Faking Your Birthday??

[calgarygary]

Now this is really stretching things to make your point. I think it is safe to say we get it, you find it acceptable.

I think the only problem some have with this whole concept is when people do claim it is a birthday when it was really 4 months ago, in the hopes of scoring some kind of freebie. Nothing wrong with disagreeing with it, nothing wrong with agreeing with it. No need to stretch and strain credulity by comparing it to the fact that the characters aren't real.....

So for you, it is all a question of semantics......If my birthday is next week, but I'm at WDW in July, it is OK to ask for the button and say it's not my birthday but not ok to ask for the button and say it's my birthday. In either case, Disney does not care! and no one else should either. For the nay sayers, I would like you to try an experiment. Get a HB button or anniversary button on your next trip. Wear it. I promise you that nothing bad will come of it and you might be surprised by how all the well wishers make you feel just a little special. Careful though, some people may have difficulty in feeling special without somehow deserving it.

 

[SueM in MN]

I do know a father that "faked" his kid needed a wheelchair knowing that they would get preferential treatment and get through lines faster. What a shame. (Don't remember if it was at Disney or Universal).

Most of the lines at Disney and at Universal are wheelchair accessible, so "faking" a need for a wheelchair for most attractions will just get you a place to sit while you wait in the regular line with everyone else.

I'm not saying someone might not try it, just that most of the lines are wheelchair accessible, so there is little "advantage" for someone to "fake" using one.

 

[starbox]

Most of the lines at Disney and at Universal are wheelchair accessible, so "faking" a need for a wheelchair for most attractions will just get you a place to sit while you wait in the regular line with everyone else.

I'm not saying someone might not try it, just that most of the lines are wheelchair accessible, so there is little "advantage" for someone to "fake" using one.

This is true. DD7(at the time) sustained a very bad multiple fracture in her arm days before our August trip. She was still in the "super" cast to hold everything together - the thing went all the way to her armpit and weighed about 5 pounds. We got a wheelchair so that she could keep her arm propped up on the armrest.

Wheelchair seating in the shows is usually in the very back and a number of rides (BTMR and HM come to mind) often have longer waits for wheelchairs, while other rides, like SOARIN' are totally wheel-chair accessible.

Anyone that wants to pay money and deal with the hassle of a wheelchair just to fake it for the hope of "special treatment" is in some serious need of therapy.

BTW - my daughter's favorite moment of that last trip was when Bert from the Mary Poppins float waved to her and pointed out that her cast matched his socks. It was a magical moment for us. So, if anyone wants a magical moment like that, I suggest you fake it and get a really large, bright blue cast and wrap your arm from your fingers to your armpit. If you watch the Stars and Motorcars parade- you can get "special treatment" and Bert will wave and point to you!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

There is no 'my way or the wrong way' going on here. It is Disney's policy, plain and simple. In fact, if you really want to get techinical, Disney has solved the 'problem'. They have, as I've said before, two types of buttons. Ones says.."Happy Birthday_____!" The other says.."Celebrating my birthday at WDW" At least that was the case back in Oct. My dd had both types, one for her actual birthday, the other for the rest of the week.

Lying, scamming, cheating...all pretty strong words here. People just want to have a bit more 'magic' for their children. When Disney feels it is being abused, they will stop the buttons. Obviously they have no problem with it...we shouldn't either.

 

[YEKCIM]

IMO, the core issue here is not whether Disney cares or not. It is personal integrity and honesty, especially as our (and other) impressionable children watch the actions of parents/adults who should be teaching those values.

~YEKCIM

 

[cleo]

I'm fine with thinking my DS will watch me walk up to the counter, tell them it's not his birthday but we're celebrating during our stay. I'm fine with him learning life isn't a straightjacket and that flexiblity is good, when it breaks no rules, harms noone and brings joy to others.

 

[december]

IMO, the core issue here is not whether Disney cares or not. It is personal integrity and honesty, especially as our (and other) impressionable children watch the actions of parents/adults who should be teaching those values.

~YEKCIM

So because my daughter can't be there on her birthday and my son could, I lack integrity that we plan to celebrate her birthday on another day. Wow. I teach Algebra in a public high school even though I have a degree in math and was a National Merit Scholar and could do other things (don't want to though). I teach my children's Sunday School class. We "adopt" needy kids every Christmas and send shoeboxes overseas. My kids know nothing about racism because they are being raised to know tolerance and acceptance. Wow.

I understand the problem in the OP. This person was getting something over on Disney, or thought they were. I understand disgust with the wheelchair thing, reusing mugs, claiming your 4 yr old is 2, etc. But celebrating your birthday or other special event not on the exact day....I just don't get the hostility here.

 

[YEKCIM]

So because my daughter can't be there on her birthday and my son could, I lack integrity that we plan to celebrate her birthday on another day. Wow. I teach Algebra in a public high school even though I have a degree in math and was a National Merit Scholar and could do other things (don't want to though). I teach my children's Sunday School class. We "adopt" needy kids every Christmas and send shoeboxes overseas. My kids know nothing about racism because they are being raised to know tolerance and acceptance. Wow.

