Real Life Inspiration: The Happiest Party On Earth!

With four kids under eight and a fondness for Disney, Sheila Rasmussen had no trouble deciding on a theme for daughter Kady’s 7th birthday party. She turned to the mouse for A Magic Kingdom Birthday–and it certainly was a magical celebration!
Sheila made the invitations by cutting black notecards into the familiar shape of Mickey’s head, keeping the fold intact at the top of the ears. She then printed the fun wording onto white cardstock, which she cut into a circle and glued inside the card. Colorful ribbons of red, yellow and black were tied to the mouse’s left ear and added a touch of femininity to the invitation.

On the big day, the birthday girl and her family donned Disney-wear to incite the magic and guests were also encouraged to come dressed in their Disney finest. Sheila had adorable themed birthday jeans designed especially for Kady by 4getmeknot, an etsy.com designer who makes extraordinary hand-embellished denim jeans for girls.

There was no mistaking the location of the celebration. A huge Disney banner (an ebay find) hung over the front door and greeted guests. A large cut-out Pluto, handmade by Kady’s grandfather, adorned the front lawn and was a great spot for photos. Sheila made a playlist of all the Disney classics which was piped throughout the park (aka her backyard).

Upon arrival, Kady’s friends each received a lanyard with their very own park ticket and nametag. Sheila thoughtfully created activity stations throughout the park and the children received a Disney trading pin once they completed each activity.

At Mad Hatter’s Hat Shoppe guests were invited to decorate derby hats (adorned with Mickey ears Sheila cut and glued on herself) with peel and stick craft foam. Playing Minnie’s Musical Chairs was a blast for everyone, including the kids who couldn’t find a seat. Princesses and pirates alike bounced around inside the Disney Princess Castle and kids defeated the emperor Zurg at Buzz Lightyear’s Battle Buckets. In the hospitality tent, guests traded pins and enjoyed popcorn, hand turned cotton candy, and lemonade.

In the Bibbity Bobbity Boo-tique, party-goers had their faces painted and received tattoos with Disney designs. This party was even equipped with a rollercoaster courtesy of a Step 2 Extreme Coaster and a sloping lawn.
The party was forced in doors when it started to rain midway through the celebration. Sheila used the opportunity to sing Happy Birthday to Kady, serve cake and open gifts. Ever the consummate planner, Sheila had Disney Dance Dance Revolution for Wii on stand-by to keep guests entertained during the rainshower. While a parade down Main Street was planned for the big finale, the weather didn’t cooperate.

Her friends were reluctant to leave the “happiest party on earth’, but as they departed each guest received a darling goody bag filled with fun Disney favors, including handmade Mickey crayons, a copy of the playlist on CD, Mickey-shaped rice krispie treats and more. Kady’s 7th birthday party was a magical success that created a lifetime of memories for everyone!