, every day is your birthday" The smile on my daughters face was priceless. Here she is when we left the restaurant, so proud of those pins!

Thanks for your opinion. We are there on her actual birthday every year. As a matter of fact the cast member who checked us in on our first stay specifically said to make sure she wears it every day. The thing she likes the most is when characters or cast members wish her a happy birthday. It is her birthday trip, but thanks.

Thank you!

I have to say I respectfully disagree with this statement. Some people go to Disney once a year and maybe even less often so sometimes you may celebrate multiple things that are close to your trip dates because you cannot afford to go multiple times a year for each specific thing. Multiple cast members have told us it doesn't have to be the exact date to celebrate something (we often go near my wife's birthday but usually not the exact date and they have practically put the birthday pin on her themselves when we have told them that) so as a policy I really do not think Disney has an issue with people celebrating special things that may not be exactly during their trip. If you went on a special European vacation to celebrate your anniversary and it was 2 weeks after your actual anniversary because you could not get the actual date off from work, are you not celebrating your anniversary anymore? Would you not still tell the hotel that it is your anniversary in hopes you get something special to help celebrate?

Thank you!

 

[piccolopat]

I don't have a problem with someone celebrating a birthday for a day while at WDW, even if it's not the exact day (but pretty close). I do think it is excessive for someone to wear a birthday pin for a week, knowing that some pixie dust will likely come their way. Now some may disagree, but if everyone did this in the hope of getting a free dessert, eventually Disney or the restaurants themselves would stop that practice due to the cost. That would be unfortunate for those actually in the park on their birthday.

 

[DISNEY1975]

I don't have a problem with someone celebrating a birthday for a day while at WDW, even if it's not the exact day (but pretty close). I do think it is excessive for someone to wear a birthday pin for a week, knowing that some pixie dust will likely come their way. Now some may disagree, but if everyone did this in the hope of getting a free dessert, eventually Disney or the restaurants themselves would stop that practice due to the cost. That would be unfortunate for those actually in the park on their birthday.

It was all innocent, I promise. The pin was on her pocketbook. She never took it off and I didnt even think about what she might get by having it on her pocketbook. She got it at check in, so yes, pinned it on then and there and never took it off. It was more like a souvenir. As for free dessert, we were on the deluxe dining plan (thus all the dinner shows and TS meals). Dessert was included in all meals. We werent looking for any freebies.

 

[piccolopat]

It was all innocent, I promise. The pin was on her pocketbook. She never took it off and I didnt even think about what she might get by having it on her pocketbook. She got it at check in, so yes, pinned it on then and there and never took it off. It was more like a souvenir. As for free dessert, we were on the deluxe dining plan (thus all the dinner shows and TS meals). Dessert was included in all meals. We werent looking for any freebies.

I wasn't accusing you but talking in generalities. There are plenty of people that will look for any advantage to get something for nothing or something that they are not entitled to. Happy birthday to your daughter. I'm glad she enjoyed it this trip and hope that abuse of the system by others doesn't deny her that chance in the future.

 

[pebblesjns]

I don't have any experiences with birthdays, but my husband and I honeymooned at Disney in 2006. Our travel agent had the bride and groom ears delivered to our resort and I wore them the entire week we were there. We had such a great trip and got so many little extras to help us celebrate (from extra desserts, table decorations, let into the fastpass lines without a fastpass, getting sung to in Mickey's Philharmagic), it was a really unforgettable trip. A couple of years later, they did the "What are you celebrating" promotion and it seemed like everyone was celebrating something because they gave them celebratory pins for any little thing. I know for a while there, the extra perks of celebrating went away. I think they are slowly coming back again.