Tips For A Disney In-Room Celebration That Won’t Break The Bank #DisneySide

My son turned 3 last month, and my husband and I knew it would be awesome to celebrate it in Disneyland. So I spent months (yes, months) planning and preparing for our Disney vacation. I wanted my son — actually, I wanted the whole family — to have a blast at the happiest place on earth that’s why I scoured the internet (and even bought the Official and Unofficial Guides To Disneyland) for ideas to make it a vacation to remember.

There are a number of things that you can do to celebrate special occasions, and you can find suggestions on the “Birthdays at Disneyland Resort” page of the Disney website. But the one thing I really wanted to try was the In-Room Celebration packages provided by Disney Dream Makers. Unfortunately, their packages are so expensive!

The In-Room Celebration Package that I wanted costs $395 and the other package is $210! WOAH! That’s just waaaaaay out of our budget! While a lot of people say that the In-Room Celebrations by the Disney Dream Makers are worth it, I just couldn’t fit it into our budget because we’re already spending more than what we usually spend on our hotel stay (we usually stay at a Good Neighbor Hotel but we decided to stay at the Disneyland Hotel this time).

Disney In Room CelebrationSo what’s a mom to do? Research, of course! I spent days, maybe even weeks, looking for photos online of actual In-Room Celebrations. And here are my tips if you want an in-room celebration but don’t necessarily have the budget for the Dream Makers’ packages.

TIP #1: Before anything else, check the Disney celebration packages so you can see exactly what’s included in each.

Don’t forget to check the individual gift baskets as well. Decide if the cost is worth the convenience for you. Many say that it’s totally worth it so if you have the moolah, I say go for it! Just be sure to check that they deliver to your hotel!

TIP #2: Take note of the specific items included in the Disney celebration packages that you would like to have for your celebration.

Not everyone will enjoy everything in the packages (for example, a “Hidden Mickey” book is included in the celebration package but I don’t think my 3-year old son will appreciate it at this point) so identify items that you or your kid/s will love.

TIP #3: Shop for party decorations and supplies online!

I received some party supplies from Birthday Express. Party supply websites like Birthday Express have a wide range of products for any party and almost any theme! Since I wanted a Mickey Mouse-themed in-room celebration for my son, I got the following:
– Disney Mickey Mouse Standup
– Disney Mickey Happy Birthday Foil Balloon
Red Matte 11″ Balloons
– Sky Blue Matte Balloons
– Bright White (White) Latex Balloons
– Disney Mickey Mouse Hanging Swirl Value Pack (2 packs)
– Bright White (White) Curling Ribbon
– Birthday Balloons Giant Banner
Disney Mickey and Pluto Small Removable Wall Decorations
– Disney Mickey Mouse Tumbler
– Disney Mickey Fun and Friends Centerpiece
Disney Mickey Mouse Mini Bubbles

Birthday Express

Party supplies I got from Birthday Express. Not in photo: Mickey Mouse Standup and Birthday Banner.

TIP #4: Bring their favorite Disney toys.

Now this won’t work for older kids but it probably depends on your “presentation”. In our case, I brought my son’s Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck plush toys and set them all in the middle of the bed. It kind of made us feel like the whole gang is present (although they’re technically not). And it worked for our in-room celebration because ours was Mickey Mouse themed anyway.

If you don’t already have toys or goodies related to your theme, be sure to browse through the favors and goodies at the Birthday Express website!

TIP #5: Be creative!

Because it’s an in-room celebration, you aren’t really preparing for a huge party. This gives you some creative flexibility because you just really need to think about what your family wants. And if something doesn’t turn out quite as you expected, your family probably won’t mind.

Room Setup

I didn’t have to prepare any food because I already had a reservation at Goofy’s Kitchen so all I really had to take care of were the room decorations and the goodies. I also placed all the stuff we bought inside the Disney Parks at the center so he can readily play with whatever catches his eye first.

In-Room Celebration

Our Mickey Mouse-themed Disney In-Room Celebration. The little boy loved it!

What’s even nicer when you create your in-room celebration yourself is that you can set it up again when you get back home!


