Actual Birthday in the Park plus some tag alongs

[princess aurora]

It was noted that another thread was getting off track so I'll start a new one.

We are planning our trip to celebrate our children's birthday's (2 differ families)

My DD actually has her B-day May 1st in the park and my other daughter 3 weeks later. The other family's DD b-day will have been the week before and their DS 3 weeks earlier than that.

I know about getting the buttons but we don't want my daughter to get all the attention when the other kids b-days are all so close and this is a b-day trip for them. Is it "okay" to get them all buttons and celebrate their b-days together? Should we spread them out on different days? We could alter the buttons with tape to say when the other children's birthday are. Certainly don't want to take advantage but wondered what other families have done in and around birthdays in the parks. I've been given special phone numbers to call to arrange b-day cakes for different PS.

Thanks

 

[WDSearcher]

You can certainly get birthday buttons for all three of them, but I would spread them out and give each daughter a "special day" of her own. If you put birthday buttons on all three on the same day, you might find yourself answering -- over and over -- good-intentioned questions from CMs about how all your daughters were born on the same day and isn't that cool, or are they triplets, and that kind of thing. Plus, with all the kids wearing buttons at once, none of them will really feel special, if you get my drift.

As for altering the pins -- you can do that if you want, but it's not necessary. There are not "rules" about the birthday buttons, really. Just let whichever girl it is know that "Today is the day we celebrate YOUR birthday!", and that's all anyone will need to know.

Have fun!

 

[Baloo]

WDSearcher idea is great! Each one having there own special day is a great idea.

Two summers ago we were at WDW about 3 days after my July 9th birthday.My boys "surprised" me by picking the second day of our time there to celebrate my birthday.I had a wonderful time!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

We are currently planning our Oct '06 trip for a birthday celebration. My dd will turn 13 while we are in WDW and her friend (from childbirth class!!) turns 13 two days later. But, since her friend's dad doesn't want her to be away from home on her b-day, we are leaving the day after dd's birthday so her friend can be home for her actual day. Just the mom's are going. So, we will have both girls wear their pins, on dd's actual b-day. But I love the idea of having them wear the pins on different days. Wish that would work for us. Now, to see about a cake for dd. Looks like we'll be celebrating at HDDR...dd's fondest wish.

 

[princess aurora]

I think we'll do the buttons on different days and have a celebration for all 4 kids at the Princess Lunch and HHDR. They are both on our last day, ending Disney with a bang for sure!!!!!

Any other tips for birthday things to do at Disney or things they do for birthdays?

PS - it dropped tons of snow today and all I can think of is shorts and t-shirts for some reason

 

[julia & nicks mom]

my DD wore her button all week long - we celebrated her birthday all week long - we were encouraged our first day in MK to make sure we got a button at all of the parks

 

[sk!mom]

There are no "rules" about getting and wearing the button. So you can do whatever you choose.

Just my two cents worth: There have been many threads about how it just doesn't seem like the CM's and resorts recognize special occassions like they used to and I think this is a perfect example of the reason that they can't. Everyone is celebrating- birthdays three weeks past, anniversaries a month past, a week long celebration of a birthday, it is just too many special occasions to recognize. We were in the MK on my DD's 5th birthday. She wore the button and it was an extra magical day. She was tempted to continue wearing the button the rest of the week but we explained to her that if she did she might keep others from being recognized- she understood perfectly and never balked about packing it away. Last year we arrived at WDW 3 days after her birthday and getting a button was never mentioned. This year we will again be able to be there on her birthday so we will celebrate.

I'm not judging just want you to be aware of how some feel about it and realize that WDW seems to be overloaded with celebrations at times. So be aware that if they take turns having a "birthday" some may get really special attention and others in your group may not receive much recognition. Just as there are no rules there are also no definite recognitions.

 

[Evil Queen]

Last March we went for DS 8th birthday present. We went a week after his birthday due to work schedules. We went to all 4 parks and stayed on-site.

The resort on the 2nd day there left him a birthday card signed by Donald Duck and balloons.

Each day we did a different park and he received a button from all 4 parks and wore them. It was recognized by some CM's. But when it wasn't he didn't care, he was at Disney to have fun not to have the CM's go all out for him. His present was going (he opened the voucher on his actual birthday)-not to have any special attention drawn to him. I encouraged the buttons.

