How have you celebrated children's birthdays at WDW?

[momto2]

My kids' birthdays are the end of this month. However we can't get to WDW until earlyJanuary. We told them that because it was so close to their b-days we would celebrate their birthdays at WDW. Has anyone ever done this? Celebrate when it isn't their actual date during the trip? What did you do?

 

[tallym]

I wasn't sure weather to reply to not as I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but.....I really can't understand crlabrating a birthday on any other day other the actual "birth" day. Surely this is the whole point of a Birthday??

I know a lot of people do this and Iam really not getting at you personally. If you want to celebrate it 6 weeks later that is entirely your buisnesss. But surely CM must take it with a pinch of salt now if some one says its their birthday.

Would you put birthday pins on your children? I guess its just my bug bear please don't be offended But personally I think you should make your childrens "birth" day as special as possible because thats their special day , surely to bring a cake out and blow out candles a month later is just Fake and undermines the actual birthday. in my opinion.


I hope I haven't overstepped the mark? I hope you have a wonderful trip whatever you decide to do!

 

[beattyfamily]

My kids' birthdays are the end of this month. However we can't get to WDW until earlyJanuary. We told them that because it was so close to their b-days we would celebrate their birthdays at WDW. Has anyone ever done this? Celebrate when it isn't their actual date during the trip? What did you do?

Go for it if you want to! We gave our DD a trip to Disney for her 6th birthday...no party at home this year. We went a weekend before her birthday because it was free dining and it ended the following weekend which was her actual birthday. I have NO problem with that. It was her birthday gift and a special trip to celebrate her birthday, just a week early. People have parties for their kids all the time that do not fall on their actual birthday for various reasons.

Anyway, I had a birthday shirt made for her. I got her the birthday pins. I ordered a cake for one of our meals. I had her wear a birthday hat (with Ariel on it) for our Princess meal at PSB because that was her 'official' meal celebration.

She had a magical time and I'm sure she won't soon forget how speical it was to celebrate her birthday at WDW.

 

[mcdisney2005]

We will be celebrating my son's 6th birthday when we are down there the end of November. His birthday is 3 days before Christmas so he kind of gets screwed on his birthday so we thought this would be a great way to give him a special treat while we are down there. We are making a shirt for him and have let the hotel and Chef Mickey's know that we are celebrating his birthday. I will also get the pin for him as well.

 

[kellyg403]

All my daughter wanted for her birthday was a chance to eat at the Castle. Her birthday is the last week of November, we aren't going until Dec. So we decided to make a reservation to celebrate her birthday on the same exact day Dec. We won't celebrate throughout the parks, but her lunch at the castle we will. Its part of her birthday present. We will celebrate here at home on that actual weekend, but we are still going to surprise her.

Just my thoughts...

Kelly

 

[bicker]

My wife and I had this discussion recently. We made a commitment (to ourselves, of course, but also to my family) that we would take our nieces and nephews to WDW for their 5th, 10th and 15th birthdays. We're taking Benjamin for the first time in January, though his birthday is this month. Even though the vacation is for his birthday, we take our responsibility to model good behaviors very seriously, so won't try to mislead CMs into thinking it is actually his birthday. The trip is, without question, Benjamin's birthday present. That's something we not only feel comfortable telling CMs, but we'll probably make up t-shirts to that effect.

 

[samshane]

My middle daughter was too young for a party when we went last time so we had a dinner at Cinderella's castle and I called ahead and had them bring out a cake for her. She loved it. She also got a certificate declaring it Princess Sarah's special day.

This year her b-day is right after we get back and she said NO to any celebration at Disney as she is having a bowling party with all of her 4 and 5yr old friends. She'd rather have that!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

DD (8) and DS (5) were lucky enough to be at Disney on their actual birthdays. DD (turning 7) actual birthday is December 30th. Always a bad time for a birthday. THis year we're going to be at Disney January 6-10 and we're definitely going to celebrate her birthday. We always go to Disney in the summer and this is the first time we're going to be down there anytime remotely close to her birthday so we're going to take advantage of it. It's only a week difference so I don't feel guilty about it at all.

 

[JanMary]

I am glad this topic has been raised as I was wondering about it too.

My two DDs both have December birthdays and we are taking the family to WDW for first time in January. As it is after their birthdays I just assunmed it would be too late to have any kind of 'birthday thing' when we were there.

However I have a lunch reservation at CRT for just myself and the girls (DH and DS banned - much to DH's releif!) and it would be lovely to make it a belated birthday celebration. How much is it to order a cake? Arrange a certificate? Who do you phone? Where can you get birthday pins? Wher can you get birthday hats - sepecially with Ariel?!

There is no way I would want to pretend it was actually their birthdays (and the girls would soon tell anyone who seemed misled!) but it seems that it is still ok to do a belated thing and that would be lovely.

 

[tallym]

But wheres the cut off point?

Whats to stop everyone going to CRT and "celebrating a birthday and even wearing a birthday pin? After all we have all had a birthday at some point that yr.

 

[Miffy2003]

Every day I am in WDW is like a birthday to me!

I have no problem with people getting their kids birthday badges even if it's not, personally.

