What to tell kids when they quesion if those are "the real characters/princesses"?

[lulugirod]

Just curious as to what you tell inquisitive young kids who question the identity of the characters and princesses. Mine asked about the size of the characters and why they couldn't talk. They also questioned if the princesses were real. I am trying to hang on to childhood as long as possible! Our last trip was 1 1/2 yr ago and we are returning in December. I really want them to be enchanted still.

 

[roxazul]

Would like to know the asnwers as well, it's becoming though to "explain" things to DD9.

I usually says that it's a matter of believing, some don't believe but the ones who believe knows that they're real. Let alone explain why they don't talk... heck my DD is questioning why they won't speak french (Belle & Aurora are from France ) so I have to be really imaginative...

 

[BayouMickey]

Of course they are real

 

[Sheilby]

Depends on their ages. My 6 and 10 year old sons tell me that they are just people dressed up in costumes yet they both still believe in Santa and the Easter bunny - go figure. I tell them when we are in Disney they are all real because Disney is a magical place. They have decided to humor me. Actually I think they like knowing that it is OK to still believe even when you are older. They know it is all in fun.

 

[Sheilby]

Of course they are real

 

[heartse]

Our DD figured it out at the age of 3 or 4, when she met Tinker Bell... She knew that wasn't right. But, as far as the other characters, the explanation she came up with was that the real Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Rapunzel, etc... are all too busy on TV or movies that they don't have time to be at the parks all the time, so they have people dressed in costumes to take up the slack. We will let her believe that as long as she would like to... she's 7 now. The same explanation applies to Santa... we don't really do pictures with the Easter Bunny, so that has never come up.

 

[BayouMickey]

Actually, my full statement is this..
"Of course they are real.. You think I spend all this money to take you to see fake ones?? now shush and eat your mickey bar..."
I have no shame in deceiving my children when it impedes on my magic time..

 

[stinkpickle]

What's all this Santa and Easter Bunny stuff y'all are talking? They're not real???

 

[CT Disney]

If a little one asks if a character or princess is real I think it's a good idea to ask them, "Well, what do you think?"

If they say "yes, I think they're real" then they probably aren't quite ready to let go of the fantasy, yet. In that case go along with it and say, "You're probably right!"

If they say, "No, I think they're fake" a good follow-up is "why do you think that?". Hear them out, see what they say. A great response is, "Those are some really good thoughts. I'm not totally sure, so let's keep our eyes open and see what we think at the end of the day." Most likely, by the end of the day, they will forget they even asked.

I'm a pre-school teacher and we get this question a lot with the jolly old elf in the red suit!

 

[asmit4]

Our DD figured it out at the age of 3 or 4, when she met Tinker Bell... She knew that wasn't right. But, as far as the other characters, the explanation she came up with was that the real Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Rapunzel, etc... are all too busy on TV or movies that they don't have time to be at the parks all the time, so they have people dressed in costumes to take up the slack. We will let her believe that as long as she would like to... she's 7 now. The same explanation applies to Santa... we don't really do pictures with the Easter Bunny, so that has never come up.

 

[jelloarms]

The first time I went to Disney I was 4 years old. I remember asking my mom how can the characters be in Epcot Center if we just saw them earlier in the Magic Kingdom? Well she couldn't come up with anything creative so she told me the truth about costumed characters...at the ripe old age of 4!

 

[CT Disney]

In our house we have always said, "Santa only brings presents to kids who believe in him." To this day when we ask our kids if they believe in Santa they always say, "Of course we do!!!". And our kids are 10 and 13! It's sort of a funny family joke now!

 

[Kalea]

If a little one asks if a character or princess is real I think it's a good idea to ask them, "Well, what do you think?"

If they say "yes, I think they're real" then they probably aren't quite ready to let go of the fantasy, yet. In that case go along with it and say, "You're probably right!"

If they say, "No, I think they're fake" a good follow-up is "why do you think that?". Hear them out, see what they say. A great response is, "Those are some really good thoughts. I'm not totally sure, so let's keep our eyes open and see what we think at the end of the day." Most likely, by the end of the day, they will forget they even asked.

I'm a pre-school teacher and we get this question a lot with the jolly old elf in the red suit!

I love this way of handling it.

 

[starwarsmomma81]

Actually, my full statement is this..
"Of course they are real.. You think I spend all this money to take you to see fake ones?? now shush and eat your mickey bar..."
I have no shame in deceiving my children when it impedes on my magic time..

 

[lindsroc]

In our house we have always said, "Santa only brings presents to kids who believe in him." To this day when we ask our kids if they believe in Santa they always say, "Of course we do!!!". And our kids are 10 and 13! It's sort of a funny family joke now!

