Winnie the Boo-hoo-hoo

My cousins' family, much like my own, didn't manage to make the pilgrimage to Disney until their kids were older than most. When they finally caved and flew down to Orlando, I would guess that their kids were 18, 15, and 13. They loved Disney, but I think they were a little too old to believe in the whole "magical" aspect.

Little kids see the dressed-up characters that roam the streets of Disney as almost gods. They squeal with delight: "Look, Mommy! It's Simba!" With older kids, however, you're more likely to hear: "Hey, I bet that dude in the Simba costume is probably dripping in sweat right now!" While the younger crowd will happily wait on line to take photos with their favorite Disney characters, the older crowd may not be as compliant. 

My cousins saw that the Winnie-the-Pooh character was available for pictures, and went over to inquire. My oldest cousin, a boy around 18, tried to strike a conversation with the man beneath the Pooh costume. However, Mr. Pooh was not too into that idea, as I'm sure he felt the need to protect his image as a Disney character, and not some mortal being dressed in a costume. When Winnie wouldn't respond, my cousin gave him a light punch in the arm, in the way that boys mess with each other. They took their picture and Pooh scurried off quickly.

Just moments later, an announcement blared through the park: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are sorry to announce that Winnie-the-Pooh will no longer be available for photos today. He has been **dramatic pause** injured." 

As my cousin turned a deep shade of red, he heard a sea of "Awwwww's" from the young crowd around him. Let's just say that my cousins didn't do any more photo-taking that day...