Inspired by BevS97's thread...Do we really need to do autograph books again?

[kimwim8]

This December will be DD5's 4th trip to WDW and DS3's 3rd trip. Every trip so far, we've done autograph books. Do we really need to do them again? Does anyone have any other suggestions for some kind of interaction with the characters besides autograph books?

Also, in Epcot we've always done the kidcot masks. But this past trip I saw some older kids doing passport books. Anyone have any info on these? How young is too young to do the passport books?

Thanks!

 

[Colinsmom]

Granted, my DS is only two years old, but we just did cute photos of him (or the family) with each of the characters and put the photos into an album for him to look it. He loves it!!

 

[ErinC]

The passports are available at most of the stores in Epcot, especially around the world showcase. I think I paid $9.95 for them. They have 4 or 5 stickers for each country and a place for a stamp. My girls had already done the masks twice. We liked the passports much better and they are so much simpler to carry around than the masks. I thought they were worth the money, just to have something new to do this trip.
As far as autograph books go, you could do a t-shirt, pillowcase, ball cap, or some other item. Or just pose for pictures and make a nice album when you get home. Some people make their own scrapbooks for a change. The last couple of times we have gone down, I purchased autograph books at CVS pharmacy for $2.99 each and a 3 pack of pens for $5.99. My girls like the CVS ones because they have different covers (princesses, pooh, minnie, mickey) and they got tired of the same old Disney ones that never change. They are spiral bound which makes them easier to handle and they can pick different covers so we can tell all three apart! Easier for me!

 

[F1Julie]

I take pictures of DD4 with the characters, but we've never done the autograph book. I just don't see the point. It's not as if it's REALLY Mickey Mouse or whatever character signing it. My DD enjoys the characters, but she knows they aren't real and that they are just people dressed up. BTW, for those of you thinking I'm a bad mommy for spoiling the magic and innocence of childhood, she came to this conclusion on her own.

 

[disneychrista]

Unless the child really is enjoying the autograph books, then I would skip it. My kids have only done the autograph books a few times. The second time (DL), the first time they went with their dad (DL) and then on our "big" WDW trip.

I do not plan on doing them again. My kids don't hardly even "visit" with the characaters anymore (11&13, last trip). I point them out they look at them, maybe wave a hello but that is about it.

 

[disneyjunkie]

My son did the autograph books on both of our trips, he was 9&12. We have the characters sign one page and keep the facing blank so that we can add the picture later. It's nice to look back and compare how much my son has changed between trips.

He'll be 13 on our trip in April and turns 14 during our October trip. If he isn't to "cool" for autographs, I think I'll have him get a tee shirt and hat signed.

Maybe I'll do the autograph book thing.

 

[jeancbpugh]

We switched to having the characters autograph a T-shirt or a baseball hat. They can't sign anything you are wearing, but they'll sign a Disney T-shirt. (Bring a piece of cardboard to stretch the shirt tight and fabric markers or Sharpies.)

 

[kimwim8]

Thanks for all of the great ideas. I'll have to see what the kids want to do.

BTW, for those of you thinking I'm a bad mommy for spoiling the magic and innocence of childhood, she came to this conclusion on her own.

I was wondering how old your DD was when she figured this out. My DD5 asked a lot of questions on our last visit...so I'm thinking she will probably figure it all out by our December trip. (she just lost her first tooth & wanted to have a whole LONG debate about whether or not the tooth fairy is real)

Thanks!

 

[F1Julie]

I'm pretty sure DD knew for sure when we went to WDW on her 4th birthday. That was her second trip and she would say things like, "I liked the Cinderella we saw last time better". She was very aware that the face characters were just people dressed up and that the Alice in Wonderland she saw at the tea party on one day was not the same Alice that she saw the next morning at breakfast. It never bothered her, she's just very matter-of-fact about it. She points it out too when we look at pictures of different trips.

