Character Meetings and Autographs

[CrazyHare]

Thank you, one character that seems to be problematic for me (and this is just for me as he's my favorite villan) is Gaston. So it might be worth it just for him.

Gaston is one of the best interactions we have had. He is worth waiting for. We have made a point to stand in his line every visit.

 

[AFwifelife]

I definitely think the character locator is good for when you are doing character interactions (it’s also good for other things in the park but definitely characters) I also have a touring plans subscription. Both have been invaluable for our trips even with taking trips frequently and being a Disney veteran.

I always make sure the kids are dressed like their favorite character (or the character we are mostly wanting to see that day). It’s a great way to break the ice for shy kids and the characters always get extra excited. I had my daughter in a Snow White dress and when we met Snow White, she couldn’t get over having a mini-me lol.

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

We used sharpies on the last trip with the cheaper autograph books they ghosted more than they bled. But it didn't effect much anyhow because I make them leave the page next to the autograph blank so I can scrapbook our pictures in.

It's not rude at all. We let every kid have their own book and we've got a 22 year old that likes for them to sign her drawings. She actually started making autograph books out of them for cheap. No one's ever gotten upset at it. But have the books ready to go when they walk up to the character.

Mickey does sign. But keep in mind some characters physically can't, like Baymax. Or they use a stamp. Sometimes a character will also sign for one that can't meaning Baloo will sign for King Louie from time to time.

If you're character hunting then it might be worth it. But other wise I would pass.

 

[teachmedis]

Thank you for all of your replies! I'm so excited I could burst.

 

[Lynn in MI]

I knew that I was going to be scrapbooking the character autographs so I used Creative Memories lined paper cut into smaller (3x5?) pieces. We used a Creative Memories bold tip pen with rubber bands wrapped around it for the larger character hands. I brought a sturdy plastic photo box and placed the card on that for the signing, put it back in the box and it was ready to go when I was ready to scrapbook. Worked great.

 

[2013Frozen]

We have done a pillow case, and wood initials (from local craft store) for DD. I know you only asked about books, but those are fun alternatives too.

 

[belledreamer]

Another good option that I did on my last trip (I'm 30) is to have the characters sign a canvas tote bag



I had them sign with a regular black sharpie (though in hindsight, I wish I would have brought some colored ones) and I brought a hard cover book to put in the bag so they'd have something solid to sign on. Made for a great conversation starter with the characters too.

 

[teachmedis]

Another good option that I did on my last trip (I'm 30) is to have the characters sign a canvas tote bag

View attachment 304578

I had them sign with a regular black sharpie (though in hindsight, I wish I would have brought some colored ones) and I brought a hard cover book to put in the bag so they'd have something solid to sign on. Made for a great conversation starter with the characters too.

So cool!

 

[figmentedfollies]

Another good option that I did on my last trip (I'm 30) is to have the characters sign a canvas tote bag

View attachment 304578

I had them sign with a regular black sharpie (though in hindsight, I wish I would have brought some colored ones) and I brought a hard cover book to put in the bag so they'd have something solid to sign on. Made for a great conversation starter with the characters too.

I did this too on my last few trips! If you bring a colored sharpies (and I second doing the clickable ones!) just bring a few each day (3 max) and let the characters decide which one to use. I love having the ability to use a souvenire long after my trip. Another suggestion I saw was getting an embroidery circle to keep everything taunt.

 

[aliciamakino]

I love making my own autograph book with my daughter. I bought a plain art journal at Michael's (blank cover, blank pages inside) for $3. We will decorate the front ourselves and then we customize each page on the inside for each character (you can download free templates on Pinterest) or design them yourself. I always use a clickable sharpie, fine point. Never any problems bleeding through.

My daughter is also SUPER shy around strangers (she is almost 4) last trip I feel like the Princesses did a great job at keeping the conversations going although she barely said a word, she still loved the experience. This upcoming trip, I'm trying to prepare her to ask more questions and be talkative. So we have made a game out of it, coming up with questions we can ask each of the characters ( like Tiana, what's your favorite thing to cook? Elena- What's your favorite activity to do with your sister?). My hope is when we actually meet them, she will remember the questions she wants to ask. And we will have a more interactive experience. I do have to say though, having a handmade autograph book got her some special attention and was a great conversation starter with the characters.

 

[aliciamakino]

Gaston is one of the best interactions we have had. He is worth waiting for. We have made a point to stand in his line every visit.

