Has anyone NOT done an autograph book for their kids?

[kmedina]

My DS4 has been to Disney six times (Dl5 and DW1). We have never used an autograph book and have no plans to on either upcoming trip to DW this year or Dl next year. I figure he will ask for it if he ever wants one, so I do not regret it. We do however do a ton of character meals and get in line for pictures. To me, it is the picture that matters. If your kids have not asked for one, I would not worry about it.

At a character breakfast at Dl, Minnie signed the picture we bought from them with her own pen without us asking, so we do have one autograph. One more than DS cares about at this point.

 

[jodifla]

Autograph books are TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. They were a clever way to sell autograph books!

Have never done one in my lifetime of almost 40 years of WDW trips, and my son's dozen trips to WDW.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I still have MY autograph book from my first trip to WDW w/ dh (he gave me my engagement ring that trip!), and that was way before we had kids.

Having an autograph book just ups the level of magic for my dd and for $6 it isn't too much out of my pocket to get it for her.

Will she have a great time without the book...sure, but I do lots of things to make my children's trips more magical, why wouldn't I do this too?

 

[jodifla]

I still have MY autograph book from my first trip to WDW w/ dh (he gave me my engagement ring that trip!), and that was way before we had kids.

Having an autograph book just ups the level of magic for my dd and for $6 it isn't too much out of my pocket to get it for her.

Will she have a great time without the book...sure, but I do lots of things to make my children's trips more magical, why wouldn't I do this too?

We don't do it for two main reasons:

A) son isn't a fan of the characters in costumes.
B) It drains a lot of time waiting in long lines for the characters. We'd rather be on rides!

But if you child really enjoys it, I can definitely see doing it.

 

[Minniemouse07]

We don't do it for two main reasons:

A) son isn't a fan of the characters in costumes.
B) It drains a lot of time waiting in long lines for the characters. We'd rather be on rides!

But if you child really enjoys it, I can definitely see doing it.

I've already posted that we don't wait in character lines (for the most part). We get our signatures during character meals.

We do wait in the Lightning McQueen line, but that isn't for an autograph!

Our next trip we are only doing one character meal, but we will be on the Dream just before WDW so we will get our fill of characters there instead of the parks.

 

[scrapquitler]

We leave next month, and while I have plenty of time to prepare/buy an autograph book, I'm just not sure if I'm going to. My kids (DD5 and DD6) aren't into specific characters, so we won't be seeking any out. I think they will be happy with whoever we come in contact with in the parks. We are doing Akershus and Chef Mickey's; however, I just don't see us actually standing in line to meet anyone else to get an autograph.

So, back to my question: Has anyone NOT done an autograph book for their kids? If you didn't, did you regret it? If you did do an autograph book, did your kids love it or not care at all? I need to make a final decision. Thanks, everyone!

Not only have we never done autograph books, we have NEVER gone to a character breakfast nor have we ever sought out characters for meet and greets/phtographs!

We have visited some characters (we were walking by, there was no line so we said lets go), but we don't seek them out or plan to see them.

One time I did ask my DD about getting an autograph from the characters (she was about 7 at the time) and when I suggested it, she rolled her eyes and groaned, and told me that it was a 'lame' idea.

 

[robinb]

I would plan on buying autograph books since this is your first time. Your kids are at the perfect age for wanting autographs. You don't need to do anything fancy ... just buy two of the standard Disney autograph books. Now that my DD is older, we just meet the characters and get pictures.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Nope...no autographs books for us. I'm thinking maybe when the baby is preschool age our older kids will be teenagers and may enjoy taking her in line to get autographs. So there's a possibility of autograph books in our future!

 

[WantToGoNow]

My kids love the autograph books. I mentioned to them this trip that I thought we might just do pictures instead of autographs and that didn't go over very well. As they get older, my bag gets smaller and this time it won't be big enough to hold an autograph book (think wallet on a string). My ds9 understands that if he's in charge of carrying the book, it might get left behind somewhere but he said maybe Ashley (his older sister) will carry it (she uses a drawstring backpack). My ds7 started to cry so I know it's important to her. We do have four character meals planned (CRT, Donald's breakfast, Chef Mickey's and Pooh).

