She doesn't think they're real!!

[Erica09M]

I was looking on youtube at some videos from WDW when my 4 year old DD walked buy and said "Mommy, she's dressed up like Ariel!" I was like "No sweetie, that IS Ariel." and she proceeded to tell me I was wrong, Ariel is pretend and that lady is just dressed up like her.

How do I convince her? Is our trip in May going to be ruined because she thinks they're all costumes and not REAL? I'm planning our first trip.

 

[PaddingtonBear]

Why would that ruin your trip:

 

[Erica09M]

Why would that ruin your trip:

Not ruin the entire trip, I shouldn't have said that... but I thought for sure she'd be caught up in the whole magical experience and think "OMG It's Ariel" (her favorite character, or insert any other character's name there). But instead, they're just pretend to her. It disappoints me a little. I'm sorry if you don't understand that.

 

[ILoveJack]

That is so sad. Even my 9 yr old believes in Tinkerbell still. Maybe after you get there Ariel can change her mind by talking to her. If Ariel knew her name and something special about her before your DD talked to her, maybe that would change her mind. The handlers there are great with helping pass information on while child is distracted. With mine, Tinkerbell will send her notes and gifts through the mail. You could also have something sent to her before the trip from Ariel. That might work too. I think that everyone should believe a little in the power of Disney.

 

[Hannathy]

My kids never thought they were real, and DEFINITELY not at 4 and they were still excited to see the different characters and get the autographs. the key word is characters they know they aren't real people because they are cartoon characters in a story.

 

[GoofyFairie]

Erica09M, I can understand your disappointment. I wish I had word of wisdom to offer you, but all I cando is send you a hug.

 

[deedeetoo]

My kids never thought they were real, and DEFINITELY not at 4 and they were still excited to see the different characters and get the autographs. the key word is characters they know they aren't real people because they are cartoon characters in a story.

Ditto for my kids. They never thought they were real and we still have lots of fun.

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

From my experience with my kids it really does not make a difference. My younger one really loves Chip and Dale and does know that they are not the “real” Chip and Dale, but continues to run up and hug them every time he sees them. I think kids really feed off their parents and will be very excited to see their favorite characters if the parents are excited as well. Don’t stress it, let the Magic just happen, don’t force it and you will have a fantastic time.

Have fun planning your trip, it's almost as fun as going!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

My DD knows the characters aren't real, but it doesn't lessen her excitement at meeting them. I actually think it's a good thing when children can differentiate between what is real and what is make-believe.

 

[teachallday]

You may find that she thinks some are real and others are just people in costumes. Ariel is a hard one, I have yet to see one at Disney that looks anything like Ariel in the show. It is hard to put a real person in an animated character. But, some of the other princesses can reall look like that princess.

She may decide the face ones are just dress up and the full body ones are real. You will only know when you get there.

I do puppetry with kids up to 2nd grade. Even the kids who know it is just a puppet, still want to believe and will interact with the puppet like it is real. I have had second graders in an asking tone state throughout the whole show that; "It's a puppet?". They want to believe, even if they know it isn't real. At 4 years old, I suck them into the magic VERY easily. I suspect your daughter will find the magic of the characters at Disney very easily.

 

[littlbugmom]

My 4yr old knew they weren't real. He still ran up to each character with a huge smile. He had lots of hugs and high fives to give out, too!

My 8yr old did the same thing. She knew during her first trip at 5yrs old but that didn't subtract from the magic.


Please don't worry.

 

[*BTMRR*]

My 4-year-old said the same thing while we were planning for our recent trip. For her, I think it helped to know they were people in costumes--she's on the timid side and thinking the characters were "real" would have been scary for her. She had a great time visiting the characters during our trip! Don't worry.

 

[veraletta]

Maybe when you get to Disney World and she see other children talking to the characters she may warm up to the ideal, but then again at 4 children are really smart anymore, you can't fool them.
I just wouldn't say any more about it until you get to the parks and see what she does there.

 

[estherhead]

It doesn't matter, IMHO. My girls are 7 & 9 and don't believe they are real, haven't for years. And yet they do still believe in the magic of it all. Sometimes it ADDS to the magic that they know they are fake. Then the people who are in the costumes are friends of theirs.