Have a wonderful trip

 

[Gerweniel]

Hi!
My older son's 13th Birthday is on Christmas Eve! I promised him we'd celebrate this milestone B'day by having a Disney trip as close to his actual day as possible. It is unrealistic for us to be at Disney on Christmas Eve proper, so we are celebrating it earlier in the month. We won't be getting a "birthday button", but I do intend on purchasing him a cake as a surprise for him one evening. (hehehe at the Whispering Canyon).
He is getting to choose some special restaurants for dinner, thanks to the Dining Plan - (Teppanyaki and Coral Reef), and if I can swing it, I'll let him rent a boat with his brother for an hour or something like that.
I am hoping that he will have fond memories of his 13th Birthday, even if the trip doesn't happen to fall on the actual day.

 

[JeffM624]

On our son's 7th birthday we stayed at the YC.
During our time in the park he wore the "it's my birthday" button and ended up having a great time. When we got back, Capt. Bob had sent balloons and a cake to the room and a birthday card that was an autographed group photo of characters. The next day we had a very low key birthday for DW

 

[Vickie46]

Who cares! Enjoy the Magic of Disney.. if you want to celebrate you, your child or whoevers birthday.. then DO IT! I don't see a problem with it and I really don't know why others do.. but enjoy yourself and your children.. they are only small for so long!

 

[bicker]

We won't be getting a "birthday button", but I do intend on purchasing him a cake as a surprise for him one evening.

I cannot imagine that someone would be concerned about anyone paying for special celebratory considerations for a belated birthday; rather, the concern would be, I'd suspect, whether to impose on Disney's generosity in that regard. I surely would not have any concern whatsoever celebrating Benjamin's birthday in January, as long as I'm picking up the tab for the special considerations!

 

[arkansas mom]

My son had not yet started pin collecting but always dragged me to the displays and showed me all the really cool pins he would buy if he collected. Well, on his b-day, he was showing me the pins he loved, and I was grabbing them when he turned away. By the time we worked our way through the store I had picked up about a dozen pins and a lanyard without him noticing . As he paid for a couple of small items at one register, I slipped over to another and purchased his first round of pins. We stepped out and sat at a table to look at the items he purchased and I said and put the lanyard around his neck.

 

[TxDisneyFan]

My son's 10th birthday will be Dec 19. We will be arriving at WDW on the 18th. I have been planning our visit since March. We'll start the day with a wake up call from Mickey. We'll have breakfast at Chef Mickey's. There are a couple of things I want to try to do, hopefully we'll have some pixie dust sprinkled on us....

I think you should celebrate when it is conveinent for your family. We just happened to be able to schedule our trip during this time.

Our dd is 7. She's asked us to go on a Disney cruise for her 10th birthday. With the prices so high, I'd better start saving money now!

 

[alleghator]

And ... we're also very careful about modeling good behaviors for our kids. Our Emily's birthday is one week after we get back. With planning the first family trip to WDW and all ... there's no way I'm throwing a kid birthday party as soon as we get back. So, we'll be celebrating her birthday at Disney World. But, at NO point will we tell anyone that it actually *is* her birthday, and we'll make sure she knows to do the same.

As a previous posted mentioned ... many of us frequently have birthday parties on a convenient day, rather than on a child's actual birthday. I do think there's a personal "line" we each have, though. To me ... 6 weeks away seems a bit of stretch. But, I'm not in your family ... you do your thing, and I'll happily sing along with you if I hear you start a round of "Happy Birthday" somewhere. It's none of my business when the actual birthdate is.

--Heidi

 

[momto2]

Had no idea that this simple post would cause such controversy. Obviously you don't know me, but I would never pretend or lie to anyone about my child's actual birthdate for any reason. As someone mentioned, we often have parties with their friends that aren't on the actual date for convenience sake. So I was just wondering how people celebrated when they were 'celebrating' one's birthday at WDW not on the date. Of course, my children will still celebrate their birthdays on their dates and my DS will have a party with a few friends. They have always wanted to go to Disney for their birthdays but this hasn't been nor will it ever be possible. So the next closest date we could get was January.

Thanks to all of you who get the Disney magic and realize that we all can't make it ON THE DATE. They both are each picking a restaurant to 'celebrate' their b-days and I will, like many of you, tell the waitress that we will be celebrating their November b-day for this event. No cake, just a huge, magical, Disney treat!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Our oldest has celebrated on her actual day twice.

We are vacationing in Hawaii next year. My youngest will have her birthday either during or just after the trip...we will celebrate on her day--even if it is on an airplane (but we are trying to avoid that).

We are going for my mother's 50th b-day--so it is a birthday trip. But as a family we will celebrate it on her actual day.

You can do what you wish as far as how you celebrate your child's b-day. However to pretend it is that day whenever you travel..just doesn't seem right to me--at all--ever. Given the trip for whatever reason is not planned so that the birthday is during the trip...no problem with you doing something in honor of their birthday.

I think most--magic or not--who take exception is when you are basically celebrating an un-birthday disguised as a birthday.

My only other example--one year for Valentine's day we had a dinner reservation. I was preggers with long and bad morning sickness. Just as we were leaving for our date...I got sick and we had to call and cancel the reservation. We rescheduled the date--and though it was for Valentines' day, we didn't make a big fuss about it and didn't bother to mention it to the restuarant. B/c it was no longer February 14th! So no compimentary rose for me.