Buy autograph book there, or make my own?

[shanni]

I'm rethinking my plan for my kids autograph books. My plan was to print pages myself (from the disign) board, and keep them loose while at DL. Then when we get home, I was going to make each child a small book with their autographs and the pictures of them with the characters.

I was just looking at the Disney Store website though, and saw the autograph books that I could get in the park. It seems like they are essentially the same thing that I was thinking of doing, but it's already done for me! My only concern is are there enough pages? It says it has 24 pages- does that mean there would be room for 24 autographs and photos, or only 12? (24 seems like enough, 12 does not! Are they expandable?)

Less than two weeks to go, and I'm suddenly thinking of a TON of questions that I didn't think of before!! Thanks for any help you can give me!!

 

[damaris13]

Did you find an autograph book on there for Disneyland?

All I keep finding is WDW, which is why we were going to make our own by getting a blank notepad and printing a picture that was made for DD2 by the DISigners on here.

 

[shanni]

No, but I'm thinking that I would be able to get DL ones at the park and they would be similar to the ones at the Disney Store.

 

[wannagoback]

I think it depends on how active you intend to be in seeking autographs. We were there 5 days with DD3 and DD5 and probably got at least 40 autographs. WAY too many for one of their books. I made my own book using the Creative DISigns board here and I loved it! Only bad thing was the binding I chose didn't work, so if you make your own - go for spiral! We had the plastic binding with the "tabs" and it kept falling apart. I waited till the last minute to make mine they didn't have what I wanted/needed at Staples at the time.

I personalized the cover for my kids and the book got great interaction from characters and CMs. Tigger and Chip were especially impressed (Chip was happy that he had his own page, versus sharing a page with Dale).

If you are doing custom pages, you can just take out the pages you didn't use before you put in pictures. Also, I think I had 2 or 3 blank pages and it wasn't enough because we caught a few characters that I wasn't expecting (Mr. Incredible, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, Bert, Stitch, maybe one more...) I also did duplicates for some characters that I KNEW we would see more than once (I used two different designs for the duplicate pages)

I just printed 2 pages per 8.5x11 cardstock and cut them in half. I'm considering cutting off the existing binding and taking it back to get a spiral so it will stop falling apart! It was a fun project and I plan to do one again for our next trip!! (Oh, and I just kept the book and a clickable sharpie in a gallon-size ziploc bag cause it was raining on our trip, plus it helped keep it clean and kept the book and marker together!)

ETA: I have access to free commercial printing, so the book only cost me the $3 or whatever it was for a cover and binding, but printing can be pricey so cost is obviously a factor if you are going to make your own

 

[Dizneydaz]

I've never made a book but when DD11 was younger what I did was cut out a bunch of 4 x 6 cardstock in different colors and had a small clipboard that held them while the characters signed them. DD had a great time picking out which color for which character. You can add stickers before or after the are signed to dress them up.

I don't have access to free color printing and color cartridges are just too much $$ for me to print my own pages.

When I picked my colors I thought about the scrapbooking pages I might do with them. I.E. Buzz was green, Woody on brown, Mickey Red, or white, Princesses on pink or purple, etc.

Now that DD is 11 we don't get autographs anymore. About 5 years ago we lost her autograph book while at AK. We checked lost and found everyday. I learned the hard way not to keep a book for too many visits. We lost the first autographs she ever got. But the good news was shortly after we got home we received a book in the mail from Disney. At first I thought it was her original book but is was actually a book completely filled with characters. Some I didn't even know signed. It inc. a note saying they were sorry they couldn't find her book but hoped the new one would make up for it. It was a very nice thing Disney did.

 

[KTR]

My daughter made her own. She's four and loves to draw and color. We bought a small notebook and she drew a picture of all of the characters we thought she would find there and she wanted to meet. We left the page next to it blank. Then when she met someone they got to sign next to the picture she drew of them. She loved it! The characters got a kick out of it too. There were a few she met that she hadn't drawn, but we left blank pages at the end for them to sign. Then she drew their pictures when we got home.

 

[specialks]

I have a book we purchased at DL (shown below). I counted and there are 23 "pages" for signatures. The first page only holds a photo. So each "set" of pages has a spot for a photo on the left and a blank page on the right.

