What to say to child if they ask if Mickey is wearing a costume and is someone inside?

[texasgingerbread]

Thoughts on what to say to this? They are 6. One has asked ONCE at Aulani and I told him no way, but he was 5 then. He asked why he had a zipper up his back. I told him we all have zippers in our clothes (look at your jeans). But now he's on the verge of figuring it out. Anyone have a good response?

 

[Pookasaurus]

Not what you want to hear but I'd say tell him the truth - he already knows. I tried the route of "what to you mean, you met them! They are real!" etc at 6, it didn't really work other than for him to humor me . I did earlier say that yes, he was right and they are people in costumes but that is because they are helpers since Mickey etc does so many shows and has to be so many places, etc. but yeah.
The important thing was that I explained to him that it was important that he keep the magic alive for the other children, including his little brother, so not to say something and be respectful of that.

I thought our most recent trip a few weeks wouldn't be as magical for him now that he "knew" - but I was very, very wrong. Disney allows for suspension of disbelief. Us adults know they are people in costumes, but we love them just the same (well, I know I do and am excited to see them and get pics of my kids with them). Kids, especially younger ones, are the same. Even knowing, meeting the characters was his favorite part of this past trip and he was very enthusiastic and excited to see everyone we could (he did question Pooh, so a heads up to your sons not to ask the characters is one thing I'd suggest - he didn't do it again after that). I think Talking Mickey kind of threw him for a loop though

 

[PinkiexLi]

In Las Vegas, there are street performers dressed as Disney characters on the strip. When my daughter was maybe 5 "Woody" had his head off and was texting. I didn't realize that she saw him until we were back at the hotel and she says, "Mom, I think the characters at Disneyland have people in them because I saw Woody take of his head and there was a person inside." I tried to cover and say that those weren't the real characters because we weren't at Disneyland, but the next time we went to Disneyland she totally felt the characters up and said that she knew for sure there's a person inside because she felt their fingers...

 

[texasgingerbread]

Bummer PinkiexLi!! Big bummer!!!

 

[texasgingerbread]

Does Mickey talk? He didn't at Aulani???

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I would say, "What do you think?" After that, just follow his lead.

DD never believed the characters were real. She met Dora and Boots, who she loved, at age 3, and she knew the real characters were her sized while the ones she met were giant. It never spoiled any magic for her, and she still gets giddy every time she sees her current favorite, Stitch.

 

[disneyfamiof4]

I told dd8 that it doesn't matter it's still "the Mickey" at "the Disney World"!

 

[OZMom]

DS5 told me our first day at the parks that the Disney Jr characters were just people in costumes. I told him, very quietly because there were other kids and his brother around, that it was for fun and the real characters couldn't be there all the time so these were helpers. I also told him it wasn't fair for him to ruin the magic for anyone else and he needed to keep that information to himself. I was a little sad because my kids weren't as interested in meeting costumed characters after that, but it left more time for rides etc. They still thought the face characters were real though.

 

[Newsies]

I think my sister and I always knew. I remember being 5 and asking my mom if I was going to see "someone in a Mickey costume" on the car ride over to WDW from Daytona Beach and her trying to desperately cover it up

But those are just the fur characters! All the princesses in the parks are, of course, 100% the real princesses from the movies

 

[hsmamato2]

I think children are much more intelligent than most people nowadays give them credit for..... And they already know what a real person is vs. a furry costume character esp. by age 6. Anyway,at about 3-4 my ds asked this question, and I asked him what he thought. he said "it can't be real,not really." I agreed...but from then on,we termed the characters...'visiting the cartoons' and we always referred to the experience as the fun of pretending that our imaginary cartoon characters looked and felt real,and it was fun to pretend we were 'in the cartoon fantasy' while at Disney. Pretending is fun, being inside a movie is fun, and I knew that my child of 3 was reasonable enough to understand this,at his level. I had never told him anything else either, that any of them were 'real'. We just always went to 'play with the cartoons' FWIW, if he hadn't verbalized his knowledge, I would still have told him that however he chose to view hugging Mickey, that was fine, and without telling him"of course he's real!" I would have taken the same view, that whatever we think,I just love pretending I'm in a Mickey cartoon!

 

[cdawg75]

We have always told our daughter there were people in the costumes. She still loves to meet them all and get signatures.

 

[dizmom2mwjk]

My kids all know and understand it is part of Disney magic! They don't ruin it for others, and some even aspire to be characters at disney....one dd figures out which characters she fits heights for every time we measure....currently, she could be tink, alice, a pixie, or a couple others...she really wants tink (is at the tall limit) or alice, so hopes she has stopped growing

However, my shortest adult kid is 5'8"

 

[Reppstir]

Honesty is the best policy. I don't think any child will be traumatized by the realization that a cartoon character isn't real.
Personally, I don't even think children should go to WDW until they are 10 years old, but I am sure that is a completely separate thread.
Really, though, they can handle the reality of costumed characters.

 

[sbarisch]

I just ask my daughter what she thinks. For a while she chose to believe because she wanted to believe in the magic at Disney, even though a part of her really knew the truth, but asking her thoughts on it allowed her to decide what she wanted to believe and share.

 

[Catvondita]

I'd just say yes. I would have a hard time lying to my kid. For me, if he already figured it out then why continue lying? He sounds like a smart kid btw

 

[tomatecerise]

Mickey is a mouse, he use to Be inside the costume because he is too tiny to hold children in his arms. It's the same for Woody because it's a toy. They love children and want to Touch them not just in their heart.

 

[dprincessmom]

What you mean they aren't real My daughter matter of factly informed me on our second trip that the characters were just people in costumes. She was ok with that. "They are helpers to have fun with while at WDW." The face characters are easier for the kids to think of as real for longer.

 

[msb578]

Deleted

Sorry, my sarcasm radar is turned off today

 

[smitch425]

Does Mickey talk? He didn't at Aulani???

The Mickey at Town Hall in MK talks (when the tech is working, not guaranteed).

 

[peg110]

I tell them the same thing I do about Santa Clause. He is absolutely 100% real, however he cannot be every place at once and needs people to help give him a break. It doesn't matter either way, because you have the Spirit of the character with you always.