Dd just informed me that she has figured out the princesses are actors :(

[snickerboo]

Do you think she'll still find WDW as much fun? She's 8 1/2 so I'm not really surprised but the highlight of our previous trips for her has been meeting the princesses. I was asking about packing her princess tees (which she didn't really wear this summer) and she said, "no, just the Aurora tank top". When we booked the trip I had thought about doing Akershus for breakfast with her so I'm glad I didn't book it after all. I told her to please not tell ds who is only 5 and she's a good sister so I know she won't.

 

[momtwo4]

Awe your DD will still love going to see the characters and princesses. I know what you mean about now "knowing" about the princesses though.
I bet she will still enjoy the character breakfasts, and now you just may have to pack her HSM tees or Hannah Montana tees. Not the same as princesses, I know, I'm right there with you. I have a 9, 9, 5 & 2 olds

 

[deedeetoo]

Maybe my kids are a little more realistic than others but they have never believed the characters were real. I remember my kids asking about the people in the costumes when they were only three.

But... that said, they still love seeing the characters, getting autographs, going to character meals, etc. I think they enjoy pretending they are real.

 

[Ellester]

My dd's have known for quite a while that the characters aren't "real" but believe me they still have fun meeting them. My dd's were 8 (almost 9) and 5 last trip and loved meeting all the characters. Heck, I still love meeting the characters and I'm almost 40! My oldest hasn't worn anything princessy since she was about 6, it's just not her "style". She will still wear Tinkerbell though. I have no doubt they will still enjoy it as much, if not more, than they ever did.

 

[melancholywings]

DD is starting to understand that they're actors as well. At least the suit costumes. We handled it by inspiring her to see how amazing it is that some lucky person gets to be Mickey Mouse and make the kids happy. For her the characters became even more amazing at that point. I know eventually as she becomes a tween it'll be less cool to like them.

 

[trustknoone]

My DD10 is a hoot. She knows they aren't real, and all the holiday guys and tooth one too (she tried to sell me a tooth last month for $10), but Mickey is real and the hardest working mouse ever. I have no idea how he is real and no one else is real. Kids are strange.

 

[bellebud]

my dd8 has known for a few years about the disney characters (ds7 is just catching on now, but not totally).

Before our trip 2 months ago, I was asking her "wanna do castle breakfast, etc?"... "no mom! I'm too old for any of that!"

But on our trip, she turned into a 4yo little girl again

We were lucky we were able to get a walk-up ressie for the castle breakfast. she LOVED it... even more than she did a couple of years ago I think.

So for our Jan 09 trip, I'm planning all the princess things I can for us. She'll be 9 by then, but hopefully she'll enjoy it all anyway. I know I will!

 

[jtopp]

Maybe my kids are a little more realistic than others but they have never believed the characters were real. I remember my kids asking about the people in the costumes when they were only three.

But... that said, they still love seeing the characters, getting autographs, going to character meals, etc. I think they enjoy pretending they are real.

Are you saying Mickey's not real!? Blasphamy!

 

[imthatgirl]

dont be surprised of your 5yo already knows. thats about the age that it starts to become obvious that a large mouse just cant possibly be real. i dont think my 8yo daughter ever quite thought they were "real" and my boys are 4 and 3. the 4yo was quite aware they werent real and the 3 yo was just in awe of the whole thing to even ask. though i think if any of them asked i dont think i would have said "yeah thats a real mouse".
the princesses are different because they are real people, but i still dont remember any of my kids thinking that they lived at the castle or anything.

 

[Shelebeen]

I don't think knowing makes it different, my kids have known for along time now (my daughter at 5) who is now 8, but still loves to meet them all - heck she has even decided which one she wants to be when she is an adult...(to work at Disneyland).

This summer though, she (who is now 8) was not interested in getting anything princessy, but has moved onto Tink and the fairies...

 

[aribelle]

Hmm, well I guess it's not about reality as much as it is about imagination! I'm in my 40's and I have known for quite a while, lol....but I still get all excited seeing my favorite characters in the park. And, honestly, the characters that are doing their job really well......and a LOT of them do....can make you feel that they are the real deal. I can't explain it well, and being a normally VERY logical person (Spock and I have a lot in common in that regard, though I'm an emotional blob) it defies logic that I would feel this way, but I find myself grinning ear to ear, rushing (and Pooh sized people should never rush, lol) to get in line to talk to them, or waving and jumping up and down (again, Pooh people should never) when they go by in the parade.

And it's not just me.....one of the most amazing transformations I've ever seen was standing around waiting for rope drop.....we were standing near a family with two teens (boy/girl) and one a bit younger....and the teens were sullen and downright rude to their parents, had that scary attitude thing going about "we're only here because you forced us to come along". My daughter quietly commented that they weren't gonna have much fun and that made her sad especially for the younger girl who was decked out in all Disney clothes and totally bouncing around. Well, shortly after we went inside we saw them again....standing in line for autographs with The Mouse himself....the teens still with their sullen faces, the girl bouncing. We got in line a few families behind them. Their turn came and they went up for photos....the Mother was trying to tease them into smiling, no go.....Mickey broke formation and practically wrestled with the boy to give him a hug.....and also managed to grab the teen girl into this hug. The transformation in those two teens was enough to bring tears to my eyes (ok, remember I said I was an emotional blob)....but seriously, some of the line folks went "awwwww"....and the photographer got a picture with three kids all beaming an ear to ear smile.

