Everyone who visits Walt Disney World on their birthday can grab a free celebration button. Any cast member, any gift shop, any park entrance. It takes about thirty seconds and costs nothing.
But most guests have no idea that for just a few dollars, you can walk out of Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square with a birthday button that has your name and hand-drawn custom artwork on it. It is one of the most personal souvenirs you can get anywhere on property, it takes less than twenty minutes from start to finish, and almost nobody knows it exists.
Here is exactly how to do it.
THE STEPS TO MAGIC
- Step One: Visit Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom or the Days of Christmas Store at Disney Springs
- Step Two: Place your order
- Step Three: Come back to pick it up
STEP ONE: VISIT THE CHRISTMAS SHOPPE IN LIBERTY SQUARE
When you walk into Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, let a cast member know you want to place an order for a personalized birthday button. There are a few registers inside the shop and they will point you to the right one. In our experience it has been the register closest to the Cinderella’s Castle side of the shop, but just ask when you walk in and they will get you sorted right away.
The Days of Christmas store at Disney Springs has offered this same service and is worth asking about if you are over there first. That said, if you are planning your day specifically around this experience, Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe at Magic Kingdom is the location we would point you toward every time.
One thing worth knowing before you go: the same cast members handling your birthday button are also personalizing ornaments for other guests throughout the day. Go early, especially during busy seasons and the holiday stretch, and you will have a much smoother experience with a shorter wait.
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STEP TWO: PLACE YOUR ORDER
The order itself is simple, but knowing your choices in advance will help the cast member get started right away rather than waiting while you decide on the spot.
Base Design: Starting at $5
The base price includes your name plus one piece of hand-drawn artwork. Current options at this tier are:
- Pixie Dust
- Hearts
- Stars
- Paw Prints
Upgraded Design: $10 total
For an additional $5, the cast member can create a more elaborate hand-drawn design. Options at this level include:
- Balloons
- Fireworks
- Seasonal artwork such as Halloween or Christmas themes depending on the time of year
Please note that the artwork is drawn entirely by hand and will vary by artist. No additional artwork options are available beyond what is listed, so pick your favorite from what is on offer and let the cast member do their thing.
Ink Color
You also get to choose the ink color for your button. Current options include:
- Gold
- Silver
- Blue
- Green
- Purple
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STEP THREE: COME BACK TO PICK UP
The cast member needs time to actually create the design by hand, so you are not standing at the counter waiting while they work. You place the order, go enjoy the park, and come back when it is ready.
We placed our order at 9:35am and it was ready at 9:53am. That is eighteen minutes, which we know because the digital timestamps on our camera do not lie. For a hand-drawn, personalized souvenir at one of the busiest theme parks on the planet, that turnaround is genuinely impressive.
One extra detail worth mentioning: the team at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe personalizes more than just birthday buttons. When we visited, they had a collection of marathon celebration buttons on display as examples of what they are able to do. If you are celebrating something other than a birthday, it is absolutely worth asking what they can create for your specific occasion.
A FEW THINGS WORTH KNOWING BEFORE YOU GO
Go early. The earlier you place your order, the better. This is especially true during busy periods when ornament personalization lines can build up quickly. Getting your order in before the crowds arrive means your button is ready before you have even made it to your first attraction of the day.
It is not just for birthdays. The free celebration buttons cover a range of occasions including anniversaries, first visits, and general celebrations. The personalized button service follows the same logic. If you are marking something specific, ask what they can do.
It is worth every dollar. At five or ten dollars for a hand-drawn, one-of-a-kind souvenir with your name on it, this is one of the best value experiences at Magic Kingdom. Most guests spend more than that on a bottle of water without thinking twice.
This is one of those experiences that flies completely under the radar for most Walt Disney World guests, which is exactly why it is worth putting on your list before your next trip. The button itself is great. The moment you pick it up and see your name drawn by hand on a Disney celebration button is genuinely better than you expect it to be.
Plan for it, go early, and enjoy the rest of your birthday in the most magical place on Earth.