From Miss 5: "Is Mickey Mouse Real"

[kylieh]

How do I answer these questions. She knows that they "live" in DL, but look a bit "wooden". However, Cinderella, Snow White and other faces are all "real" and have real Princes.

We let her know that Mickey, Donald, et al are characters and leave it at that. Both DH and I feels she wants the truth about Mickey and other non-face characters, but we know that it would devistate her.

Any ideas?

PS - Fairies visit her most nights. She has a fairy hotel made from a shoe box where they can sleep over if they get tired.

 

[SammieG]

i always turn the question back to my son when he asks me...

DS6 "is pooh bear real.. or is there someone inside?"
"what do you think?"
DS6"hmm i think he is real but there is a zip on his back"
"why do you think that is?"
DS6 "maybe he gets hot"..

end of conversation...

we have had many conversations like that. I think a lot of children want to believe but suspect that the characters are not real....
my experieince is let them believe what they want to...they work it out for themselves in the end.. you dont need to tell them...
(same with Santa i think )

 

[MSSANDRA]

I agree to turn the question back to them but I also believe when they absolutly insist on the truth, it is time to tell them. That is also my thinking on Santa. By 5 or 6, most kids are starting to doubt that there could be a six foot talking mouse. Trying to insist that there is can not be a good thing. That is one reason we regret not taking DS to WDW as a toddler when most kids do totaly believe in the magic. DS however told the dentist (at not quite three) that the idea of the tooth fairy was totaly rediculous. He never believed that the characters were real (per him as he got older and we discussed it), HOWEVER he has always enjoyed the magic and at 15 still LOVES WDW.

 

[bopper]

I don't think if SHE is asking, it would devastate her. That said, I would turn it around like others say.

"How about we go meet Mickey and you tell me what you think."

 

[scouthawkk]

On our trip in October last year, DS5 saw a gap between Piglet's head and body. He asked me if Piglet was real, I asked him what he thought. His answer was that he didn't think that one was, and then pointed out the gap (I hadn't noticed, so he has good eyes). He said that he thought that one was just someone in a costume. I asked if that was OK (meaning that he hadn't just met the "real" Piglet), he said yes, because the real Piglet probably just need a break, and this nice person was trying to help out. I made sure he didn't say anything too loud, or to any of the other kids around...but I did mention it to a CM at the restaruant. Next time Piglet came out, he was properly put together...

 

[wardfamily1]

My DD asked if 6 foot Mickey was real when she was 4. I said of course, he's a real character. She asked what that meant. I told her "Well, he's not a cartoon and he's not a human, he's just a character."
She has been fine with that answer and hasn't questioned it, she's now 7. I'm sure she knows now but doesn't want to ruin the magic for her little brother who's 3.

 

[27yroldStitchFan]

Hey all,
I don't know if this helps, but maybe it will.
My father, who I lovingly call the Old Man, addresses issues like this with a tact he usually lacks.

When questions about Santa, Easter Bunny, and other "costumed" creatures came up, my father's response was pretty eloquent. He would simply say, "Of course they are real... in every way that matters, the feelings that they give you are real and they are carried with you." When it came to Santa, my father, who always said he was never good with us as kids (little does he know he was), will say , even now as his children are in their 20's and 30's, "Of course he is real... he gives me the inspiration to go out and buy for my loved ones... is anything more real than that? Flesh and bone can't accomplish what inspiration always does... and the spirit he provides is vital to the season... there's nothing more real."

I hope this helps... if not, I hope I did not waste anyone's time.... I sometimes think my posts with advice are "throw away" posts, because I pull only from my own experiences, but I hope this helps someone.

Take care,
J. - the Stitch fan

 

[liznboys]

J.- I think that is a wonderful way to think of it.

My kids believe in Santa, etc... But they know that the characters at the parks are people in costumes. My 2nd son was really scared of them when he was a toddler/preschooler, and my older son was asking questions like why Mickey never blinked. LOL So we decided to tell the truth.

But, they also know that part of the fun of going to WDW is pretending and letting our imaginations soar, just as any older child or adullt does/would do.

This works great for us!

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

I wonder what I'll say to my 4 year old daughter about why she'll see 4 Jasmines or Belles on her trip and they all look completely different. Our last visit in December of 2006 she was too young to notice, but this year she will certainly wonder why there are so many princesses! I want to be honest, but I also want to preserve that magic of believing in her for as long as possible.

 

[rwrocksme]

Tell her that they exist in two places: Disney and her imagination, and that since those places are real, then they must be too!

 

[fakereadhed]

I always told my kids, "It's only real for those that believe it is". Most of their questions were because other kids said things weren't real. They felt ok because the doubters were missing out on magic that was only for the real believers. When other kids would bug them they'd say "It's real to me."

 

[nascar-j]

Wow,, There are a lot of great suggestions here. My DS10 is still pretty immature... Santa is still real and so are most of the Disney "people"... 2 years ago on our last trip to WDW he noticed some of the obvious costume issues on some of the characters... He pointed out to me that "those aren't the 'real' Mickey/Chip and Dale/or whoever" But he absolutely knew there is a "real" whomever...
We are going back in March and I'm wondering how he'll respond now... The last year when he isn't quite sure, he'll ask us, "Is that real?"... We've used the question response and the "he's a real character" responses and they work well.

j

 

[Cinders Mum]

Our DD also saw piglet's zipper and was outraged that someone was doing such a bad job at pretending to be piglet, and if he knew he'd be angry too. LOL

To be honest, she knew probably since she was 8/9 that there was some human assistance, but has been happy to still mess about and get her photo taken with them ever since.

I agree with turning the questions back round when the children ask, besides it gives you such a wonderful insight as to how their logic works, and that always fascinates and inspires me.

Val
xx

 

[kylieh]

I'm thanking everyone for their answers, there is a lot of good suggestions - I've put them to good use already.

Just before dinner DD asked if Captain Hook was real. I asked her what she thought, and she said yes. 5 minutes later she asked "Is he really mean", again I asked her thoughts and she said "only in the books, I bet in real life he will be nice to me and all the kids!" I haven't met Hook before, so I did mention to her that we won't know until we get to DL - he might be playing as his book character!

 

[27yroldStitchFan]

Excellent! I'm glad this is helping... by the way, Captain Hook is only really mean if you happen to be over 25 and make it a point to make tick tock sounds while you stand next to him.... well, even then, it was a usual Disney playful "mean." The usual jumping and the like, then "realizing" it was the person next to him and shaking his hook at them. Very funny.

Like I had to bow to Jafar to get his autograph.

And I still get my picture with Stitch.

As my wife and I are planning on having children, please tell me that this doesn't mean I don't get to pose with the "real characters," too.

 

[Miz Diz]

Do you really think she would be devastated?

I just asked my DS6 if he thinks Mickey Mouse is real and he said, "What do you think?"

 

[chip007]

This question reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit. They're real forever if children really, really love them.