We didn't see that group again, but I can only hope that the hug from Mickey lasted throughout their trip. So what I'm saying is....even if your child says at home that they're too old to get excited about the Princesses (or any character) again.....give that pixie dust a chance to work it's magic on them. I'm not at all for forcing kids to do things that are supposed to be fun if they don't want to....but I'd definitely give them a little push towards that pixie dust. And....if worst comes to worst and they aren't into the characters, while it's sad (and I'd be devasted because "I" am into the characters, lol)....there is a lot more to WDW than characters, so it's time to find what she does enjoy now (reminding her that her brother gets some time with the characters still....that might help with the push towards pixie dust).

That said, I've also seen a whole family of kids all look bored to death....and wondered what kind of force field they were using to keep the pixie dust off....and feeling a bit sad for the parents (who appeared to have a malfunctioning force field) that their kids weren't enjoying. In this season of my life it's all about making the kids happy and doing what's good/best/right for them.....luckily for me that very very often includes my happiness also! I can't imagine if my kids were like my DH and could take/leave Disney!!


It's all about attitude.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Oh my. She'll probably still have fun though.

I'm annoyed with my DH who told DD8 at supper tonight "You do know the princesses are just dressed up people, right?"

She looked at him in shock with her mouth wide open. I think she already knew in her heart but now she's had it confirmed.

I could've clobbered him. We leave for WDW on Tuesday for crying out loud. I've got a mother/daughter breakfast booked at Akershus. Couldn't he have waited until later for that announcement?

I told him not to say a word about the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny or Santa Claus after she went back to her room to play Barbies.

 

[MichelleVW]

My DD17 will stand in a very long line to see JASMINE!! Don't tell her she's not the "real" Jasmine!!

 

[Becky2005]

Hmm, well I guess it's not about reality as much as it is about imagination! I'm in my 40's and I have known for quite a while, lol....but I still get all excited seeing my favorite characters in the park. And, honestly, the characters that are doing their job really well......and a LOT of them do....can make you feel that they are the real deal. I can't explain it well, and being a normally VERY logical person (Spock and I have a lot in common in that regard, though I'm an emotional blob) it defies logic that I would feel this way, but I find myself grinning ear to ear, rushing (and Pooh sized people should never rush, lol) to get in line to talk to them, or waving and jumping up and down (again, Pooh people should never) when they go by in the parade.


It's all about attitude.

I completely agree!!

My kids have known *forever* that there are actors there same with some other holiday people BUT it's so easy to just go with it. While you are there, the characters ARE the characters. When I was talking to Cinderella at the breakfast (this was a while ago) & she was complaining that she didn't like Stitch very much right then because he TP'd her house/castle it was really HER who was annoyed that her home got TP'd (my DS was wearing his Stitch ears to the breakfast, that's how it came up). I was talking to Cinderella not a helper.

I liken it to seeing a show that is on-going, you know the people up on the stage aren't really those people but during the performance they are. If they are doing their jobs correctly, they should have you fully convinced they are who they say they are.

Either that or I'm just a wee bit of a kid that fully believes I'm talking to the real deal when I'm talking to the characters wherever I'm at.

 

[kadesha]

Oh I dread this day. I have been packing in the trips because I'm so afraid it won't be "magical" for the kids anymore once they figure it out. I'm so glad to read your responses, very reassuring that everything will be ok when they figure it out.

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

A couple of nights ago my DD 8 and I were talking about our upcoming trip and she asked me if Mickey was real, or was it just a regular person in a costume. I asked her what she thought, and she was kind of quiet for a minute and then said she wished it was really Mickey, but she knew it had to be somebody wearing a costume. I told her Disney was a magical place, and it's all in your attitude. If you let yourself feel the magic, then Mickey IS real to you, not just somebody dressed up. I told her that's how it is for me, when I see Mickey, I feel all happy and just want to give him a hug. I allow myself to be immersed in the magic and let myself totally be in a place where of course Mickey is real, pirate ships and elephants can fly, a place where I just enjoy it all and be happy! She got a huge smile on her face, gave me a big hug and told me that Mickey is real to her too!

 

[mom2princessj]

Awww, I know this is coming that is why we are taking our trip this year because I know DD won't believe that cinderella lives in the castle that much longer.
We just went to Disney on Ice today and all she could talk about was seeing Cinderella. I almost cried when I saw her face light up so I hope it is still as magical for her when we get to disney. that's my whole drive for going is to see their faces when they meet the characters and experience the magic for the first time.

OP I'm sure she'll still have a wonderful time. It will probably be magical in a different way for her now

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

They're not real?????









I agree with most other people. Obviously, I know they're actors, but I found myself talking to Snow White like she was, well, Snow White. I'm also a perfectly logical adult, but I turn into a little girl when I pass under that welcome sign!!

DS will be 3.5 on our December trip, and he still believes the puppets (in Playhouse Disney Live On Stage!) are real, as well as the life size characters. DNiece went with us in May, and she told me before we left that she knew princesses weren't real. I told her that princesses are very real. We're Native, and we have tribal princesses, there are many countries that have princesses, etc. I didn't come out and say Cindy and the girls were real, but I think it made the trip more fun for her knowing princesses are real.

Now, if only Johnny Depp was real(ly hanging around POTC)!!

 

[lisadr]

hey I'm 35 and although I "know" they are actors-I still get caught up in the magic.

My DD is 7 and this year decided she's too big for princesses-and I will probably lose Santa and the tooth fairy and the leprechaun this year, but as long as when we are there, me and DH get into the spirit of things-I know we all will have a magical time.

Praise her for being a clever girl, and get her in on the secret of keeping the magic alive for her brother, and she may get caught up in it herself

Good Luck!

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

I know the princesses are actresses and I still love it I'm 22! LOL