How do you feel if Disney ignores your celebration?

[FireDancer]

that's just bad customer service all around. if you think it's a sign of people wanting something for nothing, i think you've missed the point.

I agree with it being bad customer service. Maybe I wasn't clear by what I meant. I don't mean the person in this particular post was looking for anything free. I meant that there is more and more of a culture of "this day is special because <whatever> so I want to be singled out and treated special". CMs see more and more of this and just get tired of it so when someone asks for something simple like a candle they are cynical and just assume they are looking for something for free. It may not be right but because so many guests are greedy and looking for it the rest of us that are normal are thrown into the same category.

I didn't mean the OP in this scenario was looking for anything free. I just think we should all go down, realize we are no more or less special than every other guest there, and if we are lucky enough to get a little extra pixie dust from a CM be grateful. That's all I meant. Some of my first post was more in response to the title of the thread than the specific scenario. It is your celebration, not Disney's. Celebrate it yourself and don't care if Disney ignores it.

 

[Tissa]

One year for my ds's birthday he had a birthday button on and a special shirt and never got a happy birthday, didn't get acknowledged at dinner although I mentioned it when making the reservation. I was a little bummed but he was so happy about being there that it didn't really matter in the end.

Next year no button but we did eat at Yachtsman and I did mention it was his birthday when making the reservation and he not only got a special dessert but also a personalized menu and a card signed by Mickey and gang. Now that was special. That was 3 years ago though.

To the op, they should have at least given you a candle. Guess I will bring some in my pocket for ds's next birthday just in case.

 

[jcb]

You had me at $400.00

 

[WaltD4Me]

I agree with it being bad customer service. Maybe I wasn't clear by what I meant. I don't mean the person in this particular post was looking for anything free. I meant that there is more and more of a culture of "this day is special because <whatever> so I want to be singled out and treated special". CMs see more and more of this and just get tired of it so when someone asks for something simple like a candle they are cynical and just assume they are looking for something for free. It may not be right but because so many guests are greedy and looking for it the rest of us that are normal are thrown into the same category.

I didn't mean the OP in this scenario was looking for anything free. I just think we should all go down, realize we are no more or less special than every other guest there, and if we are lucky enough to get a little extra pixie dust from a CM be grateful. That's all I meant. Some of my first post was more in response to the title of the thread than the specific scenario. It is your celebration, not Disney's. Celebrate it yourself and don't care if Disney ignores it.

I get your point Frank, but at the same time the CM's are working in a place where people go to celebrate things. Yeah, people are celebrating every little thing nowadays, but still it's like working at Chuck E. Cheese and complaining about all the birthday parties. Much like Kevin talks about Disney training their guests to complain to get what they want, Disney has fostered the "Come here to feel special" mentality. Yes, there are greedy guests, but there are also many, many guests who are really just happy with the candle.

 

[Wadekind]

I agree with it being bad customer service. Maybe I wasn't clear by what I meant. I don't mean the person in this particular post was looking for anything free. I meant that there is more and more of a culture of "this day is special because <whatever> so I want to be singled out and treated special". CMs see more and more of this and just get tired of it so when someone asks for something simple like a candle they are cynical and just assume they are looking for something for free. It may not be right but because so many guests are greedy and looking for it the rest of us that are normal are thrown into the same category.

I didn't mean the OP in this scenario was looking for anything free. I just think we should all go down, realize we are no more or less special than every other guest there, and if we are lucky enough to get a little extra pixie dust from a CM be grateful. That's all I meant. Some of my first post was more in response to the title of the thread than the specific scenario. It is your celebration, not Disney's. Celebrate it yourself and don't care if Disney ignores it.

You aren't being clear because as you admit, you are trying to make some point that is unrelated to the OP.
I agree with the OP's complaint. OP wasn't asking for or expecting pixie dust, OP asked for and expected the same treatment she would have received at Olive garden, Red Lobster, Buffalo Wild Wings, Ihop, or the dozens of other restaurants that are just outside the gates. Bringing your dessert and singing to you on your birthday is pretty much standard at most places and not something one should feel "lucky enough to get" especially at Disney. Do not forget that OP observed others in the restaurant being recognized. I don't think it ruined anything for OP but it is a valid complaint.

 

[pxlbarrel]

I'm not going to comment about the lack of birthday celebration that the OP's server ignored but we ate at Yachtman's Steakhouse on that same Thursday. We ended up being 15 minutes late because we got stuck on the I4 during a traffic jam. We got seated right away .... BUT that was the end of good service. We waited 30 minutes for our server to reappear to remove our entre plates, 15 minutes before she came back with a dessert menu and so on and so on and so on. Our server was pleasant enough but was terrible. The table next to us, with a different server, were seated way after us and had dessert before we even had our dessert menu.

I'm just wondering if they had a really bad night that Thursday or is this the norm?

 

[fall08CP]

I worked at a Disney deluxe back in 08, and I ALWAYS asked what the guest was celebrating (and this was before the celebrate promotion). Even if it was just "getting away from home", I'd blow up balloons and give stickers to every kid. For any special celebrations, I'd make a note to send a card off to the characters to autograph, then have it delivered on their special day.

