Post
by February » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:41 pm
First of all WELCOME new people!!!
I think that some do take it to the extreme.
We were given an amazing hotel upgrade once because my daughter was turning four a couple days into our stay- but it only came up because the CM asked how old she was and she said she was turning four that week in reply. Even more likely though it was because the CM was totally enchanted with her and wanted her trip to be as magical as possible.
She did get a cupcake on her actual birthday at Chef Mickey but she never ate it LOL she wanted a doughnut with sprinkles instead! She did get an extra dance with Mickey when he saw the cupcake on the table and that was her favorite part. The movies are priceless, her in her little pink ears *sniff*
I have never been to WDW on my b-day and even if I were I wouldn't wear a button. Not my thing.
I did tell the CM on the phone that our upcoming trip is to celebrate my husband's 30th, because that's a BIG b-day. We have to go a couple weeks after the date because it's the only time we can travel without our child- this is a 'him and me' alone trip which we haven't done in seven years-
Will I feel at all guilty if they give him a cupcake or two? Nope. Why not? because this is a man who never, ever asks for anything, allows anyone to make a fuss over him, or expects special treatment.
He gives to everyone, he sacrifices so much to put up with my health problems, and darn it, just because we have to wait 2 weeks past his 30th birthday I am not going to make him miss out on any magic should it happen to occur. Knowing him though, he will never ever wear a button LOL. He, like me, would feel silly asking for it at City Hall when it wasn't his actual b-day.
Aside from mentioning to the hotel reservations person that the trip was for his b-day the only thing I also mentioned to dining was that we will be at Narcoossees on the 11th anniversary of the day he said he loved me which is more significant to us than our actual wedding anniversary.
I don't expect anything to come of it, I was just trying to explain to the reservations person how important it was to get into that restaurant on that particular date. We had our wedding luncheon at the Grand Cafe so the location is significant for us. We were lucky to get a late dinner seating but it's a Sunday so it was not easy.
Those cupcakes cost disney very little to make on the scale they make them, I'm sure- so I don't think it's really evil if people want them to celebrate a b-day happening in close proximity to their trip. But six months out? that's just ridiculous LOL.
And as far as EVER expecting CM's to fawn over you even if it IS your actual b-day? Nah. Not our thing.
We would much rather let magic happen where it's meant to- and if they don't provide it, I always make sure I plan in some magic surprises for my family on my own. We've always found the best moments are the ones that just happen, that you just can't plan.
Like the time my daughter got pulled into the Tapestry of Nations parade by a CM to dance with them. Nothing to do with her birthday- just another treasured memory for us.
People just have this big entitlement thing in general that bothers me when it comes to Disney. They say "Disney gets a lot of my money so I expect. . ." but that's a load of crud. Lots of vacations are expensive! You're only entitled to what you pay for. That is lodging, park tickets, and if you get the dining plan, meals and items spelled out on that plan.
One of my biggest pet peeves is people trying to cheat the dining plan. And getting away with it. :mad: I think that poses a much bigger problem for disney than faux b-day folks as ridiculous as they can be sometimes.
Two things stand like stone:
Kindness in another’s trouble.
Courage in your own.
~Adam Lindsay Gordon
"...and only fireworks will light the sky at night
for all the world can see." ~Keane