No Characters Please

[estherhead]

I have a 2.5 year old who is terrified of characters. Last year we did one character meal (Tusker House) not knowing she was so scared. We took her to Busch Gardens and she met the Sesame Street characters. She wouldn't let them touch her but she was ok dancing with them. Well, this weekend she freaked completely out at tailgating as the Little Caesar guy walked by. Now, granted, I think he is a little scary.

Here's the issue. In November we have reservations at Crystal Palace. The rest of my family says it's unfair for them to miss out on such a special meal (our very first day) because of the toddler's fear. So they have come up with a plan. They want to block her against the wall (we'll ask to be put somewhere with a wall) between her dad & I so no character can touch her. And then put a big sign on her that says, "No Characters."

Do you think this will work? Will characters really stay away from her? Has anyone tried something similar? Because if not I think I'll just eat, just her & I, at a counter service place while we wait for the family. Or maybe try to get just a two person ressie somewhere else in MK.

 

[snoopy5386]

if she really is terrified, I would eat somewhere else. They will still come to your table, the table next to yours, etc. There is also no guarantee they'll have a table for your party size near a wall.

 

[estherhead]

Thanks, snoopy. As soon as I typed it, I decided to try to get a ressie somewhere else. I got the Plaza for just her & I. We'll see. We'll keep trying with the local team mascot and see if I'm holding her if she'll feel safe.

I've never had this problem before so it's hard for me to work around. It seems like everywhere we go this year there are people dressed up who are scary. I'm sure they're always there, I've just never noticed before.

I've eaten at the Crystal Palace before so it won't be the end of the world if I miss it. I just will miss the big girls enjoying themselves. But it won't be worth it if she's super scared.

 

[amyhumphrey]

I hope I don't have the same problem with my son good luck

 

[erin327]

We didn't have a sign, but my then 22 month old was (and still is) terrified of the characters. We always asked when we checked in if we could be placed by a wall or somewhere sort of out of the way. We were willing to wait a little while longer. The restaurants were able to accommodate us on that. I'm not sure how much it helped. The characters would still try to approach her and talk to her. Even just to see them in the restaurant she was unhappy. When they would move around, even not near us, it would upset her greatly. She was always afraid they were coming near her. When they approached our table, again terror. You know your child best, but I know that a few feet of distance would not make any difference for my daughter. Being in the room with the characters would make her not have any fun.

 

[AirGoofy]

When my youngest (DD) was your child's age, she too was scared of the characters. We were really worried, because we did not want the oldest to miss out. We took her to the princesses (now Pixie Hollow), she saw Snow White, her favorite princess, and ran in front of everyone else in line to hug her. Everyone smiled After that, she was fine with all the Disney characters except Buzz Light Year and Stitch. Those were the only two that she had to be held when they were around, but she was fine with all the others. Not sure if this helps . . . it just happened and we got lucky.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I was told by a CM that you can wave off the characters if you have freaked out kids.

We booked Ohana for our spring break trip and DS had never been around characters, so I wasn't sure how he'd react. The gal on the phone said you can kind of wave them off as they come over. You can also put the kids in the middle or end of the table, so they're not as accessible.

If it's a huge problem I vote to scrap the character meal. It's not fair to the rest of your party if you've got a hyperventilating kiddo AND it's not fair to your little one to put them in that situation.

Best of luck.

 

[estherhead]

When my youngest (DD) was your child's age, she too was scared of the characters. We were really worried, because we did not want the oldest to miss out. We took her to the princesses (now Pixie Hollow), she saw Snow White, her favorite princess, and ran in front of everyone else in line to hug her. Everyone smiled After that, she was fine with all the Disney characters except Buzz Light Year and Stitch. Those were the only two that she had to be held when they were around, but she was fine with all the others. Not sure if this helps . . . it just happened and we got lucky.

Hmmm, this is interesting. We are also going to Akershus but I figured with Princesses she would be fine (if not enthusiastic.) But we are doing that our last day. Maybe I should switch these two meals.

We went to Pixie Hollow last year but it was after she freaked out at Tusker House so we left her outside with her daddy while just the big girls & I went. We also went to see the Bolt characters but she LOVES puppy dogs so she was basically ok. When we asked if she wanted to give Bolt a hug she shook her head no, but I have a cute photo of her in her Ergo with Bolt so she got close enough to get a photo.

