Here are our experiences.....last Oct, for dd's 13th, I had ordered a cake from the GF bakery. We had lunch at the GF Cafe...well, booked lunch but were still too full from CP breakfast, so we had coffee/sodas and the cake was brought out. Our server, David, was terrific. He made a very big deal out of it, had the entire restaurant singing to dd.
At CP that morning, dd got her birthday cupcake, with candle, and confetti on the table. All the characters signed a card I had brought...a special Disney birthday card. Then they all made a sorta big deal with dd.
On her 6th birthday at WDW, dd had dinner at CR...the server came out with a birthday cupcake/candle, a card signed by the characters. She sang Happy Birthday with the other servers while the characters bounced around us.