autograph tips?

[Dementia]

So on our trip, my DD will have her first autograph book for the characters to sign. I plan on buying her one when we get to DTD, but I'm curious, I've seen two types of autograph books now, ones with the spiral binding and the old fashioned book-style ones. Which is easier to handle? I PREFER the look of the old fashioned ones, but if the spiral bound is just as popular, as good of quality and easier for the characters to handle, I can put my preference aside. I guess they looked "cheaper" to me.





And please, no suggestion on making a scrapbook/autograph book. I have NO skills in that area at all, and it would be a disaster. I may put something together AFTER, but when she gets the autographs I'd rather her just have something pre-done



And my second question is what kind of tips do you have? I don't mean, have the book open and ready type tips, that I know. I mean do you suggest a certain type of pen, like a clickable Sharpie or something or just a little known tip of some sort?



Thanks to anyone who can provide answers

 

[mel63]

I got my DD's the spiral, easier to have a page open, and flip. Then they could get signatures then leave it open to the next page. Clickable sharpies. We used regular sharpies, and I was constantly taking the lid off, and holding it or putting it on the end, then recapping. Too much handling. I also gave the DD's a small piece of plastic, so the autograpghs didn't go through on to the others. That is a drawback with sharpies or markers. The plastic was like the 5 star notebook cover cut to 3x5, but a thick manilla folder cut, might work also. Something so the marker doesn't go through.

 

[juliesue]

We use the regular autograph books. Just take a small post-it flag for each book and put it where you left off. Then you can quickly find the right page if you unexpectedly run across a character.

We use the fat Disney pens. They work just fine and the characters are used to them. Please be aware that all pens need to be fat - not the regular size because the characters can't hold "skinny" pens. They make a good cheap souvenir too. When I am missing Disney, I use the pens to fill out forms, etc.

 

[scouthawkk]

we actually brought some perm. fabric markers (the darker colors worked best) and bought a disney t-shirt for ds on our last visit. have a small piece of cardbord, or shirt form so the marker doesn't bleed through to the other side of the shirt. we bought the shirt a little big so he could wear it for a while. we got one of the white ones with a bunch of the characters grouped in the middle. we just adjusted the shirt around on the cardboard piece we brought and had each character autograph a different part. almost the entire front of the shirt is covered with autographs! (we spent way too much time in line getting them)

 

[gary4jenn]

I prefer the ones sold at Disney. They are perfect in size and have a nice hard cover on them that can be wiped clean. same with the big pens.

Here are a couple of tips I learned right here on the DIS:
1. Fill out the front of the book with your name, etc. (just in case it were to be lost there is a chance you might get it back)

2. if you have multiple children, take the book and write on the edge of the pages the name of each child. This makes it a lot faster to see who's is who's.

3. Use a rubber band to hold the "used" pages to the front of the book by putting the rubber band over the front cover and include the "used" pages. Makes it really fast when you need to have them ready quickly. Just remember to slide those pages under the rubberband as soon as they are singed.

4. The rubber band can be used to hold the pen to the autograph book.

5. Keep them in a Gallon size ZIplock bag just in case of rain or from getting wet on a water ride.

 

[teacherforhi]

When we went to Disney, we used a small (approximately the size of large index card) sketch pad. The paper was thick enough that a Sharpie didn't bleed through and the spiral made it easy to fold back the book.

We also had the characters sign the front side of each page and then pasted a picture of that character with my niece directly above it on the back of the previous page. That way she has a little scrapbook of all her character pictures as well as their autographs and it didn't take a lot of scrapbooking skills (I'm not creative like that).

 

[Dementia]

I prefer the ones sold at Disney. They are perfect in size and have a nice hard cover on them that can be wiped clean. same with the big pens.

Here are a couple of tips I learned right here on the DIS:
1. Fill out the front of the book with your name, etc. (just in case it were to be lost there is a chance you might get it back)

2. if you have multiple children, take the book and write on the edge of the pages the name of each child. This makes it a lot faster to see who's is who's.

3. Use a rubber band to hold the "used" pages to the front of the book by putting the rubber band over the front cover and include the "used" pages. Makes it really fast when you need to have them ready quickly. Just remember to slide those pages under the rubberband as soon as they are singed.

4. The rubber band can be used to hold the pen to the autograph book.

5. Keep them in a Gallon size ZIplock bag just in case of rain or from getting wet on a water ride.

I never would have thought of the rubber band.. that's a great tip.. thanks!

 

[Dementia]

When we went to Disney, we used a small (approximately the size of large index card) sketch pad. The paper was thick enough that a Sharpie didn't bleed through and the spiral made it easy to fold back the book.

We also had the characters sign the front side of each page and then pasted a picture of that character with my niece directly above it on the back of the previous page. That way she has a little scrapbook of all her character pictures as well as their autographs and it didn't take a lot of scrapbooking skills (I'm not creative like that).

I planned on doing that with the autograph book once we're done. Once the photos are developed we'll put each's photo with my DD alongside the autograph.. THAT I can handle

 

[striker3636]

On our trip we used "Colorific" Retractable markers. we had a set and alternated colours. We had no problems with ink bleeding (but signatures were on cardstock) We also used an 8 X 8 scrapbook, but you don't want to hear any other tips along that route!

