Thinking of creating birthday certificate for 13 year old DS

[jacksgirl]

We will be celebrating DS's birthday at WDW. We're already doing a few special things - MVMCP, HDDR, etc., but I'm thinking of creating a certificate for his actual birthday gift giving him a choice of certain special experiences. But I'm a little worried about availability if I give it to him while we are there and let him choose. I was thinking along the lines of some of the tours, or something like a fireworks cruise or Pirates cruise. Does anyone have any suggestions for things that might be available on short notice like that? Or a different suggestion for the gift itself?

 

[jacksgirl]

I'm thinking something like "a Disney birthday wish."

 

[bumbershoot]

I would be worried about availability, too.

 

[kwdw]

I like your idea of an "experience" as being the gift - but you are going to have to book that in advance - so - well - pick for him.

Now - you MIGHT be able to book a Sea Raycer at the Contemporary as a last minute choice - or a canoe/kayak from Fort Wilderness. You can also get the behind the Seeds" tour last minute - but I don't know if that would interest him. OR maybe doing dinner at the movie theater at DTD?

Or - you could simply have the last minute gift be spending money..... but I like the "unexpected thing to do" concept more.

 

[jacksgirl]

I think you're probably right. I'm gonna have to pick for him. Right now, I'm waffling between a couple of options -- Dining With an Imagineer (he's my creative guy -- has been designing and building things from wood and concrete since he was 7 or 8), and the Backstage Tales tour (he loves AK and the animals). Any suggestions?

 

[mummabear]

Well it might be possible depending on the experiences you could book several of them and give it to him prior to the 24 hour cancellation notice and cancel what he doesnt want?

 

[jacksgirl]

So I ordered a cake to be delivered to our room on arrival day. We are huge Tim Burton fans, so the theme is Tim Burton's Mad Hatter. BW Bakery will create a cake that looks like the Mad Hatter's Hat, with our favorite quote from the movie on the scarf -- "You're mad. Bonkers. Off your head. But I'll tell you a secret -- all the best people are." Chocolate cake with fresh strawberry filling and chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting, complete with plates, forks, etc. So with the addition of a few balloons and a gift basket, we will have an in-room celebration. Still not sure what I'm going to do about the actual gift. I'm still leaning toward a special experience. I know it sounds like a lot for a birthday, but I want to do something really special for him this year.

 

[nilla]

As long as Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Donald Trump are given the opportunity to determine the validity of this birthday certificate, I think it's a great idea!

 

[xmansmom]

I like your idea. We'll be celebrating my DS 13th birthday in November and I've been thinking about doing the same thing. Have you made a decision? I'm also trying to book a birthday dinner but our options are limited. I have an adr for Whispering Canyon but I'm checking everyday for something more magical. Do you have a special birthday dinner planned?

 

[MermaidMommy]

I think you're probably right. I'm gonna have to pick for him. Right now, I'm waffling between a couple of options -- Dining With an Imagineer (he's my creative guy -- has been designing and building things from wood and concrete since he was 7 or 8), and the Backstage Tales tour (he loves AK and the animals). Any suggestions?

Dine with an Imagineer was really great for DD15 and me. However, there's no guarantee that you'll get a "creative" type Imagineer for your lunch. Sometimes you do, and sometimes you don't. You just have to decide if you think DS would still be interested in a 2-3 hour lunch either way.

I don't have any experience with the AK tours, but it sounds like it would be fun for him. They also offer a Dine with an Animal Specialist, which he might enjoy.

You could also check into doing something for him through a company that organizes in-park surprises, like Gifts of a Lifetime. I haven't used them, but they get excellent reviews on the DIS. They're pricey, but sound amazing.
http://giftsofalifetime.com/

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

Have you looked into Discovery Cove? We did the dolphin swim and LOVED our day at the park. We have a toddler now and can't justify the cost with her, but that was awesome to do. They have some other experiences too and I think Sea World has a couple of behind the scenes/swim experiences as well as the ones at Epcot.

 

[jacksgirl]

I like your idea. We'll be celebrating my DS 13th birthday in November and I've been thinking about doing the same thing. Have you made a decision? I'm also trying to book a birthday dinner but our options are limited. I have an adr for Whispering Canyon but I'm checking everyday for something more magical. Do you have a special birthday dinner planned?

I haven't made a decision just yet, but we do have a special dinner planned at Be Our Guest. That is the restaurant he requested for his birthday.