10 Ways to Celebrate at Disneyland

One question I get asked a lot is – “What’s a good way to celebrate a special occasion at Disney?” In my opinion, there aren’t many better PLACES to celebrate a special occasion, so there have to be some good WAYS to celebrate there, right? Well there are! And here are 10 of them.

1. Birthday or Celebration Button – My first way to celebrate is absolutely free! Do I get bonus points for that? I cannot stress enough how important it is to get a button for your celebration. There are birthday buttons, anniversary buttons, just married buttons, family reunion buttons, even first visit buttons! If any of these apply to your reason for being at Disneyland – get one. You’ll be amazed at how much attention one little button can bring. Cast members and guests alike will wish you happy birthday when they see the button. Occasionally, you’ll even have a cast member go out of their way to bring some extra magic to your trip when they see these buttons. So unless the thought of being spoken (maybe sang?) to freaks you out, get a button.

2. My Disneyland Birthday Party – Disneyland has a party with characters just for birthday celebrations every day at the Plaza Inn! For $16.99 each guest will receive party hats, a souvenir cup, a mini birthday cake to decorate and icing and cake toppings to eat or decorate with. Mickey and Minnie themselves even pop in to join the celebration! The party lasts about an hour and reservations are recommended.

3. Order a Cake – A cake! Of course! What’s a birthday without a cake? At Disneyland you can have a cake waiting for you at any full service restaurant in the parks or at the resort hotels. You can order a Princess Jewelry Box or Disney Pirate Treasure Chest for $15 and each comes with an individual cake. You can also choose from a variety of custom made cakes that include Mickey and Minnie cakes, Princess cakes, classic cakes, and sometimes they can accommodate special requests for characters. Call the Dream Makers at 714-300-7526, option 2, and see what they can do for you! Be sure to give them at least 72-hours notice!

4. Order a Gift Basket – The Dream Makers also have several gift baskets to choose from! If you’re staying at a Disney resort, they can leave the gift basket right in your room on check in day. If you’re staying offsite, they can leave the basket at the check-in desk for you. There are several baskets to choose from. They start at around $35 for Mickey ears, autograph book and pen. They range all the way up to $162 for a spa themed gift basket. The Dream Makers will send you an email that lists all the options and details. They’ll customize too! Just call and ask!

5. Order Room Service – There are some great treats you can order from room service as well if you’re staying onsite. Like a bottle of champagne! Or sparkling cider! Does anything say celebrations like chocolate covered strawberries? How about chocolate covered tuxedo strawberries? Selections will vary by hotel and the Dream Makers can help you set something up here as well.

6. Decorate your Room – If you are staying at a Disneyland Hotel, the Dream Makers (they’re very handy those Dream Makers) can have your room decorated for you! They need at least 72-hours notice, and these are not cheap options! They start around $200 and work their way up to $400. The least expensive option includes a personalized package from Mickey, a banner on the wall, and balloons in the room. Mickey even leaves a pre-autographed autograph book! The most expensive option includes not just a personalized package from Mickey, but some from his friends too! How excited would your child be to step into the room and find the whole room decorated?

7. Have the Dream Makers do Some Personal Shopping – If you give the Dream Makers enough notice, they can do some shopping for you! You can let them know what you need and for a $40 fee, plus the cost of the merchandise, they’ll have it waiting for you. Give them at least 7-days notice for this one!

8. Special Birthday Hat – If you want some extra attention, or you want to make sure someone else has some special attention, buy them a birthday hat! Disney sells a giant hat that looks like a birthday cake, as well as birthday-themed Mickey ears. Wear one of those bad boys around for a little while and see what happens!

9. Fantasmic Dessert Package – If you want to treat yourself, or the person who’s celebrating, how about booking a Fantasmic Dessert Package ? No waiting for hours to see the show, you’ve got VIP seating! And dessert to boot! You can book Dessert Packages 30 days in advance at 714-781-7469.

10. Happiest Picnic on Earth – This option is for those with healthy wallets and lots of friends! You can essentially rent a whole venue with a catered meal in one of the parks. In Disneyland, you can have 100-300 guests at the Big Thunder Ranch, or 300-1,000 (1,000!!) guests at the Festival Arena. At Disney California Adventure, there are two indoor venues. One seats up to 150 guests and the other 500. Go big or go home right? Contact Disney for details on this one – at 714-520-7034.

Do you have any celebration ideas for the Happiest Place on Earth?