Is it weird that my child doesn't want to meet Gaston but her 34 yr old Mom does? Haha. I don't care, the pictures with him look so fun!

 

[ktlm]

My DD has been a giant character nut since she was 2 (she just turned 12). Characters were far more important to her than rides when she was young. Also, it did not matter if we had just seen a character at meal- if they were out in the park she wanted to see them again.

1. If I buy each child the cheaper autograph book, will sharpies bleed through the page?

Definitely a possibility. We have always used the Disney pens they sell with the autograph books. If we have an issue with one of those, I just grab a pen out of my purse. If the Disney pen stops working within a day or two or doesn't work when you get it- they will replace it. Just keep your receipt.

2. How rude is it to have each child ask one character for an autograph? We have multiple character meals scheduled and meet and greets planned and the Disney Visa, so some characters we won't have to ask for two because we'll see them at least twice (Mickey, Tigger, and Pooh to name a few). On the one hand I hate to make people wait, on the other I feel that they each have their own ticket/meal and that should afford them their own autograph...but if it's a big etiquette no-no I'll obstain and have the kids take turns with separate characters.

Every child should be able to get their own autograph. My DD is an only, but when we are in line it is definitely more common than not for each kid in a family to get their own signatures.

3. Does talking Mickey sign autographs?

Yes.

4. Should I purchase Kenny the Pirates app for character locating? Is this above and beyond the Disney app?

Yes- we think it is very much worth it. You can plan well in advance with his app. He also gives tips on the best time to avoid long lines- so you can have a plan of attack prior to getting to the parks for the most important characters. We have used his character guides for years and for a character crazy kid they have been wonderful. He has saved us so much time!
The Disney app regarding character times is pretty helpful nowadays (it did not used to be too great)- but when we have compared the two, we have actually found instances when Kenny's times were more accurate. I can specifically recall one time looking at the app in the park and changing our plans to get there earlier for the time the Disney app showed the character was first going to be out that day (can't remember which character, but I think it was in WS in EPCOT). We thought since we were looking on the Disney app that day it should be accurate for that particular day and they must being coming out earlier than Kenny showed. When no character showed up for the people standing there, we left and came back for the time on Kenny's app. Sure enough-- Kenny was the accurate one.

 

[Tk0021]

On our first trip my girls were 5 and 3 and loved meeting the characters at the buffets but cried if we did a meet and greet anywhere else. Last year, Just one year older was totally different. We did the autograph book this time and my 4 year old would shake with excitement when the characters would come to our table. They also where good with meeting them at other meet and greets.

I wouldn’t think twice about having both kids get autographs. If they are anything my kids there would be crying if one got an autograph and the other one didn’t.

 

[ElsasFan]

My youngest is super into meeting Characters of all kinds, my oldest is less shy than he once was so I think Characters are going to be a big part of this trip (and I'm super excited about that). Another thing to note is both of my children have speech delays, while they've received therapy and now speak beautifully, vocally interacting with strangers is a nervous experience for them and something I encourage them to practice regularly. I thought asking characters for autographs would be a fun way to practice. Here are some questions I have:

1. If I buy each child the cheaper autograph book, will sharpies bleed through the page?

2. How rude is it to have each child ask one character for an autograph? We have multiple character meals scheduled and meet and greets planned and the Disney Visa, so some characters we won't have to ask for two because we'll see them at least twice (Mickey, Tigger, and Pooh to name a few). On the one hand I hate to make people wait, on the other I feel that they each have their own ticket/meal and that should afford them their own autograph...but if it's a big etiquette no-no I'll obstain and have the kids take turns with separate characters.

3. Does talking Mickey sign autographs?

4. Should I purchase Kenny the Pirates app for character locating? Is this above and beyond the Disney app?

I think that's all for now. I'm over the moon about meeting and interacting with characters this trip (last trip my kids were younger and made uncomfortable by characters). So I'm open to anything you want to tell me.

ETA: Wow that's long! Sorry!

Sharpies will not bleed through the autograph books. Do get the kind with the click end (what do you call that thing that you push down with your thumb???) instead of the ones with caps because the non-face characters have trouble with caps.

Every child can ask each character for an autograph. They are very efficient and it is not rude at all. We sometimes meet the same character more than once on a trip (if we’re doing character dining for instance) and we get their autographs every time.

Talking Mickey does sign autographs.