One thing I did read somewhere before we left is to bring 4x6 sheets of cardstock for the characters to sign. Then you can insert them into a small (or whatever size) photo album with pockets. This way, you can put the co-ordinating pictures with the autographs for a cross between an autograph book and a scrapbook. My kids 3 & 5 love that our album has both, and they are always looking at it and showing it off. If you go this route, your kids can always add small stickers or such to each sheet to decorate them. I hear the characters like it when they have a "personalized" page to sign (if you do this in advance). I embellished our album later since I didn't have a plan on who to meet. If you find an inexpensive photo album with the slide in sleeves/pockets (say from the dollar store) to get you through the trip to keep your pages from getting wrecked, you can always buy a nicer one after if it gets a bit dinged up. I second the ziploc bag idea too!

 

[leebee]

We've always used the spiral autograph books since the trip where a character flipped back the cover of the autograph book (so front and back covers were touching each other) and split the spine. I guess it was easier for the character to hold in one hand, but DD was heartbroken that her book was ruined. (That was the day we realized why the character was named "Dopey"!)

We've given up on the fat Disney pens...either the ink skips after the third signature or the clicker breaks. I look for fat pens at Staples or WalMart before leaving home.

BEST AUTOGRAPH TIP: Time is money in WDW. Book character meals...Crystal Palace, Chef Mickeys, Princess B'fast. Waiting in line for multiple characters will totally wreck even the BEST touring plans. You're going to eat anyway- might as well kill 2 birds with one stone and get 4-7 signatures and photos at the same time!

 

[momsgoofy]

Here is my DS's tip for autographs...he was given this tip on our last trip.

Go to Epcot, visit the World Showcase...each country has characters....some are "hidden" in alcoves or inside the shops. For example, Mary Poppins was inside the toy store at UK...Esmerlda was in an alcove in France...

DS was 11 and searched practically every nook and cranny of the countries to find the characters.

I agree about the Disney fat pens...DS had to return one on the last trip...CM was very nice about it...it must happen often. This year I found a cool fat pen that clips to a belt for him. Yeah, he'll be 13, but when I asked him what HE wanted to do on this trip he said, go to Epcot and walk slowly through the countries looking for autographs. (Last trip was quite rushed as we had to be at the Contemporary for parasailing...) So, I'm looking forward to strolling through WS with DS and DH searching for characters.

BTW...if you have no luck getting PS for Cindy's Table, go to 1900 Park Fare for dinner....Cindy, Prince Charming, Suzy, Perla, and Fairy Godmother are there and the PS is so much easier to get than CRT.

 

[julia & nicks mom]

this is what I did - I preprinted 6x6 sheets before we went on the computer with each characters picture and then I made a photo page when we got back to put across from it -

the characters LOVED that their pictures were on the sheets -

then I put them in a 6x6 album in sheet protectors - Julia looks at it everyday

but since you don't want to scrapbook - you could take colored 4x6 index cards and have the characters sign those - buy a photo at Disney that holds two 4x6 photos on a page and put the autograph on top and the photo below it - you would get much of the same effect!

 

[Dementia]

this is what I did - I preprinted 6x6 sheets before we went on the computer with each characters picture and then I made a photo page when we got back to put across from it -

the characters LOVED that their pictures were on the sheets -

then I put them in a 6x6 album in sheet protectors - Julia looks at it everyday

but since you don't want to scrapbook - you could take colored 4x6 index cards and have the characters sign those - buy a photo at Disney that holds two 4x6 photos on a page and put the autograph on top and the photo below it - you would get much of the same effect!

This is a great idea! And something I could handle. Only problem HERE is that I don't have a color printer. Ah well.

But some wonderful tips, especially about Epcot.... thanks so much!!!

 

[Dementia]

Here is my DS's tip for autographs...he was given this tip on our last trip.

Go to Epcot, visit the World Showcase...each country has characters....some are "hidden" in alcoves or inside the shops. For example, Mary Poppins was inside the toy store at UK...Esmerlda was in an alcove in France...

DS was 11 and searched practically every nook and cranny of the countries to find the characters.

By the way, do you happent o have tips on who to find where? If so, PM me!

 

[elliemae1192]

I'm like you, not crafty at all! But we have so many of those autograph books lying around, I just wanted something the kids could use. I bought cheap khaki colored baseball hats and wrote the kids names and the year on the front. When we got to WDW the kids wore the hats every day in the parks and when we saw a character, I pulled out a colored sharpie (took a few different colors for variety) and let them sign the hat. Goofy didn't let me take it off their heads first and signed it while they were wearing it.

My kids couldn't tell you where even one of those books are but they wear those hats several times a week and always get comments.

 

[msmickminn]

Putting your kids names in the book has another plus...sometimes the character will look for a name if they have time and call your child by name. My DD was thrilled when Cinderella called her by name!!

 

[donnab2005]

Can someone explain how they do the autograph books and photos. I think my daughter would love to have a book with the photo on one side and a picture on the other. Keep those great ideas coming.

 

[julia & nicks mom]

Can someone explain how they do the autograph books and photos. I think my daughter would love to have a book with the photo on one side and a picture on the other. Keep those great ideas coming.

I believe in the parks they sell photo autograph books and the character signs one side and the photo goes on the other - I have never personally seen them but have heard people talk about them

You could also use a regular book and make sure the characters only sign the right page and then put a picture on the left page


you could also take 4x6 colored index cards and put them in a two high 4x6 photo album with the picture on top and the autograph on the bottom