Terrible Mickey Interaction at Animal Kingdom

[Baliezer]

Originally Posted by DisneyLvr55

This is when the parents need to step in, and let their child know what is going on. Nothing is perfect, or works the same exact way every single time. This is when flexability comes in. And to stomp away because you didn't get your way isn't teaching your child anything. JMHO

I agree with this. I would never let my children act like that and I have a two year old.

[kandb]

Mickey was 100 percent wrong, when he saw the 2 year old get upset, he should of signed the book. A 2 year old doesn't understand why he won't sign the book. Mickey AND the handler were wrong, what's the difference if he signs it before or after the picture is taken.

[trainingupmy4princes]

Originally Posted by Mariep26

Sorry I just don't see this as a major complaint worth the time to write here or to Disney. I have a 3 and 4 year old. My son has developmental delays and speech delays. Routine is very important to him but when something happens outside of our control, we use it as teachable moment that he needs to adapt to situations instead of forcing others to adapt to him and his disabilities.
I also didn't realize that there was a specific routine. We don't do autographs yet but I watched Woody and Jessie at MK and Woody signed the book and then put it in his holster, posed for the pictures and then gave the book back to the kid.

One of our DS is autistic and yes it's important that he learns to adapt. We have seen it different ways so I don't think it's the same with all the "friends".
I do understand 2 YO meltdowns but I find it usually has nothing to do with what sets them off that is usually just the tipping point. I don't think Mickey's to blame on this one.

[North of Mouse]

Originally Posted by kandb

Mickey was 100 percent wrong, when he saw the 2 year old get upset, he should of signed the book. A 2 year old doesn't understand why he won't sign the book. Mickey AND the handler were wrong, what's the difference if he signs it before or after the picture is taken.

According to the OP, this all happened in 10 seconds - not much time for the handler or Mickey (which probably couldn't see/hear well) to react to prevent a meltdown. It was the parent's responsibility to handle that situation.

Plus, I've had 3 - 2yr olds, and not many of them can remember in all the excitement just what the order of things are - sounds like a little exaggeration of the situation to me. Also, maybe the emotion of the moment seeing their kid upset because he didn't get his way.

But the parents handling of the situation would have been the worse thing in this situation - even if the youngest did not grasp what had happened, it showed the oldest that if you don't get your way - just throw a tantrum (by actions, if not words) and leave without anything.

Would also like to ask what is an *experienced* Disney fan of *2* years of age?

[EnchantedTales]

Originally Posted by meuseman

I just wanted to share this experience with you all. I'll send an e-mail to guest satisfaction, but I was pretty shocked when it happened.

I have a DD(5) and a DS(2) who are both experienced Disney Fans. Both have grown up, knowing from before they could talk, how Disney character interactions work. They ask the character for an autograph, wait patiently while the character signs, the character will hand the book back to the kid, who hands it back to the parent and when the books are in parent's hands you turn and smile for picture. With the exception of those characters that cannot sign, this is always the routine. Sometime there is banter, and kisses and hugs, but without fail, it's autographs then picture.

On Friday, we went to AK for rope drop and were second in line for Mickey when Camp Minnie Mickey opened. Mickey took the books, then refused to sign them until pictures were taken. My son started crying, saying "Please sign book, please sign book" but Mickey would not sign. My kids wouldn't turn around, because they know they need to give their books back to us. At one point, Mickey put the books behind his back, causing my son to cry more.

The cast member handler kept saying "Mickey takes pictures and then signs!" but that has never been my experience.

Finally, I picked up my son, took my daughters hand, DW asked Mickey for the books which were without signatures and we got no pictures.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? The event left a very sour taste for the rest of the day.

My question is: why is it necessary to do it a certain way and there is no room for variation?

I say this as an attendant situations like this happen and it leaves us thinking 'what just happen?' We are left more confused than you are. Characters sometimes feel like playing or doing something special for a child. Some characters like to do signatures in the beginning, some prefer to leave it to the end. some like to give hugs firsts, some face characters want to start by talking. There is no evil plan to bug your child or make them cry or piss you off. They vary the interaction from child to child, personalized if you like to call it that. Make it memorable.

Sadly, many parents don't seem to want to go with the flow. They can't relax, and by extension the kids can't either. I've had parents snap their fingers and tell a princess to shut up so they can take a picture. I've had kids who were excited to meet Mickey but by the time they got there had been lectured or talked so much about how and what they need to do, that they become overwhelmed and then don't want to meet him; or they start crying. Then the parents get angry because Mickey doesn't want to get near a hysteric child. The worst is kids who do not give a character a hug because they haven't yet sign a book. That last one personally, and as a parent, always weird me out, only because I think a hug from your favorite character is far more memorable than a signature.

