Buttons and Fun Galore

BUTTONS and FUN GALORE

There is always something to celebrate and some of the best places to celebrate are the Disney Parks and Cruise. Disney has a celebration button for every celebration event! Take a look at my collection! Some I got at the parks when celebrating and some I traded for. All are fun to me!

No matter what the celebration to get your button stop in at Guest Relations and tell them what you are celebrating! You do NOT have to be there on the day to be celebrating. You may have a birthday in August but decide to wait until November to celebrate at Disney. No problem, Disney will give you the button! They understand that schedules do not always allow you to take your vacation on your special day.

One of the most popular reasons to celebrate at a Disney Destination is a Birthday! Here are the “Happy Birthday” buttons from the parks and cruise.

Another reason to visit is your Anniversary and Disney has “Happy Anniversary” buttons for the happy couple!

Celebrating your Happily Ever After? There’s a “Happily Ever After” button for that!!

Disney did have “Just Engaged” buttons to give happy couples that got engaged at the parks, but sadly these have been discontinued.

The blushing bride and her hansom groom can have “Just Married” buttons! I'm still working on getting one from WDW.

Did your child lose a tooth on the cruise or at the park? There is an “I’ve Lost a Tooth” button to make them feel special! I only have the Cruise button but I’m working on the park versions and I know they have them at the hotels. Disney Cruise has the “Tooth Fairy” leave the button along with a certificate stating they lost their tooth on the cruise and a gift certificate to the ship gift shop on the child’s bed. (Your room steward will be happy to help the “Tooth Fairy” by leaving the gift pack.) I don’t know if the land based Disney Destinations do the same.

There is an “I’m Celebrating Button” that goes along with all the others. If someone in your party is celebrating their birthday the rest of the party gets an “I’m Celebrating” button.

Is it your first visit to the parks? Well stop in at Guest Relations and ask for a “First Visit” button!

For those that do something nice or just catch the attention of a Cast Member that happens to have one there is the prize of the buttons the “Honorary Citizen” parks buttons! WDW generally does not give these out much but DLR is much more giving with them. I found a small amount of money on the ground at Disneyland and took it to City Hall and turned it in. My reward was my prized “Honorary Citizen” button. Someone found a Duffy Bear I lost in the park and set up a time to meet at the park to return it. I told Guest Relations and they gave me a HC button to give the nice person.

DLR has two very fun buttons not available at WDW or on the cruise. Disneyland Resort has several Facebook pages. Disneyland (official FB page), Disneyland Annual Passholder, Disneyland Today and Disney California Adventure Today. If you follow DL Today and DCA Today’s FB pages and Twitter feed you will find out where they are giving out these two fun buttons for a few hours during each week. During the summer months they are out and about often giving out the “I’m Following DL/DCA” buttons almost every day in different locations. During the “off season” they only do it a couple of days a week. Sometimes you can get more than just a button! Sometimes they are also giving away Ear Hats, Fastpasses or cookies. Often there is a riddle to solve to find them and only the first limited number of people get the “extra goodie” above the button.

Some restaurants also have buttons that you are given when you eat there. I do have a few from DLR.

Other discontinued buttons are the “Family Reunion” and “Magical Gathering”. I only have them from WDW and never saw them at DLR. When I asked I was told they were discontinued.

Here is a suggestion. If your family is spending several days at Disney celebrate something different each day! Celebrate a different family member’s birthday each day until each has had their “Birthday” and then celebrate your Anniversary if married. That way everybody gets their special celebration and button. Disney Cruise Line is most happy to accommodate with this bringing out special deserts at dinner and the Parks don’t mind either!

Our Anniversary Celebration! Blame It on the Mouse 33 Years Later!

Our Anniversary Celebration!

Blame it on the Mouse 33 Years Later!

            Today is our anniversary but we celebrated a couple of days ago, my Pan daMan had to work today. So today I’ll share our anniversary fun.

            I made special shirts for our day with our anniversary Mickey Icon celebration graphic on them. We planned on a full day at the park. We always go and pick a gift for ourselves while we are at the park celebrating.

            We had one thing to do before our day of celebration so we ended up at the park by 5am. The park did not open until 8am so we decided to grab something to eat. We went across the street from the park and ate at one of the restaurants there. After breakfast it was time to head over to the park!