Fast forward 2 years, after working in attractions, I returned for a short stint back at the hotel. I was informed that they no longer delivered celebration cards because guests were becoming irate if they didn't receive the character they wanted. It broke my heart that a few greedy guests ruined it for everyone.

Nonetheless, you saw guests being treated well at other tables during your dinner, so it's not like it had be discontinued. Did you have the same server as those tables? Maybe it just slipped his/her mind?

 

[goofy4tink]

My first trip to WDW was back in '99. We were there, celebrating my dd's 6th birthday..actually on her birthday. At CP, our table was decorated with Disney glitter, a card was there, signed by the characters. AFter the meal, a cupcake was delivered, with a candle, and dd was sung to. That was it for the entire trip.
I celebrated my 50th there...no big deal was made, although we made note of the birthday for all ADRs since they ask what you are celebrating.
Then, when my dd went with her friend, to celebrate their turning 13, within three days of each other, not much was done. We did manage to get a stage side table at HDDR...so when they asked who was celebrating a birthday, my dd got to stand up and get a ton of attention, but that was only due to our proximity to the stage.
At other restaurants, the girls got special placemats and a few cupcakes. They both wore special teeshirts I had made for them, as well as birthday buttons.
I decided, that based on previous experiences, I would provide my own 'magic'...so booked a lunch at Grand Floridian Cafe, with a very special birthday cake to be presented. That cake was beautiful and set me back about $100 but it was worth it. The server got the whole place singing to my dd!!!
I also bought a Lenox Mickey Mouse holding a birthday cake that I gave dd when she woke up on her birthday.

I still maintain that if you want something special to happen, you need to provide it yourself. It's the only surefire way to get what you want.

Now, to have that kind of service at Yachtsman??? Not acceptable at all. I have eaten there several times, and no more!!! I have yet to have a meal there that is worth the money I have paid!!! And to have to wait more than 30 mins is unacceptable. And to think that they couldn't remember to bring out a candle??? As my f-i-l used to say...'Very poor'.

 

[mjtm610]

I think my disappointment came from the fact that
1-Disney advertises to come "celebrate with them"
2-other people were getting the "celebration"
3-we DID provide everything except a candle.
4-my granddaughter was only 5. The other "celebrants" were adults. And she saw the celebrations going on.

We have been very fortunate to be able to go to WDW as often as we do. However, that's not the case for everyone. What I think about is the people/families that save us for YEARS to come to Disney. Disney markets to that dream. Is the attitude we experienced at the Yachsman what people are finding when they come on their "dream celebration"?
We were at WDW for almost 3 weeks (not with the whole family- they only came down for a long week-end) After the rest of the family left we stopped eating on property. We found the service, the food, the attitude to be really poor! I can spend my money somewhere else.
Not that Disney notices! HaHa I'm sure we weren't missed!

 

[SoScary'09]

I have been to WDW for many celebrations, (wedding/honeymoon, anniversary, birthdays....you name it). We have sometimes worn celebration pins and other times not. We never expect anything from Disney. We have been surprised on occasion with a special little treat and some congratulatory remarks but it is never expected. We are of the mind that just being able to be in WDW for a celebration is special enough.

I can understand someone hoping for a little something, especially for a young child but I don't feel it is a situation that should cause anger or a complaint to be lodged. I can speak from my own experiences that it's not the "happy birthday or congratulation" comments that stay with my memory it's the time spent there with family and friends.

I get being a little disappointed but I wouldn't let it skew your memories. Ultimately you got to see a friend or family member spend a birthday, anniversay, etc. in the coolest place on earth.

Well said!

 

[kaligal]

It is the exceedingly rare meal I have at WDW that I don't hear them singing to someone at least once. Very often, they sing more than once.

I do think that it would be nice for them to stick a candle in a cupcake and sing. But, if it is important to you, you should order and pay for it.

Me, myself, I've never asked them to do anything. I don't wear buttons. I don't want the singing, etc. so when they ignore my celebration, I'm happy with that.

 

[collins316]

I would have pulled a waitress/hostess/manager to the side (not in front of your DD) and asked, "You asked if I was celebrating, and I said yes. We heard other tables getting HB sung to them. Did maybe someone forget us? I know how super busy you are" As long as it was asked nicely, and with some empathy them,,, I can't imagine they would ignore you on purpose. The opposite would be true if someone just yelled at them to get their way- more bees with honey type of thing.

But I see so many people wearing the pins for their whole week there, I can see the CM's getting a little burnt out on everyone having a special day. I am of the belief that the pins should be worn on the one day only. Not your case- that is just a general statement about the pins.
I have noticed celebrations are sort of random. We were given a beautiful cake at the Cape May Buffet, we didnt say anything, no buttons, the waitress just said she saw it on our reservation. But the actual day of our anniversary, nothing happened at dinner. Wow- I cant even remember where we ate that night. And it was only September!