Define "Anniversary"..

[Ktharee]

Add me to the list of, ya no.
I mean come on, where does it end? We were "dating" 3 years so we need a button?
What about, our first date was 6 months ago?
Or I had my wisdom teeth romoved a year ago?
Pretty soon everyone will have a button on.

Last year we went with friends and their daughter had a "It's my birthday" button on all 8 days she was there.
Just made me think everyone else wearing a button was lying too and they were just hoping to get something for free from some cast member.
Really took away from the purpose of the buttons to me.

This is exactly what I mean by too many rules. It's a BUTTON and you don't get anything for FREE unless you go an prove it's your birthday. All you get is some extra kind words. Geesh, lighten up.

 

[RMulieri]

This is exactly what I mean by too many rules. It's a BUTTON and you don't get anything for FREE unless you go an prove it's your birthday. All you get is some extra kind words. Geesh, lighten up.

I think what the PP meant is that there are too many people that EXPECT something regardless of what the official Bday policy is...and I have seen some pretty wicked meltdowns because all the person got was well wishes..Anyone can wear the buttons to celebrate

 

[ntsammy5]

 

[mskayjay]

Considering we're doing the same thing when DBF and I go in August, I totally say go for it. I don't see how it's fair to people who have spent all this money to go celebrate something, and they can't be proud and (literally) wear it on their chest, just because they're not married.

If two college kids want to celebrate an anniversary after getting out of college (or after freshman year in my case), and they're able to spend the money in this economy to do that - do it! No one's going to tell them to stop being so happy and take their buttons off... and if that person does, they're obviously not embracing the Disney Magic.

I wonder what some PPs would say if it was two men/women who wanted to celebrate an anniversary of being together, but because of legal reasons, could not get married. Should they be denied the privilege of a button too?

Well as one of the PPs who think it should be reserved for anniversaries of weddings and since our laws are so arcane as to not allow for legalized marriage among gays in many states, I believe it is perfectly okay for a couple to use these buttons to acknowledge the date of their committment ceremony or whatever else they did to "make it official" but not their dating anniversary. I also don't think those college kids celebrating need to wear a button to be happy as you put it. Guess I embrace differently than you.

To the OP, I think WDW could care less whether its a "traditional" anniversary or not. They will give you a button without explanations.

That said, I do think it diminishes the "value" (for lack of a better term) of those couples who have been legally married for "x" number of years.

I totally agree.

I do think its different, and more special, for a married couple celebrating their 20th, 25th, etc., than two young people celebrating months or even years of "commitment".

Yes. We felt very honored and special to be able to wear those buttons to signify that we had made it to 25 years and were celebrating that event. SEeing that many folks using the buttons the way folks are talking about it here really does diminish it. What next.....letting girls wear wedding gowns to proms because they want to?

I think the "special" thing about the buttons is totally gone.
Because it has been allowed to be taken to far. Birthdays, anniversaries, special events SHOULD be celebrated but I think like with everything related to Dis, some people want to so totally blur the lines that the specialness is truly gone. When we had the anny buttons on and were literally at CaliGrill on the day of our anniversary, the folks there were sooooo kind and seemed to appreciate that we weren't "creating" an event to celebrate.
We saw more people with buttons than without and I can understand that by this avalanche of buttons the CM get tired of giving some one a special treatment.

It's more like why does SHE get a cup cake and I did not? Why do you congratulate there child and not mine?
Childish behavior that takes away the magic.

I agree....


There is a reason why folks have to prove it is their birthday to get the free pass.....the intent is to celebrate "the birthday". The standard definition of an anniversary is meant to indicate a wedding. For those who are celebrating the "anniversary" of how long you have been dating, can you tell us what you will do when/if someone asks you about your anniversary should you get married? Will you still refer to that dating time frame or will you refer to the date of your wedding? It is just disingenuous to do this. I love the idea of the "what are you celebrating" and defining it from there but don't bend the meaning of a celebration just to wear a button meant for a specific group. Just my humble opinion......

 

[WriteDisney]

Am I the only one who read the title and immediately thought of "Define...Dancing" from Wall-E?

Yes!