And, like I said, she was basically okay with the Sesame Street characters this summer. We did the hokie pokie with Zoe, Elmo, and Abby Kadabby. She hokie pokied no problem. It wasn't until Abby bent down and put her hand out that she starting freaking out. "No touching me!"

I think I'll just keep my two ressies (don't worry, I'll cancel if I don't use mine) and make the call that morning as to whether she can handle it or not. It's not until 1:00 pm so maybe we'll go to Judge's tent at some point and see how close she'll get to Mickey Mouse before I ruin a whole meal.

I'm glad to see others struggle with this!

 

[Disneychix]

OP: If you keep the ADR for all of you and plan on dining there later in your trip you can judge how she will react. Maybe she will warm up to the character a bit and be ok. I would keep both ADRs and just have your family show up without you 2 if you really think it will be a problem.

I'm not sure how good a sign will be since the characters don't come around with handlers. I'm not sure they would see a sign clearly.

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

A couple of things -

First - we ate at Crystal Palace when my son was about 2.5 and scared of the "big head" characters - We were in a table in the middle, but sat in on the opposite side from where the characters would approach - he was willing to wave, but we just told the characters that he didn't want hugs or anything and they were fine. My daughter (4) sat on the "near" side of the table and got plenty of interaction. It just depends on how close you think the characters could get without freaking your child out (mine felt pretty protected by the great big table.)

Second - You may find that your daughter is fine with "face" characters (real people who talk) and will NOT like "big heads." I think by the next year my son was FINE with all of them, but when he was two he definitely needed a buffer. I'm certain that most of the characters understand that and are accommodating.

Hope that helps.

 

[Manda]

My son is scared of characters, too. We took my niece with us one year, so we did a few character meals anyway (CP, O'hana), so that she'd get a chance. My son sat next to me and any time a character approached, he'd back up kinda behind me. The characters seemed to read that body language pretty well and they'd just wave at him from across the table and then talk and pose with my niece. A couple characters sorta made gestures to me like they were asking me if I wanted them to try to coax him out or something and I just shook my head no, so they'd know it was okay to move on. It still made him really jumpy though - and he was 4. I don't know that I'd purposely do that to a younger kid. DS was old enough to understand when we talked about before hand that this was something that we needed to do special for his cousin and that he could hide behind me or we could even leave if he really needed to. I guess my point though is that the characters and their handlers are pretty good at reading little kid body language and staying away from the scared ones.

 

[PA Princess]

I think the Disney characters from our experience at the meals are really super at about dealing with kids who are more fearful.

We have 4 kids and our 3rd was very afraid of the costumed characters from age 3-5. With three other kids, we did not want to completely avoid the meals, so we did go...though we were completely prepared to just take her out if that is what we needed to do.

She had no problem with face characters like princesses. Characters would approach and we could easily wave them off from her. We also did use a sign at Park Fare one year..."No mice, please." Suzy and Perla were SUPER great about going way around dd and even covered their faces, it was really cute and by the end of the meal dd even laughed.

I would try and plan to regroup if you need to. Only place we had to do this was Liberty Tree Tavern. We were checking in and dd caught a glimpse of Goofy and she just freaked...no getting her in that restaurant. We canceled and ate cs that night.

 

[NotUrsula]

Be prepared for the possibility that she may spend the entire meal under the table. If you are traveling with anyone who may be perturbed by that, then DON'T GO to CP!

DH & I had one of our biggest fights ever after LTT one night when DS (then around 32 months) dived under the table and would not come out. I felt it was OK for him to stay there and stay quiet, but DH felt it was unacceptably bad-mannered for him to stay there, and insisted on dragging him out, in spite of the continual full-pitched screaming, which DH thought that he could eliminate. Not only did DS not sit up straight and get over it, but he and DH descended to full-body wrestling several times during that interminable evening, as DS repeatedly kicked and clawed to get back under the table every time a character got into his line of sight. It was one of the most miserable experiences of my life. (We did not book the ressie on purpose -- we didn't know that it was a character meal.)

DS still *hates* live characters, and at 12, his comfortable distance limit is still about 50 feet. Lots of people told us he would be fine with time and with exposure -- 30-something trips later he has not budged an inch on this topic.

There is a bright side to kids who don't like characters: you won't have to waste precious ride time in character autograph lines.

PS: I should point out that DS no longer has tantrums or anything like that; he just goes out of his way to avoid characters. We have never done another character meal since that occasion, and we're all fine with that, since most of the time those meals are priced for the entertainment; we can get a much nicer meal elsewhere for the same price.

