"Add a Celebration" with online check-in does what? (birthday)

[keristars]

In 10 days I'm staying at BWV as a birthday present to myself (and kinda sorta for my sister whose 26th birthday is 16 days later, and who will be staying with me).

I did online check-in today (because I'll be arriving really early and wanted to have them prepared to see me at 9am) and tried to "Add a Celebration" to note that it's a birthday trip, but it wouldn't let me save the information. I had every single field filled in except "list the name if the person is not already shown", and it absolutely would NOT let me click to save. I could only cancel. I tried going back to add it later, but of course it wouldn't let me.

So what exactly does putting down that it's a birthday trip do? I've got it on my dinner and lunch reservations (because I'll have to kick myself really hard in the knees if I miss out on birthday singing to embarrass myself with), but those aren't necessarily attached to the trip reservation. Is it just a ready-made birthday button when you collect your KTTW card? (and if so, I'd probably have to kick my brother in the knees for making the reservation with my legal name instead of my use name, because he's a meaniebutt, but luckily that's not the case, since I couldn't add the celebration. and i could get a new one anyway.)

[pfalcioni]

The CM doing your check-in would see it there, and ask if you want a Birthday button, they've never had one pre-made for me in the past. Even without noting it in your online check-in, you can still mention it when you're there at the resort. In fact, they usually ask "is there anything special you are celebrating during your stay with us?"

Get the birthday button, and wear it proudly to the parks - all sorts of people will wish you happy birthday, including other guests! I even had a bus driver make the entire bus full of people sing Happy Birthday to me - yes, very embarrassing, but a truly memorable moment!

[keristars]

That's what I thought, but wasn't sure if they put extra "magic" into the room or would have one ready to go as a surprise. I am really indulging in the embarrassing birthday stuff this year, because it's been so very, very long since I've celebrated my birthday :)

I might not bother worrying about it, then, and just have my brother bring me one this weekend if he comes home for memorial day so I can deck it out with sequins and glitter paintpen. You can get the buttons from CMs at the front of the MK under the railroad, iirc, too. He pops over whenever I'm with him to write "Long lost siblings!" on the generic Celebrating! one, because he thinks he's funny.

Thanks, Pam

[DisneyMom]

My sister asked for one for me on our trip first of this month. I wore it and had almost every cast member I saw say Happy Birthday to me - even in the washrooms, lol. A few funny (good funny) comments from cast members too. Nothing special done except at Teppan Edo they brought me a piece of cake with a candle, put a big chef's hat on me and had the whole restaurant clap. I don't like having attention on myself - so that was enough. :)

[blyday]

If you want to add the celebration to your reservation, you can call in and have them add it to your ressie. I have had them put together the birthday button in advance for me but it is just as easy to ask for one. I have also received a card saying "Happy Birthday" show up in our room for the person celebrating. But other then that....they really don't do anything. At ADRs, we usually do get a dessert as long as it is noted on the ressie and the b-day person is wearing their button. I even got a cookie at Pecos Bills and there was a group of high schoolers there who were choir people. There was a little boy and myself both getting the birthday cookies so this group spontaneously sang to us. They did an awesome job!!!!! So....you never know what kind of "treats" you might get by wearing that button!!!!

[MichaelColey]

Many of our trips have been celebrating birthdays, and we added the celebration a few times but didn't really notice a difference.

Wearing the birthday button definitely gets you lots of attention.

[xipotec]

YEah you will get alot of Birthday wishes that way. We falways by Tiara for my wife and daughter and they wear them all day everyday. You will get ALOT of "Your Highness" and "My little Princess" greetings. It also got my daughter her wish to start the LION KING SHOW at AK. She got to open the show and lead our section!

[cassie]

My sister and I (we are twins) got birthday buttons when we went to celebrate in 2011 and we got wished Happy Birthday everywhere we went. I got an "upgrade" on my waffle cone at the ice cream shop in MK to one with chocolate and sprinkles and when we went to Kona for dinner they brought us out special birthday dessert plates. It was great, we wore them all week.

[BeckyW]

(Quick hi-jack):
So... if we are celebrating DD5's 6th birthday for the whole week we're there, even though her birthday is 5 days after we come home, is that in bad taste? I really want her to be in "birthday heaven" and wear the pin/etc for the whole trip but don't want to get looks if she's asked and explains her birthday is "next week".
Thanks!

And PS: Happy birthday to you and your sister Keri!!

[blyday]

It is totally okay for her to celebrate. In fact......DH just did something like this. We went earlier then his b-day so that I could meet up with a friend but it was still his b-day trip so he wore the pin the whole trip. His actual b-day was one week after we got home. I also did something like this for my b-day trip. My b-day is Jan 7th and the first of Jan was just to crazy for our parents to go so we went the last 2 weeks of January and I celebrated the whole 2 weeks. Disney totally understands that you sometimes have to go at a time that doesn't fall directly on your birthday so are perfectly okay with you celebrating it when you are there.

[BeckyW]

OK Thanks, I feel much better about that now. I was mostly worried about DD5 exclaiming "My birthday's on Halloween!" (which she will tell anyone who'll listen!) and we'll be there the week prior. Thanks again!

[clanmcculloch]

We typically go the last week of February and some time in the second half of August. In February we celebrate DD14's birthday which is mid-January and in August we celebrate DD11's birthday which is the end of July. Totally fine. It's not like we're getting any kind of freebies for it (well, there may be a cupcake here or there but in our case because of allergies my kids can't eat them so I don't see that as a good thing). The kids like the attention, that's all. Actually, DD14 typically doesn't even wear her birthday button much because she doesn't like the attention very often and even at meals will often ask me to not mention her birthday but DD11 LOVES having every CM she passes wish her a happy birthday and even wears birthday mouse ears all week so she'll be sure to get attention.

Think of it this way. Are your DD's birthday parties always going to be on the actual date of her birthday? Most of us throw parties on a weekend that's close to the birthday because that's what our schedules allow. This is the same concept. You're celebrating when your schedule actually allows you to be there. Just explain it to her like that. CMs know that very few people are actually celebrating ON their birthday at WDW because logistically it's very difficult for most of us to get down there on actual birthdays.

[BeckyW]

Think of it this way. Are your DD's birthday parties always going to be on the actual date of her birthday? Most of us throw parties on a weekend that's close to the birthday because that's what our schedules allow. This is the same concept. You're celebrating when your schedule actually allows you to be there. Just explain it to her like that. CMs know that very few people are actually celebrating ON their birthday at WDW because logistically it's very difficult for most of us to get down there on actual birthdays.

Yeah - that's kind of what I was thinking too! Thanks again for reassuring me of this. Her birthday tiara is coming to WDW ;)