And OP I see no reason you can't wear the pins to celebrate an anniversary of dating.. people might ask how long they've been married or whatever.. but I'll bet alot will just say congrats.. its really up to you..

 

[dischic89]

Um... It's just a button. Some people chose not to get married and I see no harm in wearing an anniversary button to celebrate a 'dating' anniversary. It is just what the button says, an anniversary.

 

[tinkabella627]

I don't know which side I agree with but I will say this...

I was there last week and saw some younger kids (clearly not married) wearing the just married buttons.... tell me why?

I had an I'm celebrating button and just wrote on it that it was my bachelorette party. I don't see anything wrong with that since it is why we went. And I didn't wear it everyday.

Now I am going back on the 29-13 and I am wearing my just married buttons because it is my honeymoon.

Like I said, idk which side I agree with, but those of you that say no on the anniv. pins for dating, what if they wore an I'm celebrating and wrote 3 years dating (or however many)... would that be more acceptable?

I do agree that people will ask questions and congratulate them.. I walked around and congratulated all the people with the just married buttons on. I guess it depends on what the people expect of it.

I also saw at MK a CM with a cart full of buttons and people just asking for random ones... made no sense and she went and put the cart away. And I saw some people with multiple buttons on. So I do agree the "value" of the buttons is gone.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

This year I'll be celebrating the one year anniversary of my first Colonoscopy! (And believe me, that is one event you'll never forget!)
Maybe I'll get a free bran muffin!!!

As someone who has gone through this at a way too young age, this post is just made of win.

-----

I think that most people need to remember that we are in an age of anti-monogamy. Most people don't believe in spending their lives with one person anymore, much less a few years. This is why divorce rates are (slowly) climbing, the average age of getting married is climbing, and there are more people who choose not to get married and/or have children.

Sometimes it's their choice. Sometimes it's their religion. Sometimes it's because they cannot get married due to their rights being denied.

I'm getting married in about a month and a half, and I was kind of miffed at the fact that DF and I were scoffed at for celebrating our dating anniversary back in March, and all we did was go to dinner here at home. Now we are supposed to forget the years and years that we worked on our relationship just because we are getting married?

Relationships take work. Constant work. Everyone should be able to celebrate that they are with a loved one and have made it however long.

Just because I will soon be a licensed *marriage* and family therapist doesn't mean that I won't work with couples who aren't married. Denying couples things just because they don't have the legal contract is just another form of discrimination.

Just my two cents.

 

[DisneyBrideToni]

Now that I think about it, I am going to be wearing the anniversary button in January. I wonder if they are still going to do the What will you celebrate theme. Not that it matters, just curious.

 

[Disneyadore]

Just because I will soon be a licensed *marriage* and family therapist doesn't mean that I won't work with couples who aren't married. Denying couples things just because they don't have the legal contract is just another form of discrimination.

Just my two cents.

Wow I think you read far to deep in this topic.
Nobody is denying others the buttons.By all means if you like to wear them please go ahead.
The only "problem "that's spotted here is that people are wearing these buttons because they think they entitles them to all kinds of free stuff. And if the "trick" doesn't work they become rude and angry towards the CM and other guests. Now you have to agree with me ,I hope, that the buttons are never supposed to work like that.

Disney tried to make a nice gesture but people just turned it into a "what can I get for free and me, me, me, me thing".

 

[taylor3297]

Our next trip will be in Dec 2010. we decided as a family that we were going to celebrate the kids birthdays and our 10th wedding anniversary at WDW. Both of the kids birthdays are in Nov. and our anniversary is in July. We are going to get the appropriate buttons and only wear them one day. On our actual anniversary we aren't going to do anything special, we will wait for our trip. The kids will not have birthday parties, only cake and ice cream with family.

Sometimes you can't always celebrate on the actual day.

We we do wear the buttons, we do not expect anything in return from Disney. The button itself is enough. Any well wishes from CM and other parker goers would just be icing on the cake for us.

Now to define what an anniversary is should be left to each individual.

 

[SassyCat]

I'm getting married in about a month and a half, and I was kind of miffed at the fact that DF and I were scoffed at for celebrating our dating anniversary back in March, and all we did was go to dinner here at home. Now we are supposed to forget the years and years that we worked on our relationship just because we are getting married?

