Is it a mistake not to do the autograph books?

[MichelleVW]

Why autographs? Well, it's not just the autograph... it's the photo opportunity too, and the interaction between child and character that all adds to the fun. The way Donald insists he is #1, how Goofy signs behind his head, how Chip signs his name and Dale's but writes "stinks" with an arrow pointing to Dale's name and then laughs. Just don't ask them if they are squirrels.

We did autograph books for my son when he was age 3 and again at age 4. We filled one book the first time.... and in 2009, we filled three books (sixty or so autographs!). We also had characters sign t-shirts and Disney baseball caps (clothing cannot be worn while being signed).

Autographs from "non-characters" and photos with them can be fun too -- the waiter, the chef, the bus driver, the bell hop at Tower of Terror, etc..

These are are favorite photos. Our son likes to show his pre-school friends where Pluto, Mickey, Lilo, and Stitch signed his shirt. He also looks at his autograph books and talks about the experience. We also made a photo book (shutterfly) that has these and other park photos with captions that tell a story. So, my son has his own hardcover story book called "My Trip to Disney World" with his name used as the main character. It all helps to preserve memories and build language skills.

I didn't see any long lines, the longest wait was about 20 minutes. Most of the time, less than 5 minutes... but we were at Disney during non-busy times of year.

Character meals are an easy place to meet characters and get autographs without waiting. In Animal Kingdom, the Mickey and Minnie greeting trail has several (almost no wait time) and also throughout the park and at the entrance. Hollywood Studios also had lots of characters and no or minimal waits - Animation Studios had several, also by Toy Story mania. The one place I have seen longer lines are for the Pooh characters by the Pooh ride in Magic Kingdom.

I agree with the added fun!! My girls are teenagers and I still go to that Walmart near Disney and get them cheap autograph books. I thought they were too old for them, but they like meeting the characters. DD18 also carries her Stitch stuffed animal with her for added character fun. The real Stitch always gets excited when he sees him, and Snow White's step mother said she loved Stitch because he wrecked Cinderella's castle!!

TBH, I think the autograph books are absolutely stupid. They tie up the characters (I've had my kids shut out of meet-and-greets because too many autographs seekers tied them up). A quick photo says a LOT more and has more memories than a meaningless signature in a book by some actor.

I loathe the whole autograph book crapola. We never do it nor do my kids care. They just want to meet the person and get a photo, which then goes into our scrapbooks.

2 big thumbs DOWN on autograph books and line hoggers that use 'em.

sorry you had a bad experience, but I don't think they take that much longer and it's fun!

 

[happymommy]

In all our trips, my kids have never once wanted to do autographs. I think honestly the majority of visitors don't do them.

I never had much patience to wait in a long line just for an autograph or photo. If there is a short line (just a couple of people) and my kids wanted a photo with a character, we did that, but never really wanted to do the autographs.

 

[tzolkin]

My kids (now 11, almost 6, and 3) have never expressed an interest in meeting characters and really do not care to get autographs. This works out well because DH and I aren't really thrilled at the thought of standing in a line in the sun to snap a picture and get an autograph.

Even when there have been short lines, we've offered and the kids have refused. Once my youngest met Handy Manny, but my middle DD hid behind my legs while DH took her brother. They will stop and look for a few seconds and maybe wave, but that's about it.


The only character meet we do is the Disney Visa one. We go every time we're in Epcot during the times it's open (3 per trip). For some reason my kids are thrilled to meet the characters here-- they run in and hug them and their little faces light up. I think it's a combination of the surprise and the privacy-- you aren't out in a park with people walking by while you interact with the characters so they feel more comfortable.


We don't like to be tied to ADRs, so we've stayed out of the character meals (we may try one next trip). My sister did the deluxe dining in Sept for her daughter's first trip though. They did a character meal every day and she made a nice scrapbook with the autographs and photos from all of the characters. They felt the meals were a nice break from the parks/heat for them (they didn't return to the resort for a nap) and she is a person who would have waited in lines for autographs, so the meals saved them time as well.

 

[tlh0726]

We did an autograph book last trip (one book that the kids shared) and we will be doing another one for our next trip.
I had autograph cards (created by the DISigners ) printed as 4x6 photos and the characters signed them with sharpies.
We had an amazing time with that book.
The characters made over their pictures when signing, especially the ones that normally are not featured in the regular autograph books. It definitely added something to our interaction with them. We even had CM's stop us later in the week and ask us about the book. Several actually paged through looking at all the autographs.
DD had 2 older ladies in total awe showing them our book while waiting for the next country bear jamboree. Telling them who she got, who she still needed, what happened while they were meeting them, etc etc.
When we got home, I put the autograph cards and a picture of the kids and character into a 2 picture per page photo album. The kids still show everyone that comes to our house that book.