Same here!!!!

 

[bjscheel]

On our first trip, I never thought DD(then 6) would think they were real. We had a journal and one of her comments after seeing characters was that she was surprised they were not real.

Younger DD has always been firmly entrenched in make believe, so it took her longer, but we said, "Disney characters are animated, but what you meet are 'real Disney World characters' " and this satisfied her for the time.

They are 12 and 15 now, but just like me, when they are in the character's presence, it's real!

 

[katmg]

My son was terrified (from birth) of anyone dressed up in a costume. So I would always reassure him that they are just people dressed up, it's not a giant mouse/cow/Santa/whatever out to get him. He and my older DD remind me of that still. So the Santa that we see at the mall is just one of Santa's helpers since Santa can't be everywhere. I'm sure I will use the same explanation at Disney. My kids are 6 and 4, I hope they don't "ruin the magic" for anyone! I never even thought of it 'ruining' it for someone by reassuring them.

 

[Ellielovesdisney]

I would always say "I hope so", or "it sure looks like her". When DD turned 6 though she informed me she thought she say Ariel's knees through her costume. so sad!

 

[t_catt11]

Let me apologize in advance, as this is be a bit long winded. I have posted this a couple of times before, but it really applies to this thread, so I'm posting again. Wall 'o text coming, ye be warned.

I have loved Disney World dearly since my wife first talked me into taking my two older kids (back then, they were our only kids). We went when DD was seven, and DS had just turned five. It was a great trip, despite the crowds and heat of spring break, and us not knowing what we were doing.

We went three years later in December, and loved it again. So much so, that we made a conscious choice to bring home a special souvenir. Yep, we had a new DS the following August.

This started us on our "second family", as we sometimes refer to it. Today, we have three boys aged six, four, and two... to go with our teenagers aged seventeen and fifteen.

When baby #4 was four months old, we went for our third Disney trip. We've loved WDW for some time, but on that trip, the third child went from Mommy's boy to Daddy's Disney buddy. Aged two at the time, he rode a lot of rides with me while mom held the baby. But the real treat was seeing true magic and wonder in his eyes as he met the characters, saw the castle for the first time, etc.

We went back when he was four, child #4 was two, and child #5 was four months old. He was more into rides then, but again, the two year old was filled with magic.

I see parents deciding to wait until their kids are tall enough to ride everything before they go to WDW. I understand the logic, having had a short five year old that couldn't do it all (and wanted to do so). But wow, the magic that you miss.

Recently, we booked for this November. DD17 will not be going, to my dismay... she just hasn't cared for Disney since becoming a teen, and we've decided to not force her to go. Fortunately, DS15 still loves it. Obviously, the little boys are looking forward to it like crazy.

At travel time, we'll be mom and dad, DS15, DS6, DS4, DS2. Mom will not be able to ride a ton this time, as baby #6 is on the way.

DS6 and I were recently talking about the upcoming trip. The little boys are very into Star Wars right now; I was mentioning how I'd love to go in June one year for SWW, even with the heat and crowds. It was then that my Disney buddy asked a question that made me wistful.

"Who do you think dresses up as Darth Vader?" he asked.

I knew this day would come, of course. DS is very bright. And naturally, you can't expect a child to believe that the characters are "really real" forever. I had hoped it might last a bit longer, as he is our first to be home schooled; there is a little more innocence in him than, say, in his baseball teammates. Still, I had seen less magic during our trip when he was age four compared to his trip at age two; it stands to reason that most of it would be gone by the worldly age of six (when we travel this year).

Saddened, I prepared to have a talk about how it's fun to pretend, that so much of the joy of WDW comes from imagination, etc.

"What do you mean?" I asked, deciding to play coy for a bit longer. "Isn't that the real Darth Vader?"

"You're silly," he told me. "The real Darth Vader wouldn't just stand around waiting to meet people."

Good point, kid. Still unsure of what to say, I flipped it on him. "Maybe," I allowed. "Who do you think it is?" I asked.

He thought about it for a minute. "Mickey Mouse," he spoke with some assurance.

I asked him what he meant, so he explained. "I bet Mickey Mouse dresses up as Darth Vader. At least sometimes. " As if it was a clearly obvious answer.

I allowed that maybe he was right, and we went on to talk about other things. Apparently there is still some magic left... at least for a little while longer.

 

[starsweeper]

When my kids ask if characters, princesses, Santa, etc. are real, I ask them, "What do you believe?" I also usually tell them that for anything with magic, you have to believe or it will no longer be real or magical for you. I had to come up with something last Christmas when my kids asked why some kids didn't get gifts from Santa/didn't believe in Santa.