I'm getting tired of characters not signing autographs

[oohykitten]

it seems SO many of the new ones can't, or won't. I understand Mike and Sully. However I'd like to see a new character that will. Lilo and Stitch are the only news ones that I can think of that can. That's just lame, especially with all pushing for the autograph books marketing wise.

[iwannabeanimagineer]

Originally posted by oohykitten
it seems SO many of the new ones can't, or won't.

It seems that an earlier post on a related topic said they can't "yet" sign autographs. Is it because they haven't trained the CM's to spell the character's name yet? Or are they trying to figure out whether or not it is "in character" to sign autographs?

[MammaSilva]

if they could figure out how to make Lucky sign an autograph, there should be a problem with anyone else, they can't go with 'Bears don't sign" hello and MICE and Dogs DO?
....

Even Buzz at least had a stamp to stamp the kids autograph books (and I'm still not sure what the reason was for a stamp vs an autograph)

[oohykitten]

I don't know about the Treasure Planet people, but EMG guys didn't. Monsters Inc, the Playhouse Disney ones don't now the Brother Bear ones don't. It's kinda getting silly. Like was pointed out if Lucky can, what is there reason? Didn't the Country Bears sign? So the "they're bears" reason don't fly with me man!

[innerSpaceman]

Sorry for the kiddies and all, but I think it's absurd for an animal character, even an anthropromorphized one, to sign autographs.

[RStar]

Have you seen the Borther Bear costumes? I'd like to see any of you hold a pen in those. The "yet" is because they are looking at a way to make it so the CMs can hold a pen.

And lucky only made a clover, not write a word.

[oohykitten]

well they used that term with the Playhouse kids too, so who knows. My point, why make them so they can't sign. Not directly the cast members acting as those characters.

[ChipmunkStar]

Let's look at some of our more recent characters:

Lilo and Stitch: Sign-able

Mike and Sulley: No Signing, of course after so long, they had to go to no-touching either. Mike was peeling after so much touching, and Sulley could potentially turn the wrong way and accidentally swing his abnormally long arms into a kid's face.

B.E.N. and Jim Hawkins: Both could sign

Playhouse: Stanley now signs, however Olie and Zowie still haven't learned how to sign.

Koda and Kenai: The ways their paws are 'shaped' don't allow for the two bears to sign. Personally, I don't like the way either bear looks as it is.

Florida is the one that uses stamps for Buzz Lightyear's autographs (along with Woody, Jessie and Bullseye), not CA. I think, though, that if it is physically impossible for a character top sign, it might be a good idea to man their hosts with a stamp so at least their book has SOME mention of their meeting. (Again, nevermind the fact that I completely HATE the autograph books, but that's on two other topics )

[spectromen]

I'd guess they are trying to limit character experiences to photo ops only rather than autograph signings. I know when I was Pluto it was a royal pain because you'd have to rest the autograph book on your face and raise the paws up to there just to be able to see yourself writing. Looked silly, if you ask me.

[Tref]

Good Lord! Who cares! This whole "creating memories" argument is jive! Have kids (or the parents that fuel this 'need') become so jaded that a simple handshake or greeting isn't enough anymore?

Disneyland is supposed to be the home of these characters, but we are now setting them up as celebrities at a movie premiere. I think that its a harmful message to be sending to children. If I had met Mr. Rogers as a child the last thing I would have ever thought to do was ask for his autograph, because he wasn't above me -- or a celebrity -- he was my friend. Compare that to Mickey Mouse, who now sits at an alter in Toon Town and we have to stand in line for an hour for the pleasure of paying for a photograph with him. It's wrong and I fear, it may ultimately be damaging for the soul.

Like "rare" pins or limited edition lithographs, its just an effective tool for separating you from your money. Fall for it if you like. But spare your blissfully un-jaded kinder.

Throw away the autograph books. Remove the chains. Free your children.

I remain,

[Lani]

Originally posted by Tref
Good Lord! Who cares! This whole "creating memories" argument is jive! Have kids (or the parents that fuel this 'need') become so jaded that a simple handshake or greeting isn't enough anymore?

If that's the case, the parks shouldn't push the autograph books and pens so aggressively.

You can't try to pawn off autograph books on one hand, then not offer characters that provide autographs on the other.

One solution: Rubber stamps -- kind of like "paw prints"?

[oohykitten]

Lani a voice of reason as usual. Thank you. I agree stamps or the stickers. Kids get disapointed when one does and another can't.

[pixiepal]

Originally posted by innerSpaceman
Sorry for the kiddies and all, but I think it's absurd for an animal character, even an anthropromorphized one, to sign autographs.

Why? If these "anthropomorphized" characters can sing and hold conversations with each other (in the movies), why shouldn't they be able to write their own names?

[Nephythys]

I do not get the annoyance and agression about the autographs-

Zowie could not sign for us so we took just a picture- that was fine-

and trust me- my children's souls are not damaged by this at all-

[Tref]

Originally posted by oohykitten
Lani a voice of reason as usual. Thank you. I agree stamps or the stickers. Kids get disapointed when one does and another can't.

Disappointed? At what? They're at Disneyland! Remember folks, you are responsible for what is important to your children. The human need to own a signature is not an innate one. If not getting an autograph of a cartoon character is going to disappoint your kids, there is something seriously wrong. Where is our value system?

And as far as stickers ... Hey, there's an idea! Let's treat Disneyland like a giant Easter Egg hunt, where kids need to fill up a whole sticker book. God help those parents whose kids fall short of that goal by the days end! Soon stickers will be traded like pins, and kids will dart around the park searching out characters, effectively missing all the joys the park has to hold for them.

Give it up! Respect the characters. Free your children. Bring a camera and enjoy the rides.

I.r.

