No longer believing in the characters? 🥲

[Claire-Bear]

We are due to take our girls, age 4 and 7, for the first time to WDW in August.

My 7yo told me today, in no uncertain terms, that the characters are just "dressed up" because Disney characters are "not real". I can't remember how old I was when I stopped believing, but this made me sas that she's so young and hasn't even been to WDW yet

I still love the characters (I'd still insist on meeting them before we had children!) , but I'm worried meeting them won't be special for her? How have you found it at the parks (especially character meets) with your children that stopped believing?

 

[TikiRob]

When my 13 and 18 year old daughters ask me how Rise of the Resistance “works” I tell them “Well, we board a transport and head to space…” Drives them crazy. I’ll never drop the charade of keeping it real when in the parks.

 

[Karin1984]

Start with face characters. Is she into princesses?

It is easier to believe in princesses who smile and talk to you than in a gigant mouse.

 

[loves to dive]

Sometimes even knowing they are friends of still makes it fun. I'm not much of a meeting characters person but when I met Chewy you have never seen a bigger smile than mine. I got a big ole hug from him and was just walking on clouds. I'm a 66 year old woman who certainly knows what is behind the curtain, it was still special.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

When my 13 and 18 year old daughters ask me how Rise of the Resistance “works” I tell them “Well, we board a transport and head to space…” Drives them crazy. I’ll never drop the charade of keeping it real when in the parks.

Yeah, when my kids starting saying things like “Mickey’s not real” or “Donald’s feet have zippers”, I’d say things like “Looks real to me” and “Well, maybe that’s how cartoon feet work”.

 

[Claire-Bear]

Start with face characters. Is she into princesses?

It is easier to believe in princesses who smile and talk to you than in a gigant mouse.

I had asked her about the princesses but she said they are just dressed up as they're not real either she still "likes" princesses though (like she will say her favourite is Ariel). I said "well I think they're real" but she still insisted

 

[Karin1984]

You can also be honest with her and say that it is nice to pretend they are real.

But I am sure even knowing they are not real, most likely when she sees Ariel, she might forget that.

 

[HopperFan]

We are due to take our girls, age 4 and 7, for the first time to WDW in August.

My 7yo told me today, in no uncertain terms, that the characters are just "dressed up" because Disney characters are "not real". I can't remember how old I was when I stopped believing, but this made me sas that she's so young and hasn't even been to WDW yet

I still love the characters (I'd still insist on meeting them before we had children!) , but I'm worried meeting them won't be special for her? How have you found it with your children that stopped believing?

I guess my question is "what is your goal?" I don't think you can change her mind or convince her otherwise, and you might not even convince her to meet them for her.

I would just present as we did for Santa .............. "Your sister still believes in the magic and the characters. I would really like pictures of both of you together. I'm asking you to help continue the magic for her so either join her in meeting from OR let her meet them and then you join for a few pictures of you two together. Can you help your sister have a magical visit?"

In the process of the meets you might find her stance soften.

 

[MamaMermaid]

I'd just roll with it. If she knows, she knows. I'd focus on the fact that it's still fun to meet them (if she enjoys that).

 

[Disneylover99]

My kids were 3 and 6 the first time they went. They never believed anyone was the actual character. But they really enjoyed meeting them and getting a picture with them.

 

[Claire-Bear]

Thanks for your responses I suppose I should have written "how have you found it at the parks, and especially character meets, when they stopped believing"

 

[Rory607]

My oldest was probably around that age when she realized they weren’t real, but she still found it fun to meet them. She is now 12 and I have some adorable pictures of her meeting characters on our last trip!

I never disputed it with her, just asked her to please not ruin it for her younger brother. They are also 3 years apart, like your kiddos. I told her it wasn’t fair because no one told her at his age and it was important to help make magic for the younger kids. It was fine. It’s still magical when you meet them in the parks, I think.

 

[pineapplepalms]

My 7yo told me he knew the characters weren’t real a few months back, but we’ve had a few trips since then and he still has a lot of fun meeting them. Like others, I had a talk with him about not spoiling the magic for his younger siblings who are 2 and 4, and he’s been great about it. We talked about whether real or not, it’s all part of the fun experience of a Disney trip.

 

[Anna131517]

Ask your children if they want to meet characters and follow their lead. When my kids asked if they were real I told them “no, but isn’t it fun to pretend?” My daughters still like meeting them. My son will occasionally do a photo with them. The characters have definitely become less of a focus as they’ve gotten older. For reference my kids are now 6, 7, and 9.

 

[Anna131517]

You can also be honest with her and say that it is nice to pretend they are real.

But I am sure even knowing they are not real, most likely when she sees Ariel, she might forget that.

This is so true - the forgetting! I kept telling my kids the Elf on the Shelf wasn’t real but they insisted they still wanted to do it because everyone at school did it. Then once I got the Elf it’s like they completely forgot that conversation and kept talking about how you can’t touch it or it will lose its magic.

 

[sponica]

My 6.5 year old definitely started asking questions, like "how is mickey in so many places?". He was an artist at breakfast and a farmer at lunch

But I'm not one to talk, the highlight of one of my trips was stumbling into Christopher Robin's bedroom in Epcot and meeting Pooh and Tigger....and I was not quite 30?

 

[Rory607]

This is so true - the forgetting! I kept telling my kids the Elf on the Shelf wasn’t real but they insisted they still wanted to do it because everyone at school did it. Then once I got the Elf it’s like they completely forgot that conversation and kept talking about how you can’t touch it or it will lose its magic.

That freaking elf. I never wanted to do it, but my H said I was no fun and came home with one a few years ago. My 12 year old still loves her and plays right along that it’s real and the no touching rule. We even had to bring her on our December Disney trip this past year because we went before Christmas and the kids didn’t want to be away from her

 

[bjscheel]

Mine were 3 and 6 for first trip. After a park day I was having the 6yo answer some questions for a journal about her trip. One of her comments in that process was that she was surprised that the characters weren't real. Honestly I hadn't even thought she would ever think they were real. But we talked about it a little and decided they were "real Disney World characters" which is true.

They have always loved meeting characters regardless, and we have had tons of fun asking characters questions, even as adults.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

We've always talked about it much like Santa: do you think you just met the real Rapunzel or do you think you met one of her friends because she's really busy?

 

[juxtapose]

My daughter is 10 and figured it out around 7. She’s been twice since and still loves meeting the characters, especially Chewy, Pluto, and Stitch, like full on squeals when she sees then lol.

My son was only 3! And he of course announced it in a line waiting for Mickey around a ton of other kids. He’s never been super into characters but still likes Chewy and the princesses at 7.