So if my son hates Santa will he also fear the characters at WDW?

[camdensmom]

Last Christmas I was able to get my (then)5 month old looking all cute on Santa's lap.

The following March I was able to come home from our WDW vacation with the most precious photos of Chip and Dale feeding him (then 8 months) at Chef Mickey's along with a lot of great pics of him sitting in the laps of other characters.

Fast forward to Christmas 2006 and the photo of DS (now 17 months) SCREAMING within arms reach of Santa while my husband smiles for the camera with his eyes closed and Santa looks at them like they are crazed. Personally, being a scrapbooker, I am in love with this year's picture because it is funny. However, since he wants nothing to do with Santa to the point that I must make detours at the mall...coupled with the newfound shy-guy routine he pulls around new people...is it safe to assume that he will not be a fan of the characters on our March trip?

He'll be 20 months.

 

[minkydog]

Pretty much. I have been there and done that. It's a phase. Don't fight the feeling. Avoid tall strangers with big heads until about age 4.

 

[susykt4]

Maybe not. I have a hilarious pic of DD screaming with Santa at 17 months but she was fine with the Disney characters at 17 months. Also, DS was a bit older (2 and a few months) his first visit but he hated Santa and other characters at home and absolutely LOVED the Disney characters. He totally shocked us because he's a very strong-willed little guy and DH and I had absolutely no hope to get even one character pic with DS. His favorite was gigantic Goofy! You never know...

 

[MyZoeJane]

Been there, done that! My DD was terrified of Santa in December 2005... She had just turned two. When we went to Disney World in January, she wasn't exactly thrilled with the characters but she tolerated them. I have lots of pics of her looking down while standing by the characters.

I think the best thing you can do is be happy and upbeat about it and if your child shows interest, go for it! Otherwise.... just make this a trip where you stroll on by, point them out, and be happy to see them from afar....

 

[brat5063]

Maybe/Maybe Not. My son does not like Santa and loved all the characters. We went when he was 2 1/2 and the first couple days were were there, he would either stay in the stroller or I or my hubby would hold him. The last couple days he was walking up to them and hugging them all by himself. This year he wanted nothing to do with Santa.

 

[amarberry]

My DD was 17 mo old last Christmas and was deathly afraid of Santa. We were at WDW the following month and she was crazy about the characters. Honestly, meeting characters was (and continues to be) her favorite part of WDW.

Fast forward to this year and she refused to see Santa (which is fine with me...I wasn't going to push it), but when we were in WDW a couple of weeks ago she was all over the characters.

 

[tmarquez]

DD was terrified of Santa Claus at 14 months, but loved the characters...so you never know until you get there!

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Last Christmas I was able to get my (then)5 month old looking all cute on Santa's lap.

The following March I was able to come home from our WDW vacation with the most precious photos of Chip and Dale feeding him (then 8 months) at Chef Mickey's along with a lot of great pics of him sitting in the laps of other characters.

Fast forward to Christmas 2006 and the photo of DS (now 17 months) SCREAMING within arms reach of Santa while my husband smiles for the camera with his eyes closed and Santa looks at them like they are crazed. Personally, being a scrapbooker, I am in love with this year's picture because it is funny. However, since he wants nothing to do with Santa to the point that I must make detours at the mall...coupled with the newfound shy-guy routine he pulls around new people...is it safe to assume that he will not be a fan of the characters on our March trip?

He'll be 20 months.

Just a little bit of scientific information for you...SOME children hate Santa because you can't see his mouth. Studies have shown that children are VERY upset/frightened by speaking figures when they can't see mouths moving. My son participated in one of these studies and I chatted with the researchers, so that's how I realized his problem with one particular Santa, when others were no issue. The non-speaking characters might not frighten him at all!

ETA: this obviously depends on the type of beard/mustache the Santa has. One we saw last Christmas had the really heavy, obviously fake beard and it covered most of his mouth. He wasn't afraid at all of other Santas who had real facial hair and/or visible mouths!

 

[belle&beast]

We went last year right after Christmas and both my then 4yo and about to be 2yo freaked out when it came to Santa. However, they both LOVED the characters in WDW! I will say though that we started off our trip with the Spectromagic Parade and they were at a distance from the characters. So they got to see them without actually having to interact. Then the first day we went to Epcot to the Character Connection and there was no line and there was no pressure to hurry.

Just take it slow and hopefully they will get used to them!

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

My 4 year old daughter is PETRIFIED of Chucky at Chuck-E-Cheese! But she LOVES Mickey. Same animal.
I wouldnt give it a seconds thought.

 

[Shells9]

Make sure you pre-aquaint him as much as you can with the characters with books, posters, dvd's....whatever -- so he knows them and is familiar with them. Imagine how you would feel if you were a little guy, pretty inexperienced in the world and all of a sudden you have something like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum -- weird looking GIANTS hovering over your strolller, lol! They kinda freak me out at my age!

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

That was our experience - terrified of Santa and all characters (she wouldn't even go near the princesses, all though they weren't as scary as the big heads).

 

[margiemc]

My DD would not go near a Santa from the time she was 1 1/2 until she hit about 6. That being said, the first time we went to Disney she was 3 1/2 and had no problems going up to any of the characters, including Jafar and Cruella!! We waited in line at Epcot to see Santa and Mrs.Claus and she backed out when we were next in line. Go figure .

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

DD6 hates all characters and Santa, still at 6.5 years old. Gets on my nerves frankly.

DD3 though loves them all, is just so cute with them....but HATES Santa! So, you might be fine. Just be prepared for anything, like don't make too many ADRs at character meals!

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

Not necessarily. As my husband puts it regarding my daughter "She'll make kissy faces with a 6 foot mouse but don't get her anywhere near a guy in a red suit!"
She's never liked Santa up close, neither of my kids have, but they both LOVED the characters at Disney!

 

[dianemb]

My 11 year old has never sat on Santa's lap except as a 10 month old and that was still a fight. He has been to Disney 4 times in the las 7 years and has NEVER been afraid od the charecters. He loves them and this December he still got an autograph book and signatures. I think all kids are different but don't guide charecters with Santa experiences.