Characters Not Talking...issues?

[Alztybrn]

For those of you with young children (Mine are 2 and 6) have any of them asked you why the characters in the parks do not talk? And if so...what responses did you give them?

 

[skuttle]

We went with our 2.5 year old DS in December and I don't think he ever asked about the characters not talking. If he did, it must not have been a big issue because I sure don't remember it. I think he was too much in awe to even notice! LOL! Smiling for the camera, autograph book, giving hugs, etc.

 

[lauritagoddess]

It didn't bother my DS at all. In fact a couple of times I made comments about going over and saying hi to the characters and he would say something like "Mickey doesn't talk", just seemed normal to him. We did meet some of the "face" characters in Epcot, Snow White, Jasmine and Aladdin and Alice in Wonderland. He did get a kick out of talking to them but it didn't seem strange to him that they talked and the others didn't, I guess because they were clearly people.

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

This is probably a silly response but it has worked for me so far. I tell them that the characters have to meet so many children and people all day, and if they talked to everyone they would loose their voice. So they just smile at you instead.

Luckily MY kids haven't asked me that yet, only other kids. I don't know what I would say if they asked why some talk and some don't. Haven't gotten that question yet.

 

[Alztybrn]

Yea..I just have a VERY inquisitive 6 year old daughter, and I am afraid the question will be coming why Pooh did not answer her 714 question!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I told them that because some of the other children are afraid of the characters they don't talk because they don't want to scare them. I also told them about the "talking too much would give you a sore throat". I'm sure dds (7 and 8) don't really believe but they don't say anything because ds (5) is sure they are all real!

 

[Fionasmommy]

I've been wondering about this myself. We were at Chik-Fil-A last weekend and DD4 asked me why the Chik-Fil-A Cow didn't talk. So I have a feeling it definitely will come up at WDW.

 

[Kayleebug]

When DD 4 was 3, she never even asked about why the characters didn't talk, she just flat out said, "Those are people in costumes. Real mice aren't that big, huh Mama?" This was about the same time that she announced to her class that the Easter bunny visiting her class wasn't real because bunnies couldn't really be that big. Of course, she is convinced that the princesses are 100 % real!

 

[ncyorks]

The Characters are very animated in reply to the children's comments and questions. Usually, the younger children are so excited that they do not notice the Characters are not talking.

Let's face it, when you're 5 or 6 and Pooh hugs you, does he need to say anything else?

 

[Tinkin]

First let me tell you that my DD, 8 yrs old, still thinks the costume characters are real, she doesn't know yet that they are people dressed up. I know she may be a little old to believe this but I like that she is still so innocent and do everything I can to keep her from growing up to fast. I want her to enjoy being a child, to many kids grow up so fast these days, with that said....

We took our DD to WDW for the first time in 01/04 right after she turned 6. She would not go anywhere near the costumed characters like Mickey and Minnie only the Princesses and Peter Pan.

We took her back in 12/04 for her 7th birthday with the stipulation that she had to have her picture taken with Mickey and Minnie because she was to old to be afraid of them!

When we were walking away from her 1st visit with Mickey she said to me "that was weird, he didn't talk to anybody, I wonder why he didn't talk?" Then it was like a light bulb went off in her head and she said "I know why he didn't talk! If were to talk to people they would have so many questions for him he would never get to leave and he has alot to do around here!" I told her that must be the reason.

Luckily she's never questioned why the Princesses are able to talk with guests and still get their work done but the costumed characters can't. Oh well, sadly I think this March trip will be the last that she believes.

 

[POOHDRMR]

Took my daughter last year when she was three and again for x-mas this year at four. When we told her about the x-mas trip and asked her if she was excited she said yes but wanted to know if they were going to talk this time! we told her probably not but reminded her the princesses did.She left it at that. She also wants to know why she can't meet tink and can only watch her fly during the fireworks(tink is her favorite)and as i write her grandparents are in disney and she told them on the phone the other night to jump up really high and catch tink in a bag and bring her home very carefully so she could hug her!!I told her that wouldn't be fair to everyone else that loves her to and wants to visit her there.

 

[disneychrista]

why the Chik-Fil-A Cow didn't talk. So I have a feeling it definitely will come up at WDW.

Maybe he is too Chicken...LOL

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

The characters use a lot of exaggerated hand gestures that signify things kids can easily understand. As one poster above mentioned, they are animated, and purposely so. Mickey will nod his head and wave, and when a question is asked, he dips his head to the side and covers his mouth with his 4 fingered hand as if he is too bashful to answer, or places his palms up next to his ears like he doesn't know something, or touches his hand to his nose like he is pondering something...

Maybe the Chik-fil-A cow didn't go to Disney University...

 

[Shagley]

I would tell them that they all caught Mousengitis from Mickey

 

[Jen76b]

Maybe i'm too honest with my DS, but at age 5 her knew the characters were just people in costumes. I can't remember when or where it was, but he was scared by some character, so to ease his mind, I told him it's just someone in a costume. He still knows the truth, but he's 7 now and can't wait to see all the characters. I don't think the truth ruined anything for him.

 

[CinRell]

she doesn't know yet that they are people dressed up.

WHAT?!?!?! They're not real!?!?

Maybe SHE knows something we don't

 

[txm]

We went with 4 year old DD in January. The first characters she met were Jessie and Woody and she immediately said "Why can't they open their mouth? They are not real?". Unfortunately I wasn't prepared for a good answer. From then on, every character she met she asked why they couldn't talk and commented that their mouths were not real, until she met Alice and the princesses. She was very happy that the princesses could talk to her.