Child afraid of characters

[MemoryMakers2669]

We are looking into booking our next cruise, for late 2006, so a year and a half from now. My 5 year old is afraid of the characters, but is getting better about them. As you can see, we go to Disney a lot (IMO). She is fine seeing them in shows, parades, etc, but wants nothing to do with them touching her, won't go up to them. She will go to character meals, but hides her face when they come to our table. She will watch them from afar.

We would like to do a Disney cruise in December 2006, when she will be 6 and a half. I am hoping she will be over this fear by then!

My question is, how much do you see the characters on the ships? Is it like at WDW, where they come out at certain times, or are they everywhere all the time? Do the kids programs have them come there?

 

[lindakmonty]

Yes it is posted in the daily Navigator you get stating the times and places the characters can be found. They do come in the kids clubs but of coarse if they see a child doesn't want the attention.. they stay clear My son was afraid his first cruise only @ 18 months old but since then he gets excited and wants to see them like crazy. I would say your daughter would be fine and you will all have a blast for sure!!!

 

[CM_Mom]

If she hasn't gotten over her fear by the time you cruise, be sure to let the CMs in the club know so they can "direct" the activities she participates in so she won't get scared.

I bet that by the time you cruise, she'll be pretty much over the fear. It seem to lessen a bunch as kids get older and bigger.

 

[kcashner]

You can see the characters basically as much or as little as you want to. The characters are well aware that some children are afraid, and won't approach a child who doesn't come to them first.

There are shows, etc. with characters, but you said your child was ok with that. The "meet and greet" sessions, you have to get in line to see the characters. Ditto the autograph sessions. There is a character breakfast where the characters do approach each table--you can choose not to go to this. Just eat at a different restaurant that morning.

The characters do visit the Oceaneer's Club from time to time. If you inform the counsellors, they can alert you as to these times. Some of them are in the children's Navigator, and some are a surprise to the kids...but the counsellors do know that they are coming.

Basically, if you don't want to do characters, don't get into the character lines. They are out at times like when you get off the ship at Castaway, but you don't have to "visit" them. It is similar to the parks--you may see a character out walking, but unless you are in their autograph line or walk up to them, a character won't approach a child (usually!)

 

[bairdbeth]

When we first went to Disney, I had my DD draw pictures and create artwork for the characters. She was then excited and not as afraid when she approached them since she had a picture to present to them. The characters hammed it up and loved there gifts. Maybe this would help your DD?

 

[jrabbit]

Mickey, Minnie and Co. look very cute on the TV and most importantly they're small. Going up to a 5 foot plus Mickey is a very different experience than seeing them on the TV (where most of the time the child is bigger than the character). Most kids will get over it. And most of the kids that have problems with characters only have problems with the "rubber heads" (Mickey, Minnie, Hook, Smee, etc) but not the "face" characters like Cindy, Snow, Jas, Alice etc.

 

[dvcChrisVWL]

Mickey, Minnie and Co. look very cute on the TV and most importantly they're small. Going up to a 5 foot plus Mickey is a very different experience than seeing them on the TV (where most of the time the child is bigger than the character). Most kids will get over it. And most of the kids that have problems with characters only have problems with the "rubber heads" (Mickey, Minnie, Hook, Smee, etc) but not the "face" characters like Cindy, Snow, Jas, Alice etc.

Funny, my first DD was the opposite. She loved the big heads, but screamed when it came to people - even Santa Clause in the mall. Maybe it was because they did not talk to her, so they seemed less threatening. What ever it was, by the time we cruised the week before her 2nd birthday, she would squeal with excitement and shout out the princesses names.

 

[lbgraves]

If there are some characters that he does want to see, then you can call the PALS line each night to get the specific schedule for them. The navigator will only say character meets 6-8 but the PALS line will tell you exactly who will be where when.

 

[clh2]

I was also going to suggest that the "face" characters might be a little bit less scary for your DD. Another thing that helps, in the the photo/autograph sessions, the princesses really got to the level of the child, which really makes them appear the same size as your child. Also, the princesses really take a minute or two to talk to your child. I was so impressed with this. Maybe you could suggest some "break the ice" questions for your DD to ask the princess. I.e. Ask Cinderella if she really has glass slippers...etc. Another idea is to get DD a princess costume. The "real" princess's have great respect for the "mini" princesses, which makes for quick easy conversation.

Maybe in advance of your trip, you and your DD could make an autograph book, using stickers, or whatnot which could help her get excited about actually meeting the princesses. And, another thing to consider, while I'm sure that you would like to have pics of just your DD and the character, you can be in the picture with them too.

 

[DVCLady]

Delete

 

[branv]

Bless his heart. I'm STILL afraid of things in costume (don't even get me started on clowns).

Here's hoping he outgrows it really soon. If you figure out how he gets over it, can you let me know

 

[musicgirl]

I think the only time my ds went near characters was when he was a baby. Around 2, he wanted nothing to do with any of them including Santa Claus.

He wouldn't go near anything for years. When he was 10, at the END of our WDW he decided he wanted character signatures. He was still very cautious.

I have one picture of him and Minnie from our June 2003 cruise, he was 12 and lets say a picture is worth a 1000 words. He looks soooooo uncomfortable.

I'm not sure what spooked him, but we have traveled every year to a variety of parks with characters and he steers clear.

But.... HE LOVES DCL!!!!! and he can not wait to go back!!!

 

[erikthewise]

In our experience if you don't seek out the characters, you hardly ever see them. Of course we don't see what happens in the clubs. One thing you might try when the characters are in the atrium is to view the characters from deck 4, which is not at all threatening, and then ask if your child wants to go down and see them closer.

We are already booked for Dec 3 2006! (4-night)

 

[natsmom125]

We took DD to WDW for the first time when she was 9 mos old. We went into a restaurant in MK and Chip and/or Dale carried her around all over this restaurant. She would squeal with delight when she saw any of the characters and go to them for pix and all.

The next time we went back...probably 3-4 mos later....Mickey came up to her and she punched him right in the nose and screamed in terror!!!!! She would have nothing to do with any of the characaters....or the princesses either for that matter..until she was about 4.

I think it's a phase they go through...like one poster said...on tv and in the movies and in the books...they are small...but up close...they're not.

Although we could never figure out why she liked them one time ....and then
she didn't. But each child has his/her own reasons and fears and you may never know what the reasons are. But hopefully by age 6...she will have come around.

Phyllis

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Mickey, Minnie and Co. look very cute on the TV and most importantly they're small. Going up to a 5 foot plus Mickey is a very different experience than seeing them on the TV (where most of the time the child is bigger than the character). Most kids will get over it. And most of the kids that have problems with characters only have problems with the "rubber heads" (Mickey, Minnie, Hook, Smee, etc) but not the "face" characters like Cindy, Snow, Jas, Alice etc.

Yeah, my dd has no issues with the face characters. So, we do princess meals when at Disney. We did do Chef Mickeys this past time and she did OK. She was fine by the end, but still doesn't want to go near them.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

My youngest is 20 months old. She freaks out at Chuck E Cheese, so I was afriad at how she would react when we went to Disney. We went to the Princess lunch and she was fine with them, but lost it if the ladies touched her. LOVED the characters though, Mickey, Minnie, etc. So, yeah, you never know, they are all so different.