Disney in a Minute: What is a Celebration Button?

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

While most things at Walt Disney World come with a price, there is one lovely item at the parks and resorts that comes with no charge – The Celebration Button.

Celebration buttons are indeed free. They’re available at any WDW theme park Guest Relations office or ticket booth as well as at the front desks of the Disney resort hotels. All you have to do is ask. The current selection of free Celebration Buttons includes 1st Visit, Happy Birthday, Happily Ever After, and I’m Celebrating. The first two of these are self explanatory. “Happily Ever After” is appropriate for engagements, honeymoons, anniversaries, or vow renewals. “I’m Celebrating” can be used to commemorate almost anything: retirement, recovery from an illness, a graduation, a pregnancy or new baby, a new job, or anything else that seems important. There is space at the bottom of the button where a cast member can Sharpie in a message about your event.

Also note that Disney has changed the designs of their Celebration Buttons several times over the years. Pre-pandemic there were individual buttons for thing like Anniversaries and Family Reunions that are now covered by the more generic “I’m Celebrating” buttons.

Beyond the button itself, there are no perks associated with wearing a celebration button. That said, if you’re wearing a button, you will likely get a few shout-outs from cast members and possibly a small perk or two like a free cupcake during a table service meal. You should not expect this to happen, but it’s a nice surprise when it does. Conversely, if you’re an introvert and don’t like to bring attention to yourself, you might want to avoid wearing your Celebration Button. You can still get one as a souvenir, just don’t wear it around the parks.

Disney often distributes free buttons for events related to its own celebrations, such as a park anniversary. These are typically only available for one day and are considered collectors items.

A few years ago, Disney sold some buttons that looked similar to Celebration Buttons, mostly themed to snacks or attractions. These were decidedly not free, instead costing around $10-15 for a pack of two. While these are no longer available in the WDW shops, you can still find similar knock-offs from independent sellers on sites such as Etsy. The photos below show many of these discontinued merchandise items.

Have a question about a Disney term that is unfamiliar to you? Suggest it here for an upcoming Disney in a Minute segment.