Help! Possible magical evaporation alert!

[kpk89]

How do/did you all handle it when your kids start asking things like "Mickey Mouse isn't REAL, right?" My 6 yr old ds seems to be getting a touch of this affliction. I want to be truthful, but only in the most vague way so as to maintain the magic. Anyone have some good lines they've used?

(Meanwhile my dd2 is proclaiming everything "magical," from the butterflies we hatched to the PB&J I made for lunch!) So I guess it comes out even.

 

[Iluvthemouse]

I have a 6 yr old who just recently started saying so and so "isnt real, its just someone dressed up in a costume". She hasnt done that with tooth fairy, Santa or Easter Bunny yet, thank goodness but she knows Mickey is someone dressed up in a costume. They are smarter than we think. I have no idea how she has come to know this but she knows.

 

[jenndisney]

Even though they know, there is still magic. Don't you get a chill when you walk in to WDW? I cry when I see the castle the first time... Our children are smart and they will find the magic in so many places.

 

[my3princes]

My kids have always known that they are people in costumes, but they still love to meet them and have a Magical Time. They believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy, but they always tell me that the ones we meet aren't the real ones they are just people in costume. LOL Anyway I am honest and we didn't lose the magic.

 

[abca]

Last year, when my DS was 5, he figured it out for himself. We were at a character breakfast and I caught him staring and studying the characters as they went to other tables. When I asked him what he was doing, he whispered "Mommy, that's not the real Donald Duck." I asked him how he knew and he told me that he could see the see the seams in his stockings! He then pointed to Goofy and said "That's not the real Goofy. I can see up under his head in the back!"

He knows they aren't real, but he still has a great time at WDW and finds the "magic" in other things!

 

[moopdog]

There was a LONG and it ended up getting kind of heated thread about this months ago... you might want to search for it, but beware it gets ugly (something about a teacher who told the kids the "truth").

Anyway... my opinion is the same as the others, they probably will know and it will still be magical anyway! I personally had a hard time pretending that they were real to my 4 year old, but my with my 2 year old it doesn't bother me so much for some reason. I guess it's just ridiculous to believe a child older than 4 or 5 is going to accept a 6 foot mouse that wears clothing is real, you know?!

My 4 year old son has already asked and I said "no, but it's still fun to pretend they're real isn't it"... and he says "YEAH!".

 

[kpk89]

I think I saw that thread a while back --- it is pretty stinky that the teacher "outed" the magic (as I recall, it was sort of spiteful over the fact the parents were taking the kids out of school to go to WDW)

Anyway, I was trying to think about my son's definition of "real" vs mine. I think he was probably not disputing that the characters are real *somewhere," but instead (like other people's kids on this thread) that the ones you meet at Disney are not necessary "THE" real ones. He actually pointed out today that "the JoJo on TV looks like clay, but the real one looks kinda furry."

You're absolutely right -- there's no reason to think that Disney will be "ruined" for us because the kids know it's somebody in costume.

 

[highland3]

Our DD (almost 9) knew when we went to WDW in March that the characters weren't real and were just costumes. BUT... when we got there, she went crazy for the characters... meeting them, seeing them, and of course getting their autographs. She was more excited about meeting characters that DS (5).

 

[penchris]

My DS6 knows the difference between reality and make-believe...and has been clued into Santa, Easter Bunny, etc. by his 13yo sister for some time now. He is highly imaginative though, and passed on some of his "old soul" wisdom to me ...."Mommy, magic things happen in your heart and that's where they are real at". (One of those moments to make a mother choke up)

I wouldn't worry at all if your child is starting to see things in a different light. One of the greatest gifts a parent can pass on is the example of how to see....and still believe.

 

[firemouse]

Well we tell the kids the truth, but we can beat around the bush a bit getting there..... Here is a great idea my wife has, when our kids ask about about something we don't want them to know or understand yet (Santa, Tooth Fairy or whatever) we answer ,"Hmmm, so what do you think about that?" This get the kids off the subject and allows them to answer their own question, usually it is not right and they want the magic too. LOL!
Eric

 

[tink&cinderella]

My dd just turned 7 on July 20th. She believes everything at Disney World is real. She questionned once this past April when she saw the Wolf wearing gloves and asked about it. I turned it back to her and asked why she thought the wolf was wearing gloves. She replied it must be so he does not hurt the children with his claws.

Equally so she asked about why Mickey and Minney etc do not talk. She then came up with her own solution that they would likely loose their voice if they had to speak to all the children all day long.

I haven't corrected her or told her they are not real. She loves Disney, believes in Santa, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy - I hope it lasts a bit longer

We're off to Disney again next Friday and are going with a friend who is bringing her 11 year old son and 9 year old nephew. Hope they don't ruin it for my daughter.

 

[Disney_1derland]

I have a different take on this. When this happens in our house we will have a little 'secret' presentation with our eldest child. I will make her a certificate and a letter from Mickey Mouse inviting her to the 'magic makers' club. We will make her the secret keeper of the magic and tell her that her new job is to believe in the magic and to help create it. That even though she is old enough to know that the characters aren't the 'real' mickey, minnie, etc that it would be best not to tell other little kids who should believe as long as possible and that it's her job to help keep them believing.

We did this with a friend's son and it really helped his transition to 'knowing' the secret of the characters.

 

[Dreamer04]

I have a different take on this. When this happens in our house we will have a little 'secret' presentation with our eldest child. I will make her a certificate and a letter from Mickey Mouse inviting her to the 'magic makers' club. We will make her the secret keeper of the magic and tell her that her new job is to believe in the magic and to help create it. That even though she is old enough to know that the characters aren't the 'real' mickey, minnie, etc that it would be best not to tell other little kids who should believe as long as possible and that it's her job to help keep them believing.

We did this with a friend's son and it really helped his transition to 'knowing' the secret of the characters.

This is lovely.

My dd8 knows the difference, too. But, it doesn't take away from the magic and fun. She has learned from me to interact with the characters and that really adds to the experience.

This past February, we were on the Disney Magic. She had a sunburn on the morining of the big character autograph session. She looked sad. Mickey was the first one, of course. I told Mickey that she was not feeling well and explained about the sunburn. He motioned that she sholuld get lots of sleep and drink lots of water. She loved that! Mickey cared!

It gets better. Two days later, we were taking pictures with Mickey. He motioned, by touching his shoulders and such, asking about her sunburn. Mickey remembered her!!

She still talks about it. The ship offers interaction that is sometimes hard to get in the parks.


That said, the characters are part of the experience and I believe in them, too.

Ursula

 

[meandtheguys2]

I have a different take on this. When this happens in our house we will have a little 'secret' presentation with our eldest child. I will make her a certificate and a letter from Mickey Mouse inviting her to the 'magic makers' club. We will make her the secret keeper of the magic and tell her that her new job is to believe in the magic and to help create it. That even though she is old enough to know that the characters aren't the 'real' mickey, minnie, etc that it would be best not to tell other little kids who should believe as long as possible and that it's her job to help keep them believing.

We did this with a friend's son and it really helped his transition to 'knowing' the secret of the characters.

That is a lovely idea!