The only thing better than celebrating a birthday is celebrating a birthday at a Disney park! There’s nothing quite like hearing “Happy Birthday, Princess!” all day and–perhaps if the Fairy Godmother is watching–receiving a little extra sprinkle of pixie dust on your special day!
Of course, your travel dates might not line up perfectly with your actual birthday, but that’s why the pins say “Happy Birthday” instead of “Today is the Actual Date of my Birth,” right?
As a Florida native (and LA college student) I’ve celebrated my birthday at Disney World and Disneyland more times than I can remember! When I was a kid my family would pile a bunch of my friends and I into the minivan and then just set us loose in the Magic Kingdom, telling us to meet at the castle at dinnertime to eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Now that I’m an adult, I don’t usually make a special trip just for my birthday, but the first time I meet up with friends in Orlando during my birthday month is usually when I celebrate my “Disney Birthday.” We don’t splurge on dinner inside the castle anymore, but I’ll still grab a birthday button as soon as I walk into the park!
Here are just a few small ways you can celebrate a birthday at Disney without spending a fortune!
Celebrate in Character!
There’s nothing more fun than the combo of a birthday button and character-themed headgEAR! I wore these plush Maleficent horns around Disneyland for my 24th birthday and every cast member who saw me ignored my name and shouted “Happy Birthday, Maleficent!!!” as I walked past. I eventually started greeting them with an imperious nod like I was actually an evil fairy, which made each interaction so much more fun!
Take the same picture every birthday trip!
Every year that I was living in the Los Angeles area for my birthday, I took the same picture in a grey shirt and flowerpot ears (my first ever pair of Minnie Ears!) on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party ride at Disneyland!
It’s a fun, free tradition that you can start for yourself or a family member (and that you can make into a fun photo collage present too!
Choose a Special Birthday Snack or Meal!
I love Disneyland’s Monte Cristo sandwiches more than probably any other food I’ve had in the United States! I ordered them at the Blue Bayou restaurant (inside of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride!) the first time I celebrated my birthday as an adult and now they’re a special treat that I only order if it’s my birthday!
Designating a treat just for special occasions makes it so much more special when you’re able to enjoy it, and if you’re wearing a birthday button at a table service restaurant the staff will usually “surprise” you with a free dessert at the end of your meal!
Stop for a sprinkle of (literal) pixie dust!
Nothing makes you feel more like a birthday princess than a dusting of glitter…I mean… pixie dust!
When the parks are operating normally, you can find either the Fairy Godmother or a Fairy Godmother in Training (at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in the Magic Kingdom) and let her know that it is your birthday! She will probably bestow a little extra magic on your crown to help you celebrate your special day!
Splurge on a special pair of birthday ears!
This is new for me: I’ve never actually worn a pair of special birthday ears before! But this year my good friends EarGoddess and EarstaDiva surprised me with a custom-ordered pair of “birthday girl” ears from Ever After Ears Designs on Etsy!
Searching around on Etsy reveals tons of different pairs of ears that will let everyone at Disney know that it’s your special day! Keep reading for my review of these flower-and-wire ears!
Get yourself a pair of
Customizable Birthday ears here!
EAR REVIEW
What We Loved
Shipping/Packaging:
Excellent! These came in a sturdy box, wrapped in tissue paper, and zip-tied to more cardboard so that they would be perfectly protected during shipping! This was some of the best packaging we’ve seen from an Etsy shop!
Ear Shape/Size:
Good -the wire ears are perfect circles and the proportion of flowers to ears is just right!
Bow:
Good – There isn’t actually a bow on these ears, but the wire “birthday girl” centerpiece of these ears is super cute. We only wish they were a color that stood out a bit more from the orange flowers so that it was more legible.
Stitching/Gluing:
Excellent – all of the hot glue is concealed by the white headband color, and the wire wraps around the headband where it isn’t visible to anyone but the wearer.
Who would love these?
FashionEarstas who love flowers and want a subtle birthday look. The ability to customize the ears’ colors and text means that you can match the ears to a special outfit, or even the colors of your favorite sports team.
What Needs Work
Headband:
Ok – the headband is quite thin and short, definitely sized for a child rather than an adult. They are described by the shop as fitting most adults and children 5+, but I would definitely describe these as child-sized and they don’t come down to sit behind my ears (see photo).
I do love how clean and minimalist the white ribbon wrap looks on the headband and hope that it doesn’t separate after multiple wears.
Unique Theme/Style:
Ok. I love that you can customize your flower colors and choose between having your age or “birthday girl” written in wire!
From a foot away, however, the wire “birthday girl” is not legible and these look like any other pair of floral ears. If you really want a pair of ears that scream “it’s my birthday” to a character on a parade float or a cast member across the street, there are better options out there.
Materials:
Ok. The base structure of the ears is sturdy, but the flowers are quite cheap material and don’t look particularly sophisticated up close. From a distance they look great, but at this price point I really expected higher quality materials.
Turnaround Time:
Needs Improvement. We had some miscommunication between ourselves and the shop owner at first, but once we finally reached out we received the ears relatively quickly.
Wearability:
As I noticed when reviewing the headband, these ears aren’t really sized for an adult head. Fortunately the floral material is quite light, but the ears slipped around on my head when I wore them since the headband just isn’t long enough to grip my head. When I wear these to Disney I will probably have to pin them to my hair, which means a lot of extra work every time I have to remove them for a ride or rain shower.
Pricing: $$$
Ok – the materials and construction of these ears don’t seem to match the relatively high price point.
Where should future FashionEarstas be seen in these ears?
These ears would be good for a birthday jaunt to Epcot’s Flower and Gardens Festival, which runs each spring and features stunning flowerbeds and topiaries!
Overall Score: (3/5)
These ears will definitely help you feel special on your birthday, but they won’t necessarily stand out in a crowd and there are a lot of technical issues for their high price point. If you have a little one who loves flowers and wants to be a birthday princess, though, these would probably be better for children!
Get yourself a pair of
Customizable Birthday ears here!
I hope that you found this review helpful! I’d love to hear what you think of this review, these ears, Ever After Ears Designs, or just other magical things you have to share in the comments! Make sure you check us out on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram, chances are you will see our ears in action!
Pixie Dust and Glamour!
The Fancy Floridian