So I guess we'll have autograph books again this trip. They do spend a lot of time looking at the signatures and it is a good way to pass time in lines, waiting for shows and on busses.

 

[StitchBuddy]

We have never done the autograph book. To much to keep up with etc... But, my daughter always wears a hat at Disney so we had her favorite characters sign the hat. She still has it and people have always commented on it when they see it. I bought it at Walmart on sale for $2.

 

[jm-mom]

We have taken the kids to WDW 4 times in six years and last trip was our first not using an autograph book. The girls were happy to pose with characters at the meals and ones we stumbled upon in the parks. However, we have never taken time to wait in a long line to see them. My girls have their favorites and fortunately we've always been able to see them at character meals. If your kids don't have favorites and you don't plan to stand in line to see them, then I'd skip the book. Having said that, you might get there and see characters your kids are actually dying to meet. Lickily you can buy the autograph books everywhere so you could just plan to pick one up if the need arises.

 

[piperett]

Ok, now I guess my decision has been made. DD6 told me yesterday that a friend at school got Buzz Lightyear's autograph at Disney World and she thought that was really cool. For the record- I can't come out and ask my kids if they are interested in autographs because this is a surprise trip. It would make it so much easier though! lol

Thanks for all of your suggestions/opinions!

 

[lindaprvs]

Hubby and I have gone back and forth over this same subject!
We came up with a cheap and resonable agreement on it.
Instead of a book with blank pages, I am taking 3 specific story books that my kids already had (Tangled, Mickey book and Cinderella).
I know my daughter is going to be IN LOVE with the tangled set up at MK and I thought it would be cool to get the tangled characters to sign the story book on the page next to their picture. It would be a good reminder months from now when we read it of our trip. (also gonna paste a pic of DD with the characters on the inside cover).
We have 2 character meals planned, one with Mickey at Ohannas and one with Cinderella at 1900 park fare. So we will take books to that for the same thing. "
Other than that, we will not spend time in lines except for photos.

 

[sarahk0204]

I discovered that my kids only want autographs at character meals.

We have gone to WDW every summer since 2008. Each year, DH decorates a book of index cards for each of the kids. I then scrapbook the autographed cards with the pictures. I have 1 album per kid, and it is the only scrapbooking I do.

We got to do an extra trip in December 2010. I hadn't scrapbooked the summer 2010 trip yet, so I just tore the used pages out to do later and took the books along. However, since this was a last-minute, shorter trip, we did not do the DDP, and we didn't book any character meals. My kids had NO interest in standing in line for autographs or pictures, even though the weather was decent (not always the case midsummer!) We even went to MVMCP, and didn't do any there, either. My kids enjoyed riding rides during the party instead.

 

[DCbride]

DD is almost 4 and we have not and will not do autograph books. I would much rather have her interact with the characters and have a video of the moment than a signature.

 

[terri33inne]

I know this thread is over 2 years old but I was just searching... wondering the same thing.

I've done them on our last 2 trips, and I don't make it a big thing... if we meet a character (by choosing to stand in line, at a character breakfast, or happen upon one) then we'll get an autograph, but I don't plan to meet characters to get the autograph. I do think combining the book w/ the photos makes for a nice keepsake.

Also, it becomes a nice tradition while she's still young enough to want to do it.

 

[momof2n2]

I hate autographs, period. They slow everything down. I wish they'd all just go away.

Was that out loud!?

 

[kswildcatsX5]

We did it on our first trip there, it was fun but I not think we will do it again.

 

[dsneprincess]

I hate autographs, period. They slow everything down. I wish they'd all just go away.

Was that out loud!?

OMG, you mean I am not the only one!

We have never done one in 25+ tris with DS. He has NEVER even questioned or wondered why.

Now you know the secret, I find them annoying!

 

[monorailsilver]

I did it once and hated it! In 2008, I did a photo matte and each kid got a new hat. The characters signed the hat. Last week, my 2 girls got new hats and had them signed and my dh had his Yankee hat signed since he didn't want a new hat.

It was perfect because I didn't have to carry a book or 3! They all wore their hats.