You can write to GR if this situation left this much of a sour note. However, I can assure you characters intentions are not to upset your child. Mickey had a different way of doing things that day that sadly didn't work out with the way your children were trained.

[my3boys511]

Originally Posted by meuseman

I think the order is important because that is how the kids are used to doing it. A 2-year old can't rationalize why Mickey is holding his book behind his back and a cast member is telling him to turn around, when no other interaction - out of probably 30 on this trip - works that way.

All Mickey had to do was sign the book, and the whole scene could have been avoided. But he refused, held the book behind his back, and kept trying to turn my son around for pictures.

I think you have every reason to be upset I over this. Disney vacations are all about"the magic"... not a control-freak Mickey Mouse. I think all of you criticizing are very rude. You have your right to your opinion, of course, but keep in mind that this is a very small child. No reason Mickey couldn't have just signed first. I agree that some children are just very used to routines and when they are broken they get very stressed. Not every child could just go with the flow. Sorry you had this experience.

[North of Mouse]

Originally Posted by my3boys511

I think you have every reason to be upset I over this. Disney vacations are all about"the magic"... not a control-freak Mickey Mouse. I think all of you criticizing are very rude. You have your right to your opinion, of course, but keep in mind that this is a very small child. No reason Mickey couldn't have just signed first. I agree that some children are just very used to routines and when they are broken they get very stressed. Not every child could just go with the flow. Sorry you had this experience.

Wow, now we have Mickey as a *control freak"! Poor Mickey

It's almost as if you and some others think that Mickey and his handler did this deliberately, when it was probably how every other child was approached

[my3boys511]

Originally Posted by North of Mouse

Wow, now we have Mickey as a *control freak"! Poor Mickey

It's almost as if you and some others think that Mickey and his handler did this deliberately, when it was probably how every other child was approached

Not saying he did it deliberately, just don't understand how someone can watch a toddler have a meltdown over something that could have easily been avoided. Toddlers can be set off by the slightest things (and NO, it is not the parents' fault). Reading some of the comments on here are making me wonder about the type of parents some of you are? Someone wrote something about "training" your kids so this wouldn't happen! Really? HE IS TWO YEARS OLD, PEOPLE!!! Get a grip!

[Stitch407]

Can't both parties be wrong? Why do we live in a world where only one side is wrong? Mickey should have been more flexible and accomodating towards the child, but the family could have reacted to the change better.

Sometimes dessert before dinner is awesome! I just had cookies before I ate my subway sandwhich, but it was also my choice to do so...

[bumbershoot]

Originally Posted by meuseman

All that needed to happen was a signature, just like every other character interaction. However, at that point, after I asked Mickey to sign his book, the handler said, Mickey only signs after pictures. By that time, my son is sobbing, asking for a signature. A picture is worthless.

A picture, just because he's crying, would be worthless?

At California Adventure, when DS was 4, he wanted to meet Santa. We waited in line, we were the last allowed in the line, got nice pix taken, but the photographer said that he actually hadn't gotten them. He said we would be first after the break for a re-do, he needed to get a new camera and Santa would be back. We played around in the little area they had there, and in the excitement, DS fell and bonked his head, and was crying pretty hard. He was calming down and still wanted to see Santa, so when he and the photographer came back, he got up there for pictures. He had tears on his face, he still looked a little bit in pain, and he was more interested in telling Santa how he fell down than doing much of anything else.

Those pictures tell the story of that moment. I love them.

I think you should have had the pictures taken. It could have been good for all of you.

Originally Posted by dkhillerud

Well I disagree with most posters. I think it is pretty pathetic that when a 2 year old was crying saying, "please sign my book" Mickey didn't just sign it!!

I think that Mickey simply couldn't hear or understand the kidlet.

Originally Posted by Schmeck

I can't understand what any crying 2 year old says, and I don't have big huge black ears for the sound to travel through first.

Exactly. It's hard enough to understand your OWN 2 year old, let alone someone else's 2 year old. It's like trying to understand Crush's son.

Originally Posted by kirsangel

I agree! Why does a 2 year old need a dozen "Mickey Mouse" autographs? Just get one, or one per autograph book, or one per trip. We are not character autograph people though so maybe I don't get it.

