Celebrating birthdays 3 months later?

[MinnieSweetheart]

Yes, this is extremely entertaining Here's the funny thing - I mentioned the birthday buttons to my son yesterday, and, in typical 7 year old boy fashion, he replies "I'm not wearing a dumb button. Not even on my real birthday." Ha!

That's so cute!!

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

Been reading this post and finally decided to give my opinion. I know, I know who cares, but we've been going to WDW forever and have seen MANY changes over the years. Personally I don't care if people wear the buttons 6 months after their birthday. I think it is a fun thing to do. The only thing is....YES the cast members are so used to buttons that it is not special anymore. Years ago it was. I can remember when my kids were little (they are adults now). We always were at WDW during my son's birthday and he would wear a pin and get tons of pixie dust. Desserts, getting to ride a ride again, cards, characters would write Happy Birthday in his book, etc. etc. Now SOOO many people are wearing buttons that CMS have become numb to them. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, yes some CMS still wish you a Happy Birthday, it's just not the same. Now, with that being said, I find that big Anniversarys still do get attention. We were there this year during our 40th Anniversary and got loads of attention. A lot of CMS, and for that matter strangers, kept asking us what the secret is. My favorite was the CM at Epcot who asked me if I married at age 10!

ANYWAY, what I am trying to say is yes go ahead and wear a pin for birthdays, anniversarys, anything you want, just don't expect anything and it you get something just enjoy it!!

Enjoy The Magic!!
And BTW, the "secret" is laughter and lots of trips to Disney!! LOL!!

I love the end of your post. I wondered though if some of the pixie dust went away just because your son got older. We just took my baby girl for the first time and she got worlds more attention on an ordinary day then I did on my actual birthday wearing a pin. I think a lot of people and probably CMs make a much bigger deal out of children especially if they see 5 or 10 on the button as those are big for kids.

 

[LSUfan4444]

This rule is listed in the same place as the rules "wash your hands after going to the bathroom" and "don't hold up your iPad to record a parade."

So in other words, it isn't a rule.

 

[joe1946]

More what you'd call a guideline than an actual rule

 

[famy27]

Where has Disney stated this straightforward rule?

Honestly asking...I must have missed it.

And, in fact, Disney has changed the button wording. It used to say, "It's my birthday!" and now says "Happy Birthday!" So, you are not lying or claiming it is your birthday when it's not. In fact, you aren't saying anything at all. Happy Birthday! is what other people say to you. Or you are saying Happy Birthday to yourself. Which I would totally do.

 

[BubblyTrip]

I'm going to have my little kid wear his birthday button every day we go to DW for as long as he likes. But I'll put an asterisk on it. So you'll know its not REALLY his birthday that day, and you can give me the side eye.

 

[robinb]

I'm going to have my little kid wear his birthday button every day we go to DW for as long as he likes. But I'll put an asterisk on it. So you'll know its not REALLY his birthday that day, and you can give me the side eye.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

 

[Hokie2000]

This rule is listed in the same place as the rules "wash your hands after going to the bathroom" and "don't hold up your iPad to record a parade."

First, some props - your posts have been very entertaining.

Second, I'll join the minority - I don't agree with wearing a button to celebrate an occasion that is not happening while you're wearing the button.

But isn't this a self-correcting problem? Saying everyone is special is just another way to say that no one is (thanks, Dash). So if more and more people wear buttons to get attention on their fake birthdays soon that attention will be so diluted that it will no longer hold appeal. Isn't that already happening to an extent?

 

[kay1864]

More what you'd call a guideline than an actual rule

 

[jahber]

And, in fact, Disney has changed the button wording. It used to say, "It's my birthday!" and now says "Happy Birthday!" So, you are not lying or claiming it is your birthday when it's not. In fact, you aren't saying anything at all. Happy Birthday! is what other people say to you. Or you are saying Happy Birthday to yourself. Which I would totally do.

We had all better get used to wishing ourselves a happy birthday. Once the supply of happy birthday well wishes runs out because some of us are wasting them on days that aren't our actual birthdays, we will have to settle for self-congratulation.
Maybe it's time to start a well wishes conservation program. Then kids can come home from school and lecture their parents about the evils of wasting well wishes, instead of calling out their parents for not recycling, like they do on Earth Day.
I hope this thread never dies!

 

[GoofyDisneyDaddy]

First, some props - your posts have been very entertaining.

Second, I'll join the minority - I don't agree with wearing a button to celebrate an occasion that is not happening while you're wearing the button.

But isn't this a self-correcting problem? Saying everyone is special is just another way to say that no one is (thanks, Dash). So if more and more people wear buttons to get attention on their fake birthdays soon that attention will be so diluted that it will no longer hold appeal. Isn't that already happening to an extent?

I agree with you, but it would be nice if people who actually were having a special day could be treated special. But since in our everyone gets a trophy society, every day every one is equally special, and well, as you (and Dash) said, no one is (or can be).

While this is an interesting intellectual and sociological debate, I don't think many (if any) here are losing sleep because some people feel the need to be "special." It just is unfortunate, because the pragmatic consequence is no longer doing special things for those who actually are celebrating a birthday.