[oohykitten]

enjoy the rides

The ones that are closed those ones? Um okay. But hey if my parenting skills are flawed because my son looks forward to getting an autograph then I am more then pleased with being a bad parent.

[Nephythys]

Good grief- no kidding!

Not a single one of my children is going to be damaged because they did not get an autograph, but if they do get an autograph it's just added fun.

My children would go to DL and spend NOT a dime and come out the happiest kids in the world- if they can add to that experience it is just that much better.

Goodness- did Goofy refuse to sign your book as a kid?

I do not go to DL for the autographs but they are FUN- I am not disrespecting the characters or damaging my kids if I let them get autographs!

[Lani]

Tref and Nephythys, I think you both missed my point (or you just ignored it).

I never said autographs were mandatory, or that children would become traumatized if characters didn't sign autographs.

What I DID say is that Disneyland shouldn't be in the business of so aggressively selling autograph books and pens, and then not allow the children a way to obtain autographs.

But then, Disneyland DOES sell $47 tickets into the park aggressively, and then not allow guests to go on many of the big rides. I guess there isn't much difference, huh?

How's about this? How about if Disneyland aggressively sold disposable cameras designed for use by children, and aggressively sold for taking character photos (perhaps it even comes with a booklet of tips on how to photograph characters), but when a child points one of these as a character, a CM host stands in the way and says "Mickey would prefer not to be photographed at this time." Ho....kay. That's fine, but then why sell the cameras?

I'll tell you something... I think if they made it a priority it wouldn't be any problem for any of the characters to be able to grasp a pen to sign their autograph. Someone in costume design is not putting a priority on this, is all.

[disNeytEen]

Honestly i think parents get more agressive at this then kids. if a kid doen't know to look for a signature but rather just some writing or something then how do they know that they have been let down.

[iwannabeanimagineer]

Originally posted by Tref
Like "rare" pins or limited edition lithographs, its just an effective tool for separating you from your money.

Sure, pins and lithos will be trash someday, but my pressed penny collection will rule the world!

Originally posted by Tref
Throw away the autograph books. Remove the chains. Free your children.

Tref for President!

[iwannabeanimagineer]

Originally posted by Tref
Let's treat Disneyland like a giant Easter Egg hunt, where kids need to fill up a whole sticker book. God help those parents whose kids fall short of that goal by the days end! Soon stickers will be traded like pins, and kids will dart around the park searching out characters, effectively missing all the joys the park has to hold for them.

Boiling it down to bumper stickers:
"The one who dies with the most toys/eggs/stickers/autographs/pins/pressed pennies wins."
"The joy is in the journey."

Although we have had fun with all of the above, my children have the most fun seeing their day in the park as a movie...with establishing shots, close-ups, anticipation, humor, tension, discovery, irony, climax and resolution. I hope they see this as a microcosm of life and find joy in the journey, not just the souvenirs.

[Nephythys]

Originally posted by Lani
Tref and Nephythys, I think you both missed my point (or you just ignored it).

I never said autographs were mandatory, or that children would become traumatized if characters didn't sign autographs.

What I DID say is that Disneyland shouldn't be in the business of so aggressively selling autograph books and pens, and then not allow the children a way to obtain autographs.

Actually Lani- every response of mine was a response to Tref, not your posts.

I agree with you. I actually had a horrible time at first getting some autographs due to odd CM's and other pushy people- and while I love the book my daughter got filled with autographs I did think she was almost brain washed into it after watching the other kids-

I think that Tref's claims that we are damaging our childrens souls is absurd- and the overly dramatic posturing was silly-

Please be assured that I had no quibble with your posts, nor did I ignore them-

[wendybeth]

Like many others, my family has spent a fair amount of time waiting in lines to obtain character autographs. My daughter treasures her autograph books, and we often cuddle up together and go through them, laughing and reminiscing about that character's antics. One of her favorites was Moliere from Atlantis. He signed his name and then poured a handfull of dirt into the book..... She really got a kick out of that, and we got a kick out of watching them interact. We didn't obsess over how many she got, although when we got home she pointed out that we didn't get Mickey's. That gave us an excuse to go back the next year; now the running joke is "who did we forget"- this year we'll be looking for Minnie!

[EandCDad]

As far as the original post goes, most characters that we see can sign their names. Usually we don't have an autograph book when our kids meet the characters, or if we do, it's one the kids made out of construction paper at home. However, the kids seem to enjoy the interaction and it is a way of helping them remember their trip.

Originally posted by Tref
Soon stickers will be traded like pins, and kids will dart around the park searching out characters, effectively missing all the joys the park has to hold for them.

Give it up! Respect the characters. Free your children. Bring a camera and enjoy the rides.

Why can't you "search out characters" and "bring a camera and enjoy the rides" both? My kids love the rides, love the food, love the experience, but they also like meeting characters, it's not some sorta moral flaw on anyone's part, it's part of the Disneyland experience for them. I only enjoy it if the Ariel is particularly hot, but you can't have everything.

Bottom line, if you love the rides or some other experience, good for you....if certain kids love meeting the characters and going on the rides and seeing the parades, good for them. The "joys the park has to hold from them" is not Tref-centric.

[wosie]

In WDW Bear from the Big Blue HOuse had a stamp and it's really cool. My three year old was thrilled.
I don't think Disney pushes autograph books any more that grocery stores push chips and salsa, they are there for display you can buy one or you can pass it up. It's up to you.

I agree that sometimes it's not the kids who are disappointed, it's the adults. On our last visit to Disneyland I told the kids not to waste time on autographs and they were fine with it. We got lots of pictures with the characters to add to our collections.

The Disney experience is what you make of it (my daughter has not been able to ride Splash Mountain on any of our visits since it has been closed for refurbishment, both in DL and WDW) she still shows no signs of permanent trauma.