Wearing Birthday Buttons -poll-

[DisneylandPlanner]

We just returned from DL and I swear everyone had on a birthday button. We figure that these people could not all be celebrating their birthday that day.
So it got me wondering about the popular thought about when it is proper to wear a birthday button.

 

[sonnyjane]

Well, given the free entry on your birthday, I wouldn't be surprised to see a far greater number than usual there on their actual birthday. When I went on my birthday, they had run out of birthday pins, so I just got a celebrating pin.

I think if you are there for your birthday trip, even if it's not your actual birthday, you can wear the pin with pride

 

[rmom]

The only ones in my family that get a birthday button are my children. I don't get one only because I am not a fan of being singled out. If the trip is a birthday trip, then the girls get one. My daughter did wear her's the day before her birthday becasue it was a "birthday trip" and we had to drive to Yosemite on the actual day.

It would be interesting to see how many with the button got in free that day. i wonder if that the number of free birthday tickets per day are avaiable somewhere on the web. I am sure that there are a number of people who took advantage of the free day.

 

[bumbershoot]

The pins don't actually say "today is my actual birthday", they just say Happy Birthday. And CMs tell you to wear them as long as you want, as the trip is to celebrate the b'day.

That said, I don't like wearing it longer than just the one day, but then I've NEVER been one to want lots of attention paid to me on that day. Cried when family was singing the song, etc etc.

But it was actually amazing how many people were celebrating their b'days on the exact day as me, and how many were actually on that day as well. And we were also extra-happy b/c 10/12 is the actual Columbus Day, but it's only ever celebrated on the Monday...well this year, it was the 12th on the Monday, and that doesn't coincide all that often, so it was extra fun!

 

[ukstitch]

I'm going on a "birthday" trip next month - my actual birthday is the 7th, but I arrive in DLR on the 11th.

CIty Hall for a button / badge is the first thing I'll do. I've not really decided how long I'll wear it for - I wore my first visit one for my entire trip last time so I'll probably do the same with the birthday one.

 

[PinkBudgie]

My DH wore his on his birthday. We counted 45 people who said Happy Birthday to him.

We also went to celebrate our 20th anniversary which was two week earlier. So for that we picked one day to wear our anniversary pins and we celebrated that day. We didn't wear them the entire trip.

 

[Disney Dreams]

This has been a point of debate a few times here on DIS.

I personally feel if you are celebrating your birthday, wear the button if you want - for a day, for a week if visiting DLR that long, or whenever you happen to be at the Park to celebrate (if it's not the actual day of). The point of the button is to feel special. It really doesn't matter when you wear it.

Slightly different, but when DH and I went to WDW to celebrate our 10th anniversary, those buttons were on for all 8 days of our "Anniversary Trip."

- Dreams

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

I'm all for people wearing the birthday button every day of the trip for which they are celebrating their birthday. That being said, I personally will only wear it on my birthday which will be in the middle of our trip. My DD's birthday will be the first day of the trip and I'm not even positive she'll want to wear it at all (not much into button wearing), but if she wants to wear it all five days, I'll absolutely let her.

 

[spacemermaid]

I wear mine on the first day of my birthday trip....which is never actually *on* my birthday, because oftentimes my birthday falls on Thanksgiving, or the day before, or the day after. So, my birthday trip is always in the first part of December (I was in the Park once on Thanksgiving/my birthday...never again! )

 

[Eeee-va]

I wore mine only on my birthday (and we didn't even get it until maybe 11 AM). I actually took it off before the end of the night when I was upset and not wanting any attention at all but that's another story.

If you're not trying to use it to get free stuff, I think it's just fine to wear it during your entire trip. If you've got it stashed in your bag and just happen to put it on before a tour of the tortilla factory every day, well, that's not quite so cool, IMO. I wouldn't want people to wish me happy birthday on a day that wasn't my birthday, so I only wore it the one day.

 

[tinksdreamwishes]

Dh and I wore our birthday pins on our birthday month trip in June. I saved them and wanted to squueze in the word Un- so it would read "Happy UnBirthday!" like in Alice in Wonderland song, but there is no room to do it..

 

[PaintingRoses]

The birthday pins are such an awesome treat! Every time you wear the pin it's a different experience!

