Your Toddler experiences: Santa vs Disney Characters?

[TreeSapp]

My niece and nephew will be here next week and DH & I area tagging along on their family trip as tourguides/line holders. I've got a rough outline of what I think the kids would enjoy and FP+ roughed out. But I'm wondering...

My 2&1/2yr old niece loves Ariel ("mermaid fish!"), tinkerbell, tiana, Belle, rapunzel ("punzel") aladdin, Mickey and Donald. I know all These guys meet at MK and she loves looking at pictures of myself and DH with the characters "uncle ------ & 'punzel!", "aunt ----- & Donald Duck!" Etc.

She's a terrible flirt and talks to every person whose attention she can draw in a store or restaurant. It's pretty comical, but she proved herself UNCHARACTERISTICALLY shy in December when she met Santa. She wouldn't make eye contact, talk to him or sit on his lap - the photo was great: her sitting on a present 2feet from Santa and her 1yr old brother bawling in Santa's arms. Priceless! Syrprising, since she knew who Santa was before she met him, saw him in books, on cards, in ads, and in a movie. She wanted to go see him - but freaked out when she got there.

I'm wondering how your toddlers handled the characters their first visit? (& how it compares to their reaction to strangers or non-stranger characters like Santa or Sport mascots even?)

 

[DESKRoberts]

The first time we went DS was 3 and DD was 1. DS's first encounter with characters was Mickey and the Gang at Epcot. He did not like it! He refused to go near them! DD was fine. She wasn't impressed, but she never cried. We went over to WS, and we ran into Aladdin and Jasmine. DS insisted on waiting in line to see them. After that, he wanted an autograph book, and was happy to see everyone! We even had to go back to the Character Spot so he could see everyone he had been too shy earlier to see! He has never had a problem with Santa or the Easter Bunny. This past year, both kids loved EVERY character and never had a problem.

 

[suz_cute]

It really depends on the child. For my son, his first interaction with WDW characters was at 14 mos old, and he loved them!!! Fast forward to his 3rd birthday, terrified! As for the Santa thing, he has always been scared of Santa, and still is.
This May, we will be traveling with DS (now4) and DD (will be 11 mos at time of travel). I'm thinking he might be OK with the characters again at this age, but totally unsure of how DD will be! The joys of parenthood! Good luck on your trip! Here's hoping for tears free character interactions !

 

[KatieCharlotte]

It depends on the child and the type of character. My youngest has always been very outgoing and talks to everyone. She is also terrified of mascots still at age five and refuses to get near Santa at the mall. She tolerates meeting princesses and even had a sweet conversation with Snow White, but she has never really wanted anything to do with the characters who don't look like beautiful, real girls. She would not even look at Mickey much less leave my arms at age three. I would probably try meeting princesses rather than costumed characters, if you are worried.

 

[roobug]

I agree it depends on the child. My boys were terrified of Santa until they were about four, but have always loved the characters.

 

[tmfranlk]

My DD11 grew up at DL. About the time she hit 18-20 months she would only see characters from a distance or with me holding her. By the time she was 3yo she was back to hugging, pictures, everything. DD3 would only visit characters with me holding her first trip at 1yo until two characters into our DL trip when she turned 3. After that she was full throttle characters - all characters all of the time, except maybe Baloo and Rafiki. ;-) Oh yeah and at 1yo it was my holding her with her on the opposite side of me from the character. Just go slow and be prepared to have parents/aunts/etc in the pictures too.

 

[TreeSapp]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like we should give both a face character & mickey a try. Then branch out from there if it goes well.

 

[DisneyMomma2000]

I think it also depends on how familiar they are with said character. Think about it, they are not nearly exposed to Santa as they are their favorite Disney character and I've met some pretty creepy Santas too!

Time will tell, but I think they should be fine with the characters they know the best and love.

 

[glassslippergirl]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like we should give both a face character & mickey a try. Then branch out from there if it goes well.

We took our then ten-month-old son in May. Not sure how he would react, we took him to see the princesses first. We thought a face character would be less scary than one in a mask. It worked; he loved Cinderella, and we branched out successfully to see Mickey and the gang. Just a thought, if you have concerns, go for the more familiar first.

Santa was another story this December. DS was fine (happy, playing) waiting in line, but the moment he got in Santa's lap, oh my! So many tears. Got to be the funniest Santa pictures ever.

 

[TreeSapp]

We took our then ten-month-old son in May. Not sure how he would react, we took him to see the princesses first. We thought a face character would be less scary than one in a mask. It worked; he loved Cinderella, and we branched out successfully to see Mickey and the gang. Just a thought, if you have concerns, go for the more familiar first.

Santa was another story this December. DS was fine (happy, playing) waiting in line, but the moment he got in Santa's lap, oh my! So many tears. Got to be the funniest Santa pictures ever.