He received a few Happy Birthday's from CM's and other guests (guests saying it was more of a thrill than the CM's to him) at all parks. It was at Honey I shrunk the audience in Epcot, did they go out of their way. He got his birthday phone call with Goofy (I think?) and then once inside, the CM who got the call for him, asked him to come on stage and had everyone sing Happy Birthday to him (this was Spring Break time so the place was packed). He did get a big thrill out of that too, plus a little embarassed!! And also, on Star Tours, once in the cabin the CM had everyone sing as well. When exiting people were high fiving him and a group of cute teenage girls gave him a big hug (which he didn't mind at all.).

This Sept. I am taking my DS 22 and his best friend 21, who's birthday's are 6 days a part. I told them I thought they should at least one day get the buttons, that's why we are going is to celebrate. But I like the idea of different days, since they both will be celebrating.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

There are no "rules" about getting and wearing the button. So you can do whatever you choose.

Just my two cents worth: There have been many threads about how it just doesn't seem like the CM's and resorts recognize special occassions like they used to and I think this is a perfect example of the reason that they can't. Everyone is celebrating- birthdays three weeks past, anniversaries a month past, a week long celebration of a birthday, it is just too many special occasions to recognize. We were in the MK on my DD's 5th birthday. She wore the button and it was an extra magical day. She was tempted to continue wearing the button the rest of the week but we explained to her that if she did she might keep others from being recognized- she understood perfectly and never balked about packing it away. Last year we arrived at WDW 3 days after her birthday and getting a button was never mentioned. This year we will again be able to be there on her birthday so we will celebrate.

EVERYONE has a birthday at one point during the year. Does this mean you should celebrate it after/before the ACTUAL DAY . . . ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! So, if it isn't your birthday this is what you are doing . . . "my/her/his birthday is in six months, but since we are here now, we are celebrating now" WHAT?!? That's just stupid!

You are taking attention away from someone who is CELEBRATING THEIR BIRTHDAY, ON THEIR BIRTHDAY!!!

We wanted to celebrate my DD's 16th bday in WDW, so we planned our trip so we would be there ON HER ACTUAL BIRTHDAY!! Same with my other DD a few years ago, we planned our trip in April to be their on her ACTUAL birthday. I have two other DD's that have birthdays in February and October who will probably never celebrate their birthday at WDW. (We DO NOT go to WDW in the COLD WINTER months so that leaves out February; October is during the height of cheerleading season, so that leaves October out. Do they feel left out, NO!!! WE ARE NOT IN WDW ON THEIR BIRTHDAYS!!! BYW, one is 14 and the other is eight, so age has nothing to do with it.

 

[princess aurora]

Thanks for all the input. We've never done this before so i wanted to get a feel for what others have done and what they've seen happen at WDW with birthdays.

Thanks Again,
Cheers!

 

[Evil Queen]

Thanks for all the input. We've never done this before so i wanted to get a feel for what others have done and what they've seen happen at WDW with birthdays.

Thanks Again,
Cheers!

I think you should celebrate it how you feel like it.

If you are going for their birthday's, I say go for it. The idea for each one having their own special day would seem like a good way for each of them to wear their buttons.

I know with Holidays, my son is usually with his Grandparents (my gift to all 3 of them-due to my line of work, taking time off is NOT an option-to let them enjoy each other while they can), so we celebrate "our" holiday both before and after Dec. 25th. Just like, due to my work, me being able to plan and get my son's birthdays off don't work either. We celebrate when we can!! And it takes nothing away in my opinion.

 

[ophie]

disneyfreakjackie...

Not everyone has the ability to go on their exact birthday. "Stupid" in big red bold letters is a bit harsh.

 

[goofy4tink]

When my dd turned 6 while in WDW, the only thing we did that was different was tell them at the time of the PS that dd was having a birthday. She got a nice card, cupcake with candle and a birthday song...this was during dinner at CP. I asked for nothing. When we go for her 13th b-day, she will get a GoH pin...simply because we feel she is a guest of honor, but in our eyes. I, and I'm sure she, won't be looking for anything out of the normal to happen. I would be surprised if it did. But having and wearing the badge on her birthday will make her feel a little more special. And her friend that's going...well, her birthday is 2 days later. I don't think it will be a problem if she wears one also, since we won't be there for the actual b-day.
Nope, not looking for any special treatment...just perfect weather, no waits for the attractions, PS at the exact times we want them and perfectly behaved WDW guests around us!! That's all, no biggie

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

disneyfreakjackie...

Not everyone has the ability to go on their exact birthday. "Stupid" in big red bold letters is a bit harsh.

OK then. . . it's wrong . . . if you can't plan your WDW vacation on your exact birthday you shouldn't celebrate it there! Simple as that!

 

[elan]

disneyfreakjackie, all I can saw is WOW. Rather harsh.

What do you say to a child who's birthday is on the weekend or during the summer - do they not get to share a treat with their classmates? Have you never heard of half birthdays?

What about service members who are away from their loved ones on that "special" day. You mean they can't celebrate when they are together?
(When I was away in the service we celebrated every holiday within several months of my visit. Sure we did birthday, christmas, thanksgiving and halloween.) I didn't know we were breaking some almighty rule.

WDSearcher that is a great idea.

Princess Aurora I hope all your girls have a special day.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

disneyfreakjackie, all I can saw is WOW. Rather harsh.

What do you say to a child who's birthday is on the weekend or during the summer - do they not get to share a treat with their classmates? Have you never heard of half birthdays?

What about service members who are away from their loved ones on that "special" day. You mean they can't celebrate when they are together?
(When I was away in the service we celebrated every holiday within several months of my visit. Sure we did birthday, christmas, thanksgiving and halloween.) I didn't know we were breaking some almighty rule.

Not being harsh at all, I just don't think it's right. It's my opinion on the subject that I happen to feel very strongly about.

What you do to celebrate events at home are your business. I made no mention of any other circumstances so I don't know where that comment came from?!?! I'm talking about lying and having children lie and the parents are OK with this.

I think its WRONG that people are getting/are thinking about getting birthday buttons for their kids just to get special treatment on any old day. Think about what this is teaching the kids, well it's not really your birthday, but we'll say it is to see what we can get out of it; tomorrow we'll say it's your sister's birthday and the day after that we'll say it's ???????'s birthday. All I'm saying is that parent's are setting a bad example doing this sort of thing. I don't think it's right.

Half birthday's??? OH PLEASE, why not 1/4 birthdays and one month birthdays . . . enough is enough!!! As another poster said (I don't know on which thread), just where will it end; at what point will people draw the line???

For the little girl who is ACTUALLY celebrating her birthday during the trip, CELEBRATE!! I hope she has a very special day!! She will be in WDW, so I'm sure she will!! The others can have their special day ON their special day, where ever they may be!

FYI: I ran this situation by my DH just to see if I was "way out there" on this subject . . . he shares my view on this subject. (I didn't tell him my opinion beforehand.)

DONE!!

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay, I'm a little bit confused..not such an unusual happening!!! Disneyfreakjackie.....are you against kids having GOH badges on non-birthday days and expecting 'special treatment' due to telling lies...ie..CM askes 'So is today your special day SusieQ?' And SusieQ answers 'Oh yes...I'm 7 today.' But, in reality she turned 7 several months ago. OR....a child wearing a GOH badge, and asked...'So, is today your special day SusieQ?' Answer..."Oh no, my birthday was last month.' I can see not having a child answer with a lie. But is there an issue if no one is trying to 'get something special'? I mean, yes, I would be upset if little SusieQ's parents told everyone that 'oh yes, today's is little SQ's big day. WE sure would love to have a song for her and maybe some balloons.' or when checking in...'well, we are celebrating a big day tomorrow. anything special you can do for my little princess would be terrific.' That I have a problem with. But, if the family just wants to have their child wear a GOH badge and not look for anything special, then what's the harm? Nobody is lying about anything. I have to say that I don't see all that many GOH badges when we are there. But obviously this is a 'hot button' type thing. I think I will leave it alone now.

 

[MCK588]

First time posting on this subject but I can certainly relate to many points made here. Both for and against the topic, actually. I'm sure that there are people out there that want something for nothing and will lie to get it, and that will always be the case no matter what. There is also the issue of special days not being so special anymore because so many people are taking advantage of the system. Or is the real issue here that more people are actually 'aware' of this special celebration now due to websites like this? Maybe the percentages of who is actually celebrating vs who is stretching the truth a bit is the same, but the total number of people participating overall has increased? Hhhmmm...I guess it doesn't matter. What does matter is that Disney is still a place for memories to be made and happy times to be had by all.

Although I would never make my children lie, nor want them to, I don't see the crime in celebrating a few days early/late. My gosh, if my children lived many states away from their grandparents and planned to be able to meet them in Disney and wanted to celebrate a birthday with Grandma & Grandpa a week late, or a day early, etc I for one am not going to stop that from happening because someone, somewhere wouldn't ever consider doing it. I'm realistic enough to know that people take advantage more than this scenario, but again, that's life.

I have to admit that even if I was celebrating a special day, I would never think it was to get things for free, etc. I wouldn't expect anyone to give me any special attention because of it. I would just enjoy knowing that my child felt important wearing a button (even if no one else noticed). And if a CM came up and did something nice for the bday child, that would just be a big plus and add to the thrill of being at WDW, but certainly not required.

Generally, I think it is human nature to enjoy watching others celebrate their own personal happiness. Whether it's a bride/groom wearing silly shirts or hats or a child wearing a birthday button doesn't matter. It's just nice that we can be civil enough to let them enjoy their day...wishing them well isn't even mandatory but probably adds to the extreme joy of just being there for most of us.

I got engaged at WDW in front of the castle, under the fireworks, and although I didn't ever even think that anyone besides the two of us cared, I have to say it was so heartwarming to have a couple come up to us and wish to see the ring and congratulate us..all before I was even able to call home!

I will be celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary in Disney, along with my daughter's 2nd birthday, in 2 weeks but dare I say that the anniversary is the day before we leave and the birthday is the day after we get home! At least we can all be together as a family while celebrating. Nothing more special than that.

 

[BostonRob]

OK then. . . it's wrong . . . if you can't plan your WDW vacation on your exact birthday you shouldn't celebrate it there! Simple as that!

I couldn't agree with you more Jackie. And, for the record, I'm not railing agianst people 'trying to get something for nothing' that is a different matter entirely. I think it is about what you're teaching your kids.

If your birthday happens to fall on your Disney Vacation, you may have an extra special day. If not, well thats life. You'll have your celebration on your special day. There's nothing wrong with having a cake with your grandparents a few days after your birthday for convenience sake. But walking around Disney world with a Birthday button when it is not your birthday is just misrepresentation. That is not the sort of thing I teach my daughter to do.

 

[WDSearcher]

If your birthday happens to fall on your Disney Vacation, you may have an extra special day. If not, well thats life. You'll have your celebration on your special day. There's nothing wrong with having a cake with your grandparents a few days after your birthday for convenience sake. But walking around Disney world with a Birthday button when it is not your birthday is just misrepresentation. That is not the sort of thing I teach my daughter to do.

OK ... but what if your daughter's birthday falls during a time when it's literally impossible for the family to travel -- say, your husband is an accountant and DD's birthday is April 15. You can't possibly plan a trip anywhere at that time, but your daughter really wants to go to WDW for her birthday. So .... you plan a trip for a month later and announce to your daughter on her birthday that her gift is a trip to WDW. The entire trip is being taken simply because she wanted to go to WDW for her birthday. What, in a case like that, is so darned wrong about having the kid wear a birthday button at some point during the vacation? It's a birthday trip but it was impossible to take on her actual birthday.

Or what about someone stationed in Iraq. Can't make it home for his actual birthday, but when military dad DOES come home three months later, the whole family decides to celebrate his belated birthday at WDW. The kids all want Dad to feel special, so they get him birthday buttons to wear so that everyone knows that they're celebrating their dad's special day. Again ... why is that wrong?

I think the folks who are adamantly against this are going a bit overboard on the "I don't want to teach my child to do things like that" department. What horrible, bad thing are the families in my example teaching their children?

Sure there are folks who will just pick up a birthday button because they hope to get free stuff or more fastpasses or whatever, but the majority of people are wearing them because they are truly celebrating their birthdays at WDW. It may not be the exact day ... may not even be the exact month, but the trip is a celebratory trip for the birthday person. Even DISNEY doesn't care about it as much as some of you guys do! If they did, they'd ask for proof.