I understand the problem in the OP. This person was getting something over on Disney, or thought they were. I understand disgust with the wheelchair thing, reusing mugs, claiming your 4 yr old is 2, etc. But celebrating your birthday or other special event not on the exact day....I just don't get the hostility here.

I think you miss my point, entirely. I have NO problem with asking GS for a button for a child whose birthday does not fall within the dates you will be at WDW, as long as one is up front and honest about it when making the request. I plan to do that very thing in July when we are there. It is the subterfuge noted by the OP that bothers me. We need to teach our children to be persons of honesty and integrity, even when it may cost us something to do so.

No hostility intented on my part; just stating the case, as I see it.

That is the important issue, IMO.

~YEKCIM

 

[cleo]

The OP heard part of a conversation two strangers were having in a mall.

If the OP's retelling of the small snatch of conversation she heard is correct, and we have no reason to think it isn't, I would still ask...so what? Imagine their surprise when they didn't get the keys to the Kingdom.

Why spend time being so controlling over what other people are doing? Instead, why not look to your own decisions and stop worrying about what strangers THINK they might get? We know better, don't we? We know they get nothing above and beyond what any of us would get for telling the truth. More fool them if they think they got something everyone else would not have had.

But if it bothers people, perhaps it's meant to be a reminder for them to make absolutely sure no little white lie, no bending of the truth, no slight modification in the words they choose, ever creeps into their lives and the lives of their families.

 

[lillygator]

Disney's policy is, they don't care if it isn't your actual birthday. There is nothing 'scamming' about getting a birthday button, and it does not mean you will get some freebie or any extra attention from the CM's. You might, you might not.

Disney celebrated their 'birthday' every day for 15 months and no one seemed bothered by that. It takes nothing away from anyone else in the park if a child (or adult, for that matter) chooses to 'celebrate' during their Disney stay. Maybe they couldn't go on the 'real' day. Heaven forbid we can't celebrate special times in our lives unless it's the 'real day'. Imagine how many split-custody parents would miss holidays with their children if everyone around them policed their desire to celebrate on an alternate day. Sheesh! For that matter, what about people who visit one set of grandparents on Christmas Eve and the other set on Christmas Day. Better not open those presents with the first set of grandparents since it's not really Christmas yet! No siree!!

I never understood why anyone cares what someone else is doing, when it doesn't break any Disney rules, Disney doesn't care, and it takes nothing away from your experience if some kid wears a button that essentially gives him a happy feeling and nothing more.

Amen!

It's not called "faking"; it's called lying.

EXACTLY!! Please dont get me wrong I realize that in some case's it is impossible to get that magic trip on your birthday. I feel if you tell your child that we are going to Disney for your birthday and that trip is a few months either way of the birthday that is fine And if Disney doesn't care it really doesn't make a difference. What bothers me is when somebody arrives someplace and then decides to "Fake" something beacause they think they will get special attention. What does that teach our kids?

I'm sorry but this is a real sore subject with me. I am not accusing anybody on this board of doing something wrong. I'm sorry but this is a real sore subject with me.

I do know a father that "faked" his kid needed a wheelchair knowing that they would get preferential treatment and get through lines faster. What a shame. (Don't remember if it was at Disney or Universal).

The majority of people abide by the rules. I just don't like it when somebody "scams" to get something extra that they would'nt normally get.

I will get off my soapbpx know. I didn't mean to accuse anybody here.

Go ahead and flame away. I can take the heat.

ugh!! I hate these threads....but I can't seem to stay away!!



I think the majority of people are in fact "celebrating" and not LYING....


we are fortunate enough to live close and choose to celebrate both DD's birthday's at WDW. My eldest is on Halloween, can we always be there on the day itself? No, but we choose the whole stay to be a special birthday celebration trip. We order and pay for a cake on one of the days as well as get a birthday buton. My daughter knows her "birth" day is Halloween, but heck, we celebrate most of the month...I mean, as a parent we've made it through another year and for us that is a celebration in and of itself!!

My baby just turned 2 on Saturday...we could not go to WDW this weekend so we went 2/1-2/4 and that was her birthday celebration trip. We also ordered and paid for a cake and got a button...they gave my other daughter special WDW honorary citizen buttons as well.

Why do people care so much what others are doing? I don't get it....the disney birthday police are rampant around these parts!

 

[december]

I think you miss my point, entirely. I have NO problem with asking GS for a button for a child whose birthday does not fall within the dates you will be at WDW, as long as one is up front and honest about it when making the request. I plan to do that very thing in July when we are there. It is the subterfuge noted by the OP that bothers me. We need to teach our children to be persons of honesty and integrity, even when it may cost us something to do so.

No hostility intented on my part; just stating the case, as I see it.

That is the important issue, IMO.

~YEKCIM

I agree with you on this point. It is the way it was done that is dishonest (if the OP heard everything correctly!). I love these boards-obviously! I'm on here daily (my students are all at a meeting right now so I get my DIS time!). Sometimes people on here are just so rigid. I LOVE the straightjacket quote! My daughter will not be lying to people that her birthday is Nov. 21-she will know that we are celebrating on that day. No different than someone who has a birthday during the week having the party on Saturday.

