Hi Brandi!
Thank you so much for your question!
My best advice is to either split up and have your husband (or yourself) take your little one somewhere else while your oldest enjoys the characters. I am not one of those 'push it' types that will do
ANYTHING to get a picture. If your 2 year old seems uncomfortable, then just keep them away--of course this all depends on your child's comfort level.
If your 2 year old can handle being in the same room as the characters, then you can re-assure them that they can just wave or stand far away from the character. You can also explain to the character assistant that you have one with a great fear, and they'll help let Mickey, or Pooh know to give a friendly greeting from a distance.
I have 3 children, and all have (from a very young age) LOVED the characters. I made sure that I talk with them about the characters beforehand (especially around the 12-24 month age bracket), and let them know that "Mickey is big!" We also watch the
vacation planning DVDs several times so that they see just what the characters look like and can get an idea of what to expect. This will be my daughter's first encounter with the characters as a toddler, so it will be interesting to see how she reacts. My other two would cry and carry on while in line because
they couldn't WAIT to meet them. We would literally have to hold them until it was our turn in line because they would run over anyone that stood in their way!
Have a magical vacation!
Amanda