How do characters handle awkward questions from kids?

[ruthies12]

For example- if we manage to do the 2 hour wait and meet Elsa and Anna, I know my 5-year-old is going to ask Elsa to demonstrate her ice powers. My DD truly believes in these characters wholeheartedly. I'm just wondering if Elsa has a planned response to that so my DD doesn't think it might not be the same Elsa from the movie?

I'm also a little concerned because she is planning on looking for the fairy godmother and seeing if she can grant ice powers, she also plans to ask tinkerbell to give her some pixie dust so she can fly around the castle while we are there. Not really sure how to tamper these expectations down a bit without ruining the magic................

 

[Spork24]

A.Your daughter sounds awesome B. I wouldn't worry about it, the characters are great and get curve balls all the time and rarely get stumped. I bet Elsa gets that question 20 times a day.

 

[LSUfan4444]

They stay in character and answer them as best they can. Sometimes, they just change the subject or opt for a hug or prompt a picture.

I love when you get an honest reaction from a CM/princess.

One of my favorite pictures of my daughter at WDW was almost two years ago when she met Cinderella. I forgot exactly what she asked her, but the smile/laugh on Cinderella's face was just pure.

Just last week, my daughter was so excited to bring a special present to Jessie. She knew Jessie liked Buzz, so she colored a picture of Buzz to give to Jessie. here is Jessies reaction. Now, you can tell Woody's reaction is kinda of scripted, and so is Jessie's to a degree....but you can also see some genuine softness in Jessie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoQlKZnPlFs

 

[bc7ate9]

I bet they get questions like that a million times a day and have cute, canned responses all ready to go. You should make note of them so you can share them on here!

I'm 33 and still capable of asking them awkward questions, I guess - when I met Ariel in September, she said, "Oh, you must be so excited to be meeting a mermaid for the first time! Do you have any questions for me?" I asked the first thing that happened to pop in my head: "Do mermaids eat tuna fish?" The look of sheer horror and disgust she gave me made me realize I basically just asked her if she was a cannibal...My husband wanted to ask her if mermaids give live birth like humans or lay eggs like fish, but decided my dumb questions were plenty for both of us.

 

[summermac]

I would guess they have some predetermined answers to many odd questions. I imagine Elsa will tell her something about not wanting to freeze all of Epcot and "ruin" vacations perhaps....

 

[summermac]

My then 5 year old son ask Cinderella to marry him to which she replied, "I already have my Prince" and then promptly planted a big ole kiss (with lipstick) on his cheek.

 

[ucfknight]

I'm 33 and still capable of asking them awkward questions, I guess - when I met Ariel in September, she said, "Oh, you must be so excited to be meeting a mermaid for the first time! Do you have any questions for me?" I asked the first thing that happened to pop in my head: "Do mermaids eat tuna fish?" The look of sheer horror and disgust she gave me made me realize I basically just asked her if she was a cannibal...My husband wanted to ask her if mermaids give live birth like humans or lay eggs like fish, but decided my dumb questions were plenty for both of us.

That doesn't sound like a silly question at all. And why would a mermaid eating fish be cannibalism?

We humans, as mammals, eat other mammals. It isn't cannibalism.

Many fish eat other fish. Tuna are very high up the food chain as they are one of the top predators in the sea. As the top of the ocean food chain, I would fully expect mermaids to have tuna on their menu.

 

[bc7ate9]

Good point! After Ariel recovered from what she obviously considered a ridiculous question, she explained to me that humans would be surprised to learn how many things can be made from seaweed. Maybe mermaids are vegetarians?

 

[GAGirlInVA]

With grace, dignity and quick wit!

I can't remember anything that my children asked specifically... I do remember Aurora asking what village our family was from and then she said she had never heard of Virginia. Our 4 year old (then) said we had flown on airplane and that it was her first time. Aurora replied she had never even heard of an airplane but would ask Belle if maybe there was one in her books. Then my oldest suggested that she should ask Jasmine, because it is more like a magic carpet than Belle's wagon!


They characters were extremely witty with my husband and I on our anniversary trip.

Snow White noticed that my anniversary pin said "7" and she started clapping and getting excited and said that it was her "very favorite number." We had a good bit of witty banter with the step sisters when they saw my Cinderella pin and suggested she had inhaled too much when scrubbing the floors with bleach.

And Fantasmic Mickey nearly kidnapped our youngest. Character interactions are our favorite!

 

[ucfknight]

Maybe mermaids are vegetarians?

Maybe that explains Ariel's 14 inch waist.
A diet of only seaweed would do that to a poor girl.

