// I received free products in order to host a #NowMoreThanEver playdate party. The opinions expressed here are my own. I may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post. This helps me support my family at no extra cost to you. //
Whelp, that's it. She's SIX!
Yep. Melanie turned six-whole-years-old this month and, since she really wanted it Disney themed, I partnered with Disney to throw her a #NowMoreThanEver birthday party!
We invited a handful of kids, had lots of Mickey shaped pizzas, a make your own custom Mickey Mouse ear station, killer favor bags, and LOADS of Disney. Oh, and y'all KNOW we talked Disney parks ‘cuz that's the way I roll (I literally cannot help myself).
Here's all the details from Melanie's #NowMoreThanEver Disney birthday party!
The Decor
First up, we decorated with tons of balloons (find everything you need to make the balloon arch here), a fun felt banner (that I made with my Cricut Maker), and some Mickey Mouse decor that Disney sent over (find the paper goods here and the spiral decor here).
Y'all know how I like simple decorations so this worked out fine for us and the birthday girl loved it.
The Food
For food, I kept it easy and uncomplicated. The party started at noon, so as soon as the attendees walked in the door, I had them belly up to the make-your-own-Mickey pizza station and go to town.
OMG. THEY LOVED IT.
To make the Mickey crusts, all I did was buy pre-made thin crusts and use this Mickey shaped cutter to cut them out. I was able to make about 6-7 mini Mickey pizzas per large pre-made crust.
Then, I put pre-sliced olives, mini pepperoni slices, shredded Mozzarella cheese, and cut up mushroom slices into ramekins. The pre-made pizza sauce went into bigger bowls and every kid got a spoon to scoop and smear sauce to their heart's content.
The kids made a couple of pizzas each which were then transferred (by my husband) to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and into the oven. The pizzas were broiled on high for about 4-5 minutes and ready to eat.
I also put out trays of sliced vegetables, sliced fruit, and some Disney themed string and mini cheeses.
Mini water bottles and juice pouches rounded out the meal!
For the official singing of the “Happy Birthday' theme song and blowing out of candles, Melanie wanted strawberry cupcakes (I made those). I paired it with this cute popcorn cake (can you see the Hidden Mickey?) and handed out individual mini ice creams for everyone.
The Activities
I am a firm believer in short parties with lots of free time to play but I always plan a couple of fun and easy activities (to force the kids to slow down a bit and take a “break”).
Make Your Own Mickey Mouse Ears Station
One of our activities was a Make Your Own Mickey Mouse Ears station. It was so easy to set up and the kids LOVED it. I mean, who doesn't want custom Mickey ears?!?!
The station was simple to set up – all I did was fill bowls with different products from a kid's craft kit that I bought. There were pom poms, googly eyes, rhinestones, and a stack of pipe cleaners.
I bought these blank Mickey Mouse ears and turned the kids loose with the craft supplies and a sheet of Glue Dots each. It was REALLY awesome to see how each kid decorated their own ears.
FYI: The Glue Dots can be a little tricky for younger kids to manage so it's a good idea to have a couple of adults at the table to help peel them off the sheets.
Pin The Nose On Mickey Game
This Pin The Nose On Mickey game was super cute. I used tape to hang the banner featuring a huge Mickey with a blank nose. Then, we used the Mickey Mouse mask to cover each kid's eyes, turned them in a circle, and gave them one of the sticker noses to “pin” on the banner.
YES! Whatever genius decided to make the “pin” item into a sticker (instead of messing with tape or glue or whatever) deserves a freaking award.
The game was quick and fun – the best kind of game for overly-excited and impatient young children.
Pinata Time
It's not a party in Texas until someone breaks out the pinata! And man, did we have a GREAT one!
Disney sent over this huge Mickey themed pinata – it was bigger than Finn!
I bought a bag of pinata filler and filled the pinata via the precut hole on the side. Then, my husband just rigged it up to a rope on a tree and the kids had at it!
Talking Disney Parks
I mean, the party was fun and all but I had a REALLY good time talking Disney parks with the other parents there. We've been going to the parks twice a year for nearly four years now and love sharing our tips and advice with others.
Military Tips and Discounts
I spent most of the time talking to a fellow military family (my husband is retired Air Force) about all the amazing perks Disney offers to military families. Seriously reduced park ticket prices + a steep discount for the photography package + special military discounts for Disney resorts are just a few of the AMAZING deals offered to active duty and retired military.
Staying At The Fort
I also got to talk about our amazing experience at The Fort Wilderness Campground and RV park. It's an onsite Disney resort that has cabins, RV sites, and tent camping. We LOVED renting an RV and staying there this past January and I'm on a mission to convert everyone I know into my new “Stay At The Fort” cult.
Going On A Budget
I mean, we're not all millionaires, right? Most of us want to go to Disney but need to do it on a budget. I was so happy to be able to share some tips with another family who wants to go but is on a budget.
They didn't know about the free Magical Express that transports on property resort guests to and from the airport. I was also able to talk to them about the great value resort options and Disney's internal (free) bus system for getting around the resorts and parks.
I also told them about how going during the off-peak times can save not only on airfare but on resort and park ticket pricing, too. And the fact that Disney allows you to bring your own snacks and beverages into the park? A game-changer for families on a budget.
Our Favorites and Upcoming Events
Of course, during all this discussion of the parks, we all had to talk about our favorites! Personally, my daughter is a big fan of rollercoasters so she loves the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Walt Disney World and The Matterhorn at Disneyland.
Finn is NOT into the fast rides at all and prefers “It's A Small World” and “Winnie-The-Pooh”. My husband's very favorite ride is the Kilimanjaro Safaris. I don't care about anything else but watching the fireworks shows.
I'll tell you what though – we're insanely excited about visiting the new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and at Disney World. The one at Disneyland has already opened and we'll be hitting it up in May. The one at Disney World opens in August and we're already planning our next visit so we can go!
My husband doesn't know but… I'm trying to get our family to Disney World in October. SHHHHHH. I have a conference there and thought, “why not?”
I mean, we could visit the all new Galaxy's Edge and go to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween party. From what I understand, the Halloween party is FREAKING AWESOME. I mean, a special parade? Special fireworks? Dressed up characters and ticket holder only rides? I'm tempted!
Wanna Plan Your Visit To A Disney Park? Click here to learn more!
And a special thank you to the following companies for making Melanie's birthday party extra special: Jakks, Michael Angelo's, Popped Passion, and Pillow Pets.
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