End of autographs at character dining?

DizfanMA

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 10, 2017
I've read some post on another forum that people have been given pre-printed autograph cards at certain restaurants. One example was at Crystal Palace, they were handing out autographed honey pots. Was wondering if anyone else has heard or experienced this recently.
 
I know it happens occasionally especially at meet and greets with characters who can't sign. I have not specifically heard about it happening at character meals other than the Bon Voyage breakfast at BW.
 
Well, if they could just extend this to every meet&great everywhere, this would clear up a constant battle between DW and I. I like my kids interacting with the characters, but I always feel the actual signing wastes time and takes away from the overall interaction. I've argued us down to 1 book that the 2 kids share, but zero books would be even better.

Also, my wife actually makes each book, which adds to her stress of getting ready for the trip, which adds to my stress, which I don't like.

I have to admit, I did like seeing the signatures the first time around, but after a while, it becomes repetitive.

ETA: I should also point out that for the characters we have come across that don't sign, there wasn't a single bit of disappointment from my kids (or my wife) which leads me to believe they could live without the autographs...
 


Well, if they could just extend this to every meet&great everywhere, this would clear up a constant battle between DW and I. I like my kids interacting with the characters, but I always feel the actual signing wastes time and takes away from the overall interaction. I've argued us down to 1 book that the 2 kids share, but zero books would be even better.

Also, my wife actually makes each book, which adds to her stress of getting ready for the trip, which adds to my stress, which I don't like.

I have to admit, I did like seeing the signatures the first time around, but after a while, it becomes repetitive.

ETA: I should also point out that for the characters we have come across that don't sign, there wasn't a single bit of disappointment from my kids (or my wife) which leads me to believe they could live without the autographs...
I don't think they do this to free up more time for interaction. I think they do this to move the characters faster and turn the tables faster. We've done a lot of character autographs through the years (not so much any more though) and I honestly felt like the characters practically wizzed by without the autographs. At least the books slow them down a bit so you can talk a bit while they sign.
 
I have to admit, I find character meals at WDW to be the biggest waste of time and money you can find. My twin 5 year olds and 7 year old daughter could care less, and getting pictures was a chore. The concept of eating a very expensive, and not always good, buffet, while being occasionally harried to get back to your seat, to snap a picture that doesn't really look good... uggh. We did one character meal on our last trip, I'm trying to pair that to 0. None of my kids want to wait in line for meet and greets either. They'd rather be on a ride or in a show. I guess we just aren't the target audience for this...
 
I have to admit, I find character meals at WDW to be the biggest waste of time and money you can find. My twin 5 year olds and 7 year old daughter could care less, and getting pictures was a chore. The concept of eating a very expensive, and not always good, buffet, while being occasionally harried to get back to your seat, to snap a picture that doesn't really look good... uggh. We did one character meal on our last trip, I'm trying to pair that to 0. None of my kids want to wait in line for meet and greets either. They'd rather be on a ride or in a show. I guess we just aren't the target audience for this...
If your kids don't really care about meeting the characters, then the meals would be a huge waste. But if they do like meeting characters, the meals are a good way to beat the meet and greet lines and get something to eat at the same time.

I really don't like waiting in meet and greet lines...
 


I was watching a video about the Photo Pass event last week at WDW. At DHS, the villains did not sign autographs. They handed out pre-signed items relevant to the villain. Given the long lines that were shown for them, it is understandable going this route to try and speed up the lines.

Now last October I had lunch at Akershus. I was there as part of a week long birthday celebration and I did receive a birthday card with all of the Princess signatures. However, they all did sign my autograph book when they stopped by the table. When I saw the Beast at BOG, I just got a picture with him since his paws did not allow him the ability to sign autographs. I do not recall getting a pre-signed card.
 
The earlier thread/discussion was CP and they showed the cute honey pot shaped cards that were being handed out. The newer thread was started by a just retired CM who would have heard discussion from the inside.

I absolutely would not be surprised to see them go this route ... at all restaurants, parties etc.

Now at M&G if they did it ... instead of spending $18ish dollars on autograph book and pen, we can spend $30 on a collectable card book (similar to Sorcerers). And it rolls folks out of lines faster to maybe spend money.

I'm sure them doing this at certain party M&G has helped them determine the efficiency of it all.

And I wonder .................... do guests do the whole autograph thing at other Disney Parks around the world like WDW does?

1) Crystal Palace has gone (almost fully) to handing out character cards, instead of character signatures.
2) Only a few people have complained!
3) Now, two other character meals have made provisions to just hand out cards.
. . . Tusker House (AK)
. . . Garden Grill (EP)
4) This is in place of characters stopping to sign autographs.
5) We "hear" the plan is to go property-wide with the process.
6) Stopping to sign autographs is talking too much time, as guest become more-and-more demanding.
. . . autographs for each person at the table
. . . autographs on hats, t-shirts, etc (not on paper, or in an autograph book)
7) Guests have no one to blame but themselves !!!