I had a castmember stop me as I was walking up Main St, wish me "Happy Birthday", then gathered some of the surrounding members who then sang to me! Right on Main St!!! No way this would have happened had I not been wearing the button!

 

[NostalgicDad]

I know everyone has different views on when they should wear their birthday button. I personally only wore mine on my actual birthday this past summer (7/11) even though we were in the parks for the full week after that. The only problem I had with the whole thing was that I was horrified to learn how many people were born on 7/11!!

For 42 years, I thought I was certainly the only one born on that day. I mean, afterall, that is supposed to be "my" special day!

 

[rangermom]

It's not like the button entitles visitors to free stuff or extra attention. It just happens sometimes. Both DH and I have visited on our actual b-days and we wore our buttons our entire trip (we were there one week for both trips). I think he got a free cup cake at one of our character dinners. I didn't get anymore than people wishing me happy birthday. If people want to wear it the entire trip then go ahead and there are several people that take birthday trips not actually on their birthdays. Disney does not ask what day your birthday. Really, what does matter.

I also agree with PP, with the current promotion there should be an expected increase of birthday visitations. That is the whole point of it.

 

[onelilspark]

We went to WDW (ok, I know! but same concept) from 10/15-18. My boyfriend's birthday was 10/10. We were going to go over his birthday, then realized it was Columbus Day and flights were ridiculously expensive. So he wore the button for the entire 4 days. My Dad's birthday is 10/21. My Mom & him came up on the 18th to join us for breakfast. I asked for a birthday button for him too. I was giving him his present that day, so we were celebrating.

My birthday was back in February. We went for the day (visiting my parents for the long weekend.) I didn't save the button to wear in October. And when we go in March I won't request a birthday button...different month! And the trip isn't to celebrate my birthday, it's just a trip to get away from the cold!

 

[drag n' fly]

When we booked our Disney Cruise and stay at AKV in December it was ds birthday that month and dh birthday the day before we arrived. When they asked if their was any birthdays I told them the dates and said they did not fall within the time we were there. The cm on the phone said Wow! who cares as long as they are in December we are celebrating. We we arrived to our villa there was gift bags for dh and ds. They snuck in a beautiful chocolate cake while we we out of the room and even included the birthday buttons in the bag already written up lol

Very few people have the opportunity to travel on their birthday day.

 

[Disney Dreams]

...The only problem I had with the whole thing was that I was horrified to learn how many people were born on 7/11!!

For 42 years, I thought I was certainly the only one born on that day. I mean, afterall, that is supposed to be "my" special day!

I know EXACTLY what you mean. I was prepared for it when we were at DLR for my birthday this year, but only because...

When I went away for college, I went to Freshmen Orientation. Part of the day was a series of fun ice breakers to get us to meet other students with whom we shared commonalities.

They took all 3,000-some-odd of us to a field that was divided into 12 sections, one for each month of the year. After we divided by month, we were to find others with our birthday. On that day I met 14 other people with my EXACT birthday (including year). As cool as you initially think that is going to be, after the "oh, neat!" wore off (about 5 seconds), I remember specifically thinking, "Wait! That's MY special day. Not yours. Or yours. Or....."

It's a funny side-effect of a lot of people being honored on "their" special day.

- Dreams

 

[Yakety76]

We just returned from my daughter's 5th birthday trip. She only wore the button on her birthday. We gave her the option of wearing it all trip, but she wasn't interested. We did have her wear it while waiting for Jedi Training to maybe push the odds in her favor. She was picked to participate, but I think that had more to do with the three signs we had made for her.

 

[Quilter007]

Ummm -- you DO get free stuff. If you are eating at a table service restaurant, the birthday person gets a free dessert. That's what about $6 a meal for free? I'm half tempted to have everyone wear a button every darn day!

 

[DisneyDork1969]

I'm visiting DL next weekend to celebrate my B-day...I'll be in the parks on 11/27 & 11/28...my b-day is Sunday 11/29, however I will only be @ DL for a couple of hours that day (breakfast, last minute shopping) because I need to leave by noon to take a shuttle to San Pedro pier to board a 7-day cruise...so on 11/27 I'll go to City Hall and get my B-day button and wear it that day...if I get any 'free perks' from it, fine...I might not wear it the following day and for sure I'll wear it on 11/29 for breakfast...so I don't think it will be a big 'scam' if I wear my button a day or two before my ACTUAL B-day...

Jon C