Will the characters hold 7 month old?

[mhanback]

Just wondering how most of you get pictures with your infants and the characters? Do you just leave them in the stroller, hold them, or will the characters hold them?
Thanks!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

Alladin held my dd who was 11months old at the time, it's so sweet. Not sure about the characters like Minnie, mickey, donald, in those costumes, i'm sure someone else will post to that.

 

[fromscratchmom]

After what I've read and heard about the visibility those cast members have, while in the costumes that have heads (in other words all the characters that are not "face characters") I would not want to risk letting them hold an infant. As I understand it, they are trained to be careful of how they move their feet and even so, it is best to teach children to approach from the front to avoid getting bumped or knocked down. One travel writer even said that if your child is not getting recognized while standing directly in front of a character, you should pick the child up and hold the child directly in front of the costumed head, due to the visibility issue. Maybe he exagerated, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
And then there are the mentions about carrying a marker or pen that is atleast as wide around as a magic marker because they can't work the hands in the costumes very well when signing autographs. So maybe their diminished fine motor control is indicative of something to consider as well.
I hope you have a great trip!

 

[finnster77]

Mickey would not hold our 18 month old son last July. My wife held him up in front of him, and he placed his arms around him instead. I'm sure it was a safety/liability issue with the hands on the costume.

 

[LISAVWL]

We were just at MGM last week. Stitch motioned for me to take my DS17mo out of his stroller & he sat on the ground and held him. We got the greatest pictures! From there we went to meet Fantasia Mickey and he wouldn't hold him b/c he didn't have shoes on I'm sure it's a safety issue. For the rest of the character photos I either held him or moved the stroller next to the characters.

 

[PolyAddict]

I personally would not let them hold my 7 month old.

 

[INdisneyfamily]

I think it just depends...I asked Minnie at EPCOT if she could hold our 5 month old for a picture and she shook her head "no" but then at a character breakfast Minnie came over and picked her up. Also, at MK, Chip came over and grabbed my arm and led me to a place where he could sit down then he motioned to hold her. Great memories!

 

[BellaBear]

When we ate at Crystal Palace in 2001, Pooh Bear took my six month old daughter out of my hands and sat down rocking her back and forth. We got some amazing pictures of it. Pooh waved us off when we tried to grab her right away. I'm sure it depends on the person in the character.

 

[macmahony]

It totally depends on who the character is, we have an awesome shot of my three girls with mickey holding our 2 month old. It made my husband cry, one of the only shots we have of the baby with a character because she was so tiny, and slept the whole vacation. But, there have been other characters that will not, I think it totally depends on who you get at that very moment. They will sit on the floor though, (also depends on where you are at) we have some great shots that way once the baby got a little older.
Don't count on it, but be pleasantly surprised when it happens...

 

[robinb]

I allowed the characters to hold my child when she was little. They were always sitting down.

 

[meeko_33785]

Characters are technically not supose to hold babbies, but some will break the rules. Personally, I've seen enough characters drop enough pens, books and other items because it's hard to hold onto things with their large gloves that I wouldn't let them hold any baby just for safety reasons.

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

Some yes, some no.

My daughter turned 8 monhts while we were there. Some characters grabbed her up without even asking. (judging by our excitment they probably figured we didn't mind, which we didn't )Some said, or motioned, "no" to holding her. Some asked us if they could hold her. Only a few times did I ask if they would hold her. If she was alseep in her stroller I would just have the character pose by the stroller, cheesy I know.

Like others have said... I had Minnie motion to us that she wanted to hold her but another Minnie said "no" when I asked her. Most of the furry characters sat on the ground to hold her. The Fairy God Mother grabbed her up and wouldn't give her back. I think she really enjoyed holding her.

 

[jks0627]

We went when my DDwas 5 months old.When we were at Epcot Mickey got down on one knee and had me sit her there. every time I tried to take her back he wouldn't let her go. He held her for a good 10 min.!!The photographers were having a field day. Also while we were there Chip and Dale and Donald were all on the ground playing with her and my 21/2 yr. old. The girls loved all the attention.

 

[rt2dz]

When DS#2 was 7 months, the face characters would hold him, actually offered too. I could barely pry him away from Pocohantis . Mary Poppins didn't want to give him back either, but another child approached and she relented. I never asked for costume characters, although, amazingly a few got down on the ground and played with him.

When DS#2 was 15 months, the face characters would hold him and the costumed characters would if they were sitting (ie, Mickey in toontown).

 

[HopperFan]

Agree, depends on character and situation and it's safety. Once at a character meal at Artist Point, Minnie sat down in a seat and wanted to hold DF's 1 month old baby. She was wonderful, he had Mom sitting right next to him and we got some awesome photos.

This last trip we saw Socerer Mickey hold a small baby (6 mos) for photo, and then got down on floor, propped baby up to him, sibling sat next to and they had another super photo.

Both were very stable situations. I really think it would depend on CM's comfort level overall and where you are.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

What a great thread. I was wondering the samething. We would love to get some pictures especially of the princess holding our DD5mo. She has an adorable Snow White costume that we are bringing with us, it would be so cute to have a picture of Snow White holding her while she has it on.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

All the face characters held DD at 9months last year and DS 9 months this year. None of the non-face characters did. I like it that way

 

[WantToGoNow]

I have pictures of two characters holding my son when he was 6 months old. Cinderella sat down on the floor and held him and dale put him on his lap at the Garden Grill Restaurant and fed him his bottle. Both pictures are adorable.

My dd was turning one on our last trip and I have very few pictures of her even near characters -- and she's screaming in all of them. I do have pictures of my older dd holding her next to Stitch, at the Crystal Palace with Pooh and at the Garden Grill on her birthday -- she was crying hysterically in all 3.

 

[mhanback]

WOW! Thanks for all the responses! I am soooo excited now thinking about our trip that I am shaking!! We leave in 3 1/2 weeks. DS will be 8 months then (don't know why I posted 7) and I know we are going to have a great time!!!!
Thanks again!