Going to Disney with a scary child......

[ytweedy]

My dd is 4 and is in that "scary phase"

I know she will do well with the princesses but I know the characters with the big heads will not fare well

Anyway to prepare a child so that they will not be sooo scared and will not be the one on the news runny for her life from the characters?

Help?

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I just got back from a weekend trip w/my SIL, BIL, & their two little ones (almost 4 & just-turned 6). Both boys wanted nothing to do with the characters, the 6 yr old was now afraid of Star Tours (loved it last year), and was even too scared to go on Buzz Lightyear. So we concentrated on stuff that they liked to do.

If she's afraid of the characters now, I recommend letting her see them from a distance & don't push her. We were finally able to get a pic of the 6 yr old w/my son between him & the character, but could never get the little one near them, even by Wendy. It made for much less stress on us when we didn't concentrate on them.

 

[Disneymooners93]

DS and DD were a little younger when we started trying to do Disney characters. Snow White was absolutely DD favorite and talked all the time about how she was going to meet her!! When the moment came she froze, scared to death.

We ended up getting autograph books. The kids didn't have to get hugs or pictures, but had to give them the books. After a couple of characters they started getting more used to them and moved in closer each time. Now that is all they want to do.

 

[RADOPT]

If you want pictures with the character but your little one is there are some small statues - not the same but they make cute pictures.

 

[cinderella_mom]

My DD(almost)5 has been going to DLR since she was one and was very afraid of the characters, but many times she wasn't interested in them. She didn't want to see the characters, especially since you have to wait in line. I'd say the best thing to do is point out characters from a distance and ask her if she'd like to meet the character.

Another possibility if your really aiming for a princess picture with your DD is to go to Aladdin's Storytime in Adventureland. They do a 15 minute version of Aladdin with a bit of audience participation. The little kids can sit on pillows in front and when the show is over, Jasmine and Aladdin stay around for pictures. This might make her more comfortable.

 

[dondiego]

Our littlest one was also intimidated by the "big head" creatures like The Beast, Jafar and even Mickey. We just followed his lead and let him know that he did not have to interact with the characters. Strangely, when he saw Minnie for the first time, he gave her a hug! That was the only character he interacted with during his first trip.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

We're watching Disney movies to get the kids familiar with the characters they will (hopefully) be seeing. DS1's gym teacher gave us an old video that shows kids and characters singing, dancing and playing in DL, and we just received the vacation planning DVD, which the kids enjoyed very much. DS1 recognizes "Ma Moushe" (Mickey) and Pooh, and hopefully a handful of other characters he smiles at but doesn't call by name yet. DS5 is really excited about going, meeting the characters and going on the attractions. (Though in watching the DVD, he asked worriedly, "Do you have to go through dark tunnels?")

Once we're face to face, it's the same idea as with Santa, right? Take it slow, let them approach the character. The autograph book seems to be a major ice breaker, I've heard. If the younger one is afraid, let the kids go up together. DS1 was much braver with Santa with his big brother next to him. I saw an awesome Santa photo once where the child sat in Santa's chair, and (unbeknownst to the child) Santa leaned on the chair from behind. It was such a beautiful picture, and definitely much better than the teary ones I got when my eldest was younger.

And why am I talking about Santa? Because we're 12 days away from our first Disneyland trip! So I'll let you know how it all works out for us...

 

[amw]

We ended up getting autograph books. The kids didn't have to get hugs or pictures, but had to give them the books. After a couple of characters they started getting more used to them and moved in closer each time. Now that is all they want to do.

That's exactly what I did for my "scared" DD3 on the last trip. She never liked characters anywhere we went -- local amusement park, mall shows, etc. I showed her the Disneyland Sing-ALong video so she knew the characters were big. I bought autograph books at the Dollar Store for her and her non-scared sister. I explained to her that she didn't have to hug or talk to the characters -- just show them her autograph book and pose for a picture. Sure enough, the very first character she saw, she walked right up to and did as mentioned with no fear. She got really good at marching up to characters with her book open and pen at the ready. Once they signed, she'd say "now smile."

I'm glad the books got her over her fear as now she has a great souvenir.

There were still 2 characters that really frightened her -- Captain Hook, and the monkey/ape from Jungle Book (?). We just stayed away from those.

Gage how your child is with characters at the parks before booking Character meals. There's nothing worse than shelling out a ton of $$$ when your child hides under the table. That's what I did when I was little.

 

[caitlin]

Try to show her pictures of the characters and the little kids with the characters.

dlandandfriends.com has some good ones.

 

[SunshineOR]

We took our 3 year old during her "scared" phase not long after Halloween was a major incident. We prepped her a lot before we left about how there would be characters and they're all fake and pretend. We even told her they're just people dressed up. She never had a problem with characters we met in the park or saw in the parades as they weren't acting scary but were just being nice. She could even handle all the rides because she could tell things were fake. The only things that got to her were the shows. It was the music, the reality, and the way they were being scary that got her. She made it through them all without a major breakdown, but had to be on our laps!