Why Don't the Charaters Talk?

[Mammaz]

My son had a meet and greet with Bob the Builder this morning and has been asking non-stop why Bob wouldn't talk to him. As we have a Disney trip planned soon and I know the Disney charaters do not talk.....does anyone have an answer for him? He was really upset and thought Bob was mad at him. I need an answer for a three year old. HELP!

 

[larryz]

Bob (and Mickey, and Minnie, and all the others) can't talk because they all have laryngitis.

 

[BabyPiglet]

He was sick and had lost his voice?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

"It's not really Bob, It's a person in a costume."

Somehow that probably won't work.

 

[Mammaz]

"It's not really Bob, It's a person in a costume."

Somehow that probably won't work.

Nope....won't work for sure! As far as them all being sick....that won't work either. He is a child of a nurse and very aware of germs and isolating people who are sick.....so he will just want to know why they are around everyone if they are sick. LOL!

 

[Nalla]

They get shy and don't want to talk.
They'd lose their voices if they talked to everyone all day.
Would either of those work?

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

When I was little and asked the same question, my Dad told me in all seriousness that they're "saving their voices for the shows." I bought it!

 

[Hannathy]

"It's not really Bob, It's a person in a costume."

Somehow that probably won't work.

I don't know it worked for my kids. They never thought they were anything but people in costumes. Honestly I don't know how all kids don't figure this out after the first one, something about the hard unmovable head and the non moving fingers kinda gives it away don't ya think? 30 seconds of observation and the tricks up.

So yeah I'd just say they are people in costumes and not everyone can sound the way the characters sound in the movies so they don't speak just pose and sign.

 

[caseybruna]

One I heard before is that they dont talk because "little boys and girls from all over the world come to disney, so mickey and minnie (or bob the builder) use other ways of communicating so everyone can understand no matter where they are from"

 

[kaytieeldr]

Actions speak louder than words?

 

[EnchantedTales]

When I was little and asked the same question, my Dad told me in all seriousness that they're "saving their voices for the shows." I bought it!

And we have a winner! Your dad is correct, that is what I tell the little ones when they ask me. Characters have to sing during the parades and shows and we prefer they save their voices for the shows. It's a very common question, particularly with Mickey and Minnie.

 

[pharmgirl69]

There was a post on here awhile ago about a wonderful answer someone's father gave them, I just searched for it and I can't find it now but....the person's father had told them something to the extent that "you can only hear them if you believe in the magic" and then when the child heard them singing during the shows they "believed in the magic". It went something like that. Pretty neat. Probably wouldn't work for Bob the Builder but might work for DIsney.

I also like PP idea of using a language everyone can understand. Great ideas!

 

[twokids0204]

Child: Daddy why don't the characters talk

Me: Ask them...

 

[hookedonears]

IMAGINATION! Characters are big part of childrens imaginations. If they talked, it would add a since of reality. That's it in a nut shell.

 

[twokids0204]

How about "They don't like you!"

 

[Mammaz]

There was a post on here awhile ago about a wonderful answer someone's father gave them, I just searched for it and I can't find it now but....the person's father had told them something to the extent that "you can only hear them if you believe in the magic" and then when the child heard them singing during the shows they "believed in the magic". It went something like that. Pretty neat. Probably wouldn't work for Bob the Builder but might work for DIsney.

I also like PP idea of using a language everyone can understand. Great ideas!

Oh I love this one! This is what I will tell my son. Thank-you so much for such a great Disney answer!

 

[SueM in MN]

We as parents don't always have to have an answer. If you pick an answer, it might make sense to you, but make more questions from the child because it doesn't make sense to them.

What I did with my kids was give the question back to the child.
"I hadn't thought about it. Why do you think they don't talk?"

They came up with some good possible explanations, including
-saving their voices for the show
-they can talk in movies, but not out in the world
-they can't speak every language, so to be fair to all the kids, they don't speak when you meet them
-during the shows they wear special translators so people can hear them

That way, I was not bringing up anything that would cause problems later and cause the child to ask more questions (like, "I could hear Mickey in the show, so why couldn't I hear him later? I still believe?")

It's also important to realize that other kids may have been told different stories by their parents and believe what their parent told them. I heard/saw some kids playing together while waiting for the parade and the question of why the characters don't talk came up.
It ended up being a "MY mom said this is why .........."
"Nah-uh. That's not right. MY MOM said this is why .............."
It ended up being quite a long (and not very happy) discussion, with both sets of kids saying to their parents "Why did you tell me ........ and his mom told him >>>>>>?"

 

[v_gan]

What about, "If they talked to everyone who met them, they would never get to everyone who wanted to see them" ?

 

[CanadianBacon]

just ask him " Do you see any talking dogs or mice?" and hopefully he says no and that will answer his question

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

What about, "If they talked to everyone who met them, they would never get to everyone who wanted to see them" ?

That was one of the tricks we were taught when I went through character attendent training. It usually works.

It's funny - when I worked at WDW I saw it all and had (and still have) many friends who were/are character performers. You would think the magic would be gone - but no. It's the opposite. I can watch "Dream Along With Mickey" and still be awed by the magic of Disney.