DD broke my heart a little yesterday

[ktlm]

My DD is not quite 3 1/2. She is Disney crazy and a Princess fanatic. We have already been twice with her once last December at 2 yrs 10 months and thanks to the 4/3 deal again this May. Our house is pretty much all Disney all the time between the DVDs, costumes; toys and constant pretend games we are all required to participate in. So imagine my surprise last night when she looked at me and said to me in a matter of fact happy way- "All the Disney movies and all the characters are just pretend. They're all fake!". She was not upset in any way, it was basically like she thought I didn't know that and she was telling me. I about fell over. She's a smart one and I knew the day would come, but at 3 1/2? I was hoping we'd have until she was at least 5!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

My DS did this at 4yo. In the limo on the way to the hotel one trip he looked at me and said you know Mickey is just a person in a costume. I was like . Believe me at 11yo he still loves WDW.

I wanted to go to the beach this year and skip WDW, but I got voted down and we're doing WDW.

DD (5) still talks about the princesses like they are real, but has told me the costume characters are fake.

 

[DVCLiz]

Oh, that's so sweet!!!

 

[emh1129]

My 7 year old just told me that the other day and it did break my heart a little bit. But at least he made it to 7... I'm not sure what he thinks about the face-characters, though. He was specifically talking about Buzz Lightyear and Mickey.
I suspect that my 4.5 year old also knows, but she hasn't said anything.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Kid's sure do seem to grow up sooner than we did, but I promise, the magic at WDW won't be lost at all. I think we all willingly suspend disbelief when we get to the magic kingdom. I'm still just as excited to see Mickey as I was when I was 4.

 

[dfarner]

I know, it is so sad .
I was talking with my girls today about going back next year and my oldest says, "Mom, we just got back. Can you give it a break?". My DH asked my youngest where she wants to go next year and she says, "Atlantis".

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

DNiece5(at the time) was pretty skeptical about princesses before we left. However, I reminded her that royalty was real. We're Native, and I reminded her about our tribal princesses (we've had several in our family).

Once we got there and she saw the castle, she was a believer again!! DS4 still thinks it's all real.

I dread the day...but I know I get sucked into the moment when we're there, so there is still magic to be had, even when they know the "truth."

 

[nmmom95]

Both of my sons knew that the characters were not real by 3, but they both loved seeing the characters. It didn't take away from the experience at all for us. Well, my older son is 11 and is not into the characters anymore, but my 6 year old is. As a matter of fact, when my older son was almost 4, I was 31 and was so excited to see Launchpad McQuack, I nearly hurdled a bench! (Launchpad is seriously underrrated!)

 

[grace&philipsmom]

Dear MIL ripped my heart out and stepped on it actually! She was the one who informed my then 4 year old DD that the characters weren't real, so that she wouldn't grow up deluded.

 

[Ellen aka Snow White]

On our first trip my oldest DD was 5 - while walking up Main Street for the first time, she looked up at me and said - this is where the REAL Mickey Mouse lives, isn't it?! I was already teary eyed and that just made me CRY!
Other than that statement, my children have never commented about the characters. I have had other childen that I keep tell me that Mickey Mouse is just a man in costume and my reply back - I don't know what you are talking about, when I look at Mickey Mouse I see Mickey Mouse not a man!?! Not a lie - but not admitting to anything either.
Ellen

 

[ktlm]

Dear MIL ripped my heart out and stepped on it actually! She was the one who informed my then 4 year old DD that the characters weren't real, so that she wouldn't grow up deluded.

How horrible!!! I would have completely lost it if a family member did that. I could see my Mom or FIL doing it on accident because they weren't thinking, but not on purpose!!! In fact, I wondered if my Mom said something to DD when she was all involved in a DVD, but I didn't ask.

Thanks everybody, I'm still as excited about WDW characters as I was as a kid too. They probably think I'm nuts. I'm not sure whether she still thinks the characters at WDW are real even though the movies aren't and I'm not going to ask. All I could think to respond was "We saw them at WDW didn't we?" And she said "Yeah", and I said "Are you saying you don't want to go back to WDW?" and she said "NOOO! I want to go back, when can we go?" I'm just really glad she was young enough on her 1st trip that she was an absolute believer!

I do know she won't lose the magic, but it helps to hear you guys say that too. Shortly after making her statement they were all fake, she went back to pretending to be Lilo and insisting that I be Nani. Last night, she started asking for Santa to bring her a Disney Princess sleeping bag with her name on it (anybody have any ideas where to find that?). At 3:00 a.m. this morning, DH and I woke up because we could hear her in her room having some sort of full out conversation in her sleep. It went on for a really long time. We couldn't understand what she was saying, but judging from this morning I think it involved Peter Pan. She was all worried this morning about growing up because she wouldn't get to see Peter Pan anymore. I know she dreams about him a lot because she occasionally wakes up with "Captain Hook" nightmares. So, whether she thinks everything is fake or not, she is still all Disney, all the time.

 

[RMulieri]

My daughter is 5.She never ever believed they were real.I don't know why She believes in Santa and the tooth fairy though.

 

[disneylovinfamily]

that is so sad

 

[cogero]

My DD loves the magic of Disney and how we feel when we are there. MY DH is a police officer here in NY and we deal with enough reality so Disney is the only place she wants to go because we can leave our troubles and worries the moment we land in FL.

So sorry for those who kids don't believe and so young. My daughter made it until almost 6