So this is the second of my posts about our recent Disney World/Florida vacation. In case you missed Part One, here’s the link.
When we were planning the trip, the one concern I kept coming back to is How is Mimi going to deal with the characters?
This is the girl – who is not quite 2 years old – who cried hysterically on Santa’s lap (the first time she saw him) and treated him like he had a restraining order during their second meeting a week later. What the heck was she going to think of human-sized mice wearing polka dots or 6-foot ducks with speech impediments? I thought for sure she was going to freak out at the sight of them and run into the comforting arms of Cinderella and Belle and Jasmine.
Boy, was I ever wrong!
Our first encounter came during our character dinner our first night at 1900 Park Fare in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. I thought this would be a safe bet, since it would mostly be characters from Cinderella. The first characters to make their way over to our table were the random mice who help Cinderella get ready for the ball. I saw them approach and braced myself for Mimi’s eventual meltdown.
But no. Instead, my little girl squealed with delight and was literally bouncing in her seat with excitement to give these nameless mice a hug.
Soon after, Prince Charming entered the dining room (oooh, ahhhh). When she saw him approach, Mimi shot him her nastiest look – the same look she gave Cinderella when she eventually appeared. “No, Cinderella,” my Mimi said.
Who would have thought?
You notice I didn’t mention anything about Buddy during any of this. That’s because my 6-year-old has never met a giant character he didn’t like. Santa? Love him. Wally, the Red Sox mascot? His BFF. The Easter Bunny? His Facebook friend.
So he didn’t hesitate to give all the characters a hug, even Prince Charming (which he did begrudgingly).
But at one point he whispered to me, “Mommy, you know they’re just regular people in costumes and makeup.” And my heart broke just a little.
But lucky for us, we had another major character meeting in store the next morning – breakfast at Chef Mickey’s restaurant, meaning Mickey and Minnie were going to be there! For Mimi, the toddler president of the Minnie Mouse Fan Club, this was a big deal.
The kids waited patiently. and eventually got to meet all the major players: Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Mickey and, eventually, Minnie.
When Mimi saw Minnie making her way over, she couldn’t contain herself. “Hi, Minnie! Hi, Minnie!” she kept squealing, waving her little hand. When Minnie finally came over, there was no hesitation at all: Mimi went in for a hug.
Cute doesn’t even begin to describe it.
They were reunited again at Animal Kingdom, although this time Minnie was all decked out in her khaki camping duds …
At one point in Epcot, when Mimi and I had set off to do some toddler-appropriate activities, we stumbled across an area where you could meet a “regular” Mickey, Pluto and Minnie … no camping outfits or chef gear. We waited in line for 20 minutes, and literally just before out turn, my daughter ran under the rope and photo bombed another poor family’s picture with Mickey Mouse, shrieking excited hellos to Mickey. When I gently steered her back into our position in line, she burst into tears and that was it: she refused to see any other characters, including Minnie.
Yep, this is what happens to a overtired toddler at Disney World.
So if you’re like me, and you’re not sure what your child is going to think of giant Disney characters – or even princes and princesses – then here are some points to consider:
- Let your child be your guide. If you’re about to meet a character and the child suddenly panics or becomes clingy, it’s fine to say, “No, thanks,” to the cast member and either leave or move on. Don’t force the issue – especially around nap time.
- If your child seems apprehensive, try introducing characters at the park first, where he or she can observe Goofy or Buzz Lightyear from a distance and then decide whether or not they want to approach them. At the character meals, they come right on over to your table, which could be a little scary (and intrusive) to a nervous child.
- In Epcot, when the Disney people saw Mimi freaking out after the photo bomb incident, they had me hold her and Minnie slyly crept up behind us and we got a few pictures that way. So be prepared to be in the picture!
- If you’re doing an autograph book, have your Sharpie ready to roll when the character comes over, and depending on who it is, you may need to put the marker in his or her “hand.” We had to do this with Minnie and Mickey.
How did you introduce your child to giant characters, whether it’s at a theme park, parade or even Santa Claus? Any tips?
Coming up tomorrow: Part Three: A Review of Disney Dining and the Port Orleans Resort
mel says
Oh my goodness Jess! This is so adorable! We went when H was 1 and she was very nervous to meet the characters. Glad the experience went great!
Sharon - MomGenerations.com says
Oh, how wonderful! I love this post, filled with such happiness and a bit of grownup-ness, too… but always the magic! I still love looking at our family photos of our Disney trips and now seeing our grandkids feel the mesmerizing magic, too. Your tips are perfect…
Jennifer (Savor) says
HAHAHA – I love how kids surprise us and their reactions are priceless! p.s. we also stayed at port orleans at out last stay at Disney.
Jacqui says
Thanks so much. I am loving all your info! We are hoping to go soon with our toddler!
Michele C. says
hahaha love the photo bomb ๐ We haven’t taken our kids to Disney yet but I remember going when my nephew was about 2 and oh boy, he wanted NOTHING to do with the characters. So my husband and I, not married and no kids, stood in line for each one to fill his autograph book ๐
melissa at filling our bucket says
I cannot wait to take B again in October to see how he does. When we took him when he was 11 months old, he was afraid of any character over 6 feet (Goofy, Pluto, Tigger), fine with any smaller guys, and totally in awe of Mickey Mouse. So we’ll see how he does!! Kids always surprise us in the best ways!! Love Mimi’s reaction to Minnie!
candice says
You and I would have gotten along great. I still cringe around people dressed up as other characters. It seems my daughter may have followed in my footsteps as she reveled at her cousin’s 2nd birthday party with Pooh. Hopefully that will change because we are going to Disney in the Spring!
Heather @ Kraus House Mom says
My youngest can’t wait to meet Tinkerbell, she been talking about it for years.
Jodi says
Love these tips Jess! We are hoping to go later this fall. Mimi is so adorable with Minnie! My J loves her too – can’t wait to see how she reacts!