Relationships take work. Constant work. Everyone should be able to celebrate that they are with a loved one and have made it however long.
.

I agree wtih you. DH and I were together for 6 and a half years before we got married (started dating in high school). We always celebrated our dating anniversary. It was important to us. We still celebrate it. Those years are special to us, and of course we would not be married if it had not been for them. Why not celebrate how long we have been together totally? I think it shows how much we mean to each other that we have been together that long at our ages.

I also agree that couples who are unable to marry or do not want to should also be able to celebrate their anniversaries as a couple.

I can see getting annoyed at the anniversaries that are for less than a year just because I think a lot of people consider actual years than months a milestone. Otherwise, I don't see any problem with it.

Also, like has been mentioned, a lot of people cannot go on their actual celebration date. There is no reason they can't still celebrate those events when they can go. Celebrations can often enhance a families trip, so why deny them? As long as they aren't trying to get the free birthday admission or the like, I don't see anything wrong with getting congrats/wellwishes and perhaps the occasional cupcake.

 

[WriteDisney]

Now we are supposed to forget the years and years that we worked on our relationship just because we are getting married?

Relationships take work. Constant work. Everyone should be able to celebrate that they are with a loved one and have made it however long.

Just because I will soon be a licensed *marriage* and family therapist doesn't mean that I won't work with couples who aren't married. Denying couples things just because they don't have the legal contract is just another form of discrimination.

I totally agree!

 

[SOnotLayuh]

Wow I think you read far to deep in this topic.
Nobody is denying others the buttons.By all means if you like to wear them please go ahead.
The only "problem "that's spotted here is that people are wearing these buttons because they think they entitles them to all kinds of free stuff. And if the "trick" doesn't work they become rude and angry towards the CM and other guests. Now you have to agree with me ,I hope, that the buttons are never supposed to work like that.

Disney tried to make a nice gesture but people just turned it into a "what can I get for free and me, me, me, me thing".

Some people are saying that couples celebrating their dating anniversaries shouldn't have the buttons because they believe it should only be for married couples, though. OP was asking if it would be appropriate for the college students celebrating their dating anniversary to get a pin.

I do agree, though, that buttons shouldn't be used for free stuff. This just shows how much many people have entitlement issues.

For the record, when I am on my honeymoon next month, I cannot WAIT to wear my pin. I want to show off how happy and lucky I am to be marrying the guy of my dreams. It's like my way of saying, "yes, I'm with him - permanently!".

 

[Feralpeg]

If wearing a button (of any kind) will add to the enjoyment of your trip to WDW, then wear one. Just don't go with expectations of special things based on the button.

At first, the buttons were few and far between. Wearing a button often meant a little something special. When they first brought out the buttons, my daughter wore one on her birthday to MK. At the restaurant, they brought out a cupcake with a candle for her and everyone sang to her. This rarely happens any more because everyone is wearing some type of button.

We were at DHS last week. More people were wearing buttons than not.

 

[connie1042]

I think the important thing here, is if you wear the buttons, don't expect anything for it. If you want something special, order it ahead of time and pay for what you want.This way you will not be disappointed.

 

[Disneyadore]

I wonder if people try to use the special letter ore card that comes along with the buttons as a “free meal “coupon.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

I think people have gone nuts with the buttons. This year everyone at Disney will have a birthday sometime, so should we all get a button even if our b-day is several months out? Many will have an anniversary and the same thing goes. I used to tell little ones happy birthday when the buttons started but got tired of hearing their b-day was 4 months ago or whatever.

We were on a cruise once and tablemates said it was someone's birthday or anniversary every night. The waiters would all come and sing and it was embarrassing it was so goofy. I guess some people crave the attention.

I'm sure at some point Disney will see the farce of it and and when they end it those truthfully celebrating a special occasion will miss out because so many took advantage of it.

 

[KGH]

WOW, I didn't think I'd get so many responses! Thanks, everyone, for sharing your opinions.

 

[ntsammy5]

FWIW, I just got back from Disney and I never noticed anyone with a button, but I don't look for stuff like that. I did notice some people using unauthorized mugs in the food court though!