Okay, we have one last bonus round to our Character Series. We’ve covered all of our bases so far, including Walt Disney World Character Dining, Disneyland Character Dining, and Character Meet & Greets; plus, we have all of the maps for you to find your favorite Disney friends in all six of the US-based Disney Parks. However, in the interest of being thorough, there is one subject that we haven’t yet covered as a stand-alone topic; Character autograph books.
An Autograph book can be a fantastic keepsake for children, not only storing the personal signatures of every character they meet, but also providing a great opportunity for photos and making memories as you visit with them. Here are five tips to help you make the most of your Autograph Book!
Keep It Easily Accessible
If you need to dig through to the bottom of the backpack, pulling out everyone’s hats and personal items before you can get to it, you aren’t likely to use your autograph book. It will feel too hard, and you won’t be able to pull it out quickly if the opportunity arrives. If you are carrying a backpack, keep it in the outside pocket so you can place your hands on it quickly. Otherwise, if your child enjoys the responsibility, consider allowing them to carry it in a small cross-body bag (best without anything else in there) so they can pull it out when needed and keep it safe. Just make sure you have room in the backpack to store the child’s bag as well if they aren’t able to cope with it all day.
Have Your Pen Ready
You will need to offer your character friends a pen to sign your book, so make sure it is something that writes easily and won’t need too much effort. Be sure to pass them our pen or Sharpie with the lid taken off so they are not struggling to sign the page for you.
There Is a Correct Way to Hand Over Your Book
It might not be something that you’ve thought about before, but handling a pen and paper can be harder for some of our character friends who don’t have traditional human hands. When you hand over your autograph book, make sure it is open to the correct page you would like to have signed and turn the book, so it is facing your character friend, the correct way around for them. It will make things much easier!
Space Your Characters Out
Character autograph books often have a lot of pages in them, far more than you will end up needing. If you get one character to sign a page per opening (two-page spread), you can stick in a photo of the encounter on the opposite page when you get home. It makes the book feel so much more familiar in later years when reminiscing.
Grab Some Stickers & Ask Questions
Autograph books have a habit of looking a bit plain, even when they are finished. If leaving pages for photos, as suggested above, choose some stickers to help pretty up the pages, scrapbook style. It’s a great way to turn an item that is thrown away over the years into something you will remember forever. Another idea is to ask each friend the same question and then note down their answers on the page they signed. If you visit again, ask a different question, and you can continue to add to your book with each visit.
If you would like to revisit some of the earlier articles on Disney Characters, you can find the full list here:
- Your Complete Character Guide To Disney’s Magic Kingdom
- Your Complete Character Guide to EPCOT’s World Showcase
- Your Complete Character Meet & Greet Guide To Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Your Complete Character Meet & Greet Guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Your Complete Character Meet & Greet Guide to Disneyland Park
- Your Character Meet & Greet Guide to Disney California Adventure Park
- Your Guide To Disneyland Character Dining
- Your Guide To Walt Disney World Character Dining
- How To Have The Best Disney Character Dining Experience
- The Pros And Cons Of Disney’s Character Dining & How To Choose Which One
