As my little guy approaches his 5th birthday, I started to look back on all of the special birthdays we have been able to celebrate and thought I would share a bit about how I created a special Disney Birthday on a budget with some advise for how you might think about creating your own!

Invitations: First thing first, set the tone for the magical event with the perfect Disney-themed birthday invitations. From classic characters like Mickey Mouse and Cinderella to modern favorites like Moana and Elsa, you’ll find endless inspiration to suit any Disney theme. I found that getting Etsy designs printed anywhere is really difficult, but ended up being successful at Walmart! However, to be on the safe side, you can always include a photo with an already printed invitation.

Pre-Party Photo Shoot: I love having photos to hang up at the party, so I always do a “pre-birthday” photo shoot! If you don’t have a family photography, don’t hesitate to set up a solid background and take some I-Phone photos. For the photoshoot that I did for Jaxson, I used white panels from Home Dept. I was able to print out little Mickey Mouse heads on my Cricut with some construction paper and did a quick balloon arch! Don’t get intimidated with the balloon arch, you just need a balloon pump and it goes super quick. I ordered this adorable Mickey outfit (Etsy store closed, but I linked a similar one) and had a smash cake made locally!

Pro Tip: Each month, print out your favorite photo of you little one, so that you can hang them all up at the party!

Decorations: I really love to have one or two areas with focused decorations. I find that if I try to decorate EVERYTHING, it just gets overwhelming. For Jaxson’s party, I decorated our kitchen table and also put up a table in our living room for party favors and other activities. You can find great decoration sets that include things like highchair banners and cake toppers! I love DIYing things, but if I can quickly and cheaply buy it from somewhere, it’s worth it! Don’t underestimate how busy you will be on the day of the party! 🎈Balloons, balloons and more balloons🎈…they will really fill up a space, are cheap and bring so much magic!

Cake/Food: I decided to find a local baker to do Jaxson’s cake. You can usually find recommendations on your cities facebook page. I highly recommend doing a really small cake and then getting cupcakes from your local grocery store to ensure you have enough for everyone. My favorite party times are 10AM-12PM or 3:00PM-4:30PM This usually avoids the need to provide lunch/dinner and also allows for littles to get good naps in. My favorite go-to snacks to provide are: chips, fruit (no grapes), goldfish, veggies, juice boxes, bottled water, lemonade, tea.

Activities and Games: If you are doing this for a first birthday, it’s going to be much easier to keep kids entertained than if you are trying to do this for a ten year old:) Having coloring activity books that are themed is a great way to keep any kids entertained and allow any adults to relax a bit (maybe, haha). I didn’t know about these games during Jaxson’s party, but setting out a few Disney themed Funko games would have been so much fun! We especially love the It’s a Small World Game. Remember….you are going to have time for cake, snacks, presents…so you don’t have to fill up a ton of time! Tip: Put an end time for the party on the invitation and stick to keeping things moving quickly, so that you can end on time. Trust me, unless it’s family, nobody wants to be there for more than 2 hours max!

Post-Party: Don’t forget the thank you cards! I actually keep these blank Mickey cards and use them for all occasion, but you might want something to exactly match your invites! If your little is old enough to sign their name, that’s always so special! If not, think about doing a fun arts and craft activity with their handprint on the card. If you didn’t send any birthday photos to family for the invites, this is a great time to send an updated printed photo to them! It’s so rare that people print photos anymore, but it truly turns your house into a home.

No matter how simple or elaborate you go, always remember that it’s about making memories! Your littles grow up so fast, so be sure to soak in the moments and be as present as possible! You also won’t regret making that Shutterfly album! If you’ve created your own Disney themed birthday party or plan to, I would love to hear about it in the comments below! 👇

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