NOTE: As that famous comic strip character (POGO) says, " We have met the enemy, and it is us."
 
Too many are quick to blame guests for every move Disney makes. We've done a TON of character meals through the years and never seen these people going overboard. If there are some who do that, I'm sure the number is small. This is about efficiency in moving them through and turning over tables.

People are PAYING for character access at the overpriced character meals. I think it's pretty cheeky to try and cut back on the access and time.
 
I'm just throwing this out there I was able to get the character cards and autographs in a book at bon voyage

I was thinking this.

Unless it's a character that cannot sign (e.g. Beast, Mike Wazowski, Baymax, etc) I would think it would be a difficult conversation for the character handler to start with, "Winnie the Pooh is on his way, but he's not signing autographs since you already got one." That's not to say the conversation won't happen, but at the same time if a character is spending time with a guest and that character is able to sign, more often than not they are going to sign. It's not like a special meet and greet or anything. I just see this being really awkward.

I would think this is just to deter some guests from asking for autographs.

Perhaps it's even, dare I say, a courtesy for guests that don't have an autograph book/pen?
 
I was just at WDW from 8/15 - 8/25. Our first character meal was at Crystal Palace for lunch and when we were seated the hostess quickly gave us the previously discussed autographed honeypot. We were unsure if this was the new normal for character autographs. Luckily this was the only character meal we went to where the characters did not sign my kid's books.

We went on to eat at Garden Grill, Chef Mickey's, Akershus, Tusker House and 1900 Park Fare. All of the characters at these restaurants signed both of my kid's books.
 
I was just at WDW from 8/15 - 8/25. Our first character meal was at Crystal Palace for lunch and when we were seated the hostess quickly gave us the previously discussed autographed honeypot. We were unsure if this was the new normal for character autographs. Luckily this was the only character meal we went to where the characters did not sign my kid's books.

We went on to eat at Garden Grill, Chef Mickey's, Akershus, Tusker House and 1900 Park Fare. All of the characters at these restaurants signed both of my kid's books.

That's interesting. We went to Crystal Palace 2 nights ago for dinner and all of the characters signed. We did not receive a honey pot.
 
I have to admit, I find character meals at WDW to be the biggest waste of time and money you can find. My twin 5 year olds and 7 year old daughter could care less, and getting pictures was a chore. The concept of eating a very expensive, and not always good, buffet, while being occasionally harried to get back to your seat, to snap a picture that doesn't really look good... uggh. We did one character meal on our last trip, I'm trying to pair that to 0. None of my kids want to wait in line for meet and greets either. They'd rather be on a ride or in a show. I guess we just aren't the target audience for this...
I'm so glad my girls, even as toddlers, would much rather spend their time riding rides instead of wasting it for character meet and greets.
 
We've done a TON of character meals through the years and never seen these people going overboard. If there are some who do that, I'm sure the number is small. This is about efficiency in moving them through and turning over tables.

I don't like the move myself but what you say here doesn't really add up. Handing me a pre-signed card instead of signing my kids' book would MAYBE get me out of the restaurant 30 seconds faster. Add the "savings" from 5 or 6 parties who may occupy that table in one evening and it doesn't give Disney the ability to seat any additional guests. And many people don't even do autograph books.

We actually have seen people going a bit overboard. We aren't the type to linger over our meals and it can be frustrating to see a character coming, only to have him stopped at a particular table for 5 minutes as a large group takes photos in every combination imaginable. But that's sort of what you sign-on for with character meals.

The autograph cards actually sound sort of cool as a collectible, but not necessarily to replace the books. It doesn't take that long to scrawl on a piece of paper.
 
Too many are quick to blame guests for every move Disney makes. We've done a TON of character meals through the years and never seen these people going overboard. If there are some who do that, I'm sure the number is small. This is about efficiency in moving them through and turning over tables.

People are PAYING for character access at the overpriced character meals. I think it's pretty cheeky to try and cut back on the access and time.

I have to say I disagree with you on this one.

The autographs were always a bit silly...and abuses lead to long waits at both the meet and greets and the meals.

Good riddance, if you ask me...why do kids need signature from chipmunks and dogs anyway? Seriously?
 
I have to say I disagree with you on this one.

The autographs were always a bit silly...and abuses lead to long waits at both the meet and greets and the meals.

Good riddance, if you ask me...why do kids need signature from chipmunks and dogs anyway? Seriously?

Chipmunks and dogs ............ that just hurt. :sad:
 

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