Does it have to be your Birthday?

[CindysGusGus]

To get an "its my birthday" badge? My Twins will be turning 8 on March 17th. We are taking them as a surprise the week of March 27th. We will be celebrating their birthday down there. Will we be able to let servers know this even though thier true birthday was 10 days earlier?

 

[Philadisney]

they don't card you or anything. especially if you're that young, you wouldn't have an ID anyway, and i'm sure they don't expect you to have packed their birth certificates! i think all that matters is that you're celebrating the special occasion, not if it's that exact day

 

[4DisneyfansinNC]

We celebrated DS's 3rd birthday 2 days after his real birthday. When we went to Chef Mickey's, I made sure I told them we were "celebrating" his birthday. I didn't say it actually was his birthday.
Have a great time!

 

[timandlesley]

we will be at Disney from June 4th -10th this year, my b-day is on the 15th, so I'm curious. What do they do? How do you get the pins?

Lesley

 

[DisneyMomx7]

They never ask if it's your real birthday when you get the birthday pin. I always say we "celebrating" the child's birthday. It's just like having a birthday party for your child that doesn't fall on their "real" birthday.

 

[Brina]

Well, I am probably going to get flamed for this. I think it is fine to tell your servers at a specific resturant for a specific evening that you are celebrating a birthday that you are missing by a day or two, but I do not feel it is right to get a "its my birthday" button for a child if it is not their actual birthday. Even if it is only by a week or two - what's to stop somebody from doing the same thing and saying well it is only off by two months? Or, we are celebrating the child's half birthday.

I think the extra attention is a nice perk if you are in WDW on the child's birthday. However, I think being at WDW is special enough - you don't really need all the extras. Plus, I assume if you are home on the child's birthday then they are getting treated special (having a party, getting presents, special recognition at school) on their actual birthday. So, by then telling the folks at Disney that it is their birthday, they are essentially getting a second special day. Some might say, "what is so bad about that?" In my opinion plenty. Children need to learn that not everyday is their special day. Other people get their turn too. Plus, I think it comes under the heading of spoiling - giving them everything they ask for or could ever think to ask for.

When my kids ask about others getting special treatment I explain that they are celebrating their birthday at WDW. If they choose, then some time in the future, perhaps they will have a disney birthday, but it will mean giving up being with their friends on their birthday and give up having a party and giving up their class party (at our preschool we bring treats for the class and a parent reads a special book to the class).

As I said, this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I work very hard to teach my children that everything cannot be theirs, and some kids may get things that they don't. This is just one more part of that.

 

[hezreck]

I don't see the problem with telling Disney it's your child birthday. Our DD birthday was in the middle of a week long trip to Disney. We got her a button from every park and wore them everyday of our trip. It's not like Disney gives out tons of free things to birthday people, so they didin't lose any money by us doing this. All that happened was CM's would tell her Happy Birthday all the time, and for a parent with a shy child, that really helped get her to open up and talk to people, because I made sure she said Thank You to everyone who wished her a Happy Birthday.
She did get a free cupcake after one meal and a CM at AK gave her a free pin off his lanyard, but we didn't get her the button for free stuff. On the days it wasn't her birthday, I told the CM's that her day was actually on Wed., and they all said "Everyday is your Birthday at Disney, so enjoy it!"
Not everyone takes trips to Disney all the time, so this was a very special trip for us. I see nothing wrong with making it extra special fro your children. If we went to Disney alot, I wouldn't make a big deal out of a birthday there.
Hope no one takes this the wrong way. Go and enjoy your trip!

 

[deanna2426]

It does not have to be your exact birthday. We are planning to take my DH to celebrate his 40th and DS to celebrate his 6th in May (in between their birthdays). This is their b-day present and we hope to celebrate in a big way.

For the record, there is no flaming intended here. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

However, I totally disagree with the OP who said you should not get a birthday pin. If a trip to WDW is to celebrate a someone's birthday, then I believe they should be treated as such. Due to other constraints, you may not always be able to be at WDW for the exact date! I agree that you shouldn't abuse the privilege (maybe just wear the pin for one specific day), but again, if the trip is specifically to celebrate a birthday, you should do just that!!! I am sure CMs at Disney would wholeheartedly agree!!!