 

[alvernon90]

We had all better get used to wishing ourselves a happy birthday. Once the supply of happy birthday well wishes runs out because some of us are wasting them on days that aren't our actual birthdays, we will have to settle for self-congratulation.
Maybe it's time to start a well wishes conservation program. Then kids can come home from school and lecture their parents about the evils of wasting well wishes, instead of calling out their parents for not recycling, like they do on Earth Day.

Fortunately, vulgar insults are an endlessly renewable resource.

 

[Jfsag123]

Ok, so question related to this. I don't have strong feelings about this debate either way, but, as a personal choice, lean more toward the side of only wearing the buttons if it is on, or at least close to the actual day. We are going to be at WDW for the week of my DD's birthday, including the actual day. I don't think I'll have her wear the button except for the day of and maybe the day after. The reason I'm thinking of doing the day after as well is that's the day we have booked at CRT and she really wanted to do a birthday meal with the princesses. Would it be bad form to indicate her birthday celebration on our ADR on the day after her birthday because that's the day we were able to get?

 

[jahber]

Ok, now I have a serious question for the people who think it's wrong to wear the button more than a few days after/before your birthday. I have a real-life example of this that just happened two days ago.
At our Awana meeting (it's a religious club for kids that meets in a church, kind of like a youth group), we celebrated ALL the fall/winter birthdays on one night with an ice cream party. So anyone with a birthday in Sept through Jan got a goody bag and a hat that said...wait for it...happy birthday! Not one single parent protested and certainly none of the kids did.
So, would any of you have a problem with that? Because it was exactly 0 people's actual birthday (I know, because I'm in charge of registration), but everyone was wearing a hat that said happy birthday. And some of those kids birthdays were two months ago and some wouldn't be for 2 more months. Thoughts? Was that lying and dishonest--in a church setting, no less?

 

[jahber]

Fortunately, vulgar insults are an endlessly renewable resource.

Oh. Have we seen any of those here? Just wondering why vulgarity is suddenly being equated with well wishes.

 

[Mikie]

Ok, so question related to this. I don't have strong feelings about this debate either way, but, as a personal choice, lean more toward the side of only wearing the buttons if it is on, or at least close to the actual day. We are going to be at WDW for the week of my DD's birthday, including the actual day. I don't think I'll have her wear the button except for the day of and maybe the day after. The reason I'm thinking of doing the day after as well is that's the day we have booked at CRT and she really wanted to do a birthday meal with the princesses. Would it be bad form to indicate her birthday celebration on our ADR on the day after her birthday because that's the day we were able to get?

I don't have a horse in this race except for the sematics of some peoples' arguments. Disney wont mind, will practically encourage you, and I personally(for what it's worth) think if the purpose of the dinner is to celebrate the bday on the nearest day you could get in, definitely note it on the reservation.

 

[alvernon90]

Oh. Have we seen any of those here? Just wondering why vulgarity is suddenly being equated with well wishes.

Not equating them at all, or suggesting that we had seen any in this thread. Much as you would say that we should not worry about running out of oil because we can rely on solar and wind power, I joked that we should worry about running out of well wishes because we have an endless supply of vulgar insults.

I think, on the whole, this thread has been quite mild given the surprisingly intense feelings on the subject. I think even people arguing in this thread could still come together if necessary to attack the real enemy: pool hoppers.

 

[wendyt_ca]

When the celebrate campaign started we wore anniversary pins in Nov when our anniversary is in June but we classified it as our anniversary trip because it was our anniversary gift to each other, we just couldn't go in June. We didn't expect special treatment but just liked having the pins and celebrating something. And the year after I called about a reservation we had for another trip the cast member asked me if we were celebrating anything and I said no and she said just because it's not your actual birthday doesn't mean you can't celebrate it and she encouraged it. While I didn't do it because I would have felt silly myself I don't see anything wrong with someone else celebrating especially for a child who was supposed to go on his birthday. I'm sure he was disappoint and if I was his mother would have just said we may not be able to celebrate on your birthday but we will still celebrate when we go so he didn't miss it. So I don't see the issue.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

We are going in November 2015 for my oldest's 8th birthday...in September. I'm also turning 40 in sept and may wear a pin that says as much. Do your worst, I'll get a free cupcake and so will dd. Disney may file chapter 11 after we leave. Apologies.

 

[Angel Ariel]

We are going in November 2015 for my oldest's 8th birthday...in September. I'm also turning 40 in sept and may wear a pin that says as much. Do your worst, I'll get a free cupcake and so will dd. Disney may file chapter 11 after we leave. Apologies.

No commenting at all on wearing a button or not - I just want to caution you to not expect a free cupcake because you're celebrating. It doesn't always happen.

If you want to ensure that there is some cake to celebrate with, I would definitely recommend looking into the mini cakes available through the cake hotline. DH ordered me a chocolate mini cake w/a Bailey's filling last year..all iced in white, with a mini white chocolate castle on top (delivered to BOG, so made by the Contemporary bakery). It was absolutely *amazing* - way better than any of the cupcakes they had