OP, I think your plan is a good idea. She'll probably like having the Mommy Time (or Daddy Time, if your DH takes her instead). Get a special treat, and I'm sure she will be as happy as a clam.

 

[happymommy]

We ate there (walked by, no wait) when my DD was two and a half. It was only because we were hungry and it was available; we don't as a rule do character meals. The food was edible, nothing great. My DD did not like the characters at all! She was very shy and a bit afraid of them.

I would also agree to eat somewhere else. I don't really care for character dining; my kids have never been into the characters (although we love WDW, we just don't get into the characters too much at all).

Why chance it? It's not worth it for the food. I'd go somewhere for the food instead.

 

[Aliceacc]

I have a 2.5 year old who is terrified of characters. ... Well, this weekend she freaked completely out at tailgating as the Little Caesar guy walked by.

. .. The rest of my family says it's unfair for them to miss out on such a special meal (our very first day) because of the toddler's fear. .

One of my kids is afraid of characters too. As a result, we didn't book any of the "masked" character meals, though we did do 1900 Park Fare and Aukerhaus.

If a member of my family was allergic to peanuts, we would ensure that he or she wasn't exposed to any. Want to talk about fair??I don't think it's fair to knowingly put any child into a situation where he or she is "terrified" just so the others can enjoy themselves. They're in DISNEY WORLD; it's not like there's nothing else to entertain them.

Sorry, I know that each family has its own dynamic. But your toddler's terror is very real to her. I can't imagine that any meal is worth putting her through that.

 

[estherhead]

She had no problem with face characters like princesses. Characters would approach and we could easily wave them off from her. We also did use a sign at Park Fare one year..."No mice, please." Suzy and Perla were SUPER great about going way around dd and even covered their faces, it was really cute and by the end of the meal dd even laughed.

I would try and plan to regroup if you need to. Only place we had to do this was Liberty Tree Tavern. We were checking in and dd caught a glimpse of Goofy and she just freaked...no getting her in that restaurant. We canceled and ate cs that night.

Thanks for this. We've been talking about it since Saturday's Little Caesar incident, she and I. Today she said she'd wave at them. So I think we'll swing by Tomorrowland character area that morning and just see if she'll wave from afar. I think it is important, especially with a 2.5 year old who is travelling & uncertain, to make them feel like they are in control, that they have a right to say no. So I think this will give her the time & place to show by her actions that she can wave & not freak out, or that she can't. And then I'll respect whichever decision she makes.

Be prepared for the possibility that she may spend the entire meal under the table. If you are traveling with anyone who may be perturbed by that, then DON'T GO to CP!

DH & I had one of our biggest fights ever after LTT one night when DS (then around 32 months) dived under the table and would not come out. I felt it was OK for him to stay there and stay quiet, but DH felt it was unacceptably bad-mannered for him to stay there, and insisted on dragging him out, in spite of the continual full-pitched screaming, which DH thought that he could eliminate. Not only did DS not sit up straight and get over it, but he and DH descended to full-body wrestling several times during that interminable evening, as DH repeatedly kicked and clawed to get back under the table every time a character got into his line of sight. It was one of the most miserable experiences of my life. (We did not book the ressie on purpose -- we didn't know that it was a character meal.)

DS still *hates* live characters, and at 12, his comfortable distance limit is still about 50 feet. Lots of people told us he would be fine with time and with exposure -- 30-something trips later he has not budged an inch on this topic.

There is a bright side to kids who don't like characters: you won't have to waste precious ride time in character autograph lines.

Wow! Talk about a magical experience. But I agree about the autograph lines. With meeting the princesses & pooh at character meals, we were hoping to just have the big girls get a photo with Mickey at Animation Studios while we just stood in the middle of the room. And the big girls would get meet all the characters they love without hurting the toddler. But obviously the terror of this weekend put a kink in the plans.

One of my kids is afraid of characters too. As a result, we didn't book any of the "masked" character meals, though we did do 1900 Park Fare and Aukerhaus.

If a member of my family was allergic to peanuts, we would ensure that he or she wasn't exposed to any. Want to talk about fair??I don't think it's fair to knowingly put any child into a situation where he or she is "terrified" just so the others can enjoy themselves. They're in DISNEY WORLD; it's not like there's nothing else to entertain them.

Sorry, I know that each family has its own dynamic. But your toddler's terror is very real to her. I can't imagine that any meal is worth putting her through that.