 

[megatann]

We switched to having the characters autograph a T-shirt or a baseball hat. They can't sign anything you are wearing, but they'll sign a Disney T-shirt. (Bring a piece of cardboard to stretch the shirt tight and fabric markers or Sharpies.)

Does it have to be a Disney shirt, or can we just bring a tee shirt from home? I bought a pack of the white undershirts at Target today (3 for less than $5.) I was going to get my son to get a 2nd shirt autographed and bring home to his cousin.

 

[BevS97]

I think it can be any t-shirt, but you can't be wearing it.

We have said the last 2 trips that we won't get autograph books but within 5 minutes of entering the parks we have ended up buying them, my dd just likes having a reason to approach the character and for her, it's part of the experience.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

For one trip, we purchased 4x6 photo albums, and had the character sign one side, with the fat sharpie markers. When we got our pictures, we slid them in the other side.

It made much more of a keepsake than the autograph books did.

My 7 year old, enjoyed the mask, and passport at Epcot. My 4 Y.O. lost interest in the mask, and we did not even try the passport with her.

 

[dizkidz2]

The Passports at Epcot are great for olders kids.
When the kids were in 4th grade and up they loved going into each Country and having a castmenber stamp and sign their book in their language. (just remember to write down the translation). It is a nice souvenier to take back to school for show and tell.

 

[Kallison]

We've done autograph books, hats and visors. My kids have used the same book for their last 5 trips, since their first time in 1998. My DD finally filled hers up in January. We mark the year when each new trip began, she loves flipping back and seeing which characters she saw on which trip. Now my two DS's were too old and mature! DD10 still really enjoyed it though. Especially when they write stuff about her brothers, like he is crazy or what a dud!

 

[BAST]

We have done the autograph book the last three times we went to WDW. My DD6 and DD4 really enjoy them - particularly my DD4 who still looks at the autographs and can tell me who each one is. When we went in Dec, 2005, we got the autograph book with the picture inserts - this was also a big hit.

My DD4 has yet to question whether the characters are real or not - my DD6 will occassionally mention to me that a friend at school said the characters are not real, but still seems pretty unsure (I, of course, try to keep her unsure).

I will continue to do this as long as my kids still believe that the characters are real - it is a highlight of the trip to see DD4 (especially) get such a thrill from meeting the characters. I also admire her bravery - I do not think I would be so fast to run up to Beast (for example) who is so much larger than my DD4.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

We just take a picture with each character from year to year. WE don't go to any that have a line, except for some of their favorites. It's nice to look back and compare the pictures to see how the kids have grown with the characters.

 

[Deesknee]

we've been w/kids 7x. the last 2x I didn't take auto books with us. 2 reasons- 1=kids to old 2=they had all the ones they wanted. wrong on both counts. They were 11 1/2 then 13. We ended up buying new books one of the trips. The other trip I made them go with out as that trip they had agreed with both reasons. My lesson is learned bring them anyway. The can become a pain in the neck to carry. DH carries a back pack, they can be a pain getting in & out of that too. It is better IMO to have them than to have to look at sad pouty kids faces, and/or have to spend the extra $ on new ones.

 

[minmate]

My friend purchased a nice sized canvas bag from a craft store and had the characters autograph that. It looked like she had 3-4 different colored sharpies, so it ended up being colorful... and she claimed it was useful during the trip... also used it as an extra carry-on returning home.

 

[Kendra71]

I like the idea of having the autograph and having a spot to put your picture of your child w/ the character. A friend of mine mentioned that she brought an 8x8 Creative Memories scrapbook and added the pictures w/ the autographs when she got home. I think I'll do that.

I also think that since I have digital pictures, I'll make a collage of pictures of DS3 w/ some of his favorite characters and print them out on a heat transfer sheet to iron on a tee shirt. I think that will be fun for him to wear to preschool when we get back to tell all the kids about his trip. I think it will help him jog his memory to have his favorite pictures right there on his shirt.