Easter Bunny no go. Preview of things to come?

[Mom2BCCC]

We went to an Easter Bunny Breakfast on Saturday. DD 2 1/2 would not even look at the Easter Bunny. We tried for a picture - she just shut her eyes and clung to me.

Is this a preview of our upcoming April WDW trip? She loves Mickey Mouse et al. I booked Chef Mickey's, LTT and CRT.

Has anyone had the experience of expecting their DD/DS to be thrilled with the characters only to have tears? We are doing the character dining mostly for her - our DS's are 11,9 and 7 and like the characters, but can take or leave the character dining.

 

[Kae]

I am so lucky my kids have never had a problem with any type of Charaters. but I have seen all kinds of reactions at WDW in other kids and the charaters have never thrown themselves at kids who want nothing to do with them they wave, do kinda a peek a boo thing or such. Maybe if you saw a Parade first where they are at a safe distance & it is fun with music & stuff. now I have seen parents make them get pics with the kids & they just freak, thats sad. but I also saw a little boy not want much to do with Goofy, Chip & dale hug Minnie as he left Cape May. You just never know, good luck.

Kae

 

[PatsGirl]

Maybe you should reconsider the characters and only do "face" characters like the Princesses, etc. (those that talk and have human faces, lol). I vaguely remember DS at 3 being scared of Winnie and Tigger when we did the breakfast at Park Fare way, way, back in the early 90s... if you don't care for the food and the other kids don't care either, I don't think I'd book the character meals. If your little one is scared you may be disappointed and the other kids might do/say something and the next few hours could be ruined

 

[tinkandpan]

My dd loves the characters.... until they are within touching range of her and then she freaks. We've been going since she was 6 mths old and she is now 2 1/2. I really thought this past time (esp it being her 6th or 7th time) she would love them becasue she is so into them... but she didn't want them to come anywhere near here. That being said- she still had an AWESOME time and enjoyed seeing them, waving to them but NOT HUGGING OR TOUCHING THEM AND NO PHOTOS. She was much more accepting of the princesses at Norway and all the other face characters. You just never know. Go to one and see how it goes... enjoy.

 

[Moonpie]

I grew up never getting a picture with Santa, and always crying or chickening out when visiting with fur or face characters...I still get uncomfortable. Some kids just don't like it. But that doesn't mean they won't have a good time. Sometimes walking up with an autograph book helps break the ice and ease nerves...and sometimes walking up to the characters with other children can help too. Good luck!

 

[Tricia1972]

My oldest DS has never cared for costumed Easter Bunnies or even the Face Santa in the mall. I don't think he would even sit on Santa's lap until he was FOUR!!

That being said, we went to Disney with him when he was two (in the middle of this) and he LOVED Mickey and Minnie, and all of the characters he saw on TV on a regular basis.

At that time he hadn't seen Pinocchio or Lilo and Stitch and he did not care for those characters at all.

I think you MIGHT be safe if you are going to visit characters that feel like 'old friends' from TV.

 

[Luvin*Livvy]

If she is anything like my DD (2.5) then it's probably best to watch the characters from further away. You can still do the dinning, just don't push it!

My daughter was PETRIFIED of Santa and the Easter Bunny before our trip last year......and then was the same in WDW. She FREAKED...EXCEPT WITH MICKEY (see siggy). She hated everyone else...even Minnie!

We didn't do any character dinning with her last time (she was 2 weeks shy of 2 last time) this time I booked Chef Mickey (she is 2 mths shy of 3), and we are just going to try it, and see how she does..and not push it! She already made a list of who she will take pictures with and who is a NO-NO!!!
I'd be shocked if we get any, except Mickey again!

GOOD LUCK!

 

[ScuttleMeTimbers]

My DS has never cared for the Easter Bunny. But ever since our first trip to DL when he was 18 months, he has loved the Disney characters. My advice is for the first couple that you visit be sure to pick your little one up so they can be face to face with the character. Let them watch other kids with the character before approaching. You'll be able to gauge exactly how they'll react if you take it slow. Good luck!

 

[debit34]

This was a huge concern of mine for our May 2007 trip. It was my dd's (then age 2) first trip to Disney. She has never been interested in seeing the Easter Bunny or Santa so I was really concerned. She had also cried last Easter when the Easter bunny tried to come near her.

I started pumping her full of Disney movies and talking about characters constantly. I showed her pictures of kids hugging the characters here on the disboards. All of this worked because our first day she went right up to Chip and Dale and hugged them and posed for a picture. I was so shocked that I teared up!! I had to go by her cue because there were certain days/times where she wasn't interested (even cried one time with Pooh when I tried to force her) so if she's not interested then we don't do it and all is fine. Second trip in Dec 07 was spent chasing characters all around the park but still NO visit to Santa. She says she will see the Easter Bunny but we'll see.

Hope this helps some - Good luck!

 

[Pumbaa_]

Neither one of my nieces would do Santa or the Easter bunny, but they did like the Disney characters, especially pooh and friends and mickey. Was not a fan of rafiki at all!

You won't know til you get there and give it a shot.