I'm not an autograph or meeting person, and I don't understand it. DH and DS however, love doing the whole thing (I knew we were doomed when DS was 3 and met his FIRST character, Buzz Lightyear*, and saw the autograph books and wanted to get one), and they will meet the same character over and over and over. For me I would just want to compare signatures and see who did it better, but that's not their reasoning.



*Buzz Lightyear at Disneyland/DCA SIGNS! Be aware of that if you go to Anaheim, OP. It's different there. And you can imagine that we talked about that with DS ahead of time when we were heading to Orlando the first time, that Buzz does NOT sign out there. He didn't care; he's never gotten into a "this is the way it happens" thing with meeting characters.

I actually like the idea of photos then autographs. It would make it flow much better, IMO.

And my guy just keeps the autograph book with him; he doesn't hand it back. That just adds more nonsense time to the interaction.


Also OP, please never meet Jack Sparrow, OK? At least not until they are much older.

[Bubbles331]

Originally Posted by Kellykins1218

Have you ever worn a costume like that? I have, and you can barely see out of it let alone hear well. My handler hand to lean over & speak loudly directly into my ear sometimes because I couldn't tell what was going on.

I haven't been in a costume, but your post gave me a giggle. He probably didn't hear the kids crying and could only see the tops of their heads. Mickey didn't even know what happened...

I don't think you should get to upset when someone has no way of communicating with you. Like others have said, you have no idea what was going on with the person in the costume. I don't think Mickey meant to be a jerk.

[Stitch407]

Originally Posted by my3boys511

Not saying he did it deliberately, just don't understand how someone can watch a toddler have a meltdown over something that could have easily been avoided. Toddlers can be set off by the slightest things (and NO, it is not the parents' fault). Reading some of the comments on here are making me wonder about the type of parents some of you are? Someone wrote something about "training" your kids so this wouldn't happen! Really? HE IS TWO YEARS OLD, PEOPLE!!! Get a grip!

Yes actually you can very easily! I have a degree in early childhood education and two year olds are very capable of learning and knowing better. If everyone who had children had to take parenting and early childhood education classes, then I wouldn't have so many uneducated parents letting their kids act (I will just say not the way they should behave.)...That's the polite way to say it! People should have to get a license to raise another human being.

[smitch425]

Here is the part I have a question about...

"The cast member handler kept saying "Mickey takes pictures and then signs!" but that has never been my experience."

So did the handler state this only while your 2 year old was having a meltdown, or was it stated beforehand? You mention that they "kept saying it", which sounds like it was repeated multiple times. I cannot imagine that the handler would have been saying that over and over while your kid was crying. I am not sure why you would have removed both children without letting them get autographs and photos. From your post, it sounds as though the 2 year old was the one having an issue. Why did the 5 year old have to leave with nothing? As mentioned, it is next to impossible for mascot characters to hear much in those suits. My kids interact with our college mascot on a regular basis and it is virtually all by hand movements. If a two year old is crying and saying the same three words, but Mickey can't understand them the first time, what would make anyone think that repeating them will yield a different result? I am sure it was a troubling experience for your two year old, and no one likes to see their kid cry. Is your two year old still lamenting over this or is it just the adults that are still upset? I could understand your 5 year old being upset because I am sure she left there wondering why she got nothing out of the meet and greet when it was her sibling who made a scene. The thing about little kids is that they move on from things like this pretty quickly. Just wait until they hit 10. You'll be begging for them to be 2 again.

[North of Mouse]

Originally Posted by my3boys511

Not saying he did it deliberately, just don't understand how someone can watch a toddler have a meltdown over something that could have easily been avoided. Toddlers can be set off by the slightest things (and NO, it is not the parents' fault). Reading some of the comments on here are making me wonder about the type of parents some of you are? Someone wrote something about "training" your kids so this wouldn't happen! Really? HE IS TWO YEARS OLD, PEOPLE!!! Get a grip!

You don't have to scream - just chill

[Baliezer]

Originally Posted by my3boys511

Not saying he did it deliberately, just don't understand how someone can watch a toddler have a meltdown over something that could have easily been avoided. Toddlers can be set off by the slightest things (and NO, it is not the parents' fault). Reading some of the comments on here are making me wonder about the type of parents some of you are? Someone wrote something about "training" your kids so this wouldn't happen! Really? HE IS TWO YEARS OLD, PEOPLE!!! Get a grip!

That is why my two year old has parents. So I can teach her that she cannot get her way all of the time.