Birthday Buttons

[tjkraz]

Got a question for everyone regarding those "It's my birthday" buttons they hand out at the parks.

I've frequently heard people reporting that they get the buttons and celebrate birthdays even if it isn't the exact day of the birthday. The last day of our upcoming trip is a full 2 weeks before DS turns 5. What do you think about us getting one of those buttons for him?

I'm about 85% against it at this point. Yes, it is common for us to have family get-togethers a week or two before the actual birthday to accommodate everyone's schedules. But it just seems strangely inappropriate to think that people would be wishing him "Happy Birthday" so long before his actual BD.

Of course, if we did this, it would obviously be for him and my feelings are irrelevant. Besides, nobody would even know that it wasn't really his birthday.

Should I just ask him up-front if he wants the button, warning him in advance that he may get a lot of attention? Or do you think it's too far out / abusing the system / birthday buttons are stupid? ;)

[PoohsPal]

Tim,

I think if it's not your birthday, don't get the button. I tend to be a follow the rules to the T kind of person, though. If you lie once, where do you draw the line? What does it teach your child?

On the flip side, making a little boy very happy and giving him a very special day seems the most important part. :confused:

My gut says don't do it. My heart says go for it.

I'd ask him if he wants to. He may surprise you. Maybe explain with a "SInce this may be the closest you get to going on your birthday..."

[Rozzie]

I say go for the button. :wearenumb

I will confess, for my 30th bday, I wore a bday button from each different park on each day. One day for each decade. I was having issues about turning 30, and this seemed to entertain me. Granted I wasen't in the position to be a role model.

We are all about celebrating things on the wrong day in our family, usually for various reasons. I think if he didn't mind the extra attention, it would be a cool way to celebrate his birth in the happiest place on earth.

happy early birthday to your little guy from Rozzie. :happybirt

[RweTHEREyet]

Not many people can be at WDW exactly on their birthday. We celebrate special occasions when we are down there, regardless of the date.

However, DS is young enough that wearing the button and getting attention on the day it isn't his birthday may be confusion to him. I say talk to him :solikeiwa about it and explain the situation and then do what your gut tells you. You know your son better than anyone.

[Stimpy]

We did it in October 1 week before DS turned 6 for him. We only let him wear it for 1 day and celebrated only that day. He really didn't get alot of extra attention or perks but he did get enough to make him feel special.

He was also made a Jr Disney Security Guard by 1 of the guards at the bag checking in Epoct and received a badge shaped sticker with Mickey on it. (Or the Mickey Police as we call them!) Since Daddy is a police officer, this excited him more than the birthday button. And he took his job very seriously, but that's another thread LOL

Anyway, we were also torn on this. Ordinarily, I would agree about not teaching children to lie. We are also big rule-followers...99% of the time atleast.

But we decided to let him have his day and it worked out fine. We did explain to him that he was not to lie about his birthday, if anyone asked he was to tell them he was celebrating it today but it was really next week. (And he actually did this when asked without being prompted by us! It only happened 2-3 times throughout the day but I was a little surprised.)

6 months before, we took the 7 day Disney Cruise and the first night was DD's 1st birthday, so EVERYONE on the ship made a big deal about it. She got a button, a cake, other goodies in our stateroom. Our TA also put down that it was mine and DH's 10th anniversary without us knowing. (It was the month before and this was the trip to celebrate it) So we had a night of cake, buttons etc too.

Our original plan was to actually be in WDW for his birthday, but since DH couldn't get off work that week, we had to change our ressies for the week before. He was all excited over being able to celebrate his birthday in Disney that we decided to allow it when we changed plans.

[4greatboys]

Get the button. A lot of CM's be wishing him happy birthday and making him feel very special.
We wont be there my sons actual birthday but Im going to celebrate it there.

[cobbler]

Get the button. We went in October and we were there over oldest ds's bday. But he wanted one from every park so he wore a button on his actual bday and the couple of days after.

Being that he is our step-son (lives with us) he has birthday celebrations at all sorts of odd times, once with us, then at his mom's house which hardly ever is on his birthday so he is used to it I guess.

Its hard to celebrate bdays on the actual day with family so go for it. He didn't get a ton of attention, he did get the Happy bdays, he did get a cake at Garden Grill and the phone call from Goofy.

We are going at the end of Jan for my youngest ds bday but we will be checking out on his bday so that kind of sucks but we will get him the bday buttons because we are celebrating his bday on that trip, that is the whole purpose for that trip.

Have fun!

[Disneymooners93]

Get the button.:happybirt

We did it for DD on #2, her actual day. No free perks or anything that would mark you as a cheater of the system. Just a lot of extra attention and well wishes. :cheerlead

As long as you are actually doing it for the birthday. If you're doing it just for attention, that's a little sad. :crazy: ;)

[greenban]

As one not qualified to address the ethics, morality of legality of premature button display, I would say go for it.

This should be your strongest reason yet, not to!

Good luck!

-Tony


ETA:

How about a Birthday Button Swap? Once Tim's son is done with the button, it could be passed to the next MO member going to the world. We could even fill out a journal, detailing the travels and experiences of our shared button. Kinda like the Xmas tree thread WDWstar does so very well each year!

[nono]

We had CMs insist upon re-pinning my husband the day after his birthday, so it seems not to be such a "hard and fast" rule that it must be on your exact day. :birhdaypa

[AFMom]

Howdy all! We celebrated my DS's b'day at MK- special meal with a cake delivered and everything - even though it wasn't the actual day. And we'll be doing it again for my other DS near X-Mas time. They want this instead of a b'day party - so I figure it's their call.
FYI - we were in the Castle and the Fairy GodMother was there signing DS's book - she saw his button and recommended getting all the buttons from all the parks each day of our visit. SHE said to celebrate his b'day the whole week! So - according to the Fairy Godmother - you do not have to only ask for the button on the actual day! We only celebrated it at the MK - but it was nice to hear we could have done otherwise.
There really isn't anything that would be rule breaking here. Occasionally they'll let you ride a ride twice without getting off - but only if there isn't a line. DS was given a FP of his choice, and the CM's all wished him a happy birthday.
Now - if we weren't actually celebrating the birthday there I wouldn't ask for a button.

[kathyseb]

When DH and myself go in April, we are there for both my birthday and our anniversary.

I ALWAYS get my pins. Yep, pins. We normally hit MK, MGM abnd EPCOT that day.
I wear them all that day.

DH's birthday is less than a month later, so on the last day of our trip, I make him wear a button.

Every year he gets more attention that I do.

I get the Happy Birthday's from the CM and some guests, but he gets free ice cream.
The CM had everyone join in and sing Happy Birthday to him in CoP. He was called up front by the Dapper Dans.

Every year I say, better him than me. He loves the attention.

I say go for it.

[CRSNDSNY]

My daughter turns 1 about a week and a half before we leave for WDW this coming May. We will get her the button for our first full day there. :birhdaypa This trip is a celebration of her and her big day. We had such a bumpy start with her that this one year commemoration is a big deal for us. So we'll celebrate her! :birhdaypa :D