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2. Plan a few surprises

Mickey celebrating with kids

Image: Disney

Planning doesn’t end with just picking a date. If you’re going to plan a surprise trip to Walt Disney World, take some opportunities to make it extra magical.

If you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort (a good idea for keeping things epic), Disney Floral and Gifts can actually prepare your room with a wide variety of gifts and surprises for your birthday guest. These can range from a simple balloon or customized vase of flowers to a full Disney-magic transformation of your room. For both kids and adults, they have some seriously cool packages that will be waiting when you walk through the door. It’s like bringing the parks right into your room for your beloved pirate, princess, or Jedi.

It is also easy to order a birthday cake to be delivered during any table service meal you’ve reserved during your stay. You can also pick one up from Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs. My parents did this at Crystal Palace when I was a kid, and I will never forget how cool it was. I returned the favor to my mother by giving her a celebratory cake at Biergarten when we visited many years later. Everything is better with cake.

Birthday cupcake at Rose and Crown Pub

Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@mykingdomforamouse Instagram)

On a budget? With a little planning and ingenuity, you can set up your own in room celebration. Take a look at some ideas at Disney Floral and Gifts, then purchase those items ahead of time and keep them in a separate bag. When you arrive, come up with a good excuse to break away from the group before everyone heads to the room (maybe a dining or Fastpass+ reservation for the rest of the family). Quickly set up your own birthday extravaganza to be enjoyed when the rest of the family arrives. You can also utilize local retailers and florists in the Orlando area that may prove much less expensive than Disney.

Oh, and don’t forget to book dining reservations and Fastpass+ as early as possible, especially if the birthday king or queen has a favorite restaurant or attraction!

3. For kids, make a magic backpack

Little girl with backpack drawing

Image: David Goehring, Flickr (license)

We’ve talked about the “Magic Backpack” hack before on Theme Park Tourist. Generally, it’s a very helpful tool to encourage good behavior and keep anxious kids settled during a Walt Disney World trip, but if you are taking a little one on a birthday surprise trip, it’s a wonderful way to kick off the magic once the surprise is revealed.

The trick works like this. First, get yourself a backpack that your child will be able to use, preferably with a cool Disney-related theme. Before your trip, put together a kids’ survival kit for the vacation. This could include activities and snacks to enjoy on the plane, an autograph book and pen, a water bottle or sipping cup, a kid’s guidebook, and other various Disney swag. Keep these items hidden.

Kids smiling and walking together  celebrating at Epcot at night

Image: Disney

When you spring the birthday surprise, give your child the backpack and something to enjoy at the airport. From that point forward, let them know that for every hour they behave during the flight, they will get something else from the backpack—but they can’t see what those things are until they are revealed. It gives them something to anticipate and establishing a sense of routine that can comfort squirrelly kids. Feel free to make them wait a little longer if they don’t behave, always with the hope that good behavior will lead to positive reward.

When you arrive at your resort, they can get something else from the kit like a pin trading kit. Adjust the intervals according to your preference and how many items you have, but the idea is that every day, they have a new reward to look forward to. This is a fantastic way to deliver birthday gifts throughout the trip. You can also save a huge amount of money by getting most of these things online ahead of time, then saving for one or two souvenir gifts in the parks. By the end of the trip, they’ll have a full Disney fun kit!

 
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