Ours was a very simple yet very memorable In-Room Celebration that didn’t cost too much. And because I personally chose the goodies and the decorations, every single thing I included was targeted to my son’s age and preferences — and that made it worth every penny!

Are you planning a Disney-themed party or celebration? Here are some posts from around the internet that can give you some awesome ideas!

Party Ideas:
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Party
Mickey Mouse At Home Celebration
Mickey Mouse Birthday Party
Minnie Mouse Dream Party Celebration
Frozen Playdate Party
– Disney Princess Cinderella Party
Disney Cinderella Party Ideas
Disney Princess Tea Party
Little Mermaid Beach Party
Little Mermaid Viewing Party Ideas
Disney Tangled Rapunzel Party Ideas + More Photos
Disney Cars Birthday Party
Disney Planes Party Ideas
Sheriff Callie Party Ideas (+ Stick Horse)
Ultimate Cars Dream Party
Avengers Super Hero Birthday Party
Disney Super Buddies Viewing Party Ideas

Crafts/Decors:
DIY Mickey Mouse Balloon Dart Game
Mickey Mouse Party Favor Lollipop Wrappers
Captain America Shield
Olaf Craft
20+ Disney Planes Crafts & Party Ideas

Recipe Ideas:
Olaf Treats
Monsters University Monster Popcorn Balls

 

* I received some of the products mentioned above from Birthday Express. I purchased the rest of the other products shown in the photos. Thoughts are my own.

Comments

Tips For A Disney In-Room Celebration That Won’t Break The Bank #DisneySide — 71 Comments

  1. Great Tips! We love Disney, but have to stay on budget. Ordering online really helps find some good deals.

  2. Thanks for the great tips.I’m planning on having a Mickey Mouse party for my grandson’s first birthday

  3. Wow! Thanks for the tips on having my own Disney Room Celebration. It can cost a lot of money! But doing it myself sounds better because I can save money. My niece would love to have a party like this.

  4. Wow, how are ever going to top that birthday party? It looks like he really had fun!

  5. Looks like your little one had a great party at the happiest place on earth. My four year old granddaughter wants to go to Disneyland so bad and were saving up money to take her and I’ll be incorporating some of your money saving tips into our trip. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  6. I like your creativeness, I think in the future, your son will appreciate your efforts more than he would the money spent on the more extravagant party. Life was so much more simple years back. This wasn’t even an option when I was a kid, and definitely not when my parents were kids. Don’t get me wrong, we go all out on parties, sometimes I went so far out that I was too busy getting ready for the party to even enjoy my family, that part I regret.

  7. We are wanting to take a trip to Disney and I have been looking for suggestions and tips since there is so much information.

  8. These were great ideas and tips. I can see how you made the right choices for yur family and for your son. He looks very content in these photos.

  9. Great ideas! You can always find free Disney printable online too, I like the idea of includinig what you have already, like there toys. The dollar store and target spot usually have Disney related stuff. You don’t have to spend a lot to celebrate a lot. 😉

  10. Wow! What a great mom you are; I bet your son had a blast! Love the creativity.

  11. All the theme parks are so expensive these days. I welcome any and all tips.

  12. Your efforts and planning really paid off. The In-Room Disney Celebration looked like a professional prepared it. I love the pictures – your son looks like he’s having a blast.

  13. It looks like a great celebration, thank you for sharing these great tips.

  14. This is wonderful how you planned everything right down to the littlest thing. He sure looks happy and you did a wonderful job. My grandson is 3 years old now and they are quite sharp at this age. I am so proud of what you did!! Thanks for the pictures and sharing!!

  15. I also love Disney, but we live on the other side of the states, so we usually go to Disney World. I love these ideas and hope to use them. Our youngest will turn 3 next year and we have been wanting to go to WDW then and have a nice vacation, plus save up for it. Thanks for these ideas!

  16. My grandson went to Disney and loved it, now hes a few years older and they want to go again this year. Never been there myself but Disney has been in our lives for all of us and the kids. Thanks for the info, it will help them plan this trip

  17. Great tips! Doing it yourself really allows you to customize the theme. My little girl loves Monsters Inc, so that would be the theme we would go for!

