Every child looks forward to their birthday, from the sugar-filled food tables adorning cakes and candy, to the party games and presents.
Disney is a household classic and with its ever-growing popularity, with Disney+ amassing 152.1 million subscribers and its platform expecting to overtake Netflix by 2026, it is no wonder children around the world are enamoured with these classic characters.
According to Little London Magazine, the most popular Disney movie is Frozen with an average search volume of 1.9 million, with classics such as Aladdin coming in fourth with a volume of 528,000.
So why not surprise your little ones with a party filled with their favourite characters, music, and more? Here, we will explore some tips and tricks to hosting the perfect Disney-themed party that will leave your little princes and princesses feeling like royalty for the day.
The bare necessities
As with all birthday parties, children care about the main event – the gifts. Making sure the additional elements of any birthday fits into your theme is important for carrying the wonder throughout the day. Specialised greeting card suppliers have an array of character-driven cards for you to choose from, meaning that cards can be used to decorate! Try cutting out some of the characters and hiding them around the venue for children to find.
Another bare necessity is the music. Making sure you have a playlist ready of all your children’s favourite songs can help set the scene. Try entering the venue to Disney’s iconic opening music When You Wish Upon a Star. Some music can even help provide entertainment such as Alice’s signature The Caucus Race which can involve any number of children, and everyone wins.
And making sure your child is dressed for the occasion just adds to the moment. Whether they want to dress as their favourite princess, a lightning-fast race car, or even a flying elephant, having an array of costumes can bring your child’s dreams to life.
Make a magical wonderland
You have to set the scene at every themed party, especially when it is Disney-themed.
Whether it is their classic animation style or the skyscrapers of superheroes, the setting is all-important. Making sure you put magic into the decorations will help your children feel a big part of their character’s world for the day.
From mushroom stools to magic mirror photo frames, constructing a world of wonder should be a top priority when planning the perfect party. And you don’t need to go over budget in order to make this happen.
Consider the Mad Hatter’s table – full of mismatched madness. How about instead of having a buffet to the side of the room, try making this the main event? Let’s allow the chaos of Alice in Wonderland to take over your food layout! Large cut-outs could also work in your favour: over-sized mushrooms, flowers, and even a giant caterpillar can add an element of surrealism to your event and increase that wonder element for your kids.
By tailoring your decorations to your children’s favourite characters, you can truly bring the event to life. They don’t just want to dine with their favourite princess, but they want to live in the moment. Setting the scene is crucial in bringing this alive.
A Disney dine-in
And what is a party without the food? Depending on your child’s favourite movie, there are many edible examples which can transport them straight to another world or an enchanted castle.
The centre piece is always the birthday cake. If you child is a fan of Sleeping Beauty, you can replicate the topsy-turvy, falling cake, or you might shape your cake to resemble a character. Some parents might go as far as to making a large cake which fits into the scenery, mesmerising the children as their playhouse turns edible!
Other examples of food might include the famous spaghetti and meatballs from Lady and the Tramp or even the wonderful “grey-stuff” from Beauty and the Beast. This can be made out of whipped cream, or icing, and crushed Oreos – delighting your children while putting them straight into the movie.
Enchanted entertainment
As with any party, making sure the children are entertained the whole time can be tricky. But with a Disney theme, there is a wide selection of party games you can try. Why not consider setting up your own treasure hunt within the venue. As with the Disneyland parks, hidden Mickeys are a treat for all ages. Set up mickey shapes around your venue and see how many they can find. These shapes can range from obvious ones drawn on walls to secret Mickey’s made from carefully arranged plates. This won’t just be fun for the children but for any adults invited as well.
Some traditional birthday party games can be Disneyfied too. Join in with Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff to play charades, with each character being from their favourite movies or you could learn to play Croquet like the Red Queen using pink-painted mallet to resemble flamingos – but beware to avoid hitting the strawberry tarts!
And after a long party, why not make a game out of cleaning up? Just like Cinderella, set your kids to the task of collecting as many items as possible during set music or dress them as Lumiere and Cogsworth, in charge of collecting the plates and finding Chip.
The imagination of children is unparalleled and making visual additions to your birthday party, from chaotic pots to chipped cups and grey food, you can make them feel like they have transported into their favourite movies.
Whichever character is your kids’ favourite, you can bring the magic of Disney to life and celebrate with a bippity-boppity-booping brilliant birthday party.
