We are planning to take our little princess to Disneyland Park for her first-ever visit for her 3rd birthday celebration. What should we do to make this first -- and birthday -- visit extra special?

We plan to get "Birthday" and "First Visit" buttons from City Hall. Her mommy and daddy (me) and older brother will be accompanying her, and we plan to attend the "My Disneyland Birthday Party" at the Plaza Inn. We will try to find her favorite characters and select attractions we know she will like. We know she will have a very special day.

Having said all that, though, are there any suggestions any of you have to make sure her memories of her special day will be even more magical? We would appreciate any of your suggestions. Thank you so much!

If she's into princesses, I'd make PS for a meal at Ariels. If she's more into Minnie mouse then I'd do Miss Minnie and friends breakfast to start the day with a lot of fun characters and food. You don't say if it's a one day visit or multiple, that makes a difference in the advice most of us would offer.

We are planning to take our little princess to Disneyland Park for her first-ever visit for her 3rd birthday celebration. What should we do to make this first -- and birthday -- visit extra special?

While she's wearing her birthday button, I'd take her to Toontown to visit Mickey at his house, and a picture with Mickey for her birthday would be cool.

Be aware that the picture opportunity at the Happiest Birthday is really rushed! Having said that it is the only place I've found that you can get both Mickey and Minnie in the same shot with your little one.

I agree with MammaSilva about the Birthday Party. It is very rushed. Are you a Disney Visa card holder? (Or can get one before you visit.) You can see Mickey and another character (normally it has been Goofy) at the Character Meet and Greet at DCA. Several times when we have gone we were the only guests in the room and got to spend several minutes one on one with the characters.

You also get a free 5x7.

Does she have favourite Disney characters? Will you be visiting both parks?

You might want to get her silhouette done on Main Street. I think I've seen ones that have a Mickey or Minnie as well as your little one together ... so cute!

Not to be stalkerish -- but for what time of year is your trip planned? The parks have some fun things set up for Halloween (the Ranch area especially). The plaza area in DCA last year was so much fun to walk around and explore.

The November-December holidays are truly magical. Santa is in the Ranch area and sometimes characters are back there too (we saw Pluto there last year and he was cute with the kids). My daughter is also a night owl, so we enjoyed the twinkly lights on the castle & snow shows. At age 3, my daughter adored the holiday iasw, which reopens around November 29th.

Have a wonderful time!

Wow! So many replies, so fast!

I will try to fill in the information you asked for.

It will be a one-day visit. We will only spend the day in the Disneyland Park. Because we are Southern Californians, we expect to come back here and visit DCA often in the future, so we don't have to see every attraction and character this first visit.

Her favorite characters are Tinker Bell and Mickey and Minnie. My thought was that we would begin the day visiting any characters in the Town Square and make a stop at City Hall. I thought we would then take the Disneyland Railroad to Toontown. I would expect we would see some characters that way, for sure. We might be there just before the debut of Pixie Hollow.

jMom -- we are going to visit in mid-October, but I am not sure how much we want to turn the birthday trip into a Halloween celebration. Neat idea on the silhouette. I have never done that before. It might be nice to do a brother-sister image.

Oh, and while she is into the concept of princesses in general -- and knows that she is one -- she hasn't yet been exposed much to the individual characters. That is, she would see Aurora (whew, just learned that one when I saw Sleeping Beauty for the first time at the El Capitan) and know she is a princess, but not necessarily know which one she is.

Ok with that information here's my revised advice:

Start your morning by stopping in City Hall and picking up her buttons and her birthday call from Goofy....head down Main street to the Miss Minnie and Friends character breakfast...it's a great way to introduce her to the characters and Minnie is Always there. Plan for 90 minutes for a good buffet breakfast and lots of character. Walk thru the drawbridge into Fantasyland and watch her eyes just "pop" with wonder....stroll out the 'back side' of Fantasyland by the storyboats then down into Toontown to visit Mickey at his house.

Depending on her stamina at this point a nice train ride for a quick nap might be in order, either way, hop the train and head to New Orleans station and wander to the back side of the park for the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Then make your way across the park to the Plaza for her Birthday celebration with Pat E. Cake and at the very end a very rushed but cool photo op with Mickey and Minnie in the same shot as your daughter, you can take the whole family in the shot.

Another suggestion, as soon as you get inside the park have a photopass CM take a family shot and get your card going....look for the photopass CM's, they're everywhere, stop and get as many shots as you can in front of the different locations. Once you get home you have 30 days to 'open' the account then 30 more to order from it, 79 dollars might sound like a lot for a cd but once you buy it you can print as many pictures as you want. You can edit/enhance every single photo on the account with the assorted frames and add ons, they have My first visit, Happy birthday, they have frames and autographs and the tinker bell pixie dust overlay.

MammaSilva, excellent advice! Thanks so much. I will definitely put all that in the popcorn machine.

I haven't looked at the Photopass system in a long time. I will check out mixing their photos with some of mine into a photo presentation or even a photo book. I have a whole series of photos from my son's first visit a few years ago, and that might just deserve similar treatment. I will definitely look into it.

And, I will consider your route. I forget how wonderful walking up Main Street to and through the castle can be. That may very well be essential to a first visit. Thanks for the suggestions. The only modification to your suggestions I might make will be to replace your suggestion about the Pooh ride with a visit to the Country Bear Jamboree. :)

Thanks for taking the time to offer your advice.