I had wonderful aspirations of creating a beautiful Christmas theme autograph book for my girls for our last trip in Dec, then life got busy and I decided it wasn't worth my time. I am not a "crafty" person so it would be a chore for me not a hobby. Also, I remember our previous trips can be a little chaotic getting our autograph book ready. One year we used the Encylopedia of Animated Characters book and a sharpie and it was fabulous. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. We aren't avid autograph collectors but we definitely stop if we see a character and we collected 17 autographs from our 5 days at the parks in December. Hope this helps.

 

[damaris13]

I haven't pursued characters for autographs since I was a teenager, and even then I had them autographing maps. Woody's signature takes up almost the entire page! Is that normal? Should I expect to only get one autograph per page?

And DD is only 2. Do you think she'll get into autographs? She loves meeting the characters, so we won't skip that. I'm just wondering if it's worth it to worry about carrying around an autograph book just yet.

 

[KTR]

I haven't pursued characters for autographs since I was a teenager, and even then I had them autographing maps. Woody's signature takes up almost the entire page! Is that normal? Should I expect to only get one autograph per page?

And DD is only 2. Do you think she'll get into autographs? She loves meeting the characters, so we won't skip that. I'm just wondering if it's worth it to worry about carrying around an autograph book just yet.

Definitely normal that they take up a whole page. When my daughter was 2 we skipped the autographs and didn't notice. This time around she was 4 and was really into it.

 

[specialks]

I haven't pursued characters for autographs since I was a teenager, and even then I had them autographing maps. Woody's signature takes up almost the entire page! Is that normal? Should I expect to only get one autograph per page?

And DD is only 2. Do you think she'll get into autographs? She loves meeting the characters, so we won't skip that. I'm just wondering if it's worth it to worry about carrying around an autograph book just yet.

Yes, expect them to use the whole page. The only time they "share" a page is when they are greeting with another character (i.e. Woody & the Green Army Man).
I don't think you need to start a book now unless you plan to create a "lifetime" signature book. Sometimes I think the characters interact more with kids that don't have books than spending the time to sign. They probably spend a certain number of seconds with each kid and if they are signing a book that takes away. If you don't care then I would just enjoy the meetings and the photos. Sometimes it can be crazy digging the autograph book out of the stroller too.

 

[wannagoback]

And DD is only 2. Do you think she'll get into autographs? She loves meeting the characters, so we won't skip that. I'm just wondering if it's worth it to worry about carrying around an autograph book just yet.

I agree with other posters that a 2-year-old doesn't need an autograph book. I mean, if the adults want it, then that's fine, but I don't think you need to do it for the kiddo.

And about filling a page - my experience is that the character will fill whatever space you have!

 

[shanni]

Thanks so much for all the responses!!

I think it depends on how active you intend to be in seeking autographs. We were there 5 days with DD3 and DD5 and probably got at least 40 autographs.

Did you have multiple character meals? I have a reservation at Ariel's, but that's the only character meal we will have. My girls also want to do Pixie Hollow and PFF. Other than that, it will be just whoever we run into. I'm trying to figure out about how many to expect to get, but it seems like it can be pretty hit and miss!

I have a book we purchased at DL (shown below). I counted and there are 23 "pages" for signatures. The first page only holds a photo. So each "set" of pages has a spot for a photo on the left and a blank page on the right.

I had wonderful aspirations of creating a beautiful Christmas theme autograph book for my girls for our last trip in Dec, then life got busy and I decided it wasn't worth my time. I am not a "crafty" person so it would be a chore for me not a hobby. Also, I remember our previous trips can be a little chaotic getting our autograph book ready. One year we used the Encylopedia of Animated Characters book and a sharpie and it was fabulous. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. We aren't avid autograph collectors but we definitely stop if we see a character and we collected 17 autographs from our 5 days at the parks in December. Hope this helps.

Thank you, that helped a lot. So just to make sure I understand, there are 23 pages for signatures, and I could put photos on the opposing page of each of those? (So theoretically I could put 23 pictures in as well?)

I'm so torn!! I LOVE the pages I have collected from the disigners and think they would make a very cute book. But I also wonder if my girls (ages 10, 8 and 5) would have fun picking out their own book first thing when we get there. (And that would certainly be easier! lol!) I don't want to run out of pages either though.

