Tips for getting Items Signed during Characters Meets

[tiffyms02]

Hi all! Since you can no longer drop items off at Guest Services to get them signed, what tips do you have for signing (items besides an autograph book), during the character meets? Have certain items been quicker and/or "easier" for the characters to sign? Is the general rule one item/person? I was thinking about bringing a photo mat for each child, rather than an autograph book. Would love to hear other ideas though!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi all! Since you can no longer drop items off at Guest Services to get them signed, what tips do you have for signing (items besides an autograph book), during the character meets? Have certain items been quicker and/or "easier" for the characters to sign? Is the general rule one item/person? I was thinking about bringing a photo mat for each child, rather than an autograph book. Would love to hear other ideas though!

As long as the item is fairly firm and flat, there's usually no issue with it. Yes, it's one item per person. Please.

 

[darnheather]

Please be ready with pen and item out. Please don't have multiple pieces per person. A sharpie that clicks open is best.

 

[lklgoodman]

My dd's autograph book didn't come with a pen. I took a long ribbon and hot glued one end of the ribbon to the book and tied a pen to the other end of the ribbon. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but every time we went to a character greeting a cm would mention how great it was. It did make it easy to always have the pen easy to get.

 

[panda123]

Last year, on one of the Merrytime cruises, i saw one family brought a dozen large ornaments for Mickey to sign. That ended up taking a long time but they did get them all signed.

 

[darnheather]

Last year, on one of the Merrytime cruises, i saw one family brought a dozen large ornaments for Mickey to sign. That ended up taking a long time but they did get them all signed.

Of course Mickey isn't going to say no, but that's rude.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Of course Mickey isn't going to say no, but that's rude.

Yes, it is.

 

[tiffyms02]

My dd's autograph book didn't come with a pen. I took a long ribbon and hot glued one end of the ribbon to the book and tied a pen to the other end of the ribbon. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but every time we went to a character greeting a cm would mention how great it was. It did make it easy to always have the pen easy to get.

I love this. Great idea!

And I totally forgot about retractable Sharpies, darnheather. Adding that to my list!

 

[tiffyms02]

Last year, on one of the Merrytime cruises, i saw one family brought a dozen large ornaments for Mickey to sign. That ended up taking a long time but they did get them all signed.

Oh geez! Hopefully you weren't in line behind them?! But bringing a Christmas ornament would be a fun thing to have signed. My DD would like that! Maybe we can find a flat one.

 

[lklgoodman]

Last year, on one of the Merrytime cruises, i saw one family brought a dozen large ornaments for Mickey to sign. That ended up taking a long time but they did get them all signed.

There are plenty of opportunities to get Mickey's sig. They should have gone to each of Mickey's meets and just taken 1 or 2 each time, but they probably didn't want to do that because it would have been an inconvenience to them. Agree with others, very rude.

 

[KashasMom]

Since they've stopped letting people drop off items at Guest Services it's gotten out of hand. I can't believe the number of items people bring to have signed. Not only does everyone else have to wait on line longer but they also have less time to interact with the characters themselves. I really think they should stop it completely.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Since they've stopped letting items be signed at Guest Services it's gotten out of hand. I can't believe the number of items people bring to have signed. Not only does everyone else have to wait on line longer but they also have less time to interact with the characters themselves. I really think they should stop it completely.

Do you think they should stop autographs?

 

[KashasMom]

Do you think they should stop autographs?

I may be in the minority but I do think so. Lately it's been a lot of autographs/items signed and several people together having 5+ combos of photos. It's difficult when there's 15 minutes and a long line of people. Worst are the people who are not prepared.

 

[tiffyms02]

Since they've stopped letting people drop off items at Guest Services it's gotten out of hand. I can't believe the number of items people bring to have signed. Not only does everyone else have to wait on line longer but they also have less time to interact with the characters themselves. I really think they should stop it completely.

I don't think they should stop it, as it is indeed a very special souvenir to bring home. My children treasure their little autograph books from their first cruise! Instead, I think DCL should simply enforce a one item/person rule to prevent people from abusing it. This would help keep things running smoothly for both the characters, and guests in line.

 

[msmama]

Also remember to actually have your stuff ready when it’s your turn. And it’s sign and then picture (and have your KTTW card out ready to hand to the photog). The CMs are there telling you this but the amount of people that still don’t do it is infuriating to me.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think it would be hard to forbid autograph books, but perhaps there needs to be an announced and enforced limit. I mainly go to the sign up meets, and have never noticed people asking for other than pictures and autographs in books.

I've been sailing DCL since 2004, 25 DCL cruises behind me. I still have and use pillowcases signed by the characters. They are getting faded, but still keep me smiling when I make the bed!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Instead, I think DCL should simply enforce a one item/person rule to prevent people from abusing it.

Yes, this. But, Disney, being Disney, doesn't like to make guests mad by enforcing rules, if they can help it, so I'm not sure we'll ever see this.

 

[darnheather]

Since they've stopped letting people drop off items at Guest Services it's gotten out of hand. I can't believe the number of items people bring to have signed. Not only does everyone else have to wait on line longer but they also have less time to interact with the characters themselves. I really think they should stop it completely.

I only saw one family who had more than one thing per person. They all had books and mom had three t-shirts. Several characters (Captain America for one) refused to sign the shirts. I was going to do pillow cases for my girls this year, but the bother of them made me decide to go with photo mats instead.

 

[KashasMom]

Yes, this. But, Disney, being Disney, doesn't like to make guests mad by enforcing rules, if they can help it, so I'm not sure we'll ever see this.

It infuriates me that this is the way it is whether enforcing a rule like that or not letting people hog chairs or whatever it is. Today's many entitled people don't seem to think the rules apply to them. My personal favorite is when a CM told a woman with a diapered baby that the baby was not allowed in the pool with a diaper. She got out, removed the diaper, and got back in the pool with the baby. She was very nasty about it and the CM did nothing.

 

[dcassetta]

Perhaps there could be a compromise for getting things signed. Some of the meet and greets during the daytime are longer, so that could be the time where you could get things signed. In the evening, particular the ones around dinner time, those are shorter and could be used for pictures only. The navigator could include whether the meet and greets include signing or not.