 

[summerrluvv]

We always do them. I put a pic of the character and the autograph on the same page in our albums.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

We went through a few autograph books. Our boys didn't care enough about them to take care of them. But they love/loved the hugs and pictures with the characters...

 

[karapp75]

When my son, who has a PDD, was 3 we got him the autograph book and it was HUGE in helping him interact with the characters. Any social interaction was a big deal back then and it was wonderful for him. When he was 4 he didn't want to do it which was fine, however my twin 3 year old girls LOVED them. We bought the ones where you sign on one side and put the picture on the other side so it was like a mini scrap book. My girls still look through theirs often and it's been a year and a half. This year we are considering penny smashers for my son so he has something to collect. I love the pin idea but just seems like so much money.

 

[AirGoofy]

We have done autograph books on 3 of our trips and not on 2 of our trips. They were a pain for us to keep up with - pens, pages, keeping dry in the rain, etc. But, the girls really enjoy having them now and showing them to friends.

 

[MSMomTJ]

I plan for my kids to get autographs -- or at least I'm going to give them the option to do so. I am going to get each of them The Disney Junior Encyclopedia of Animated Characters to look at on the way to WDW, and if they want to get autographs, they can have the characters to sign their pages. (Gotta figure out what to do about the non-animated characters we might run into!)

My kids are shy, so I think the autographs will be a good way to break the ice...at least until they get used to talking to the characters.

 

[canfield77]

I still look through my autograph book every now and then, and I'm 25! I think my mom got me one when they first came up with the idea of selling them in the parks, and I took it with me for every subsequent vacation. I have A LOT of autographs, and yes, I'll admit it, I'm pretty proud of my collection . It is a nice keepsake for me, and I say Yes go ahead and do it!

 

[DisneyFamily123]

That would be crushing! So sorry. When there was a line, I always felt a need to not take long with the character -- sign, hug, snap some photos...next!

Most of our autographs were from character meals and short lines and standard greeting stations at AK, Epcot, and HS. Standard meaning that the characters were there at regular times. For some reason, it seems like the characters at MK appear unexpectedly, other than Mickey and Minnie at Toon Town, and then they are gone.

The Pin trading does seem like a big expense... haven't started that one either but will probably be looking for something other than autograph books next trip.

Always

I think I've been down on the autograph stuff since we were waiting to meet Snow White one time, and my DD SO wanted to meet her--and the autograph people just had endless books to have signed, and i do mean endless. Finally the handler hauled Snow White off about 2 people before our turn. DD was absolutely crushed and it left a very bad taste in my mouth.

I think hi, and a hug, and some interaction and a photo are great. But the time that writing there name adds, a good 30 seconds to 1 minute, really cuts in to the time for the other kids waiting (multiply that by 50 kids and you see why it eats up time). I want ALL the kids to get face time. The signing thing, it just bugs me.

We haven't gotten into the pin thing although I'm tempted. But this trip already costs so much, I don't think i want to add yet another expense.

 

[aussietravellers]

We've been 4 times now, and have never done the autograph books. It just seems like a lot to carry, long wait times to meet characters, and something the kids won't care about anyway.

But am I missing something? Do any kids actually look through these books after the trips?

Yes my son does go through his autograph books, not everyday, but from time to time. We have always done the one with the photo and autograph pages. I think they are a great souvenir and memoir of the trip. That being said, he is not past the autograph book and would not have one on our Disneyland trip last month. I was quite sad, it became a joke, every time we would walk into a shop I would say, "so... how about an autograph book" he would just look at me and say "ah, no"

 

[Scrubba2]

Although we usually visit during value season when the character lines aren't crazy, our DS LOVES getting the autographs. He looks them over at the end of the day and the end of the trip, but that is it.

It is inexpensive fun IMO. The cute autograph books are only about $7, and you can bring your own larger pen from home.

It is ALL about the character interaction. The characters are wonderful to the kids and it makes the kids feel special for a minute as they sign the book and usually have a bit of conversation.

To those who say that autograph books clog up the characters line...bah humbug. RELAX!! This is what the THEME PARK vacation is ALL about!! That is WHY they sell autograph books to begin with!! It's not about your vacation photo as proof you saw the character for your scrapbook...it is about the character interaction! IMHO the whole vacation is to RELAX and have fun with it!!! We do not have to worry whatsoever about limiting our time with the characters. It is NOT our worry...that is why there is a CM there. To keep the line moving at a fair pace. Disney is doing that for us We are busy having our fun with the character! And believe it or not, it is often fun watching the folks ahead of us in line enjoying their time with the characters!!

