Adding Extra Magic to Your Disneyland Day & How to Celebrate your Birthday

Updated March 27, 2025

One of my absolute favorite parts of a Disneyland trip – or any opportunity to travel – is adding extra magic.

I’ve detailed some general options in Step 6 of my planning process. Today, I’m sharing a few of those and even more ideas with you.

Disneyland is magical enough – yes. But, personalizing your visit adds another layer of fun. Let’s take a look at how you can do this.

Schedule Something Extra

Disneyland will help you add magic if you’re stumped trying to do it on your own.

Consider:

• Scheduling character dining
• Booking a makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Think Outside the Box

Some of our greatest travel moments have happened due to my insistence on completely over-doing so much in life. It’s both a blessing and a curse – just ask my husband.

Think about the parks, the time of year you’re visiting, who you’re with and what would thrill them most. Here are a few things I’ve done:

• En route to a NYC Christmas trip, I asked the flight attendants to welcome our kids on the intercom. We had surprised our three with the trip and flew out of LAX at midnight, just hours after they learned we were going. They absolutely glowed hearing their names and the warm welcome.
• Stefawn, our Elf on the Shelf, made it to Disneyland and curiously followed us around the park. A friend of mine and my teenager helped with the logistics. If you bring your elf, be sure to consider other children around you when placing or removing him from anywhere. We don’t want to spoil the magic for others.
• Dig deeper into the parks and find what is unique about Disneyland. There’s so much more than attractions.

Talk to a Cast Member

So much of what I’ve learned about Disneyland comes directly from Cast Members. We habitually gather knowledge in two ways:

• Upon entry, at the Mickey and Friends Parking Garage, we ask the Cast Member at the pay booth what his favorite attraction is and why. So many wonderful stories have come from that small interaction and it’s something we look forward to each time we visit. You could do the same with really any cast member during your visit.
• We often seek out the “plaids”, which is a term given to some of the most knowledgeable Disney Cast Members. You can find them at City Hall on Main Street, at kiosks around the park, and generally in areas where an extensive understanding of Disney is needed. We kindly ask what trivia they know. They’re excited to share their information and we are even more excited to hear it. All of these little layers add to our experience in big ways. Don’t forget to thank a cast member if someone goes out of their way for you!

Celebrate a Birthday at Disneyland

Celebrating a birthday at the happiest place on earth? It doesn’t get much better. Some tips on how to make that birthday special:

• Make reservations for a character meal. My recommendation is for Minnie’s Breakfast in the Park. It’s at Disneyland, so the ambiance is magical. This option has the most characters and the best character interaction, in my opinion. Find information on it and all your character dining options and then make a reservation within 60 days of your visit.
• Not interested in a character meal? Looking for something for a tween or teenager? I highly recommend Black Tap Burgers and Shakes. I share all about this favorite of ours here.
• Pick up a free birthday button at City Hall (Disneyland) or The Chamber of Commerce (California Adventure) to start your day. Cast members and other guests will wish you or your child a Happy Birthday when they see this button. It’s a special way to celebrate. These buttons can sometimes also be found in the parking garages, at the hotels, in stores and more. Don’t be afraid to ask for one.
• If you’re enjoying a table service meal, let the waiter or waitress know about your birthday. They’ll often bring out something special for the birthday boy or girl. We’ve had a small cupcake at Cafe Orleans and chocolate mousse at Blue Bayou, free of charge.
• Consider buying the current “birthday” ear hats on-site:

Here are what the ears look like. They’re even cuter in person!

Consider some embroidery to commemorate this special day. More on embroidery here.

Add a Cake to Your Celebration

These cakes are adorable, slightly customizable, and cost $48.

Here’s all about how this works.

Highly recommend it!

Go on my Free Main Street Scavenger Hunt

This one hour scavenger hunt takes you down Main Street covering all the essential points of history all Disney fans should know.

Find it here.

Take a look at how Get Away Today can help with your vacation