            We went in with plans to do some special things. We wanted new Anniversary Buttons, to ride the Disneyland Railroad Lilly Bell Presidential Parlor Car, take a trip around the Rivers of America up high in the Mark Twain Wheelhouse, lunch at the Carnation Café, see the Christmas Fantasy Parade and see the Believe in the Holiday Magic Fireworks before they ended for the season. We also wanted to do something we usually do not do much of, we wanted pictures of ourselves. We had ideas for some funny pictures.

            When the park opened my husband ran up to the Main Street Train Station to sign us up for a tour of the Lilly Bell, I went to City Hall to get our official Anniversary Buttons. Both of us were successful! My Pan daMan got us scheduled for the 4 pm Lilly Bell Tour! We had a couple of friends joining us for that. So 2 things checked off the list and we just started the day!

            The classic Disney Characters were out and about on Main Street so we stopped and took pictures with them. We also stopped at the tree and had our picture there as well. The Photopass Photographer had some fun ideas after we asked him to take a picture of us from behind. I love this picture of us from behind pointing at the tree! I was able to add Tink into the picture just as Disney would. We walked down Main Street and took pictures of the Partners Statue and Castle. We also had our pictures taken there. A good start on another item on our list!

            After Main Street we went to see if the Mark Twain was running yet and ask if we could ride in the Wheelhouse. The Mark Twain was not out yet so we decided to take a stroll over to New Orleans. We had fallen in love there so we wanted to stop and get some pictures there. We found Oogie Boogie making popcorn at one of the popcorn carts. The French Market was where it all started so we stopped to take our picture there. By then the Mark Twain was making runs around the Rivers of America! We were able to ride in the Wheelhouse! Yippee! There is another off the list!

            The trip on the Mark Twain was interesting! We had 2 Mark Twain pilots. After boarding and getting into the wheelhouse the Sailing Ship Columbia came out of its dock. It was having mechanical problems and they were taking it on test runs without passengers. The Columbia was moving slowly and because of it we were delayed in pulling out of port. Our 1^st pilot entertained us with the history of the Mark Twain and the surrounding area of the park. He kept apologizing for the delay. We did not mind as we were having too much fun taking pictures and enjoying his stories. Finally he had to leave for a break and a 2^nd pilot came into the wheelhouse to replace him. The 2^nd pilot was very interesting! He had worked at Disney Imagineering. It was obvious that both are working at Disney by choice and love Disney and the history of the man, park and company.

            We stopped and purchased our anniversary gift for ourselves. We got a beautiful ornament and matching necklaces. Then it was time for lunch at the Carnation Café! Our server at the Carnation Café was wonderful! Again we had a Cast Member that you knew loved her job.

            By then it was time for the parade! We knew there was not much time between the parade and the tour of the Lilly Bell so we decided to watch the parade sitting in front of the Main Street Station where we were to board the train for our circle tour of Disneyland. The parade was wonderful, as usual. We enjoyed playing with the characters in the parade, especially Lady Tremaine! I stuck out my tongue out at her and she gave me a dirty look. LOL

            As soon as the parade we ran up the steps to the train station! Our friends arrived at the park just in time to join us for the tour! We gave our name to the Conductor and were told where to line up after giving us our tickets. The next train to come into the station was the CK Holiday and it was pulling the Lilly Bell! We boarded the train and another highpoint of the day started! It is always amazing to ride the Lilly Bell. Conductor Ken was so informative and entertaining! He kept our attention the full 20 minute ride around Disneyland. We learned many new facts about the Lilly Bell, Mrs. Lillian Disney, Walt Disney, Disneyland and the Disneyland Railroad!

            By then it was time to go and stake out our spot for the fireworks. It was around 5 pm (fireworks were scheduled for 9:30) but to get the view where I can see anything (and have a bench to sit on while waiting) we need to get there that early. Our friends went to enjoy things they had on their “to do” list while we waited for the fireworks. We told them we would save a spot for them. We got a good spot and relaxed. The day had been long so we took turns snoozing on the bench.  The fireworks were beautiful and romantic as usual.

            We finished off the day enjoying a few moments walking down Main Street after the fireworks. How romantic it is to walk down Main Street under the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations holding hands with the one you love!