Button Etiquette

I was hoping to get the Liners’ input on this subject.

If you are visiting WDW to celebrate a particular event that is technically only one day (i.e. birthday, anniversary), do you wear your celebration buttons only on the day of the event or on each day of your stay at WDW? While the event is only one day, your entire trip there is most likely to celebrate that event.

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Wear it every day. Look at your entire vacation as a celebration of the event.

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There is no Button Police. If wearing it makes you happy, then wear it!

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Visited in May to celebrate my birthday, which is in June. May was the only time my mother and I could both get away from work. I wasn’t even going to get a button, but the CM at check-in insisted. I ended up wearing it every day. The entire trip was a celebration, and getting to hear “Happy Birthday!” so many times made me smile. I say go ahead and wear it every day if you’d like.

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Do whatever you want! I know someone who insisted that everyone in his group wear a celebration button when they went to DLR on his birthday. :slight_smile:

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Thanks for all your input. I had read a blog that suggested wearing the button each day was abuse. I agree with all of your thoughts – the whole trip is celebrating the event. I can focus on other more important things now that I don’t have to worry about thwarting the Button Police, as @SallyEppcot put it. :grinning:

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I think it would be abuse if, for instance, someone demanded a free dessert and then griped about not having been offered one because “I’m wearing the button, I should get free things!”. If you’re wearing it every day because you’re celebrating and enjoying that celebration, go for it! I don’t think it’s “abuse” unless it seeps into an entitlement issue.

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Can we be the entitlement police? Anyone who demands extra special pixie dusted magic and pitches a fit about it has to give up their button.

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Better: everyone who has a fit about not getting extra special pixie dust magic has to leave. That way, everyone who wasn’t pitching a fit gets to experience the magic of that annoying person disappearing. :wink:

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I like it!!!

I wear it everyday of the trip because there are CMs who haven’t gotten to see me! (Just kidding! Geez, quit throwing jello from the net!)

Seriously, I wear mine because I’m truly celebrating for my entire stay. For me, the magic is being in the World. If a CM decides to sprinkle extra magic, I’m thrilled but absolutely don’t expect it.

Wear it everyday, I say.

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[quote=“RobertSch6, post:6, topic:10257”]
I had read a blog that suggested wearing the button each day was abuse[/quote]

Was the premise that by wearing a badge on a day that’s not my birthday that I’m stealing “thank yous” that should have gone to other guests? I assume they’re talking about cupcakes that come with some table service meals, but those aren’t even a sure thing. Maybe if I were wearing a birthday badge every day of every park visit during four different trips a year it might be a little much, but if you’re really celebrating something, then that’s great and I don’t see what rises to the level of abuse.

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Here’s how I work it:

We only get to go to the House of Mouse every two to three years. We only go during two time frames (as a teacher they are really all I have available because I’ve lived in Florida in the summer and I’m not doing for a vacation!!)

We go in December (our favorite time) which is my birth month. II wear a button. I am truly celebrating my birthday by spending a couple of thousand dollars on one of my happy places. If I get magic (cupcakes or ice cream) I’m thrilled. I doubt the restaurants are on a “celebratory cupcake” limit so I’m probably not taking a cupcake away from someone eles… The "Happy Birthday"s I get from CM and other guests just brighten my day and I doubt the CMs are on a greeting limit so I’m not taking anything away from anyone.

We go in October, usually less than a month from our anniversary in September. I usually get buttons then because in the years when we go see Goofy in October, we usually don’t do an anniversary celebration, saving our pennies for the smushed penny machines. I’ve never gotten any extra magic for an anniversary button except for the wonderful “Happy Anniversary” and “Congratulations” wishes. Oh, and the one Photopass photographer who took some great special pics of just my wonderful DW and I.

There are times to get upset, like the famous expired refillable mug issue which, thankfully, is no longer an issue. Stealing magic from other guests or from Disney is not cool. But magic handed out for buttons really is tiny, its not taking away from anyone else’s enjoyment and it brightens my trip. So I have, do and will continue to wear my celebratory button proudly next to my “I wait less with Lines. NeedaTurkeyLeg” button!

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Yes. That was basically the gist of it. “Taking advantage” of some of the freebees that one might get. I’m doubting we’ll get (or want) many free cupcakes, since we’re on the DDP which comes with the dessert already.

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You’re right. We’re spending a few thousand dollars on our trip, so a free cupcake or two (which they most likely will have to throw out anyway if they don’t sell by the end of the day) is probably not a big deal to WDW.

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I may have also read the same blog posting you did. The one I read had people talking about seeing it as a lie and they were teaching kids it was okay to lie to wear a birthday button when it wasn’t their birthday. I honestly found the majority of comments ridiculous. We take family trips to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, graduations…you name it. So yes, it may be the month before or after my celebration but we are there to celebrate that event for the entire length of our stay. My family recently laughed when we went to the beach to celebrate a family event that we needed a button! Taking advantage would be celebrating your birthday 4 times a year as another poster pointed out. Otherwise - put on your button and celebrate!

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Don’t read that blog anymore :smile:

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Truth is folks hope by wearing the buttons they will be singled out for freebies or extra someone. That’s the bottom line. So, has that watered down the occurrences, absolutely.