Help! My kids know about the "Characters"

[Cinderella94]

I never thought the characters were real. Nor does/did my 7 rear old brother. We have both been to DW twice, but we have never thought they were "real" But we still love to run around and get autographs and pictures from the characters.

 

[lark]

They're not real? Thanks a lot. Crud.

Actually, someone sued disney once because the CM playing goofy did not wait until getting back stage to take off his "head." (Maybe this is an urban legend.) I think the lawsuit puttered around for a while, but was ultimately dismissed.

 

[bedgraynexl]

My DS5 asked me the other day as we were looking at our vacation photos if they were real or people in constumes. I asked him what he thought. He paused a minute, thinking and decided they were the characters. They are still real to him but as previous posters have said he is pretty observant, plus since we are in full halloween mode (he is Buzz Lightyear this year) it got him to thinking. My kids have such good imaginations that it won't matter when they know the "truth" they will still love the magic that a mouse : can provide.

It can be dissapointing to the parents but in some instances we send a double message. We want them to grow up but not lose the innocence of childhood. Of course my wife calls me her third child so maybe my kids have a chance

Gotta believe in the magic. By the way, you know the magic is real when you see it reflected in your child's eyes.

 

[NotUrsula]

... you know mom, Mickey Mouse is just a man in a costume.

See, that's where it gets interesting; because of the height, most of the time, Mickey is actually a WOMAN in a costume, which my DS (recently turned 8) thinks is absolutely hilarious.

It honestly never occurred to me that DS was supposed to think that "head" characters were really jumbo-sized non-humans. He has always known that they were costumed. He has actually always found "head" characters quite sinister, and I think that the effect would have been worse if he had thought they were anything other than grownups playing dress-up for a living.

If they have fun with the illusion, then fine; WDW is supposed to be about fun. If they can't get into it, that has an upside, too: no more long lines in the heat waiting for characters.

 

[tjevans]

We leave on Saturday for DS6's first trip to WDW. I was talking to him about meeting the characters and he said something like, "Why? They're just people in a suit." That broke my heart.

On one hand, I'd be worried if, at his age, he didn't realize that the five-foot tall rodent with a plastic head isn't really Mickey. On the other, I'm glad we won't have to spend time waiting to meet characters.

Of course, if, once he gets there, he decides he wants to meet characters, that's fine too.

 

[sleepyone]

After our first trip to WDW, my oldest dd got that look of understanding in her eye and I knew what was coming. She said, "Oh! I know how Mickey is at the MK and then later at AK". I pretended that I had no idea what she was talking about and said "Yep, just like we were at Mk and later at AK". She said that she meant there was more than.... At which point I put my hand over my ears and began repeating "Lalalalalala". She was cracking up laughing and I told her not to tell me the rest because I still believe. She is still excited to see the characters in 2006 and has planned which ones she missed the first two trips but, she still likes to try to tell me "There is more than....", or "I know how..." I'll never hear the rest of those sentences.It's a game with us now.

 

[crisi]

Instead of being sad that they are growing up, be happy that your kids are growing apace and showing the ability to use logic. I have a cousin who at 30 is not capable of anything other than childlike joy and amazement at Mickey Mouse, she can't figure out its a person in a costume. That is truly sad.

 

[liveforthemagic]

Its ok OP. I know how you feel. My DS was almost 10 this summer when we went and knew. But once they get there, away from their friends and that peer pressure of being grown up, and into all the magic, he still stood in line for autographs and pictures. He refused to do the autograph book, and instead, bought a MK football and the characters were all great about signing it. He also got into the pressed pennies and collecting those. As another poster said, he did like the rides more this time than last. And since he was older, he got to do the faster, thrill rides. And that was great to watch him experience that for the first time.

Don't worry. On the plane ride home he said he wanted to go back next year. I don't think he'll ever outgrow it.

Its bittersweet. They have to grow up. Makes me a little "sniffly". I guess our job as moms is to neither push them back into childhood, or push them forward into adulthood, but just sort of stand back and protect them and help them experience all they can at the age that they are.

That being said, I will have to be medicated when he goes off to college.

 

[AngieBelle]

One can play make-believe and love it and still understand that it's make believe. I don't remember ever thinking the characters were real, but I started getting autographs and pics at age 15 and have many favorite memories involving that.

As I've posted before, the characters may not be real in the physical sense, but they are very real in spirit, and the character performers take in that spirit and bring them to life. A really good character performer makes that character real for every guest.

I'm 24, I perform at WDW, I see characters backstage and out of character on a regular basis...and I *still* love to meet characters. Though admittedly, it takes more to impress me now because I know what a performer is capable of, and it annoys me when they don't make the effort.

To the OP, don't fret it. Just because your kids are understanding how things work doesn't mean the fantasy is gone forever! We all love to suspend our disbelief. We do it whenever we are at the movies or in the live theatre.