Child obsessed with Disney

[dijid]

My 5yo DS is obsessed. I'm not talking your run-of-the-mill Princess obsession. I've got a full-fledged obsession that is pushing me over the edge. He has spent his spare time the past few days reading guide books, quoting strange facts (did you know Rock & Roller Coaster goes 60 mph?) and asking me a gazillion questions. I mistakenly showed him this site and the photo gallery and he asks to go through it all the time.

Here's the kicker: We don't have any plans in the near future to go back to WDW. We last went almost 2 years ago, and he can't stand the thought that we aren't going back until my youngest reaches 40". He whines about it several times a day.

Anyone ever deal with this? I mean, in some ways I should be proud, but I'm afraid he's going to turn the whole family off of WDW. I have absolutely no idea what triggered this obsession. The intensity of it is unreal.

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

Do you mind if I ask if this is a recent obsession or something that has been going on for a while? My children go through phases where they are completely engrossed with one thing, they obsess, and then move on to something else (my oldest, in particular). Do you think this, too, shall pass?

 

[eeyoregon]

Just be happy that he can read so well for a 5 year old!!! Sounds like he is ahead of his years!

 

[barkley]

i feel for you! there is a boy in my son's class (they are in 3rd-been in the same classes since kindergarten) who is so disney obsessed it literaly impacts the way he lives and interacts with others. he's not doing it so much this year but for all of k-2nd he refused to respond to anyone (teachers excluded) who did not call him by his chosen name 'mickey', somehow managed if it was remotely possible to do every homework assignment with a 'disney theme' (if they studied money he refered to it in 'disney dollars', if they studied how to tell time his 'fill in the blanks' clocks always had 'mickey hands'), never had a conversation that did not include a disney reference (got realy strange when they were doing 'bible study' and he could ALWAYS find some correlation between a disney character/movie/attraction ).

allot of the parents realy were concerned about him (i think the teachers were too-they kept trying to redirect him to other topics)-but i blame allot on his mom. she fed into it big time-that kid never wore/wears anything that did'nt have a disney store tag on it, all the school supplies have disney theme, lunchbox/backpack....i can't imagine what his bedroom must be like!

i can see supporting a kid's interest in a topic but this was like 'disney ocd'!
i think the school finaly sat her down and voiced their concerns-i've noticed that this year while he still chats away about it he's not wearing/bringing any disney stuff to school, and whereas the mom used to call him 'mickey' (and the teachers hated that) i hear her refer to him with his real name until they get to the car.

i'de suggest not feeding into too much-maybe try to limit his exposure (i have to do this with my son on 'yugiho'-if i let him he'd do only yugioh books for reading so we've put a 'yugioh ban' on any books that he has to read for school stuff).

if he were an adult and it got worse i'de suggest an 'intervention'-i actualy know of someone who was so obsessed with all things 'star trek' his family and friends held one. same as the ones you see on tv with drugs/alcohol-telling him 'if you don't stop talking about it around us we can't interact with you soicaly', 'if you buy one more 'collectable' we will take away your bank/charge cards'. it was unreal-but for the most part it worked (he still has a small room in his garage that is a 'star trek shrine'-he retreats to it when he needs a 'fix').

 

[tricia]

I also have a 5yr old DS that is a little Disney obsessed. My DH blames me saying that he would not be this way if I hadn't brought him to disney 3 times already. (DH's first trip was at 26 yrs old, he's just jealous)
Anyway, the little guy tells me how many days left until our next trip everynight, and at least once a week he takes out a WDW map and has me help him plan our day at that particular park. Cute some days, but annoying too, cause the days don't pass as quickly when we talk about it every day.

 

[dijid]

Do you mind if I ask if this is a recent obsession or something that has been going on for a while? My children go through phases where they are completely engrossed with one thing, they obsess, and then move on to something else (my oldest, in particular). Do you think this, too, shall pass?

It's only been about a week, and I'm hoping this one passes. But it's not like the other "interest periods" such as the planets, or the weeks before and after the air show where he was interested in planes, the Wright Bros. and the history of aircraft. This is *intense* to a point where it's all he wants to do/talk about. It's also strange in that I don't know what triggered it. We don't watch Disney movies, we don't have a trip planned, and we haven't pulled out a photo album of a past trip.

I think the best thing I can do is just stop being an enabler and try to get him back on track with his other interests. The sooner this passes, the better. (And if he insists on being called Mickey - or more likely Buzz - I will have to hold that intervention!)