Do you think 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 are too young to grasp the autograph book concept? My husband wants to do it, but I'm wondering if it's just more stuff for us to lug around and keep track of.

(Disclaimer: IANAP [I Am Not A Parent])

It might be a neat photo-album-kinda-thing to have the autograph pages along with photos of the kids with the characters. If you're into that.

My son is 4 and had a blast doing the autograph books this time, he kept yelling "get my book get my book" etc etc. My older son started this at 3 and was fine with it. Your 4 1/2 year old will probably love it and the 2 1/2 year old will probably follow suit!

Some of the cool things about autograph books is that:

a) It buys your kids a little more time with the characters as they are signing and chatting instead of just a hug and maybe a picture.
b) It's a wonderful keepsake and even your two year old will have fun looking at the signatures again and again--they are all totally unique!
c) Andrew is right about the photo album kind--way cool :) Also a good keepsake.

:crying: The photo album/auto graph combo books were only for girls (as of March 1st). They were only available in the Princess styles... I pouted to a WOD CM and he STILL wouldn't make one for boys or one that could be used for either boys or girls.

My suggestion for the boys... go ahead and use the 'regular' autograph book (buy some felt tip pens like flairs for the characters, much easier on them than regular pens) then when you get home use the special edged scissors to cut the page out of the book and mount it on a scrapbook page with pictures of your child with the character... other option would be to 'make' an autograph book themed with your childs favorite character... you could use 5x8 blank index cards and stickers from your local craft store rather than buying the 'official' ones at the Park.

We never thought to buy the autograph books until we had my daughter. She is 2 and had been scared of the characters up until we bought the autograph book. Now she is so concerned about giving the characters her pen, book, and making sure they sign on the right page that she forgets she is scared of them and it's all about filling up the book. My son is 5 and thinks the books are pretty cool too.

We also give my daughter the book to play with while we are waiting in ride lines. It gives her something to do to write in the books while we wait.

Originally posted by mousey_girl
:crying: The photo album/auto graph combo books were only for girls (as of March 1st). They were only available in the Princess styles... I pouted to a WOD CM and he STILL wouldn't make one for boys or one that could be used for either boys or girls.
I agree - I don't understand why the Autograph / Photo books are only made in the Princess theme.

A couple of suggestions:

1)Use the regular autograph book, and leave one page of each "facing" blank. When you get home, buy some photo mounting sleeves, and mount your photos to the blank pages.

2) Buy a 4"x6" photo album, and bring 4"x6" index cards for the characters to sign - you can slip them into the facing pages.

3) Buy a small scrapbook, and pre-mount photo sleeves onto the pages. (Creative Memories has a 7" x 7" album that works well for this.) Just have the characters sign around the sleeves.

AVP

I used a book of index cards (spiral bound) for my 21 month to have signed with the purpose of creating a scrapbook later out of pictures and signatures. My plan is to cut out the outline of each of the signatures to paste on the page. Because we used this cheap method, we got numerous signatures of each character to go with each picture of the characters. He was able to obtain 50-60 signatures in a week. Also the thicker paper of the index cards keep others from bleeding through. You definitely need to obtain wider point markers though, it is easier for the characters with gloves to use.

It's a generally good idea to use a fatter pen- or pad a pen with masking tape- because characters with padded hands can hold them better.

I admit that I'm a bit of a photo album snob. If I'm going to make a photo album (scrapbook,) I'm going to make sure it's going to last awhile. Instead of index cards, if I'm not going to use a small album, I'd use photo-safe cardstock cut to about 4x6" with a fade-proof water-resistant pen, padded with masking tape.

Rounded tips that are like sharpies would probably be easier for many characters to use. AVP mentioned Creative Memories (http://www.creativememories.com) and I'm aware that they have a round-tip pen that meets this criteria. Then I would put the 4x6 inch cards in a larger album with the pictures. You could punch holes in the cards and hold them together with rings from an office supply store.

One thing I've heard avid album makers voice a concern about with the small albums is that sometimes characters get "clever" or "cute" with their autographs--signing across entire pages or two page spreads, for example, leaving no room for parents to add pictures to their books later. 4x6" cards would address this problem.

Adrienne

Do they have a tendancy to sign over the photo inserts in the Princess book?

They probably would not sign over plastic but if you give them a book with nothing but paper pages in it, they'll sign wherever they want to, especially if it's "in character" to do so (for example, pranksters, villians, non-compliant characters, etc.)

Adrienne

Pluto made a dog bone in his signature and Minnie covered her page with little heats and flowers (this is what happens when you hit Toon Town first thing in the morning and no one else is aroung) :D .

[extremely long rant]

OK ,I know I'm not going to be in the popular opinion here, but I HATE Autograph books. Not just dislike them immensely, oh no, I HATE HATE HATE THEM!