I think the difference between your peanut analogy and this situation is that peanuts can kill an allergic child. I'm very conscientious about allergies and other death inducing issues. But seriously, Winnie the Pooh, no matter how much she imagines it to be the case, cannot kill her. Well, maybe he COULD kill her, but I think the chances of Pooh slaughtering my toddler in the Crystal Palace are limited. Where is the killer Pooh smilie when you need it?

 

[Aliceacc]

OK, so maybe the peanut allergy reference wasn't a good one.

But I still say that no one, not even a toddler, should have to be "terrified"-- your word-- to make others happy. If someone wanted me to do something that frightened me that much for someone else's entertainment, they would be sorely disappointed. I don't think it's fair, or kind, or anything else positive, to put a toddler into a situation where you are fairly sure they'll be terrified simply because others want to do it.

She'll be fine at the Coral Reef or 1900 Park Fare or Aukerhaus or 'Ohanas or any of a multiitude of other restaurants. Why force her to go somewhere terrifying?

I'm sorry, the logic just escapes me. Her fears are real to her. The rest of her family should, as a group, agree to suck it up and go someplace where she won't be terrified.

 

[estherhead]

OK, so maybe the peanut allergy reference wasn't a good one.

But I still say that no one, not even a toddler, should have to be "terrified"-- your word-- to make others happy. If someone wanted me to do something that frightened me that much for someone else's entertainment, they would be sorely disappointed. I don't think it's fair, or kind, or anything else positive, to put a toddler into a situation where you are fairly sure they'll be terrified simply because others want to do it.

She'll be fine at the Coral Reef or 1900 Park Fare or Aukerhaus or 'Ohanas or any of a multiitude of other restaurants. Why force her to go somewhere terrifying?

I'm sorry, the logic just escapes me. Her fears are real to her. The rest of her family should, as a group, agree to suck it up and go someplace where she won't be terrified.

I totally agree that her fears are real, thus the question to begin with. I have no desire to have a toddler climb under the table and hide nor claw my eyes out trying to escape from the terrifying characters. Thus my question to begin with. When I made this ressies we had just gone to Busch Gardens and she was fine with the Sesame Street characters, as long as they didn't touch her. I thought we were good. But now I'm not sure. If I was OK with her being terrified, I wouldn't be trying to come up with alternatives.

But I also do think it is wrong to tell the family (my sister is going with us so it is 6 other children total), some who have never been to Crystal Palace, to simply suck it up. One of the kids has Asperger's and doesn't deal with change well and one of them is 5 years old and super excited. It isn't an option. I asked, and there would be serious reprecussions, perhaps even ruining a small portion of the trip. As for my own girls, they could suck it up. I know they could. But it would be super sad for them to not get to see Pooh and not get to share in their cousin's joy.

It is my opinion that as long as it is in my control, there will be no children's tears in Disney World. Clearly, this doesn't always work out and tears happen. But the Disboards, in my opinion, are here to help me plan a happy trip to Disney World for adults, teens, preteens, big kids, toddlers, and babies.

Thus, my having a secondary ressie at the Plaza for just her and I. If she can't handle waving to Buzz Lightyear or Stitch or whoever we happen to see in the am, then she and I will leave the other's to their Crystal Palace meal and we will have a character free (and terror free) meal. And the only person sucking anything up will be me. But I'm used to it and am on just being at Disney so I'll be fine.

Hope this clarifies things for you. I was posting on here to see how others dealt with this issue and am so happy that I did. It's helped tremendously.

 

[Beckypooh1972]

She might be ok at a character meal. I say this because I have 2.5 year old twins; one of them loves characters and can't get enough of standing in line to meet them and my other son is freaked out by the character "meet and greets". However he is fine at the meals. I guess because he is somewhat distracted by eating and doesn't have the anticipation of waiting in line, he has fun at the character meals and the characters are not pushy at all. They stay longer only if you have an autograph book or want to take a lot of pictures. It will go by pretty quickly when they stop by your table.

 

[mitsybella]

maybe try letting her watch some clips on youtube of the characters and different interactions, see what her reaction is to this, I did this with my daughter who was afraid of rides, I let her see different rides and then when we were at Disney I would remind her she had watched the ride and she was ok. Don't know where you live but we have Chuck e cheese in our area they have the character walk around and the animated ones on stage, if you have someplace like that around try getting her used to the characters there.