Category — p. News and Changes

(This page is one of a series explicating Walt Disney World lingo, abbreviations, and FAQ for first time family visitors to Walt Disney World.)

DISNEY WORLD FREE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY?

As many as two dozen people a day come to this site with some version of “Is Disney free on your birthday?” as the words they entered into a search engine.

Here’s the bad news: there used to be a deal where Disney World offered free tickets on your birthday.  But there isn’t one anymore.  Disney world tickets are the same price on your birthday as they are on any other day.

DISNEY WORLD BIRTHDAY SPECIALS

But there are still some fun birthday offers from Disney World, and some of them are free!

Free Disney World birthday stuff includes:

• A happy birthday button (see the image at the top, courtesy of Kristin’s Tips from the Disney Diva), which you can get either from your Disney World resort hotel or from guest services in the parks. Mike at My Dreams of Disney reminds me that Disney strictly enforces when you can get this free birthday button–it must be within 6 months before, or 6 months after, your birthday!
• A happy birthday call–dial 0 in your resort to schedule it
• Perhaps, a happy birthday cupcake as the final to a Disney World table service meal.
• And of course you can bring birthday celebration materials from home!

OTHER WALT DISNEY WORLD BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Much more celebration of birthdays at Walt Disney World is possible–but not for free. 

Options include birthday cakes ($21 and up), birthday parties ($16 per person and up), and many others. (Prices are from The Complete Walt Disney World 2012.)

See Natalie’s article on Walt Disney World birthday celebration ideas on Meet the Magic for more ideas and options!

Walt Disney World released last week changes to its park hours for the week that includes President’s Day.

The Magic Kingdom now has 8a openings from Saturday February 18th through Saturday the 25th, and the Animal Kingdom is showing 8a openings from the 18th through Wednesday the 22nd.

Moreover, closings at the Magic Kingdom are now at 1a most nights from Friday 2/17 through Saturday 2/25.

So far, Extra Magic Hours are unchanged from the normal Autumn-Winter-Spring pattern.

My friends at Destinations in Florida Travel have a deal where if you buy your Universal tickets from them, you can use, for free, their shuttle service from Disney World hotels to Universal and Harry Potter.

For more, and to get your Universal tickets that provide this free deal, see this.

For more on getting to Harry Potter from Walt Disney World, see this.

Disney World has changed its previously scheduled Extra Magic Hours (EMH) for January 18 and 19 2012.

• Wednesday January 18, the Magic Kingdom will have morning EMH, and the Animal Kingdom will not.
• Thursday January 19, the Animal Kingdom will have morning EMH, and Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have evening EMH.  The Magic Kingdom will not have morning EMH
• Moreover, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have a special fireworks celebration on Thursday at 7p

For more on this week’s operating hours, see this.

Speculation is that these changes have been instituted to reduce crowds at the Magic Kingdom on Thursday because of a different kind of First Family visitor, presumably for security reasons…hope they read this site first…

Touringplans.com and others are reporting that Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be opening, in effect, at 8.30a rather than the usual 9a the rest of this week–til Friday.

See this for the details.

WALT DISNEY WORLD DEAL NEEDS TO BE BOOKED SOON

One of Walt Disney World’s current deals is expiring soon.

The deal offers discounted rooms for many arrival dates from February 21 through March 31 2012, but needs to be booked by January 22 2012.

For more on this deal, see this.