What to tell kids? Why Mickey doesn't talk?

[stashf]

I forgot to mention, when I first watched the youtube video of the characters moving their mouths my daughter was the first to get all excited and knew right away that they could move their mouths now!!!!! She cant wait to see them later this year!

Stacey

 

[nyfinfan]

Because Minnie say's so.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I just want to say that this is a very serious question for little kids. I was three when I first went to Walt Disney World. My parents told me Mickey lived at the Magic Kingdom. I was very excited to meet him. Then I got there to find that the place was populated by mute people in suits. I thought my parents were crazy. At least the pretend Santa Clauses whose laps I sat on would talk to me! My parents thought I was nervous around the characters, but the truth is I was nervous around the weirdos who wouldn't take off their giant masks. Mickey was a cartoon. He was short. He talked in a high voice. These things WERE NOT MICKEY.

Anyways, it's not like I was traumatized for life or anything. I rationalized it to myself that Mickey was a busy, important person, much like Santa Claus. He couldn't really be expected to meet with little kids. As such, he employed people to do it for him. I thought it a little odd that my parets were taken in by so obvious a ploy, but whatever.

 

[farmmy]

Tell him he was so happy to see them that he couldn't come to speak a word kind of like the time i met burt reynolds

 

[MommyPoppins]

My four year old asked us this. My 13 year old told her well, there are soooo many people that want to talk to Mickey, that he just doesn't say anything because he would never have enough time to talk to everybody and that would not be fair to just talk to some people. She accepted that answer so it worked for us.

That's about what I told mine too! I said something about how he would get so tired if he had to talk to EVERYONE because he sees soooo many kids everyday! I think I said he'd lose his voice.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

DH told DD3 last year that Ursula stole their voices...she is very statisfied with that answer and in fact told several kids in line for Mickey during our recent DL trip that this is why Mickey isn't going to talk to them!

 

[sarahandhannahsmom]

We just tell them that the characters have to save their voices for performances and that there are so many children visiting that they can't speak to everyone, so they don't talk to the visitors. it's worked so far......

 

[°O°Joe]

The fact of the matter is - it would be impossible, well not entirely impossible, but lets just say it would be tough for the cast members inside the costumes to sound exactly like the character they're portraying. Especially some of the tougher ones like Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and so on.

I know we as adults all know and understand this.

The thing I don't understand is why parents have such a hard time telling their children that the Mickey you're seeing at the parks is not a real mouse. Nor is he the mouse that is in the cartoons. I mean come on. I have to wonder if there are kids that are actually old enough to ask the question that actually believe that these characters are real. Most four year olds know that a real mouse can't walk and isn't as big as a human being.

My six year old has known since she was four that there are people in the costumes. She asked the question and I wasn't going to lie about something so silly. Knowing that they're not real so to speak, she doesn't think any less of Disney World. It's still a magical place. She still LOVES to meet the characters. No real loss. Now the two year old? I have NO idea what she has to be wondering.

 

[bradk]

that disclaimer in Joe's sig applies to me too. I will strongly go on the record objecting to everything he said. people inside costumes? not technically feasible if you ask me. i can't believe such a thing.

maybe the adult thing is to accept that all we truly know isn't necessarily true. if we accepted everything we were certain we knew, we'd still believe bees came from rotting meat.

larry hagman doesn't talk on sundays. i doubt there's some person cramped inside his body. well, actually, .. okay, different topic there.

honestly, they don't talk because they don't have to. i know i wouldn't. they're all very articulate and emote much better than words are capable of doing sometimes.

 

[°O°Joe]

that disclaimer in Joe's sig applies to me too. I will strongly go on the record objecting to everything he said. people inside costumes? not technically feasible if you ask me. i can't believe such a thing.

I knew that disclaimer would come in handy for something!

 

[vacationwoman]

This is a very interesting thread!