 

[smitch425]

They have an answer for everything! They are excellent at staying in character. When DS was younger, he told Tiana and Naveen that he has their Wii game and that he could "play them as frogs". They were shocked and wanted to know what video games were. He proceeded to tell them the entire history of video game systems and how they work. I don't think they expected that much knowledge to come out of a small child. It was the funniest, best interaction ever in all 7 of our trip so far.

 

[sigmasal]

LOL, my daughter is planning to ask Elsa the very same thing! I told her I didn't think Elsa could freeze up Epcot but she could ask!
My husband and I had a great interaction on our honeymoon with Minnie and Mickey. While waiting in line, it came up with one of the CM's that it was our honeymoon. When it was our turn, the CM told Mickey and Minnie that it was our honeymoon and they started jumping up and down and clapping for us or something to that effect. My husband asked Mickey when was he going to settle down and marry Minnie (very out of character for my hubby and this was our first trip EVER to Disney)...Mickey looked at Minnie, Minnie put her hands on her hips and cocked her head like, "Yeah, buddy, when?" She started tapping her high heel. Mickey ducked out of her way and then she began chasing him around the gazebo. It was hilarious. Everyone around was laughing. It was so much fun.

 

[sigmasal]

Loving everyone's stories of character interactions, by the way! So fun!

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Character interactions are priceless especially when you ask questions - you never know what they'll say but somehow it's always perfect!

Ariel does eat a lot of seaweed - Tiana will tell you she makes Ariel a special seaweed gumbo! Once Tiana (who had nothing to do with it according to her) and Naveen told us a funny story about how he tried to set the frogs in AK free (who let the frogs out...)

Aladdin told us a story about how he and Genie tried to teach Jasmine camel tipping (she's not very good at it apparently). Jasmine often asks us if we have our own flying carpet to get down to see them

Snow White was once fascinated by DDs glasses having never seen anything like them before.

Just too much fun!!!

Today DH asked Elsa and Anna if they'd like to build a snowman. Elsa told him he needed to ask properly so she knocked on the wall (like Anna did on the door in the movie) and DH sort of sang the line to her - priceless. That lead to a discussion on ice skating in their courtyard - why have a courtyard with no ice - to which I replied - why have a ballroom with no balls. We had a lot of fun! Then they and DD using their hands "built" a snowman for the pictures.

 

[surferdave]

I think I caught Lady Tremaine off guard in October. I asked her if she had put any more husbands in the ground; she stared blankly back at me for a few seconds and then snorted off.

 

[ruthies12]

These are great stories! Hopefully I'll get some good ones to share. We head down Saturday! (assuming our plane isn't delayed since they are now predicting blowing snow just my luck). I'll have to come back and post how the responses go. Thanks everyone!

 

[Jennasis]

Sometimes the characters stump ME! When Dh and I wandered up to the China pavilion in Epcot and found Mulan just hanging out in front of a practically empty pavilion we were thrilled! We never wait to meet characters...but she was just standing there with no one around. So I asked her for her autograph and a picture.

She then asked me if I had met my husband in the army...I went blank. All I could think of was why would this CM care about where I met my DH?? "No" I said, dumbfounded. "But we did meet at work." Then I went on to explain how we met at the news station we both worked at, like I would tell one of my regular friends. She listened politely and then said "I met my husband in the army."

With no kids around I guess I wasn't expecting her to hold character.

 

[MommaBarb]

My favorite character interactions were last year with Peter Pan and Alice. Peter Pan had just been rereleased on DVD and my DD4 was obsessed with it. She was so excited to meet Peter she very nearly bowled him over - literally.

And then when we met Alice, DD4 was also SO proud of her new Perry "lunchbox" from the American pavilion. Alice insisted on seeing it, so DD showed it to her, but it was empty and Alice told her it had to be called a nothing box, but then picked her a flower from the garden and put it in there for her. We still have the flower somewhere.

 

[jelloarms]

I am trying to convince my sister to ask Ariel questions regarding her early 90s TV show to see if we throw her off guard. It was an awesome show but not many people remember it. Like what is Evil Manta up to these days? Or Lucky the Bad Luck Creature?

I am way too chicken to try this myself

 

[MomofIndigo]

I cant wait for this next week to see what Indigo will say or ask.

The first time she ever met Cinderella she was 2. She would not walk up to her. Either she was enamored or frightened or both. But she just kept pointing and not using her words so Cinderella had to guess. Cinderella pointed to her dress, her necklace, her crown and each time Indigo got closer and closer. Finally when she was close we figured out that she was intrigued by her red lips (I do not wear bright lipstick only lip balm). Then Cinderella did the most horrid thing and kissed her on the cheek. Indigo came running to DH and I and loudly tattled "Cinderella got me red!!" It. was.hilarious. Cinderella lost it and just whispered that it keeps Lucifer away.