 

[Cookie55]

5 pages and counting...

 

[skier_pete]

Oooooh...you'll all like this one. A friend of mine's DD(13) went to WDW with a friend and her friend's parents. The two girls went every day and got buttons saying it was both their birthday's, and spent the whole trip trying to use that to get picked for stuff. When she told at first I said "good for you!", but then realized that that was too low even for me, and I will take advantage of every loophole there is. (For instance, I would totally bring back my refillable mug on a 2nd trip!)

So on this topic, my opinion is that telling Disney your celebrating your birthday is not wrong, as I say with all other loopholes, but it is a moral and ethical dilemma to deal with. So if you go to the parks every day for a week and get a button for your daughter to hopefully get some extra attention, what are you teaching them? But, if you decide, "OK, on such-and-such day we will celebrate your birthday, even though it was last month, but will be honest about that is what we are doing, and Disney allows it." I think there is nothing at all wrong with that.

Of course, I've used childrens CS meals on adults, so I well may be the devil in disguise!!!

SkierPete

 

[calgarygary]

I agree with you on this point. It is the way it was done that is dishonest (if the OP heard everything correctly!). I love these boards-obviously! I'm on here daily (my students are all at a meeting right now so I get my DIS time!). Sometimes people on here are just so rigid. I LOVE the straightjacket quote! My daughter will not be lying to people that her birthday is Nov. 21-she will know that we are celebrating on that day. No different than someone who has a birthday during the week having the party on Saturday.

I agree with you that the way it was done was dishonest. It never shows integrity when we listen in on the conversation of others and take parts of that conversation to heart and possibly out of context.

 

[Gdad]

We were there yesterday to to celebrate my DD's 3rd birthday even though her actual birthday is not until next week. She got a button and a few CM's noticed and wished her a happy birthday. I don't see it as a big deal- It's not like she got anything special out of it aside from well wishes.

I was half expecting the CM's at the front gate to notice and ask her how old she was though- as 3 is the 'Magic' number at which you need a ticket.

 

[Iamgrumpy78]

I went a few days after my birthday, and didn't even ask for a button, but was just given one by the person at the desk when checking into my resort. I didn't get any "freebies" or anything, but did get a lot of Happy Birthday greetings from people which was nice. I don't know why anyone would want to get a button if they weren't celebrating, it seems kind of silly, but I don't think it is wrong to get one when it is not exactly your birthday day.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

Pretty sure Disney doesn't worry...two CM's in Epcot had my kids "help" battle alien robots (they had to bowl down some of the make-your-own-robots that were invading their shop) and gave them anniversary pins as their "rewards" . DS can read and wouldn't wear his, but DD liked the pic and put hers right on! Heck, if the CM gave it to her, I'm not taking it away, LOL!

 

[soupy11]

So for you, it is all a question of semantics......If my birthday is next week, but I'm at WDW in July, it is OK to ask for the button and say it's not my birthday but not ok to ask for the button and say it's my birthday. In either case, Disney does not care! and no one else should either. For the nay sayers, I would like you to try an experiment. Get a HB button or anniversary button on your next trip. Wear it. I promise you that nothing bad will come of it and you might be surprised by how all the well wishers make you feel just a little special. Careful though, some people may have difficulty in feeling special without somehow deserving it.

But I wouldn't feel right about it. So I would have to choose to opt out of your experiment.

I don't have an issue with this at all, it just would not be something I would feel comfortable doing.

One thing to keep in mind, a lot of people claim that in the past, these buttons were something special, cm's would go above and beyond to acknowledge them and nowadays, everyone is wearing something so the uniqueness factor has lessened.

 

[hematite153]

Wow...

While I agree that I would never encourage kids to lie, I'm glad that I was never forced to only celebrate my birthday on the actual day.

I've also enjoyed reading this thread because it's made me think back on my previous wdw trips. Although I never mentioned special occasions (even said 'no' once when specifically asked) I realise now that in four trips during the last 3 years I was there once during my honeymoon, once a week before my birthday, once about 3 weeks after my anniversary and once a week after my birthday. I should start celebrating more publicly! Thanks for the ideas.

 

[orljustin]

My step kids birthdays are in April within one week of each other. We are giving them the Disney trip as *most* of their birthday present...they both have "wished" to have their birthdays at Disneyworld...but as they are both in school and have various camps throughout July, we can't go until August. We are certainly going to get them both a Birthday Button. We aren't expecting any extras, the kids will just be THRILLED to have Disney Birthday buttons. Are we teaching them to be dishonest? Nope...just following through on a birthday promise. This is not lying or cheating in any way. We aren't asking them to "pretend" it's their birthday either. If someone says Happy Birthday I'm sure my 5 year old stepson will announce that he turned five in April but we are celebrating his birthday in Disneyworld...complete with a little happy dance!

You might as well just do this anytime you go then. Everyone in the park should have birthday buttons.
Just because it doesn't really affect anyone else doesn't mean I can't find the attitude annoying. This is a "me,me,me" thing, but luckily you are the only one it directly affects.