At what age....

[arielmomma]

My kids still love characters and they are DS10 and DD7!

Last September when DS was 9 1/2 we did free dining. Since it was the first time DD was old enough to remember doing it, we did all character meals. I made her costumes, did her hair, the works. I'd asked DS if he wanted any costumes and he said he wasn't into that anymore.

Needless to say, 8 days before the trip (after I'd already started packing), DS came to me in a panic saying that he wanted a pirate costume and Indiana Jones and that he thought he was to old, but wasn't and he just couldn't do Disney without them. I threw them together at the last minute. We did the character meals and his face was just as big as his sisters' at every one of them!

This year, he's not messing around. He is 10 but is barely 52 inches tall, so he definitely still looks like a little kid. I already have Obi wan Kenobi made for him and he wants a better pirate costume (the last one was thrown together with stuff around the house). And he has no shame in saying he wants to meet every character that he can!

Even with a boy, I think we definitely have a few years left of loving the characters!

 

[GenevieveRaqs]

As others have said, character interest is largely dependent on the child.

However, even if your kids aren't that interested in characters, there's still LOADS more to do at Disney than wait in line for costumed characters! I don't see anything wrong with sticking to your original plan.

 

[aggiekat]

Thanks for the replies! I appreciate all of them.

I really want for there to still be the magic there for my DD when she meets them which is why we were talking about going back sooner rather than later. My son is sort of over it for the most part already.

 

[LoveToTravel2001]

DD who is almost 13 can't want to have pictures taken with as many characters as possible next month - including Princess Sofia! On her first trip she was 5 1/2 and put her to do list as - rides, shows, characters. We got there and it quickly became characters, characters, rides. No shows. The next trip a year later was the same. She did BBB three years in row and loved every minute of it, every time.

 

[Muffin's Mom]

The only character DD8 wasn't thrilled about was Sophia, but I told her that I wanted my picture taken with her and she could wait with me or not, so she decided to wait after all. My 14 year old sister got all the autographs and pictures, too. Everyone is right, it depends on the kid.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Depends on the child. DD 18 still loves to meet princesses and she is married now. Lol. DD12 also still likes to meet princesses. We will see what the future holds.

I agree. My DDs are 10 and 12 (will be 13 on our trip in May) and they still love visiting with their favorite princesses. They also really like to have breakfast at Akershus and dinner at CRT, not just because of the food and atmosphere but because the princesses are there. I think they are going to be just like their parents when they become adults...big kids at heart that become kids again when they are in their happy place .

 

[JennyMP03]

I am 29 and if you ask me what my favorite memory from last year's trip to WDW was, I will tell you without hesitation it was when I met Ariel (my favorite since age 4! I was even wearing my Ariel shirt!) in Akershus and she gave me a huge hug and said, "I hope you have a great day, Princess!"

Made. my. LIFE. Thank goodness I have a husband who finds it amusing!

However, with kids, I think for some of them there's that tween-young teen age where it's not cool to be too into Princesses and childish characters.

 

[biondagirl]

My kids were 7 and 10 on our trip last August. They both wanted to meet the characters. I could get my son to hang out in line with us to see the Princesses, until he was 6. He did have a 3 year old sister. After that, we had to separate. He won't go near a Princess. I give him a few years to "discover" girls.

It does depend on the child. My daughter was 7 last summer and if the line was too long, she was okay with skipping it. My kids are such Disney fans, that I can't imagine them NEVER wanting to meet characters. At least, Mickey and Minnie.

 

[prudence64]

My daughter announced she wasn't interested in princesses any more at about 6 1/2. She also lost interest in meeting any characters since she gets that they are regular people in costumes. She enjoyed it at age 4 1/2, but figured that out by the end of our trip.