Family With Medals; RunDisney 10K; Stitch Hat; Lilo and Stitch Costume
  • On Apr 18, 2013
    Lori 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.

    Any suggestions about what to say if my kids (4 years and 6 years) ask me "Why don't the characters talk?" when we run into them in the parks? Thanks!

    Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel Lori!

    That is indeed a tricky question. They may both get so caught up in the magic that they won't think twice about it especially if you act like that's perfectly normal and kind of do some interpreting for them with you're with the characters. When my boys were 4, they thought nothing of it. Around the age of 5 or 6, they started to pay a little more attention to it.  Its also tricky because the "face characters" like the princesses talk and the "fur characters" like Mickey and Pooh do not during meet and greets.  However, Mickey and other fur characters do talk in shows and parades like Dream Along with Mickey and Fantasmic!.

    I used to tell my boys that when characters were in the middle of filming movies or TV shows, they weren't allowed to talk to Guests in the parks because they had to rest their voices and were only allowed to talk in the shows and parades. If they talked to Guests in the parks all day on top of doing the shows and parades, their voices would be too hoarse to film their movies or TV shows. They were usually happy with that explanation and didn't ask again.

    Moms Panelist Beth recently answered a similar question with some good ideas as well.

    Kids are smart and figure things out at a young age. You're probably fine for this trip but one day, you'll have to explain that it is all part of the show.  It almost tore me apart to admit to that, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find that my boys still love having their pictures taken with all the characters. I found that just as it is for me, the magic of Disney will always be real in their hearts.

    Wishing you minnie magical memories :-) Allison V.
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Meet the Panelist: Allison, Georgia

I'm a Disney-fanatic! I made my first trip to Disney World the year it opened and have grown up crazy for all things Disney. As the Mom of a son with Cerebral Palsy, I love providing recommendations for families traveling with a special needs member. Learn More About Allison

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