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Mom And Daughter; Magic Kingdom; Cinderella's Castle; AA; Mickey Balloon
  • On Apr 30, 2012
    Susan from WI Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    We have recently discovered all of our children (ages 5,7,9) are petrified of any costumed characters. Any suggestions on how to enjoy the characters from a distance? Or how to help them be ready for the characters? We are planning our trip for June 2013.

    Hi, Susan!  My oldest daughter was terrified of the characters, and I'm pretty certain I'll be paying some pretty hefty therapy bills some day to help her get over the trauma of the things I did to try and get a few photos of her with the characters! 



    The best thing to do is ease them into it, and accept the fact that there may not be any close moments.  At character dining experiences, the characters will come and stand a little distance behind the kids at the table, allowing you to snap a few pictures without the kids actually having any character interaction.  My oldest - and my youngest, who also had some character issues - was usually fine in a photo if Daddy and Mommy stood next to the character, and the kids stood on the outside, keeping some distance between the two.



    You could also remind them in the year between now and the trip that these are, with few exceptions, the good guys!  Watch programs like the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and you'll see how helpful and thoughtful Mickey and Minnie can be.  Check out some of the Disney movies and perhaps they'll see that even the Beast turned out to be good in the end. 



    Lastly, when you get to the theme parks, you'll find a lot of "face" characters.  I found with my girls, they were not nearly as scary.  The princesses, Aladdin, and a few others are less scary because they look like everyone else.  You might want to start there!



    Have a great vacation!

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Meet the Panelist: Anna, New Jersey

My name is Anna and I am a retired teacher with a J.D., a proud Navy wife with 30+ years of experience, mom to three daughters and a son-in-law, and grandmom to three tiny Disney fans. I have planned vacations for all sorts of special occasions and celebrations, but I really enjoy DVC vacations, helping military families, and assisting those with special dietary needs.    Learn More About Anna

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