If my child had asked me, I would say that the actor playing Mickey Mouse can't talk through his mouse costume. What illusion woud I be breaking? Does your 4 year old really believe it is a giant talking mouse? Does a 4 year old notice the difference between cartoons and live TV?

I've alway pointed out the difference to my kids from the youngest age the there is a difference between the character and the actor. I mean, don't your kids participate in play acting/ children's theatre in pre-school? When my daughter was 4, her pre-school sang songs from Annie. "It's a Hard Knock Life." The kids knew they were not orphans, only acting like ones.

It seems to me the important ilusion to maintain in this case, is that there is only one Mickey Mouse. THAT is what makes the experience so special.

As for Santa, though, I would never tell my children that he is not real. After all, I'm still working on that one myself.

Do you mean to imply that MM is not real

My children, grandchildren and friends all laugh at me cause I go to WDW every year to see the "real" MM and all the other "real" characters.

 

[AARCLUKSCH]

I say "I always wondered that too. I could never figure out why either". Then together we try to figure out why.
You'd be surprised at how their minds work. I don't know why parents always have to have all the answers. They're just children. They'll realize it on their own some day why he doesn't talk and they'll always appreciate how you taught them that it's ok to be a kid even when you've grown up.
This philosophy also works great with all the SANTA questions!

 

[Mortlives]

My suggestion for why face characters can talk and others can't is that Mickey Mouse and friends are toons. Toons can talk in cartoons, but in the real world, they need technology to help them be heard (PA systems), otherwise the cartoonland magic that lets mice, for example, speak doesn't exist in the real world. Face characters are real people who starred in cartoons, so they don't need magic to talk.

Just a thought. I think it covers all the bases.

 

[MissyDVC]

The thing I don't understand is why parents have such a hard time telling their children that the Mickey you're seeing at the parks is not a real mouse. Nor is he the mouse that is in the cartoons. I mean come on. I have to wonder if there are kids that are actually old enough to ask the question that actually believe that these characters are real. Most four year olds know that a real mouse can't walk and isn't as big as a human being.
QUOTE]

I for one have 2 kids who believe that "Mr. Disney" (their words ) created Walt Disney World with "magic" and that one word, Magic, explains it all for them. They don't seem to question the hows and whys because their answer is simple and always the same....MAGIC

And I would never deny them their sweet and innocent explanation for all things Disney. And I like to think that "Mr. Disney" would be proud! I hope that I never lose my belief in "magic".

 

[MissionMouse]

Seriously, at this age a childs mind is like a flying bubble bee. Give it little thought and move on. If you focus and dwell upon it, so will your child...there is nothing wrong in saying...I don't know.

 

[Joanna71985]

I am shocked. I've never seen Mickey move his mouth before. Is this very new? Wow... what a change. It would take me a VERY long time to get used to it.

They started using the new technology in Jan.

 

[CTrumble]

The question never came up with my daughter. She believed they were real until she was about 7.

(When she was 5, they were studying Pocohontas in school (a little different than the movie), her little mind decided that the "real" Pocohontas, not the cartoon one, was on vacation at WDW at the same time we were when she met her.)

 

[disneyworldluvr349]

I have been going to Disney World for like 7 years years in a row and none of my younger siblings ask that question. Usually they are to busy getting over being shy in the first place.

 

[bytheblood]

Is this a serious inquiry? This is a joke isn't it?

Why would it be a joke? This goes along with my daughter at 5 asking me why Snow White looked different on DCL than she did in MK. Why spoil the fun for a small child?

 

[bradk]

I am shocked. I've never seen Mickey move his mouth before. Is this very new? Wow... what a change. It would take me a VERY long time to get used to it.

to be honest, i saw a bit of video first and was instantly repulsed by it. it's very freaky on video. it's even freaky in photos, but it looks really great in person.

any guesses as to what goofy's been doing backstage?

now..

i saw the teletubbies the other day and they do the same things and that's just wrong either way.