Storyteller: the end to the premature (or late) birthday celebrations?

[samsteele]

We are headed to WDW next month to celebrate my 40th! I can't wait to don my button and wear it proudly for the week. It was hubby's suggestion to head back to WDW for my big 4-0. Never thought I would be this excited to turn 40. LOL.

Enjoy! 'Cause 40 is definitely the new 19!

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

I thought it was kinda silly until I had kids. We were able to travel in November during our oldest son's birthday a few times, but never in April for our twin sons. So when they were 5 were celebrated their big brothers birthday on the real day and each of them picked a restaurant and a day for their un-birthday. They both enjoyed a meal at their favorite restaurant and a birthday of there own. We were not expecting any special treatment or perks, but the it was wonderful to see how happy it made them to have a Disney birthday too.

 

[tstidm1]

I am in the reasonable timeframe camp because I can't get there on March 24th due to Room cost (usually in a peak timeframe). I wore my Birthday button three years ago on the day I ate at Jiko (Three weeks to the day of my Birthday) and wanted to make it my Un-Birthday. I did get a Cupcake and lots of Well wishes. I was gaming the system if you want to call it that, but I wore the button because it was the day I chose to be my Birthday. My goal for 2018 is to save the money and get to WDW that week of Birthday.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Something else to consider is that school and work can make it impossible to travel at certain times. We have very strict attendance rules and laws...to the point that I can't do much more than a long weekend with the kids outside of formal school breaks. I also have some peak times at work where I'm prohibited from taking time off. So, it may mean gifting someone with a trip for their bday or anniversary, but pushing off the trip and formal celebration until it won't land them in serious trouble at school or cost me my job.

Beyond that...DH and I once went in November to celebrate our anniversary...which is over the summer. Why? We wanted to celebrate our anniversary during F&W and with my work conflicts, November was the only time we could do this.

 

[KingLlama]

Tigger, I agreed with you until you tried to use the word "gifting" in a normal sentence, so now I disagree with all of it.

 

[Jennasis]

Now, I try not to let the things that others do that doesn't affect me get under my skin, but one trend that I've noticed that is particularly strange and something I'd never consider doing myself is people celebrating their birthday/anniversary/graduation etc in the parks with the birthday/I'm celebrating button (and let's be completely honest, the hope of some pixie dust that comes along with that button) months before or after the fact.

I'm not talking about those that celebrate within a week or so (looking at you Ryno) but those that say "it's our birthday in October but we could only travel in July, so we are celebrating it now"

Do you think that in some circumstances (talking Mickey, swiping your MB at a dining res) will see the pixie dust settle a bit even if Mickey or the host sees the button, but their MB tells a different story?

Or do you think it won't even be a factor in all of this?

No judgement, just a healthy discussion.

Really? The whole post is loaded with judgement, both thinly veiled and blatant. Go ahead and judge, just be honest about it.

If the trip is my birthday gift (as is our upcoming September trip, when my birthday will have been in August), darn right I'm celebrating. And I don't care who does or does not celebrate it with me or who cares if I have on a button. Happy to be alive. Never expect anything.

As for the storyteller thing? If they do away with buttons, I'm fine with that too.

 

[disneysteve]

Something else to consider is that school and work can make it impossible to travel at certain times.

I guess the response to this could be that you just celebrate your birthday in some other way at home. Not everyone gets to go to Disney World for their birthday.

I've been to Disney on my actual birthday, and I got a button, but I've also been there plenty of other times when it wasn't my birthday and I didn't get a button.

The 10th anniversary celebration will be 16 days before my birthday. I wouldn't even think about getting a birthday button because it won't be my birthday.

I mentioned earlier that we plan to take a trip for our 25th anniversary that won't actually happen until 2 months after our anniversary. However, during that trip, we aren't going to tell every restaurant that we are celebrating our anniversary. We'll just know in our minds that the trip is for that reason.