Crying with Santa are my favorite photos

My niece watches VERY little TV (my sister has some strict house rules), but she owns, Rapunzel, Princess & the Frog, Nemo, Incredibles, Aladdin, & Lion King. Her favorite part of each movie is when Tinkerbell comes out at the beginning to put magic on the castle! She also has a bath toy doll of Ariel (She wont call her anything but Mermaid Fish), and a Stuffed Mickey. Her brother has like 3 different Buzz Lightyear toys and one Woody (who is only ever called 'Cowboy') both kids get upset if you tell them his name is Woody

Hopefully those guys are familiar enough?

 

[GigiDisneyfreak]

My DGD was 16 months old when I took her. A few weeks before we left I showed her youtube videos of other little kids meeting the characters. When we got there she ran right up to all the characters and hugged them. In one instance with MM she refused to leave and told us byebye. When we went to see Santa both the Christmas before this trip and the Christmas after she would have nothing to do with Santa. She would wave to him from far away but refused to go near him.

 

[MermaidMommy]

My DD refused to have anything to do with Santa until she was almost 6. However, on our first trip to Disney World when she was 3, Mickey was the first character she saw, and she ran up and hugged him like they were long-lost friends. She didn't have a problem with any character the while trip, and chatted with all of them - especially the face characters. (Although she wouldn't have anything to do with the male characters.)

Apparently, bearded men who bring her presents were scary, but giant rodents were OK!

 

[JediBonas]

Mine were 24 months when we went, my daughter is still pretty scared/shy with Santa and Easter Bunny and wanted nothing to do with the characters. My son is weary of Santa but will interact and LOVED the characters, played cars with Jake, colored with Mickey and Goofy, etc.. I wasn't sure how he'd be at Disney and was happy to see him enjoying the characters, I was pretty sure my daughter wouldn't want anything to do with them up close.

 

[gtpoohbear]

My 3yo DS is still terrified of Santa, but loved meeting the characters at WDW last year, do I don't think you can predict their reaction easily. I thought for sure he wouldn't go near them, but after being shy for about 10 seconds at our first m&g (Tigger and Pooh) he became obsessed with meeting characters. Definitely give it a try, just don't push for too much, too soon.

 

[TreeSapp]

Thanks guys - lots of great input

 

[MatoMany]

Depends a lot on the child.. My oldest hated Santa with a passion, her first picture with him was sitting on my hip.. First character she say she wanted nothing to do with (sorry Goofy!) then she saw Flick and HAD to see him. The character was so good with her, danced around, played etc. She was fine from them on. She was 16 months old at the time.
Second child was 11 months when she saw the characters for the first time and she took to them right away. She loved them. Took her to see Santa when she was 13 months and she wanted nothing to do with him until she heard his voice. See Santa was also Grandpa so once she heard him talk she had no problem being around him
Third child. No issues with characters again but we had been taking him to Disney since he was 2 months old. No issues with Santa either but again Santa was Grandpa..
Youngest hated Santa this last year.. She sat on my lap and gave him the evil eye. She did consent to playing patty cake from the safety of my lap. I don't know how she will deal with characters but Im thinking she might be influenced by the fact her siblings all are excited to be around them. She is usually OK with something if her older siblings seem OK with it.

 

[Jewel3k]

My son dislikes them all including the princesses. He didn't want to be closer than 3 feet to them or he would get very upset. We have pictures at CRT of him under the table hiding. Santa sat to near the escalator at the mall for him and he refused to get on it without me holding him. He loved the tiny ones in the Disney Playhouse show because they were the right size.

 

[AmyB2006]

My son just turned 5 and is a HAM on a normal basis. Always making people laugh, saying funny things, very outgoing. We've been to Disney tons. He still, to this day, clams up around the face characters. Mickey, Pluto, Minnie, etc... he's his normal self. I don't know what it is about the face characters though, he just stares at them. LOL You never know how they're going to react.

 

[Zeebs]

Can I just say if you are planning any character meals schedule them towards the end of your trip. That way you can cancel if they really don't like the characters.

My first son has never had a problem with them, so being smug parents assumed the second would be the same, no he didn't like them much cried when they came near then ignored them. My daughter screams, (LEGOLAND hotel was screaming when the character came into the restaurant - we were right down the other end of the restaurant.

She didn't like Santa and started crying almost immediately and wanted me to cuddle her. Got braver to allow me close to take a present from him. Her nursery had two Christmas parties to cover all the children she was lucky enough to go both times, first time she wasn't keen but he was handing out chocolate so she did get close enough to one the next time she was in there happy to chat to him about everything happening in the world.

Anyway I am not sure how she will react so I have scheduled our character meal with Mickey to towards the end of our trip, I am not paying all that money if she doesn't get on with them.

Kirsten

 

[surferdave]

From the time she was in the parks at 14 months old our daughter was enamored of the characters and barely willing to wait her turn with them; same with Santa and costumed characters anywhere. My wife thinks it's because her maternal grandfather is such a big, boisterous man that all the characters are a notch down from what she's accustomed to.