Hmmmm, what to do, what to do??

 

[damaris13]

I agree with other posters that a 2-year-old doesn't need an autograph book. I mean, if the adults want it, then that's fine, but I don't think you need to do it for the kiddo.

And about filling a page - my experience is that the character will fill whatever space you have!

You are probably right. I'll keep a few scrap card stock pages that I can crop to fit into a scrapbook for those characters I don't get to see at WDW, like Captain Hook. May even try to get Captain Jack Sparrow, if I can (I have no clue if he's at WDW...hope so! We'll see next year).

And to comment on what a PP said about the characters interacting more with a child without an autograph book...I do seem to recall that DD got what seemed to be so much more time with each character and we got some of the cutest pictures. Pooh and Piglet kneeled down to give her a hug, Goofy sat down on the ground to be more her height (he was the only character who terrified her), and Mickey played peekaboo. I even remember Lilo and Stitch doing hear no, speak no, see no evil with our friend's little boy. those who had autograph books just got pictures and sent on their way a lot of the time.

I think we'll start autographs when she wants them. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[CrazyDuck]

Just buy some books! It will save you a lot of time, and time is money... right? Also if you are autograph seeking try and follow proper autograph etiquette:

- Have the book open and turned to the page you want them to sign. Finding a blank page to sign may not be hard for face characters, but flipping through the pages may be difficult and time consuming for the furries.

- Don't use a pen that could stain their costume. Avoid felt tip pens like sharpies. If possible try and find one of those oversize ball point pens. the ones that are like 1 foot long and over an inch in diameter. The characters love these as they are easier to grab inside their costume

- Don't ask them to write anything more than their signature. They practice writing their signature a lot and they are good a writing their name... not yours!

- Don't be sad if they refuse to sign. Sometimes cast members fill in for others, and they may not know how to sign that characters signature. If they don't know how to do the signature they are not allowed to write anything.

 

[disneyrand]

My daughter made her own. She's four and loves to draw and color. We bought a small notebook and she drew a picture of all of the characters we thought she would find there and she wanted to meet. We left the page next to it blank. Then when she met someone they got to sign next to the picture she drew of them. She loved it! The characters got a kick out of it too. There were a few she met that she hadn't drawn, but we left blank pages at the end for them to sign. Then she drew their pictures when we got home.

I think this is a GREAT idea. I don't know about everyone else, but for my family, the planning and anticipation is one of the best parts about the whole experience.

I think giving the girls the time and materials to make their own books and give them something to do in anticipation of the trip is a really cool concept! Ah, wish my little princesses and prince were still young enough to do this! Unfortunately, at 17,17 and 16 they would laugh at me and call me a dork.

I'm so torn!! I LOVE the pages I have collected from the disigners and think they would make a very cute book. But I also wonder if my girls (ages 10, 8 and 5) would have fun picking out their own book first thing when we get there. (And that would certainly be easier! lol!) I don't want to run out of pages either though.

Hmmmm, what to do, what to do??

I think your DDs ages are perfect for the above idea. Though, I will say that buying the Autograph books for my kids' first trip was about as easy as it gets.

 

[smile4stamps]

Just buy some books! It will save you a lot of time, and time is money... right? Also if you are autograph seeking try and follow proper autograph etiquette:

- Have the book open and turned to the page you want them to sign. Finding a blank page to sign may not be hard for face characters, but flipping through the pages may be difficult and time consuming for the furries.

- Don't use a pen that could stain their costume. Avoid felt tip pens like sharpies. If possible try and find one of those oversize ball point pens. the ones that are like 1 foot long and over an inch in diameter. The characters love these as they are easier to grab inside their costume

- Don't ask them to write anything more than their signature. They practice writing their signature a lot and they are good a writing their name... not yours!

- Don't be sad if they refuse to sign. Sometimes cast members fill in for others, and they may not know how to sign that characters signature. If they don't know how to do the signature they are not allowed to write anything.

Also there are a few characters that can not sign do to the coverings on the hands for example Sully and Duffy I know can't sign. I believe some of the bears (Koda and Kenai?) also cannot sign.