As an entertainment host, let me give you my perspective on them. One day, Pluto was merrily bouncing around Toon Town, doing his own thang. All of a sudden a rush of people mob him with Autograph books. Not only do hey mob him with them, they do not say "Pluto will you please sign this for me?" They do not say "Thank you!" after he signs it for them. Oh no, they walk up to him, force their book in his face and say "Sign this." Not a nice "sign this" but a "I demand you to sign this and if you don't I'm going to whine and complain about it." Fine, Pluto takes the book to sign. Pluto then gestures for a pen. Does this person who has just so rudely demanded an autograph even HAVE a pen? NOOOO! They look around at everybody else, and say "Anybody have a pen I can use?" AAAAAAAAARGH!!! I hate them! Not only that, but after the autograph, they want a picture. Fine, OK. Go ahead take the picture. "Oh no! Where's the camera? Oh here it is! Ready>? one two three. Oh no the flash didn't go off! Let me do that again. One two three! Argh, it didn't go again. Can I do it one more time?" Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Point one: Please make sure to have autograph books, pens, cameras, anything you need done, make sure it's ready to go. If you take six minutes getting out your stinkin autograph book and then another 4 for a pen, that is about 1/3 of Pluto's time before he has to get a snack. This is no exxageration folks, I've seen it happen before.

Point two: MANNERS. You want him to sign your book? then PLEASE say PLEASE and THANK YOU. Do not shove the book in his face, Ask first, then hand the book to his paw.

Point three: In the time that Pluto could have been playing with your child and making more of a magical memory than anything, he has to stop whatever he's doing to sign the darn thing. It's much more fun to watch Pluto play with a kid or their parents than to watch him sign "*heart* Pluto *Bone*" over and over and over again. I'd much rather stand next to Pluto with a stinkin stamp to just stamp his name onto the book while he plays with each guest (a la Toy Story Meet and greet in MGM Studios). Voila! Pluto can play, the autograph is done, and guest goes home with a magical memory and a small keepsake from it.

[/extremely long rant]

As a former entertainment hostess, I stand behind EVERYTHING said above by Chipmunk Star. Autograph books and meet 'n greet locations have turned "true magic" experiences into assembly-line magic (as in the "magic happens" kind of magic).

The only truly magic characters are Alice and the Mad Hatter, who have the freedom to "romp". Even then, their musical chairs games are often interrupted by some kid jumping in front of them with an autograph book. (Since "rubberheads" like the White Rabbit are also participating, you can guess how hazardous that can be!).

When was the last time Mickey got to actually walk around the park as if he lived there? He can't. One foot onstage and he's mobbed by autograph hounds.

I'd like to see more scheduled "romping." Let characters hop on attractions more often, or dance at CPG. Let's get Peter Pan and Wendy out in the park to romp like Alice and Mad Hatter do!

Of course, even then, those autograph hounds will be so focused on their books that they'll forget to play.

I am not trying to take this personal, since I do NOT consider myself one of THOSE parents. I tried to keep Nickolas away from the whole autograph thingy. He is now old enough to understand (at 6) the concept. Even before the autographs we always say please and thank you to every CM we encounter, especially the characters.

Nickolas knows that when he approaches the character he is to ask nicely for their autograph-if he doesn't I will (after years of not being understood he is still not real comfy talking to others in public). When he gets it he says thank you, if he doesn't he is in trouble with me and he knows it. He has the autrograph pen-the one sold with the books- ready to go and the page to be signed is open. My camera is ready and I like to get a shot of the character actually signing the book.

If the character is romping around (like Pluto and Goofy tend to do in the early morning hours) we don't ask, we just play, the book remains in my backpack.

He got Pluto's signature at Goofy's Kitchen. We were the first guests there that morning. The dining areas are the best places because they are the only places that the characters aren't mobbed. We are planning a trip May 10th and will be at the park early enough to attend the breakfast with Pooh and Friends so that way we can get their signatures without waiting in line.

I too hate the autograph books, but it made him soooo happy. Now that we have an AP he knows that if we don't see a character this trip there will be another chance later, no rush, no push, leaves us able to enjoy our stay a whole lot more.

Well, then, Mousey_girl, let me thank you for being in the minority of guests that we see on a daily basis :) :) :)

Oh, I forgot. I've seen a few autograph book with the plastic pouch a litle more gender-neutral, featuring the FabFive. . . I don't know where they got em (Disney Store, perhaps?) But if one must have one. . .

Well, we're back and I wanted to share that we decided not to get the books even though 99% of the kids meeting characters had them, of all ages (2 and up). Our girls never asked about them even though everyone was "doing it". I have treasured memories of my 2 year old singing "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" to Mary Poppins, my 4 year old Cinderella fanatic playing with Cinderella on the ground with her new spinning dancing Cinderella toy, talking to Cinderella about going inside the castle, my 2 year old giving Goofy little 7 dwarf toys one at a time into his huge hands and remarking that he has a hard time holding the little toys, and so many other great interactions. I think I only saw maybe 5 other kids the whole 6 days who didn't have the books.

See, THAT is what I'm talking about! When a child and parent go home at the end of their trip,whats going to be more treasured:

A signature the character had to sign in a rush

or

Your child singing to their favorite, who might sing along, or walk hand in hand with them.

I'm so very glad you had a great time with the characters, and that their interactions were so wonderful. Please tell us more!
*Wide eyed kid waiting to hear a story stare* :)