Celebrating a b-day in WDW is a once in a lifetime thing for most people. If it a few days before or after, it is a far cry from spoiling them. I assume the OP only celebrates b-day parties on her child's b-day, or they would be getting two "special days." What if their b-day is on a weekend, does she not allow them to bring treats to pre-school?

I also teach my children that not everything is theirs. However, I am not so rigid in my teachings that they can't tell the difference between celebrating their birthday on a day other than the actual date. In addition to making sure they are not spoiled, I am also teaching them to be patient and flexible, two traits that are necessary to get by in life.

Again, I apologize if this sounds like criticism or flaming. It is just a different opinion!!!

I wouldn't worry about it not being the "exact" day of your girls' b-day. Just go and have a great trip!!! I hope they enjoy their "birthday."

 

[disrailfan]

We are going to WDW on June 10th and my birthday falls on the 9th and I plan on getting a button on our first day their as the vacation was planned to celebrate my birthday. I don't expect anything free or anything. More my DW is going to make me get the button because she thinks that I don't enjoy things like that.

 

[Ibelieveinfairies]

We are planning our next trip as a double birthday celebration: DD #1 will be turning 8 on April 13th and DD#2 will be turning 6 on May 13th...so our trip will be right in between the two. Both girls know that this trip is expensive and that they are very lucky indeed, as some people NEVER get a trip to WDW...and they are willing to forgo a huge, expensive BD party here at home to have our family celebration with Mickey and friends! I hadn't thought far enough ahead to decide whether to get BD buttons for them. What do you think?

 

[experiment626mom]

You can get badges from all four parks at the guest relations desks at each park. Or you can ask in the gift shops. Each badge is different. They are great momentos!!!

 

[krystyana]

I was also debating on celebrating my sons birthday during our trip. I think I'm going to go ahead and do it. The trip is predominantly for him....and the odds of us ever going on his actual birthday are nonexistant....this trip is to celebrate his birthday....it's just slightly before....and we usually go in nov. so this year is a fluke.....that all being said....another poster told me anything you can do to make your child's experience more magical go for it...I want this trip to be truly magical for him..... I am all for teaching my child to be courteous, polite, and aware of others, but he is only three and celebrating his birthday in the world would be an amazing experience for him I think. As far as it not being his actual "special day", we've celebrated our wedding anniversary in the "world" once and went there on our honeymoon and never told anyone or asked for anything special...so he can have our "saved" magic

 

[MinnieM3]

We are going a few days after my forty-something birthday and it will be our last trip for at least a year or two. The trip is my Mother's Day AND Birthday present and I plan on getting a button at MK! As long as I teach (which will be 15 or 20 more years!) I'll never be there for my exact birthday. This is as close as I can get! I just want to have a fun day that day!

 

[tjmw2727]

It dosen't have to be the exact birthday, IMHO but....

Here are my two experiences:

The CM at town hall on my oldest dd's "exact" birthday did ask her if it was her birthday or if she was just celebrating her birthday. He was kind about it and I am sure that he would have given her the button either way. When she told him "its today, I am 7 today!" he jumped up and down, had everyone in the room say happy birthday and received an unexpected phone call from goofy who sang happy birthday to my dd.

Now to my younger dd - my 8yo, who was celebrating her 8th birthday at WDW since we could not make it during her exact birthday but a week later. She would not wear the "today is my birthday button" as it was not her birthday, "my birthday was last week" So I got her a birthday pin for her lanyard and a celebrating my 8th birthday from the local party store - that she would wear. Note that when asked she said "my birthday was last week" evidently she did know best as it would have been embarrassing if she were wearing the today button! She just didnt' feel comfortable with wearing it.

Both girls got special but very different treatment from various CM's, one got a couple re-rides, one got escorted to the FOTL and both got great character interaction and a great character meal. I don't think either could have celebrated more than one day as the attention got to be a bit much and they became embarassed and tired of it. We also have a friend who's daughter celebrated her actual birthday, with the button, and got absolutely no special treatment :-(. So if you want something be sure and arrange for it and any additional perks are a bonus. Just don't want to dissapoint anyone.

So I am totally 100% for celebrating your kids birthday but you know them best. If they and you are comfortable picking a day to celebrate and they are comfy with the pin then go for it. If not still pick a day and do many things to celebrate but maybe skip the pin. IMHO it all depends on the kids - mine is very literal LOL - and we still had a blast.

