End of autographs at character dining?

I think his larger point was that an autograph is an autograph. Its not a matter of opinion (as the PP tried to assert) what an autograph is. Either you are getting an autograph (by and actor or a baseball player) or you are getting a card with pre printed (not autographed) signatures.

The value of that to different people is different of course, but we do still live in a world where real things exist, and autograph is an autograph, a printed card is a printed card.

Well people can find joy in what they want. To me, having an Elvis autograph is cool. Having an Elvis impersonator sign "Elvis" on something isn't an autograph, it's just an oddity. And having an Elvis impersonator hand me a card that has an "Elvis" signature printed on it isn't quantitatively different. The act of pen to paper for fake name doesn't make for significance, and I guess my imagination is sated by just interacting withe the character. But lots of opinions make the world go round.
 
Hey, maybe they could offer autographs for an up charge! Maybe segregate the dining room into "autograph" and "card only" sections with different pricing? It could work! :banana:

Ridiculous.

Be careful, we don't want the Disney bean counters to get any new ideas about "monetizing" experiences that historically were free (what they did to Fastpass was bad enough).
 
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Yeah, I agree mostly with this. My own mother practically abandoned me for roaming Mickey Mouse at the MK back in 1975. :)

I would never expect to see any major character roaming the Park like they used to. Our ridiculous culture just can't handle that now. :rolleyes2 I'm thinking more minor characters like random Country Bears or maybe Smee, etc...
The Country Bears were roaming last July. One danced with me and walked for a good way down the path with me, holding my hand. Such a better and more fun and natural experience than a rushed photo and autograph at a meal.
 
I don't see why it matters what Disney says will be provided right now. Whatever the definition of an autograph is, that terminology could simply be omitted at some point. There are countless examples of Disney omitting things that used to be expected.
 


I wish Disney would just ban autographs altogether. A hug and a picture is plenty, and it would help speed up those ridiculous lines. ...and maybe allow more roaming characters like we used to see in the Parks.
I am sooo with you on this one! If they are going to do this then I think they all should have a stamp like Buzz Lightyear. I think the CM's trying to see what they're doing when they are signing makes the characters look clumsy and ridiculous.
 
We did one DL trip where we got our daughter an autograph book and took her around to get it signed (via Character meals & waiting in line). She was 4 at the time and we only had one bad character experience because the Buzz Lightyear at DL didn't sign or have a stamp and the CM told my 4 year old that he couldn't sign her book because his laser would go off. Well, cue crying 4 year old who didn't want to even get a picture with him because she was afraid of his laser. It made me laugh and *I* got my picture with him. But after that trip we went through her autograph book and I made her recall a memory of meeting that character and wrote it down. Then for the next year she would read that book and look at the pictures and remember her trip to DL. Sooooo, to each their own. I love that we were able to do that for her.
 
I was at CP last week My great-niece wasn't able to make the breakfast so I asked the attendant for an autograph card. She handed me a blank piece of paper and when I asked her for the printed card she looked at me like I had 3 heads. She said the characters will sign autograph books and they didn't have preprinted cards.
 


Yes, we went to CP last week and was surprised to see they had returned to signing autographs

That is good to hear. We have couple character dining reservations and my daughter has her autograph book all ready for our trip in November.
 
I was just at Crystal palace 4 weeks ago and everybody was signing autographs. I was amazed with those big paws that it actually was a very nice neat signature.
 
As an adult, I have no interest in character autographs, but understand the appeal since I had one as a child. If they started handing out cards though, I’d probably start collecting them.
 
Do they still sell autograph books in Disney shops? We are going next week with DGS age 5,previously initially shy around characters, and use the autograph book as an ice breaker for him. We booked 4 character meals at Chef Mickeys, Tusker House, Crystal Palace and Hollywood and Vine and WILL ask for autographs. Stop selling autograph books or stop disappointing children . Uncle Walt is restless in his afterlife right now.
 
Do they still sell autograph books in Disney shops? We are going next week with DGS age 5,previously initially shy around characters, and use the autograph book as an ice breaker for him. We booked 4 character meals at Chef Mickeys, Tusker House, Crystal Palace and Hollywood and Vine and WILL ask for autographs. Stop selling autograph books or stop disappointing children . Uncle Walt is restless in his afterlife right now.
Yes.


I don’t think you can say Walt would be against autograph cards. We simply don’t know that.
 
I have never seen the points in autographs. Not for famous people or Disney characters. What's the point? It is a named signed on a piece of paper. We never have done this. We just take a picture and focus on the moment and that is good enough for us.
 
Yes.


I don’t think you can say Walt would be against autograph cards. We simply don’t know that.

Maybe I am wrong, but I think the point is the marketing of autograph books needs to be inline with the behavior of the characters. Selling a kid an autograph book only to have the character tell them they don't sign them is something that Walt would not be a fan of. If you want to go to cards, then sell books that are designed to hold the cards (or at minimum stop selling the old books). If they want to sell autograph books, then have the characters sign them. The system should be both consistent and smooth. Pick a direction, set expectations, and support it.
 
Maybe I am wrong, but I think the point is the marketing of autograph books needs to be inline with the behavior of the characters. Selling a kid an autograph book only to have the character tell them they don't sign them is something that Walt would not be a fan of. If you want to go to cards, then sell books that are designed to hold the cards (or at minimum stop selling the old books). If they want to sell autograph books, then have the characters sign them. The system should be both consistent and smooth. Pick a direction, set expectations, and support it.
It’s hard when characters have become so popular and create hour plus waits. Many times the cards are used to then speed up the process.
 
Maybe I am wrong, but I think the point is the marketing of autograph books needs to be inline with the behavior of the characters. Selling a kid an autograph book only to have the character tell them they don't sign them is something that Walt would not be a fan of. If you want to go to cards, then sell books that are designed to hold the cards (or at minimum stop selling the old books). If they want to sell autograph books, then have the characters sign them. The system should be both consistent and smooth. Pick a direction, set expectations, and support it.
 
These meals cost a lot and I have dropped Crystal Palace from our meal rotation. Want to give my girls a card we will go somewhere else. I know a large part of the cost is the entertainment. Well without signatures my girls aren't entertained. And I do make exceptions for characters like the beast who have trouble signing but saying that Gwen got a signature from him in 2005 so they found a way then.
 

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