8. Free pretzel from Wetzel’s and free popcorn at AMC Theaters
Image: Ana Ulin, Flickr (license)
Want a snack that isn’t slathered in sugar? Download the app for Wetzel’s Pretzels to get both a free birthday pretzel and a free pretzel to use any other time. While you certainly can probably choose a sweet pretzel for your freebie, a nice savory pretzel might be the perfect snack if you’ve been inundated with free desserts!
Planning on catching a movie? Sign up for AMC Stubs Rewards and get a free popcorn that you can use when you see a movie in Disney Springs!
9. Free entree at Shula’s, Rainforest Café, or T-Rex
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@mykingdomforamouse Instagram)
If you don’t mind breaking off from Disney-owned restaurants for your birthday lunch or dinner meal, you can score an entire free entrée by signing up for the rewards program for Shula’s Steakhouse at the Dolphin hotel or Rainforest Café’ and T-Rex. You can't beat a whole birthday steak! Sometimes, these deals show up as Buy One, Get One Free, so you may need to bring a friend with you.
10. VIP treatment from cast members
Similar to scoring a free birthday dessert, wearing your celebration button can also earn you a breadth of VIP treatment from cast members in the parks. As an example, at Hollywood Studios, cast members may direct you to a very special telephone near the entrance to receive a personal birthday phone call from Goofy. Other cast members may treat you to a birthday sticker or card from Mickey.
At many Disney restaurants, your free dessert may also come with the gift of song. This is especially fun if the song happens to be sung at any of the Italian pavilion restaurants at Epcot (where some of the servers fancy themselves opera singers). Even funnier is if you happen to be the target of the renowned "Birthday Song that Isn't Very Long" by the Hollywood Studios Citizens of Hollywood.
One of the best memories we had on a birthday happened randomly while passing through World Showcase. A janitor from Columbia stopped us and—with no small amount of charm and fanfare-- asked if he could sing the birthday song. He adorably assumed my name was “Jett-ie” due to the exclamation point on my celebration button. He sang a full belting rendition of happy birthday in front of passing parkgoers and spoke some kind words of blessing before we went on our way. It was an awesome moment.
Another time, as mentioned in a previous article, we were asking some questions about the dolphins in The Seas with Nemo and Friends after a training demonstration. The trainer invited us to come upstairs and meet the dolphins where we were able to ask questions about their training and the studies the researchers at The Seas are doing to learn more about how dolphins sleep. It may have been anything that triggered this highly-unusual opportunity, but I was wearing a celebration button when it happened. Coincidence? Possibly.
Keep a welcoming smile, make eye contact, and strike up friendly conversation with cast members on your birthday to potentially trigger some birthday Disney magic. There are no guarantees, but anything’s possible at the most Magical Place on Earth!
What’s your best memory of a birthday freebie at Disney World?
Comments
My best friend and I went to Disney World on the second week of February 2021 to celebrate both of our birthdays, and we got lunch at PizzeRizzo in Hollywood Studios! The cast member that served us our food screamed in excitement and said she’d be right back, and when she came back she had 2 vanilla cupcakes in her hand! We loved her so much, I wish I remembered her name!
My husband's first trip was the week of his birthday 2009. On his birthday we headed to Epcot and at the entrance turnstile a cast member told my husband he had a phone call. ???To his delight it was Goofy wishing him a special day! (He was wearing his birthday pin.)