What to tell my son?

[GoofyDadKB]

My wife and I have been long time fans of Disney and have been many a times to WDW, but we have not been down in two years due to the birth of our son. We are going down for a week on May 7th and then again for five days on Dec. 12. I don't think it will be a problem on the May trip but in Dec. we are expecting to get the question on why Mickey and the other characters don't talk. Do any of you have an idea of what we can tell him?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[AndyJo0930]

I brought my 7 year old nephew (a while ago) and my kids ages 1 and 3 and not once did they even ask???
We are bring my kids again, now 4 and 6, and that never even crossed my mind. Maybe kids just don't realize that they are not talking and just excited to see them.

 

[Cindyrella]

I brought my 7 year old nephew (a while ago) and my kids ages 1 and 3 and not once did they even ask???
We are bring my kids again, now 4 and 6, and that never even crossed my mind. Maybe kids just don't realize that they are not talking and just excited to see them.

I agree! We have been to WDW several times with our 5 and 3 year old. They have never asked. Have a great trip with your son - how exciting!

 

[lilclerk]

I remember wondering why they didn't talk, but it didn't bother me. I was just happy to get Donald's autograph =)

 

[FatBoy976]

If they ask, you can say they lost their voices singing in the show.

 

[dazzer68]

tell the kids its because the whole world visits wdw and he cant speak every language, so he doesnt say anything!

 

[mainstreet1997]

Maybe its only one of those things he will think about at home and forget all about once Im there. Its like me looking at pictures of people hugging the charactres and being like "that must be kind of weird hugging all those strangers" and then once im there its like "MICKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYY!":sohappy:

 

[GrowingUpDisney]

Our son is almost 4 (next month) and has been about 10 times. He has never once asked. I just think it is amazing that he is afraid of Santa and the Easter Bunny, but LOVES every single Disney character in costume .

 

[WhyteAL]

I don't think he will ask yet because he is only like 2, but last August for my daughters 5th birthday we did go to disney and she was not only asking why they don't talk even though the princess (her fav) do which helped a lot. But she also asked why there face was so hard like plastic? and how come Mickey was so big if he was only a mouse. So imagine my explanation was being ignorant to the subject "you know I don't really know, but I like seeing them and going there" which helped me go to the next subject. Her question to me last week was why and what is a wormhole! "why are you watching star trek with out me!" LOL:lol:

 

[pacochran]

I think kids are just so awed by meeting them in person that they don't think about it. The excitement just pushes it out of their minds.

We didn't have that problem with my kids, because my daughter as a child was so afraid of any character including Santa Claus , yes even Santa Claus that we told them that it was just a person in a costume representing the person. For a while even that didn't help. Luckily when we went to Disney she was over that and she would take pictures with them and get their autographs. We didn't bring any of that up and she didn't either.

 

[k.hunter30]

I think when I was little I was told that they had a sore throat from acting/singing all day.

 

[DisneyChik17]

I don't think I ever thought of them not talking. I was just awe-struck by them. And I guess in never thinking about it I just got to the age where I knew there were people in there.

I would just tell him they sing and talk so much in the shows that they need to save their voices.

 

[JML42691]

Two words: "Peanut Butter"

---it might work

 

[MJMcBride]

Just say "they must not like you". They'll be alright with that right?

 

[GoofMasterHookX]

From two years of being very close with some of the characters, I only had one experience where a kid asked this question.

 

[kcnole]

Some of the characters do talk now. They recently introduced a new animated head that allows movement of the mouth and eyes with the audio at shows.

 

[NASAMan]

My daughter, a former friend of the characters, passes this on:

Tell them they do talk. You just have to listen with your heart!


Awwww!

 

[smk]

My daughter, a former friend of the characters, passes this on:

Tell them they do talk. You just have to listen with your heart!


Awwww!

Now that is something any kid could understand! Perfect!

 

[ErickainPA]

He probably won't ask at 2 or 2 1/2 yrs old. Usually too fascinated with the characters to even realize.

 

[MommytoMJM]

MJ has asked (especially when the articulating heads showed up at the Castle Show (sigh)) We don't have an answer for why the DAWM characters can *talk* and the others can't, but for the regular ones we told her that they could only talk through the magic of TV and Movies.