For those celebrating a child's birthday at the park....? About bringing gifts

[Misskitty3]

If you are planning to travel to DLR for your child's birthday do you bring along a gift or two for them to open? Or do you do gifts at home before or after your trip?

We are arriving the night before DS's 9th birthday and I am trying to decide if we should pack a small present for him to open. He is old enough to understand that a BIG portion of his birthday present is the actual trip! But it could be fun to pack something small so he has something to open on his actual birthday.


Just wondering what others do.


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[sonnyjane]

I think it would be fun to bring something for them to open on their actual birthday, but the caveat is the transportation. If you are flying, you'll want to keep the items unwrapped and wrap them once you get to your hotel. If the TSA finds wrapped gifts in your checked luggage, they can and will unwrap the gifts to verify what they are if necessary, and the same rings true for gifts that you bring in carry-ons and put through the scanner. For that reason the TSA recommends against any wrapped gifts.

If you're driving, obviously you can bring as many gifts as you like!

 

[specialks]

I arranged for a gift to be placed in the room for my DD when we went for her birthday. It was through vacation planning and you have to be staying on site. I got her a pair of Tinkerbell ears with her name embroidered on them. If I wasn't staying on site, I would absolutely bing a little something for them to open on their special day. But that's me, and one of my love languages is gifts.

 

[specialks]

I think it would be fun to bring something for them to open on their actual birthday, but the caveat is the transportation. If you are flying, you'll want to keep the items unwrapped and wrap them once you get to your hotel. If the TSA finds wrapped gifts in your checked luggage, they can and will unwrap the gifts to verify what they are if necessary, and the same rings true for gifts that you bring in carry-ons and put through the scanner. For that reason the TSA recommends against any wrapped gifts.

If you're driving, obviously you can bring as many gifts as you like!

Packing a gift bag & tissue with your gift helps you get around this!

 

[sonnyjane]

Packing a gift bag & tissue with your gift helps you get around this!

Yup! I just went to a wedding two weeks ago and just put the gift in my bag along with the gift bag and folded tissue paper. No hassle

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

We are driving but we're taking my dd2's bday gift. We're using it as part of the 'surprise' as they don't know we're going to Disneyland. So we're going to set up a small treasure hunt in the room and have the older kids help her around to find the gifts. At the end will be a note saying the last gift is for everyone..

Anyway, yes we are taking a couple gifts. If we'd gotten her something really large we would've waited until we got home (she's small so she won't notice). But we ended up getting her a snow white 'baby' so we thought it was appropriate to bring it lol

 

[Pesky]

I'd bring something for him to open or plan on picking it up that day. But I think it would be a great way to start off the morning, even if it is something small or a "coupon" written for a special meal at Blue Bayou or gift from a DLR shop. Just a nice thoughtful gesture.

 

[starshine514]

We do it after, but we do let the other (non-birthday) girl pick out a gift at Disneyland for the birthday girl to open.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

We were there on my daughter's birthday, and I did bring her presents there. She knew that the trip was part of her present, but everyone wants to open actual presents and a card on their actual birthday, right? I think it is important to have some gifts for the child to open on their special day.

 

[Liat]

We went for my daughters birthday last year and we brought a couple small gifts (and some gift wrap) so that she could open something.

She had a birthday party with family after we got back where she opened the majority of her presents. She was too excited about being at Disneyland to really care what she got there. She liked opening them, but after it was all "Lets go on more rides!!!".

 

[disneydreamer74]

We have celebrated DD5's bday on previous trips and will be celebrating on this upcoming trip as well. She understands that the trip is the big gift! But we always have a party at home either before or after the trip for family and friends to attend. On the trip, we always have a gift basket delivered for her from VP, but I should point out that you do NOT have to be staying onsite for this. They will deliver to Good Neighbor hotels as well. I stay at FFI and leave instructions with the front desk to place the basket in my room. I have never had any issue with this, but other hotels may not be willing to do this so you would have to talk to the front desk ahead of time.