How do YOU explain to your child why...

[jcamacam]

...the characters don't talk when you're down in Disney World? We went last September 2004 when my son was 3 years old. He had just gotten over a cold right before we left and when he said to me "Hey, wait a minute. Why isn't Mickey talking?"

Well I thought I was soooooo clever by saying "Remember when you didn't feel good last week and had a sore throat? I think Mickey probably has a sore throat too." Of course this led to another question about why the OTHER characters weren't talking either. Anyway, we got through that trip with him thinking there was some kind of virus going around causing all of the characters to have a sore throat.

Never in a million years did I think he would remember it but, we leave this Saturday to go down and he just said to me the other day "Boy, I sure hope Mickey doesn't have a sore throat this time."

Have any of your kids asked this question and, if so, how did you respond?

 

[PatricenPete]

I have read here that people sometimes say things like, "If Mickey talked to ALL the boys and girls that come visit him, he would lose his voice, so he can't talk to anyone!" It seems to satisfy the little ones and it is definitely the explanation I plan on giving DS when he gets old enough to start asking.......

 

[jcamacam]

Great suggestion! thank you! I'll try that out this weekend...

 

[CarnotaurDad]

I believe we are in the complete minority, but with our DD (now 5) she always knew they were characters and had no problem with them not talking, being larger than life, etc.

She has her own special magic with the characters that does not interfere with her own knowledge that they are not real.

Every child is different and reacts differently, but ours had no issue with understanding that they are characters but still magical.

Hope that helps!

 

[glass slipper girl]

My explanation is that Mickey needs "movie magic" to use his voice. Since when we meet him @ Chef Mickey's we're not in a movie so he doesn't have his "movie magic." DS asked how come he can talk in the Share a Dream parade (hearing his voice). DH told him that Mickey is in "that bubble" because there is Movie Magic in the bubble. :lol

 

[POB14]

Maybe I'm just a big grinch, but I just told DD4 and DD6 that they were people in costumes

Didn't bother them a bit . . . DD4 still says her favorite part of the trip was meeting the characters!

 

[sskem96]

I've also always told my kids that they are people in costumes. I never realized any kids thought they were real. My kids still love seeing them. After all, I know they're just people in costumes and I still get excited and feel the magic, so why wouldn't the kids? I guess I told them when they were really little because they were scared of them. Once they realized it was a normal sized person dressed up, they were ok. They know they don't talk because the person in the costume wouldn't really sound like the character and the magic would be lost. They also know that most of the santas we see at the mall are really just Santa's helpers who report back to the REAL Santa because he's busy overseeing what's going on at the north pole and can't be in every mall in america at the same time. How else do you explain why Santa's always different everytime you see him? That's what I believe anyway!