Birthdays at Disneyland Paris

Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Paris, Île-de-France, France
or...Marking the Year with the Mouse

Since moving to Paris, we have probably celebrated 3 out of 4 birthdays at Disney, in some form or another . While this tends to make people think I am a Disney fanatic, that is not really the case. At least I am no more of a Disney fanatic than I am a computer fanatic or a writing fanatic.   I think of Disney more as a mastered skill. . And I also think it is a skill ANYONE can master. I am babbling about this for a reason, so stick with me here. While I am not obsessive about Disney, per se, what I am obsessive about is making sure my kids have a good time...particularly on special occasions.   I don't mean this in a Wilson Phillips "Hold On" kind of way (note the "Bridesmaids" reference). It's just that I would prefer the day be remembered positively, and not as a day that Mom spent twitching and grinding her teeth. So, at this age, a trip to Disney is a good alternative to trying to organize something yourself.     But, like everything in life, you can't just show up and expect things to turn out magically...as it were. You need a bit of a game plan. So, what can you do to celebrate occasions with the Mouse?!?   Turns out, quite a bit . And, while there are no specific birthday parties at Disney, here are a few things that you can do to make the day special.

1) Make the day special with character and cake!: Several of the Disney restaurants will provide a birthday cake and song if you call ahead. Of these, the best value is probably Cafe Mickey. As it is in Disney Village, remember that you will have to leave the actual park to get there....and it is a bit of a walk.   So you should plan accordingly and make it coincide with entering the park, leaving the park, or stroller nap time. (See Dining at Disney section).  

2) If you have a girl, splurge for the Auberge de Cendrillon:   This is an upscale French restaurant experience. (See Dining at Disney). But the coup d'etat here is that the Princesses make the rounds of the tables. They pose for pictures. They sign autographs. You also get the Princes for the boys, if they are so inclined .   This gives your child her Princess fix, and avoids you waiting in lines.   Add a very tasty birthday cake on top of that, and you have an almost unbeatable girl birthday.

3) Get your child's face painted at Walt Disney Studios: In the dark corridor which takes you from the Front Lot to the Production Studios, you will find a small makeup area that does face painting. I overlooked this for probably 30 trips, which was missing out on some fairly inexpensive fun. They charge you 10 Euros for a very fancy and sparkly face painting.    This is a great option not only for girls!! However, your boys may also like it, as they have more masculine options as well.   

4) If you have some serious disposable income, consider staying in a hotel or getting an annual pass:  If you stay at a Disney hotel, you have the option of getting into the park an hour or two before it opens to the general public. If you use this well, this provides the wonderful experience of being able to ride some of the rides without the suicide inducing lines . However, you should stay at one of the hotels that does not require that you walk 45 minutes to get to the park!! This will destroy a buzz quicker than just about anything.  

Another option is purchasing the "Dream" Annual Pass. I know this sounds crazy if you don't live here, but it also allows you to get into the park early which gives a sense of specialness on your child's birthday.    And, if you plan to visit Disney 5 times or more during the course of a year, the cost is a wash.   It also gets you not only savings on boutique purchases (20%), restaurants (10%) and Disney hotels (35%), as well as invitations of Dream Pass holder only events.    We were invited to the opening of Toy Story Playland, which was only for Dream Holders and was FANTASIC!!  

5) Send one of your party to secure a good spot for parades or shows your child wants to see: Spots get taken quickly, so it pays to have someone in your group get to Main Street USA early to hold a spot . Have them bring strollers, bags, or other bulky items to keep the space for you. This is kind of obnoxious behavior that I wouldn't ordinarily encourage, but for a birthday, I think you should be allowed. Why bother? The look on your kids face when one of the characters in the parade comes up to them face to face.  

Any of the above will help make your darling's day special, but don't forget that you, as a parent, can create some magic all on your own. Let your grade-schooler buy something at the shops that they might not have thought they couldn't have. Loosen your eating standards and let your toddler have a little extra popcorn. If you are there in the summer, give e your preschooler the option to stay up late to see the fireworks. You get the drift. Disney is fertile ground for a birthday....be creative.
Other Entries

Comments

2025-02-15

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank