Birthday Pin "Grey Area"?

[EmEyeSeeKayEeWhy]

We celebrated my daughter's 11th birthday this year in DL a few days before her actual birthday. We got the button along with those cute 'Happy Birthday' Mickey mouse ears...she loved all of those CM's wishing her a Happy Birthday It never gets old

 

[pixiewings71]

Well last year we were there in Jan. on the 6th I made DBF get a button altho his b-day is the 7th. I even told the CM that and mentioned that he was hesitant to get the button. She said "are you in the mood to celebrate and is this your b-day trip?" and he said "yes" so she said "wear the pin, we want to celebrate WITH you!!" wrote his name, dotted his I with a cute little Mickey head and off we went! He loved it!!!!! wore that button all day, it was GREAT!!

We went in July for my DD's 12th b-day, her b-day was the day before we got there so she got her button and wore it all week, she was proud of it.

We also went in Dec. of 07 for DD8's b-day, we were in the park on her actual day. I made sure to say so and they wrote her age on the button too. Made it special!

And no, we didn't make it for mine because mine is over Memorial Day weekend, we were blacked out.

 

[bright_eyes97]

Ah, those are nice and cute stories, Sherry!

I wonder what happy birthday is in Japanese? oh how it would be nice to be multi-lingual, instead of a mono-lingual dolt, at least I do understand some of the languages that are foreign to me, however not enough so I could honestly state that I am bi-lingual, much less anything more from that! (big sigh)

Tanjyobi Omedetou is happy birthday in Japanese. "Ta" is pronounced "tah". My brother speaks Japanese and my sis n law is Japanese. Hopefully one day I'll get the nack of the language as well.

 

[pixiewings71]

Again, I'm a dork. (that's what I get for posting at work lol) I wanted to say to Gisele, the OP and anyone else. GET the pin!!! You will LOVE it!!

 

[heatherleigh]

Gisele, I am going to do it. He's probably the best one to have something like that out of all the kids. He'd appreciate it the most, I mean.

Sherry, he will love the phone call too! Last year, he refused to answer the phone when Mickey called to welcome us to DL. He's grown up a lot since then, and I know he would like it now.

Bright, I spoke semi-fluent Japanese at one point in time. I took it throughout high school, but college was where I really picked it up. I was able to have conversations in Japanese (I wasn't great, but it was definitely passable.) I visited my friend in CA, whose parents only spoke Japanese. They were thrilled I could communicate w/ them.

Unfortunately, that was the last time I took classes and over the years I have forgotten much of it. I can still write some, but I'm pretty much back at square one. One of these days I'm going to take a class. It probably wouldn't be difficult for me to get back into it.

 

[ORMom2Four]

Thanks everyone! I showed this thread to Dh. He is the most black & white thinker I have ever known.....he's a computer programmer......I think it's required of them! You all helped me convince him it's okay to get a birthday pin, even if it's not on the actual day, lol.

I have a feeling this is going to make Joe's Disney experience a lot more fun. He was overwhelmed during our last trip, and frequently asked "go home now?". He absolutely loves to have people talk to him though! I'm very excited for him this trip, he will be thrilled to have everyone telling him "Happy Birthday!".

Here he is during our last trip (he loves the characters too, he still thinks they are real) Maybe we will take him to a character meal too!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks everyone! I showed this thread to Dh. He is the most black & white thinker I have ever known.....he's a computer programmer......I think it's required of them! You all helped me convince him it's okay to get a birthday pin, even if it's not on the actual day, lol.

I have a feeling this is going to make Joe's Disney experience a lot more fun. He was overwhelmed during our last trip, and frequently asked "go home now?". He absolutely loves to have people talk to him though! I'm very excited for him this trip, he will be thrilled to have everyone telling him "Happy Birthday!".

Here he is during our last trip (he loves the characters too, he still thinks they are real) Maybe we will take him to a character meal too!

I love Goofy's Kitchen for character meals, and he will get a Goofy's button there too (you might have to remind the server of it - sometimes they forget to bring it). As a matter of fact, I think they have buttons at all the character meals. So if he 'talks' to Goofy on the phone at City Hall when you get the b-day button and then meets Goofy at the restaurant, maybe that will be meaningful? Or maybe too overwhelming for him? He looks pretty content with Minnie!

 

[Monkey Monkey]

I absolutely agree that you should get the pin! I went on my birthday this year and my son's 3rd birthday, so I know how nice it is to hear "Happy Birthday" from CMs and total strangers.

I make a point to say "Happy Birthday" to everyone I see wearing a button, and I don't care if it's their actual birthday or not!

 

[bumbershoot]

And no, we didn't make it for mine because mine is over Memorial Day weekend, we were blacked out.

Aw darn! We went on DS's b'day, which was the 26th of May, and that day wasn't blacked out for Deluxe. I really wanted to go the evening before, but we dealt with having dinner, my guys went for a swim, and I went and met a couple Dis'ers, so it was OK to not go in.

Bright, I spoke semi-fluent Japanese at one point in time. I took it throughout high school, but college was where I really picked it up. I was able to have conversations in Japanese (I wasn't great, but it was definitely passable.) I visited my friend in CA, whose parents only spoke Japanese. They were thrilled I could communicate w/ them.

Unfortunately, that was the last time I took classes and over the years I have forgotten much of it. I can still write some, but I'm pretty much back at square one. One of these days I'm going to take a class. It probably wouldn't be difficult for me to get back into it.

I took Japanese in HS too. Did Spanish from 8th through 11th grades, then for my senior year we became a Magnet school for communication and language arts, and offered Japanese and Latin. I took Japanese, then took 2 semesters in college. I really loved the language and it makes me sad I have lost so much of it.

I make a point to say "Happy Birthday" to everyone I see wearing a button, and I don't care if it's their actual birthday or not!

I do that too.

 

[queenrollog]

Disney celebrates when you celebrate, so get the button! I had to explain that to my DS, who was a little confused when he knew his birthday was 2 days away and yet CM's kept wishing him a HB.

 

[CrazyDuck]

My birthday is on 10/10, but we don't even check into the GCH till 10/11. I never even consider getting a birthday button because I wouldn't want to take advantage of the system. Besides, when someone to wear a button when it is not their birthday it just makes it a little less special for those whose birthday it actually is. If 1 out of every 365 people at DL will be celebrating a birthday, can you imagine how many people can "almost" be celebrating a birthday? However, in situations like your son's, I'm sure those whose birthday it actually is wouldn't mind sharing their special day!!!!

BTW.... I am a systems administrator that does a lot of computer programming not unlike your DH.

 

[heatherleigh]

Bumbe, that's almost the same way it went w/ me. I went to boarding school my freshman year in high school. They only offered three languages: Russian, Japanese, and Chinese. It was a special school, so they were a little different from the norm. Russian was most popular, so I took Japanese. I'm so glad I did. I actually remember doing a unit on Japan when I was in 1st grade.

Anyway, when I went back to my old public school the following year, they offered Japanese thru video conference. I did not learn a thing (except for ridiculous things like, "The cherry blossoms are in season.") I took it back up in college, and that's where I really learned it well. It helped that I had friends from Japan who couldn't speak English well. I would love to visit Japan one day. I kept in contact w/ a couple friends. Even it's been yrs, I know they'd be thrilled to hear from me.

 

[Disney Dreams]

If you're celebrating his birthday while you are there, he needs the button!

It's sort of like going out to eat for your birthday. You don't always go out on the exact day, but it's the celebration of!

 

[Gisele]

I do not consider a belated birthday button "taking advantage of the system" Crazy Duck, but rather I agree with the other posters regarding wearing the pin, after all, like a previous poster stated, it says Happy Birthday, not it is my birthday, furthermore, I had missed out on this, when it really was the day of my birthday, in the past,for I had not known then about this pin. If I am able to go next year for my birthday, that will be great, and I will be asking for a pin. If I do so this year (birthday is in April) I might not do so again, when it is not.
For me, if anything it is an attempt to make up in although be it a small way, for having missed out on this fun pin, when it really was my birthday.
Also, I do not see anything wrong with requesting such, when one's birthday is a bit before the fact.
If one is most comfortable requesting a pin, only when it is actually their birthday, there is nothing wrong with that, for one needs to do what is in their Dl comfort zone.
I wish you and your family a great and wonderful trip to Dl, and Happy Birthday in advance, just in case I do not have an opportunity to state such in the near future.

 

[bumbershoot]

I actually remember doing a unit on Japan when I was in 1st grade.

I remember vividly watching Shogun when it was on TV while I was in elementary school. Had a bit of an obsession for, oh, a few years.

Then I went and married a guy whose mom is Korean, and can't talk about Japan at all anymore. Should really learn Korean instead of wishing to re-learn Japanese, but waaah, I just don't wanna.



Crazy, I think at WDW, where tangible things are often given in response to the button, I probably wouldn't wear a button when simply celebrating the day. But I don't think that the Happy Birthdays I might get wearing a button a week before my b'day will detract from the well wishes another person will get on their actual b'day.

But I'm the kind of person who probably wouldn't accept anything BUT well wishes if it were not my b'day but I was celebrating by wearing the button.

On the other hand, I did let DS accept his tortillas the day after his b'day, b/c it was just silly circumstances that kept us from following my low key plan (definitely low key since it was altered so much) of hopping to DCA on his b'day to get those tortillas.

 

[Gisele]

O.k. I think that I am confused now, but that is o.k. I will figure things out.
One thing that I do know, is that I do not wish to carry tortillas all the way back to Northern Ca. he he! seriously. Now, if they were delicious chocolate cookies, I can figure out a way, to make that room! ha.

 

[tink2dw]

In Mary Poppin's, they celebrated UN-BIRTHDAYS!! And ALL but 1 day a year is your UN-BIRTHDAY!!! So, you are most always celebrating 363 days a year!! So get a button!!

Show the kids the movie, point out that part and tell they thats what you will be doing at Disney!!!!!!!!!

It's a Disney thing to DO!!!

 

[Sherry E]

I do not consider a belated birthday button "taking advantage of the system" Crazy Duck, but rather I agree with the other posters regarding wearing the pin, after all, like a previous poster stated, it says Happy Birthday, not it is my birthday, furthermore, I had missed out on this, when it really was the day of my birthday, in the past,for I had not known then about this pin. If I am able to go next year for my birthday, that will be great, and I will be asking for a pin. If I do so this year (birthday is in April) I might not do so again, when it is not.
For me, if anything it is an attempt to make up in although be it a small way, for having missed out on this fun pin, when it really was my birthday.
Also, I do not see anything wrong with requesting such, when one's birthday is a bit before the fact.
If one is most comfortable requesting a pin, only when it is actually their birthday, there is nothing wrong with that, for one needs to do what is in their Dl comfort zone.
I wish you and your family a great and wonderful trip to Dl, and Happy Birthday in advance, just in case I do not have an opportunity to state such in the near future.

I totally agree with you, Gisele. I will have to agree to respectfully disagree with Crazy Duck on this button issue! I mean, last year, when my friends and I were getting together on one weekend at DLR to celebrate that we were all turning the same age, we were celebrating our mutual birthdays. It was not an option to go to DLR on each of our actual birthdays. In fact, it would have been impossible. So, when we were able to all finally hook up, we got our buttons! I don't think we should be deprived of buttons because we couldn't get there on the actual days! Many kids cannot go to DLR on their actual birthdays, but are they going to deprive kids of having a button? Of course not! So they can't deprive adults, either! If Disneyland cared about that issue at all, they would ask to see ID! It is just a button, after all - not money! Most of the time, as Bumbershoot said, you just get wished a Happy Birthday and don't get anything tangible, but even if you do get something, it might be just another button or pin, or perhaps a nice little mini-sundae at Carnation. I would not get a button every day of the year, nor would I want to take away anyone's chances to get a really nifty gift, but this coming October is a belated birthday trip for me (2-1/2 months late) and I am getting my button!

Personally, I think it would be hilarious - just for one day only - to walk into DLR and see every single person in the park with Birthday Buttons on! I know it would take away from the 'specialness' of it for each person that day, but it would be funny to me to see how the Cast Members handled it, having to wish every single person a Happy Birthday!

 

[bright_eyes97]

Gisele, I am going to do it. He's probably the best one to have something like that out of all the kids. He'd appreciate it the most, I mean.

Sherry, he will love the phone call too! Last year, he refused to answer the phone when Mickey called to welcome us to DL. He's grown up a lot since then, and I know he would like it now.

Bright, I spoke semi-fluent Japanese at one point in time. I took it throughout high school, but college was where I really picked it up. I was able to have conversations in Japanese (I wasn't great, but it was definitely passable.) I visited my friend in CA, whose parents only spoke Japanese. They were thrilled I could communicate w/ them.

Unfortunately, that was the last time I took classes and over the years I have forgotten much of it. I can still write some, but I'm pretty much back at square one. One of these days I'm going to take a class. It probably wouldn't be difficult for me to get back into it.

Aw darn! We went on DS's b'day, which was the 26th of May, and that day wasn't blacked out for Deluxe. I really wanted to go the evening before, but we dealt with having dinner, my guys went for a swim, and I went and met a couple Dis'ers, so it was OK to not go in.



I took Japanese in HS too. Did Spanish from 8th through 11th grades, then for my senior year we became a Magnet school for communication and language arts, and offered Japanese and Latin. I took Japanese, then took 2 semesters in college. I really loved the language and it makes me sad I have lost so much of it.




I do that too.

I'm taking a japanese course starting in september. So hopefully that'll help with learning the basics. But nothing helps more than being around the language everyday (we're roommates with my brother and his wife). The hard part is, his wife speaks very broken english. So we're trying to teach her english but I want to learn japanese.

 

[ORMom2Four]

Personally, I think it would be hilarious - just for one day only - to walk into DLR and see every single person in the park with Birthday Buttons on! I know it would take away from the 'specialness' of it for each person that day, but it would be funny to me to see how the Cast Members handled it, having to wish every single person a Happy Birthday!

That would be too funny