Enchanted Character Bash - Calling All Characters

An All Out Animated Character Party: My daughers birthday came just weeks after returning from Disney World and when asked what she wanted her party theme to be, she always chose a character related theme but the characters changed from day to day. Finally, I suggested no specific character but why not any and all characters!! Each guest came dressed-up as a character of their choice. The birthday girl had a hard time choosing from her growing collection of costumes but finally came donned as an adorable Tinkerbell :-) !!  

INVITATIONS were handmade on computer using images of my daughter dressed up as various animated characters or posing with various Disney World characters (use photo editing program and soften or fade edges of images for more a professional look). Half fold invitation read: (cover) "Come Celebrate A Dream Come True" (inside) "Calling all Characters  You are Invited to the Enchanted Character Bash in Celebration of a Dream Come True - March 4, 1999 - in Honor of God's Blessing, Princess McKenzie's Birthday" (back) "Please come dressed-up as any character of your choosing or wear a shirt picturing your favorite character!!"  then typical when, where, etc. information.   

DECORATIONS: Our eating area was decorated in an elegant princess character theme. We hung 60" pink fabric I found for $1 yard on walls of small room leaving a little white wall space above (fabric makes for a finer looking table cover, wall cover, etc. at parties, check sale tables throughout year), pink tulle was scrunched and scalloped along top edge of pink fabric, bunched tulle was hung draping in corners, pre-printed Disney Princess pillow fabric squares were hung on pink covered walls and white tulle surrounded squares scrunched in four corners to finish edges nicely. Hung directly behind where birthday girl was to be seated was a coordinating Disney Princess fabric quilt piece that was around 3X6ft and white tulle scrunched in four corners surrounded it as well. Iridescent stars in three sizes were randomly hung, then clusters of white and pale pink balloons completed the look. (tip: use small craft ziplock baggies & place clear marbles inside for balloon weights).  

TABLE SETTING: Place as many sets of long tables back to back in order to form a big banquet style setting. To keep the setting simply elegant I chose to use only character napkins that I found in a very elegant and dainty Cinderella pattern. Tables were covered with pale pink paper tablecloths, paper dollies used as elegant place mates under solid pale pink plates, and plastic stemware filled with pink lemonade topped off the elegant look. Dollies were also placed under glass bowls filled with Pumbaa & Timon's gummy bugs and Stanley's safari trail mix.

I made the cake which anyone could easily make as again I kept it simple and elegant with two layers covered in large pale pink stars from top to bottom (large star tip). Cake was topped off with three large medium tone pink roses back to back and smaller roses trailing down in clusters here and there. Cake was placed on glass pedestal cake plate for added elegance. I made a small heart shaped cake decorating with same large star tip to place candles on for the birthday girl to blow out. Iridescent tinsel (like Easter grass) was strewn all around empty spaces of table. Around cake stood figurines of all six Disney Princesses and many plastic Cinderella slippers that were very elegant. Red "poisonous" Snow White apples were placed randomly for some pop in color. Pink candles or votives could be added for an even more elegant touch. A big puffy tulle bow was attached to the back of the birthday girl's chair for added focus.  

MORE DÉCOR: The game area was decorated in an all out animated character theme showcasing computer generated images printed on cardstock of characters in all sizes, all major Disney movies & television, PBS, Nick Jr., cartoon network, etc. Some images hung on the walls, others were mounted on foam board and cut out to exact shape and stood free with easel backs. Balloons in all colors were clusters in bunches every where.   

GAMES: To keep kids busy as they arrived I created a huge character coloring mural that I hung on the wall which was a hit as the kids loved coloring side by side. You can find free coloring pages of every character imaginable online and I just over-lapped the characters to make it look like they were all standing as a huge group waiting to be colored!!

Snow White's Dwarf Charades - by computer I printed a sheet picturing all 7 dwarfs so the kids could refer to it as one by one kids acted as one of the dwarf's of their choice to be guessed by the others.

Red "poisonous" apple hot potato game played to songs I downloaded online from the movie Snow White.

Aladdin's magic carpet ride - groups of three kids were drug by two strong "Aladdin's all around a huge room on a large comforter and of course the other kids chased them :-) The Aladdin's had to finally hide the "magic carpet" due to constant requests to do it again and again :-)

Cinderella's lost slipper - two clear plastic slippers per guest (purchased at party store) were hidden throughout the room to be found.

Name that animation movie or show - I collected a huge assortment of animation soundtracks or theme songs I downloaded online and played the beginning of each song until someone shouted out what movie or show it came from. Also, the soundtracks or theme songs were played throughout the entire party as well.  

ADULT TABLE: A table was set aside for adult refreshments such as sodas, trail mix, fruit, etc. Then a game was posted above the table entitled, "Name that 70's or 80's Cartoon." I found a site online that listed every cartoon or animation film from A-Z in yearly categories. Images were provided for each cartoon which I copied and pasted then printed onto squares that I then taped to a large poster board. I numbered each cartoon image as reference.