 

[GAN]

Really? The whole post is loaded with judgement, both thinly veiled and blatant. Go ahead and judge, just be honest about it.

If the trip is my birthday gift (as is our upcoming September trip, when my birthday will have been in August), darn right I'm celebrating. And I don't care who does or does not celebrate it with me or who cares if I have on a button. Happy to be alive. Never expect anything.

As for the storyteller thing? If they do away with buttons, I'm fine with that too.

Wouldn't it just be easier to celebrate our birthday every day? That way we can walk around wishing people Happy Birthday all day! No gifts of course...

So I guess that puts me in the celebrate ON your birthday camp. But I don't expect anyone to feel the same way.

 

[Jennasis]

Wouldn't it just be easier to celebrate our birthday every day? That way we can walk around wishing people Happy Birthday all day! No gifts of course...

So I guess that puts me in the celebrate ON your birthday camp. But I don't expect anyone to feel the same way.

However you please is fine with me.

 

[KingLlama]

DISNEY-THEMED SOLUTION:

1. Everyone gets a button.
2. If it's your actual birthday, you get a "Happy Birthday" button featuring Mickey and the gang.
3. If it's not your actual birthday, you get a "Happy Un-Birthday" button featuring characters from "Alice in Wonderland".

Boom. Problem solved. Enjoy.

 

[SarahDisney]

3. If it's not your actual birthday, you get a "Happy Un-Birthday" button featuring characters from "Alice in Wonderland".

I once told Alice when I met her that it was my un-birthday.
She was very excited - apparently it was her un-birthday as well. Insane coincidence.

 

[GAN]

DISNEY-THEMED SOLUTION:

1. Everyone gets a button.
2. If it's your actual birthday, you get a "Happy Birthday" button featuring Mickey and the gang.
3. If it's not your actual birthday, you get a "Happy Un-Birthday" button featuring characters from "Alice in Wonderland".

Boom. Problem solved. Enjoy.

I just knew that I could count on you!

 

[DisneyKevin]

I guess I'm confused as to how someone else wearing a birthday button affects any other guest.

I know someone that celebrates the day that she was given the news that she was in remission as her second birthday.

How would you know whether it is or isn't someone's birthday / anniversary etc. and why would you care?

 

[SorcererHeidi]

I think that's a good way of putting it.

Total agree!! Max makes sense, and I agree with him - yet again!

 

[SarahDisney]

I guess I'm confused as to how someone else wearing a birthday button affects any other guest.

I know someone that celebrates the day that was given the news that she was in remission as her second birthday.

How would you know whether it is or isn't someone's birthday / anniversary etc. and why would you care?

I don't think the question is whether or not it's okay to wear the buttons (or if you should care what others do).
I think the question is whether CMs having access to more information about you based on what's in your MDE account (and being able to use this information to customize your visit) will affect the pixie dust that is sometimes given to people wearing celebration buttons.

But that's just how I understood the OP. I might be wrong. I saw it as opening a topic of speculation, not someone saying that the choices of others should affect you.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I don't think the question is whether or not it's okay to wear the buttons (or if you should care what others do).
I think the question is whether CMs having access to more information about you based on what's in your MDE account (and being able to use this information to customize your visit) will affect the pixie dust that is sometimes given to people wearing celebration buttons.

But that's just how I understood the OP. I might be wrong. I saw it as opening a topic of speculation, not someone saying that the choices of others should affect you.

Thats not how I read this thread at all.

It seems that the discussion is about wearing a birthday button at a time thats not your birthday....and I still wonder....why would you care?

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Yep - let me un-state, or re-state, or real-estate, or whatever. As long as wearing the button is ENOUGH, and fine with you, WHENEVER you choose to wear it, then fine. It's WHEN and IF you EXPECT something because you are wearing it it becomes an issue. And is it my business? Maybe - maybe not. I choose to think and feel it is, if a system has to be changed (and perhaps maybe affect me if it IS my birthday,. and I can no longer get a button, or have to show ID, or maybe none of these things) because so many people who DID wear it when they did because they DID expect something ruined it......you know - some bad apples spoiled it for the rest of us. Is my moral compass set kind of high? Yeah, maybe but I hold myself to the same standard I hold others. And their issues affect my life, then it becomes MY issue - sorry - that's way it is, and I did not choose for it to be that way.