Two examples: We had a Mickey in DHS that was super bossy. The girls were just cracking up that "This is Mickey is soooo bossy." They loved that the person in that costume had a different personality than other Mickeys. Then later we met Bolt & though, of course, we all know he is fake, his costume was soooo soft & fluffy I had to be careful to not get caught up in the fake because seriously, he was snuggly soft & I was afraid I was being creepy cause I was all huggy & lovey. I know he is fake, but it didn't matter. In that minute he was Bolt, a delightful dog.

My 2 year old is very sure they are real. And TERRIFIED! So for me, I choose the knowledge that they are fake over the belief in them being real.

 

[RMulieri]

My 4 yr old never believed they were real, ever.But she still had a Fabulous time.

 

[ktlm]

Believe me, I know how sad that makes you, but you will still have a wonderful time. I'm 40, and even though my brain knows that those characters aren't real, I still get excited to see them and feel like they are real (at least most of them). I'm so glad we took my DD on her 1st trip at 2 years 10 months because everything was real then and she's a smart one so now at 3 she is already figuring things out which kind of breaks my heart. She has told me more than once on a non WDW character- that's just someone wearing a costume. We were watching Little Mermaid and she said are Ariel and Cinderella real or pretend? Not wanting to lie, but not wanting to tell the truth either, I just said "what do you think? " She smiled and said "They're real" and I said "There you go".

At 2, when we got back from her 1st trip, she questioned where all the princesses towns were like in the movies and where the other castles were. Bless Enchantment. I wasn't above lying and told her I thought it was like Enchantment. There was a door between the two worlds, and the Princesses came out to go to WDW and see the kids for the day, and then went back through and went home at night. She completely bought that one.

You may find that she thinks some are real and others are just people in costumes. :

This is so true!! My DD can spot a fake from a "real"! We had a bad Cinderella at CRT. She didn't look completely right, she was not very friendly, and in our pictures you can clearly see that she is exhausted and tired of the whole thing. We were close to the last family in the lunch seating. In fact, when all the families were through with pictures and she was just standing there waiting to make sure no one else would come in, we were still waiting for a table and my DD asked her a question ("Where's Prince charming today?), and she completely ignored her and turned away from her, even though we could tell she heard her. My 3 year old DD quickly determined that she was not the real Cinderella, but just someone in costume pretending because the "real" Cinderella was over in Toontown. (Luckily, the upstairs princesses were all great, but my DD still says she would rather go back to Akershus where she went when she was 2 - at least until I remind her of the ice cream with the chocolate crown on top at CRT)

DD was also skeptical of Ariel at her Grotto, even though she was a great Ariel and she still loved her. We got--- I'm not sure that's Ariel. If we are not near the ocean why does Ariel have her tail? (maybe because she knows kids want to see it) She's married to Prince Eric now, why does she have her tail again? (remember Little Mermaid II- her Dad let her have her tail again to swim- he probably does that here). How could he get here to do that if there is no ocean? (maybe he did something at the ocean with his trident so that she can make her tail come and go whenever she wants). Can we ride Peter Pan again? (Whew).

 

[Elvistelth]

I was looking on youtube at some videos from WDW when my 4 year old DD walked buy and said "Mommy, she's dressed up like Ariel!" I was like "No sweetie, that IS Ariel." and she proceeded to tell me I was wrong, Ariel is pretend and that lady is just dressed up like her.

How do I convince her? Is our trip in May going to be ruined because she thinks they're all costumes and not REAL? I'm planning our first trip.

I wouldn't try to convince her they were real...I would be proud of her for being so astute.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

My daughter knows they aren't "real" either and it's still VERY magical for us! When you are there, you become part of the magic and you don't even think of it. We LOVE meeting characters and sometimes I forget they aren't "real" :lol I went up to Woody and told him that I needed his autograph for my best friend b/c she was his biggest fan and when I walked away I thought for a second that he must think I'm NUTS b/c I talked to him like he WAS Woody!

 

[crisi]

My kids never believed they were real and still experienced (and still do at nine and ten) magic meeting the characters. As Elvistelth said - I think you are to be congratulated on having a daughter so astute. It really bodes well for her.

 

[Erica09M]

Thanks everyone I was just worried that the experience might not be the same. I appreciate all of your thoughts!

She doesn't actually know WE ARE going, and certainly doesn't know that she'll be celebrating her 5th birthday at MK! I've just been asking her if she'd like to do this or like to do that because she's very timid with some things. I've been trying to show her videos of rides and things so she isn't scared when we get there to try something new.