 

[momof3Disneykids]

Instead of getting a book for all 3 of my kids, I will carry 1 smallish sketch pad for the autographs and when we get home Im going to make a scrapbook of our trip and cut out the autographs, and put on the pages with corresponding pictures (Mickey pics with Mickey Signature etc.)

 

[kohlby]

We're not doing the autograph books. But we don't stand in line for characters or take a slew of character photos. My kids just aren't that in for characters. Since DH and I would rather do things other than characters, we don't encourage it! We will ask our kids if they want to go talk to a character if there's no line and they'll occassionally want to, but usually they don't.

 

[LaneOT]

TBH, I think the autograph books are absolutely stupid. They tie up the characters (I've had my kids shut out of meet-and-greets because too many autographs seekers tied them up). A quick photo says a LOT more and has more memories than a meaningless signature in a book by some actor.

I loathe the whole autograph book crapola. We never do it nor do my kids care. They just want to meet the person and get a photo, which then goes into our scrapbooks.

2 big thumbs DOWN on autograph books and line hoggers that use 'em.

In all honesty, I totally agree!!! We've been doing Disney for 5 years, since my dtr was 5 and we had a horrible experience with autograph-toting-kid shoving parents on line to meet characters. My dtr wanted a picture with mary poppins... not a princess..just MP.. so we got on line and the people in front of us were pushing the books into their kids hand and telling them what to say...for crying out loud one kids didnt even want an autograph. The best part was that the child was crying and wasnt interested in MP, she just wanted to go, but NOOOO the parents made sure the girl took the picture, and autograph and then whipped out 2...count em 2...more autograph books for their other kids, ASLEEP IN THE CARRIAGE!!!! ergo, my disdain for books.

 

[tartemis]

As a general rule, I think autographs are assinine, so it is not something that I would ever encourage my kids to do. Of course, if somehow they came up with the idea on their own, I would let them, but I really don't see how a kid comes up with the idea that autographs are cool unless the parent encourages it.

 

[excitedtraveler]

On my dd's first trip there I got a small clipboard and 4x4 pieces of cardstock. We had the character sign the cardtock and I took her picture with the character. I then put them all together in a small photo album...the pictures with their corresponding siggies. We haven't done it again, once was really enough. The autograph books themselves don't so much for me. I really prefer pictures with the characters.

 

[Ericandjenng]

Alot of you are right about this being about interaction with the characters. On my son's first trip (he was only 13 months), we took him up to the characters in his stroller so he had his comfort zone. He wanted to touch all of their noses and they were absolutely wonderful about it. We have pictures of him and every character he met touching their nose. We also have pictures from his 3rd birthday trip with Mickey helping him blow out the candle on his cupcake and Donald playing cars with him in Chef Mickey's. How can you replace memories like that?

But now that he is getting older, we're autograph collectors, but we try to do different things each trip. We have done the book and my son still likes to look at his. We also did a t-shirt for his 3rd bday trip. And once I did white cotton triangles with fabric markers from which I made a quilted wall-hanging for my best friend who is a Disney fanatic.

Also if you skip the lines and character meals, you never know who you might miss. We met Abby Mallard shortly after "Chicken Little" was released at the end of the line after meeting Goofy, Pluto and Donald down in Toontown. We got to see and meet Launchpad McQuack at Chef Mickey's. Along with other assorted characters at odd times and places. But some of that's the fun.

Everyone enjoys Disney their way and that's what makes it so magical!

Jenn

 

[DisneyFamily123]

As a general rule, I think autographs are assinine, so it is not something that I would ever encourage my kids to do. Of course, if somehow they came up with the idea on their own, I would let them, but I really don't see how a kid comes up with the idea that autographs are cool unless the parent encourages it.

To each his own..... I don't understand why people who don't get autographs feel so strongly negative about it. There's nothing harmful about it.

However, I'd say a parent should not feel guilty if they don't do autographs... but if we were greeting a character and my son saw other kids getting autographs, and he wanted to do that, I wouldn't say NO. I'd just go grab one of the blank autographs and a pen which can be bought anywhere for less than $10.

I know my son, and at age 3, I knew he would want to do autographs... he was already getting them from baseball players and our mascot from our professional team at home.

At Disney, he loved getting the autographs -- he carried his own book and was excited to hand it to the character and have that interaction. We had a set of colors and he liked picking out which color to use for each character. And we enjoyed watching his big smile while the character signed, gave him a "high five", a hug, etc......

We spent a ton of money on our Disney trips... not for the dining, or autographs, or rides........ we spent that money for the smiles and excitement on our DS's face -- that was the greatest joy and worth every dollar.