Want CP But Not Characters

[dixiedizfan]

I love to eat at CP, and the last time we ate there my kids were young and enjoyed the table visits by the characters. Now they're in their mid-teens, and too "cool" for these visits. I want to eat there again, but don't want my teens embarrassed. When the characters approach our table, should I just smile and wave them to the next table, or what? I don't want to be rude; just want to eat!

 

[spaceacewannabe]

What if you sit on the outside and let your kids sit on the inside? Characters usually just come to whoever is seated on the outer part of the table...they can get some fun pictures of you!

 

[RobynK]

i thought that too but my 14 DS loves to eat there! He also asks for Chef Mickey's. Since none of his friends are there and no one takes a picture he is ok for it. But i do agree with sitting him away from the characters and maybe you could get your interaction and then just tell the character that they don't want to be bothered! The characters make a joke and then will leave them alone (at least that is what they did with us when we went in June)

 

[oogieboogie]

We've done CP several times and now my kids don't really care for the CP characters except for Pooh, even then it's just DS4 who likes Pooh, DS7 couldn't care less. Last trip my MIL wanted to eat at CP so we went for dinner there.

We had the kids sit on the inside section of the table, and when the characters came around, we just said a quick hi and thanks for coming. The characters were pretty good at picking up the cues and they didn't do much except to wave HI and then they went to the next table. They stopped at our table for less than 30 seconds each. The fact that we weren't rushing to get their pics taken or have autograph books ready is a good signal you're not really there for the characters.

All the characters we've encountered at the character meals are really good at picking up signals from the customers. If you don't want to be bothered by them, they'll just stay around for a few seconds and then move away. If you want them to stay longer, just interact more with them. Really no big deal.

 

[katgarbars]

My DD 8 is set against seeing Pooh. Before I knew this I had made ADRs at CP for an 8:10 breakfast. Now I am rethinking this. Since I didn't have any TS at MGM I made one for dinner at Sci Fi. Which one would you keep, and why?

 

[melomouse]

Hi - We had a similiar difficulty this last trip, as my kids are older now -13 and 9. They much prefer CM's but we could not get in. The characters are very cued in to what you need and will not "overstay" if the kids aren't into it, as a previous poster shared!
They stopped by, tho, everytime they made the rounds, just to wave, and my kids had their backs to them and received a quick hug..
Enjoy!!

 

[Cinderella94]

Well, I am a preteen. When I go with my mother, grandmother, and DBrother7, we are planning on going to Chef Mickey's and CP. I , at first, said "Mom, I really don't want to be eating my dinner with Pooh Bear" and then she told me that Disneyworld is the one place where you CAN be seen eating with Piglet and Pooh, and no one will or SHOULD care about it. So now I think it is totally cool to go to CP with the characters, and I am really looking forward to it.
I mean think about it. Who will you see there that will embarass your kids. If your kids' opinion differ from mine, just do what some other people said above, like putting your kids on the inside. But thats my take on the whole thing.