I agree the buttons are everywhere. It's nice to get a free souvenir but it's much nicer to have a CM say happy birthday. But not so much when they also say it to the person sitting behind you. It dilutes the effect.
I've been to DLR on my b'day and twice on DS's birthday. It doesn't bother us one little tiny bit to hear other people being wished a HB along with us! IN fact, we love it! I got into a great convo with a woman and her teen daughter who were there celebrating her DD's birthday...same birthdate, different year. Our actual birth days were both on the actual Columbus Day holiday, which doesn't happen every year, and last year our b'day fell on the actual holiday, which was really special!
I'm not so silly as to think I'm the only one who arrived on that day, and DS knows the same...so others having their b'days on the same days only enhances our b'days, it doesn't dilute or take away anything.
Some with no meaning what so ever, just a picture.
That doesn't sound like a Disney button then. Can you describe the picture?
Oh, and I'm not into matchy matchy shirts, but DH and DS are in a BIG way (I know, it's opposite). So last visit I made the two of them matchy shirts, then put the same transfer on a small, same color as their shirts, canvas bag, so I matched them but wasn't in a tshirt just like them. I've decided that on future trips where they want to match, I'm going to make buttons, if I don't want more canvas bags.
Maybe I should rephrase it.... You can get those pins if you go to Toon Town Morning Madness, or if you do something nice for another park guest. To me though it kind of symbolizes that I go to Disneyland often and the place is starting to feel like a home base. Its wonderful.
FWIW, our TTMM honorary citizens are worlds different from the other HC buttons we have. The TTMM ones are brightly colored with some sort of fun design on them. The normal one is purple and gold. DS has something like 4 of them, as the CMs hand them out like candy.
We also have a 1st visit button, because the Peter Pan CM asked if it was our first time in the park...we said "no, but it's the first time on this ride", and she gave us the buttons.
The buttons have been around since at least '07; it's not because of the Celebrate theme. And I LOVE getting the character b'fast buttons...just like the leis we got at the Lilo and Stitch restaurant. I mean, for one, it adds to the value of the meal you just paid thirty bucks for...and two, it helps the park b/c it's advertising.
I adore the buttons, even if I don't generally wear them. Both DS and I will only wear our b'day buttons on our b'day (or one year I took it off partway through the day because although we were *celebrating* my b'day, it wasn't my actual b'day, and I've always been weird and shy about my b'day anyway), and I couldn't deal with wearing the Happy Anniversary button for our entire trip in '07...DH wore his every day but I left mine at the hotel after about 3 days.
That'll get some strange looks, by the way!
) 
