Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Shannon! I am excited to hEAR that you are preparing for a visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth!
Mother to mother, I COMPLETELY understand what you are going through! My now nine year old daughter visits Walt Disney World several times each year and is TERRIFIED of the fully costumed characters. She even bolts out of the school gym when the school mascot shows up at assemblies! Our friends and relatives do not understand how she makes it through the parks, but we have a system that works!
My princess is the same as yours as she likes to see the characters from a distance, so step one of our plan is we always catch the
parades. She enjoys waving to the characters from a far, but feels safe knowing that we can stand back a bit and the characters will be at a distance from her.
On the other hand, my son LOVES
character dining as its the best way to sit down, get a snack and meet Mickey Mouse without waiting in line! Of course, this does create an issue with my daughter. So in these situations, or if a costumed character approaches, my daughter has learned to politely say "no thank you" while waving her hands in front of her, and then turning around. If we are at a character meal, she sits away from the main aisle. This has worked every time. My husband, son and I also run a little interference by talking with the character's traveling partner or explaining that my princess is feeling a bit shy today.
I will share with you, we had one trip during the holidays where my daughter had a moment of bravery and ran up and hugged Mickey Mouse during a meet and greet. I would be lying if I said a few tears were not shed during that moment. Since then, she hasn't greeted Mickey again, but you never know when our little ones will surprise us! Sometimes the magic just moves them! Don't worry, the
Disney PhotoPass photographers will capture the moments for you.
Enjoy making magical memories with your daughter! See ya real soon! Angie