So -in closing - to reiterate - wear buttons whenever you chose, and if that's the ONLY thing you want/do expect - fine - celebrate away, whenever and however you wan, and I'll even say "happy birthday/retirment/anniversary/whatever when I see you with it on. That's what I'd do too. But wear it and EXPECT something because of it - sorry - not gonna fly in my book. Ever.

Last but not least - I believe the OP posted this question in the true spirit of healthy debate - and - for the most part, people have been doing that. Let's please all just remember and stick to that, please. Again - that's what these boards are supposed to be all about.

EDIT - Read some other later posts just now, and I must apologize that <I> am apparently the one who "took the conversation there" about whether someone should expect something when wearing a button, and I totally own taking it there, and own my opinions regarding same. I do not think, or believe that was Princess Jes's intention - which was, as astutely observed and commented on by Sarah, to discuss whether StoryTeller would affect the "button process" and anything that happens/does not (or not) at all. But I feel I must apologize to Jes (the OP) for any heat she has taken on my behalf by posters since then. Last but not least - and again - I thought it was my opinion, a healthy debate, and the correct place to do so, in a calm and rational manner.

 

[SarahDisney]

Thats not how I read this thread at all.

It seems that the discussion is about wearing a birthday button at a time thats not your birthday....and I still wonder....why would you care?

Like I said, I could be wrong, but that's what I read from the start of the thread (what has been said since may be a different story). I figured that with the word "storyteller" being in the title, that's what the thread was intended to be about. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time in the history of the disboards that the content of a thread and its title are not connected.

And personally, I agree that I wouldn't care what others do (unless I'm losing out on something because of it, which has never happened to me). But there may be some who feel that it cheapens the "legitimate" celebrations, and while I disagree with that opinion, I understand that some people do feel that way.

But this is all my opinion and I'm pretty well known for being wrong about everything.

 

[KingLlama]

I'm pretty well known for being wrong about everything.

That might be my favorite comment ever on this board.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Yep - let me un-state, or re-state, or real-estate, or whatever. As long as wearing the button is ENOUGH, and fine with you, WHENEVER you choose to wear it, then fine. It's WHEN and IF you EXPECT something because you are wearing it it becomes an issue. And is it my business? Maybe - maybe not. I choose to think and feel it is, if a system has to be changed (and perhaps maybe affect me if it IS my birthday,. and I can no longer get a button, or have to show ID, or maybe none of these things) because so many people who DID wear it when they did because they DID expect something ruined it......you know - some bad apples spoiled it for the rest of us. Is my moral compass set kind of high? Yeah, maybe but I hold myself to the same standard I hold others. And their issues affect my life, then it becomes MY issue - sorry - that's way it is, and I did not choose for it to be that way.

So -in closing - to reiterate - wear buttons whenever you chose, and if that's the ONLY thing you want/do expect - fine - celebrate away, whenever and however you wan, and I'll even say "happy birthday/retirment/anniversary/whatever when I see you with it on. That's what I'd do too. But wear it and EXPECT something because of it - sorry - not gonna fly in my book. Ever.

Last but not least - I believe the OP posted this question in the true spirit of healthy debate - and - for the most part, people have been doing that. Let's please all just remember and stick to that, please. Again - that's what these boards are supposed to be all about.

There is no published benefit to wearing a birthday button according to Disney.

Cast members are given the opportunity to make magic at their discretion.

No one has suggested that celebration buttons are going away.

I appreciate you effort to monitor this thread, but I thought I asked a legitimate question.

Why would anyone care if someone else is wearing a birthday button on the wrong day.