HTH and sorry so long - have a great trip
TJ

 

[marciemi]

To share our story: When we went to DL/California Adventure in 2003, we spent our last day at the parks the day before my son's birthday (he was turning 11), which was also the day we were flying home. So we got him a birthday badge to wear that day. Incidentaly, maybe because of his age, no one offered him anything special, just a lot of CM's and characters wished him Happy Birthday.

But we went to Who Wants to be Millionaire and he got into the hot seat! Of course he was thrilled, but of course the first question was how old he was and he replied "10...no 11". Everyone laughed and the host asked him for his final answer But he was kind of embarrassed about it then! Honestly though, I didn't think of it as ripping Disney off or anything or teaching my child bad things. That day we were at DL, the next (his birthday) we wouldn't be. I didn't get badges for his brothers or me or anything since we were months off, but I think as others have said if it's really close, or that's the purpose of the trip - go for it!

DH and I took a cruise for our 15th anniversary. No, we didn't actually go that week, it was the previous week. But we did request the cake celebrating it and didn't feel guilty getting it. It's not like we were going on another cruise the following week and celebrating it again. And it was the reason for the cruise!

 

[tjmw2727]

Just to clarify my post, I was not referring to any type of ripping off, LOL.

MY dd is just a literal type kid, she knew that we were celebrating her birthday and was thrilled at her gift - to be at WDW but for her to say "it was her birthday" was just too much for her. No flames or judgments for those who's kids can get in the spirit and celalbrate, I would have been thrilled if my dd would have! I think the age between some 6's and say 10'11 they just can't do it - FWIW if they can I have absolutely no problem with it.

That said, don't expect to much - sometimes you get a howdy do and some times you get a re- ride it is the luck of the draw.

My best advice is that if you want to really celebrate a birthday or other special event make arrangements yourself. Have a cake sent to the room or plan one for a dinner but dont' count on others....sometimes the CM's come through with flying colors and sometimes they don't.

TJ

 

[DrTomorrow]

Certainly seems like there's a happy medium. Get the birthday pin regardless of whether it's days or weeks away - if you're there to celebrate the birthday, get the pin. However, while 'the birthday boy/girl' can certainly enjoy all the attentions and congratulations, they should certainly decline - politely, of course - any real perks of it being their birthday: free food, CMs moving them in front of others in line, etc. I say this not only because - IMHO - it is the 'right' thing to do, but to prevent the dilution of any "special-ness" of celebrating a birthday at WDW. If 25% of all WDW guests start sporting birthday pins, CMs will quickly weary of wishing them "Happy Birthday", and any special perks will disappear.

IMHO - YMMV

 

[eeyore45]

funny I've been avoiding this thread, but, since there isnt any flaming, only respectful experiences,, I'll share mine.

We havent taken any famimly vacations, we go camping with the Boy Scouts as DH is a leader, and I'm an assitant. It sucks up his work vacation time, but it is fulfillng work!! DD loves camping, ANYWAY... back on topic!!

We got a huge tax refund, we paid bills, had leftovers, I said, "I'm taking DD to Disney, with or without you" DH wanted to come just for the weekend... then it all worked out, and ta dah we all went, it was our 24th wedding anniversary, but I thought it was our 25th (I cant count!! LOL) and I wouldnt celebrate w/o dd, and she figured it out, it was her HALF BIRTHDAY - exactly....

BUT, we didnt get any buttons, or special treatment, However, I arranged lots of special 1/2 birthday treats, flowers, cruise, PS, and just being in Disney of course... all the while it was because of our anniversary and dd 1/2 bday!!

Just our experience. BUT for a warning, she is now trying to figure out how to do Disney ON her birthday!! LOL

 

[CamColt]

Disney definitely doesnt check any id, so yes you can say it any day if you want. If you dont feel funny about doing it, then go for it.

We had thought of doing that for DS's 7th birthday as we arrived at WDW 2 days after his real birthday. With the trip preparations and the holidays coming up(its 12/18) I felt he sort of got lost in the shuffle that year. However when it came time to put a pin on him that said "Today is my birthday", we all felt a bit silly about it and didnt do it.

I also agree with eeyore45...if everyone starts wearing birthday pins any day or for their birthday week, it will take away from the specialness of those really celebrating a birthday on any given day.