  18. We would like to take a trip to Disney, but this is the next best thing. Thanks for sharing!

  19. I love this! We are obsessed with Disney. I am totally going to do this when my baby boy gets a little bit older.

  20. Those are great ideas! I am a total cheapo so these tips are right up my alley

  21. Oh wow this is a great idea and I would have never thought to do something like this.

  22. Thank you for the tips. We are wanting to take our daughter, she will be turning 3 and I think she would love it.

  23. Pingback: Our Disney In-Room Celebration At Home! - Bay Area Mommy

  24. Super ideas, I love how special you made it for your son. I am looking forward to taking grandkids to Disneyland and this would thrill them

  25. Creating your own room celebration is a great idea! It looks like it turned out really well and probably saved a ton too.

  26. Such a great idea. My grandkids love disney also. I agree it is much cheaper to do it yourself. Thank you for sharing your ideas

  27. What great tips these are! I used to work as a birthday party specialist with themed birthday parties. These parties started at $500, and it was always sad to me that low income families couldn’t give their kids the same party. Your post has provided nearly the same party, minus the specialist that does the scripted games (but that’s easy for the host to do!) — awesome blog! I’m going to spread the word! 🙂

  28. I couldn’t get the URL to post in the comment box for the “Comment on any non-giveaway” post… and I tried to post it here but it wouldn’t let me. I clicked entered, because I did post. It was on the birthday page. The error message I got was “Too many URL’s are in your post” (Or something like that).
    Thanks!

  29. Oh wow! I never even thought of having a in room celebration at Disney! Probably because it costs so much to make a trip there in the first place! You mentioned a lot of great tips, which I will definitely be saving for the future! This is a great birthday idea!! Thanks for sharing!!

  30. Oh NEAT! I hadn’t heard of in-room celebrations before, so this article is really surprising to me! The party you created for your little guy looks like it turned out so great! Thanks for the tips–now that I know this is something I can do, I might just plan our next party at the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!

  31. Don’t buy any of it FROM Disney much more expensive, buy from Disney stores that aren’t from Disney world

  32. Hi there! I love the way you took simple and affordable ways to make an amazing Disney Room for a child. My granddaughter is still young but I believe they want to do Disney theme. Thanks for the great ideas!!

  33. I love the idea of creating your own package. It reminds me of when I went looking to buy a themed gift basket last year for my mother’s birthday. After looking at what was included in each of the baskets, I often found that they included one or two items that I knew my mother would never use. In the end, I created a movie themed basket of my own. It ended up costing a lot less than the pre-packaged gifts and only included stuff she would love.

  34. Thank you for the great idea. I hope we can take the kids to Disney Land sometime with in the next couple of years. I am going to save this post as part of my planning.

  35. Thanks for the Fantastic Review of A Disney In-Room Celebration! I’m sure that going to Disney, plus staying in a hotel there, plus the plane fare and gifts purchased there are very expensive as it is. To have a Disney In-Room Celebration by Disney, is expensive!!! WOW that’s a lot more than I could afford! Purchasing your own supplies and decorating the way you want to is so much nicer and an awful lot cheaper of a way to go. Plus, you get to take everything home with you and you have it for another party! Good Thinking! Thanks so much for the Review and all the information you have provided us on how you went about having a Celebration in your room at Disney! I really do appreciate it! Thanks again, Michele 🙂
    Michele Ash recently posted..Audible.com’s Audiobooks For Every Occasion And EventMy Profile

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  40. This would be great for a child to wake up to on there birthday. Decorate there bedroom while there still sleeping & let them wakeup to this wonderful decoration. I know my little one would love it.

  41. I have two granddaghters who are turnign 5 this year, probably isn’t enough time to get things togethere this year, but will certainly use these tips when start planning for theri 6th next year, thanks

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  43. Thank you for the inspiration! We don’t go to Disney often, and the in-room celebration packages are so pricey! I love the idea of doing a little something extra magical especially for my daughter who will be 4 when we go. This will just make the trip even more special!