The magic is in the experience and the photo op. Whether they're real or not is relative. What I was led to believe is the magic of Disney World is that the cartoon characters we know so well, only come to life in Disney...

Disney's different from Santa. You believe then you don't because Santa is at football games, in parades, in every department store. Suspending belief is easy. Its too illogical. At Disney, you can only see these characters come to life. No where else. That's the difference.