One of the most popular pieces of advice given by savvy Disney travelers is to get your “Disney Button” . You may ask what could possibly make you want to look like you work for a restaurant chain while visiting Disney? Well, Disney is its own little “World” and wearing Disney Buttons and Mickey Ears on your head are all OK. So here is the dish on Disney World Buttons.
What are they?
Well, they are a 3 inch round button provided by Disney at no charge to you. They promote different occasions you might have come to Disney to celebrate. Currently there are buttons available for the following:
- First Visit (Can be personalized)
- Happy Birthday or Feliz Cumpleanos (Can be personalized)
- Happy Anniversary
- Just Married
- Just Engaged
- Family Reunion
- Generic “I’m Celebrating”
More info after the jump…
Where do I get one?
- If you’ve notated your special occasion on your resort reservation its likely they will have ready for you when you check in. If not, ask at the concierge desk and they will make up a button for you.
- Guest Services at Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios or Epcot.
- City Hall at the Magic Kingdom
What do I get with my button?
A little extra pixie dust is all I tell everyone to expect. Everything after that is a bonus! Cast Members will go out of their way to wish you a “Happy Birthday” or other occasion when they notice your button. Here are some other perks we’ve gotten over the years:
- The button itself makes a cool souvenir, make sure they redo the writing as you finish your trip. It can get a little rough-looking after a few days.
- A special dessert (cupcake, ice cream, etc.) at a table service meal.
- Signed birthday cards from the characters at a character meal.
- Stickers handed out randomly by cast members.
- Fast passes to a particular ride
- Balloon Bouquets from the resort
- Extra attention during a live show
What are the rules?
There are no hard and fast rules for getting a button. While Disney gives them out freely I think it ruins the magic if you take a button just to get free stuff. That being said, I don’t think it has to be your actual birthday or anniversary to get a button. If you are in Disney celebrating the occasion then make sure everyone knows it! My son’s birthdays are 6 weeks apart and when we celebrate at Disney we go in between both their days. They both get a celebration button of course!
Anyone have a button I didn’t mention above? They’ve changed over the years and some come and go. Want to share your button stories? We would love to hear from you!
Mickey Mom is a mom to two boys, loves going to Disney for their birthdays and has never worn a button at Disney World.
Related articles
- Celebrating New Years at Disney World (chipandco.com)
- Kodak Sponsorship With Disney Parks Ends This Year (chipandco.com)
Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.
Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.
Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel
For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!
When they were doing the free days for volunteers back in 2010 I got a button that said “Honorary voluntEAR”. Cast members would thank me throughout the day. It was pretty cool.
We got a “Happily Ever After” one when we honeymooned there in 2011. A cast member at the Beach Club personalized them for us and even put rhinestones in the shape of Mickey on them!
I also really like the ones they give out for special events, like Epcot’s 30th and MK’s 40th. I also have one from years ago when I happened to be visiting AK on Earth Day and they were giving out pins. Those are my favorites because I can look back at them and say I was there! 🙂
A cherished keepsake button for my daughter and I were the “I auditioned” buttons from the American Idol Experience. Other guests and Cast Members discussed the audition process with us everywhere we went that day! It was fun auditioning and the button will always remind us of that fun shared experience.
We are just finishing up a fun week – all of us laden with our buttons. We had a great time with the conversations they started. And my hubby, well, he’s had about enough Happy Birthday cupcakes to last until next year! 😉
We got married at the boardwalk this week and got a “happily ever after” pin. It’s the generic for just engaged and just married. They said they do not currently have the unique ones and do not know if or when they will get more. Just a little warning since we were looking forward to the just married pins as we got engaged there and have those unique ones.
There is a button that they occasionally hand out that you didn’t talked about. That one is called “Honorary Citizen”. I saw one at WDW, but when I asked cast members about it they only said they hand that one out randomly. I have been able to get one at Disneyland. They made me answer a few trivia questions to get it.
We got a button/badge for going on the Behind the Steam Trains tour. It was square & had Mickey & a locomotive on it.
I loved receiving our Disney buttons! I knew nothing about them the first time I went, I was shopping in a shop on Main Street talking to the cashier and she went in the back, and grabbed 2 First Time Visitor buttons for my husband and myself! They are in our scrapbook now as one of my most treasured pieces of memorabilia!
Recently we went for our Honeymoon and received a unique Just Married button from Le Cellier. They said a lot more places in Disney in the past had “unique buttons” but now it seems like they are one of the only ones. It was a fun little treat.
World of Disney has the birthday buttons at least. We were there one rainy afternoon chatting with 2 CMs. They asked my son how old he was and when was his birthday. His birthday had been a few weeks before our trip but they made up a button for him and then the lead made a quick phone call and Goofy called my son to wish him a happy birthday.
We don’t know for sure that the button had anything to do with this, but we went to Planet Hollywood for dinner. We asked how long the wait was, they said 15 minutes, gave my husband a slip of paper and told us to go on up the stairs and to give the paper to the person there. That CM said it would be 15 minutes and had us follow her to our table. Our waiter came right over. It was barely 5 minutes since we talked to the first CM. My son did get a free dessert because of his button, though.
We went for our Honeymoon back in ’06 and the Brown Derby gave us a free Mickey Cake! It was great!