Should all character "autographs" be a stamp to save time?

[King Panda 77]

We're just talking about a person dressed in a costume pretending to be a cartoon character.

Whit the hay are you talking aboot ????

 

[Padraig]

it can be when there are large families X100 and a long line...

the more time people spend in line, the less time they are spending money

It's this attitude that's endemic in the current management and it's what's been steadily eroding the magic in WDW. It's why fix the yeti, it's why replace the lightbulbs when they blow, why have individual/park specific merchandise/cups in each location, why build FLE in an acceptable timeframe? etc. etc.

 

[Disvillain63]

I'd feel bad for the person cleaning toilets and vomit, the guy scooping up the horse poop, and the Guest Service person dealing with all the complaints. I don't pity the characters who get the experience of making a kid smile or the excitement of a kid waiting to meet their "hero".

Do they have a character leave while people are still in line waiting? I'd guess they cut the line off and finsih the line rather than just say tough luck to the other people who had been waiting. Does anyone know?

We've been in line when the character had to 'leave'. They are only allowed to be in the costume for a set amount of time. The character left for a 'break'. Within 10 minutes, he reappeared. (New person, same character).

 

[Disvillain63]

Geez why are people becoming so rude on these message boards... I have no problem with kids wanting autographs for petes sake....whatever makes children happy I'm all for... believe me... I was just asking everyone's opinion on this. I still believe that children at the age of 5 would like as much if not more a stamp and a sticker rather than donald trying to find a way to scribble something in a book (sometimes even with a different hand than the character 15 minutes before them lol)

It sounds like some on here should be at guest relations complaining about the characters that today use a stamp??? I mean how dare they take away from the experience, it's just not the same

I've read through the first 2 pages of the thread. I haven't really sensed any rudeness. Most people are just speaking their mind/opinion, as you have. They are hardly being rude.

 

[draybook]

are you kidding me? That's a wrong assumption on your part buddy... One of the reasons we DON'T do autographs is so we don't take up time for others.

Then perhaps you shouldn't be getting in line for the rides either.......

 

[TubaGeek]

I'd feel bad for the person cleaning toilets and vomit, the guy scooping up the horse poop, and the Guest Service person dealing with all the complaints. I don't pity the characters who get the experience of making a kid smile or the excitement of a kid waiting to meet their "hero".

Do they have a character leave while people are still in line waiting? I'd guess they cut the line off and finsih the line rather than just say tough luck to the other people who had been waiting. Does anyone know?

Fair warning: the magic may be a bit compromised by this post.

It's hard to do a comparison like that. Characters have to put up with a LOT. Kneeling up and down all day, dealing with being around little ones with TERRIBLE vision, dealing with the occasional partner who finds no joy in their job and just wants to love-and-shove, the back and neck problems that are inherit with the job, dealing with some management who has no idea what it's even like to work in such hot conditions, the physical abuse that some guests (including grown men) put them through, trying to get to and from the set location through a sea of tour groups and parents who think it's a GREAT idea to shove their kid DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF THE CHARACTER WHO CANNOT SEE WELL... You get the idea.

Magic-ruining post over.

To answer your other question, though: it depends on how soon the character will be back. At C-Spot, for example, that character will always return almost immediately, so the attendant will warn the guests a minute or two they take their 15-second break, so there should be very little downtime. At a place where the character will be taking a longer minute break, the attendant will just close the line before it gets so long that it would take them over their scheduled time.
Oh, and regarding stamps: I think that only licensed characters (something Disney doesn't really need to worry about) and characters with other... disabilities (Buzz, Mike and Sulley, etc...) should use stamps. However, there should be a PERSONAL responsibility by the parents that the kids can share an autograph book. Otherwise, the kids will suffer with a boring M&G as all they'll have time to see is the top of the character's head.

 

[luv]

Fair warning: the magic may be a bit compromised by this post.

It's hard to do a comparison like that. Characters have to put up with a LOT. Kneeling up and down all day, dealing with being around little ones with TERRIBLE vision, dealing with the occasional partner who finds no joy in their job and just wants to love-and-shove, the back and neck problems that are inherit with the job, dealing with some management who has no idea what it's even like to work in such hot conditions, the physical abuse that some guests (including grown men) put them through, trying to get to and from the set location through a sea of tour groups and parents who think it's a GREAT idea to shove their kid DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF THE CHARACTER WHO CANNOT SEE WELL... You get the idea.

Magic-ruining post over.

To answer your other question, though: it depends on how soon the character will be back. At C-Spot, for example, that character will always return almost immediately, so the attendant will warn the guests a minute or two they take their 15-second break, so there should be very little downtime. At a place where the character will be taking a longer minute break, the attendant will just close the line before it gets so long that it would take them over their scheduled time.
Oh, and regarding stamps: I think that only licensed characters (something Disney doesn't really need to worry about) and characters with other... disabilities (Buzz, Mike and Sulley, etc...) should use stamps. However, there should be a PERSONAL responsibility by the parents that the kids can share an autograph book. Otherwise, the kids will suffer with a boring M&G as all they'll have time to see is the top of the character's head.

I don't think your post ruins magic, but I do think it might be better to go to a CM board if you want to complain about your job...not that your points aren't valid, just that this is possibly not the best place for it.

Many people really like to think the Disney staff love their jobs, too. I never, even the first time I visited, thought that, lol. But I did once appreciate the way Disney employees didn't make us all aware of how much they hate their jobs. That has begun to slide in recent years, of course.

Not too long ago, I heard the Haunted Mansion staff discussing their feelings on prom dresses. Everywhere I go, the Disney staff is busy talking to each other and not doing work or helping customers. This is something that even ten years ago would not have been tolerated.

Cheer up Tuba Geek! One day you'll be out of college and some other kid will have to put the costumes on, be hot, have trouble seeing and deal with the unhappy attendants. (They really are, by and large, an unhappy group! I don't know why. Their jobs aren't that tough!)

 

[Susan Savia]

The characters are only out a few minutes at a time. If they did away with autographs, more kids would get to meet them.

 

[Violet]

Whit the hay are you talking aboot ????

Nothing, nothing, I, er, posted that in the wrong thread

 

[King Panda 77]

Nothing, nothing, I, er, posted that in the wrong thread

Pheewww that was a close one

 

[TubaGeek]

I don't think your post ruins the magic, but I do think it might be better to go to a CM board if you want to complain about your job...not that your points aren't valid, just that this is possibly not the best place for it.

Cheer up Tuba Geek! One day you'll be out of college and some other kid will have to put the costumes on, be hot, have trouble seeing and deal with the unhappy attendants. (They really are, by and large, an unhappy group! I don't know why. Their jobs aren't that tough!)

Actually I AM out of college and I DON'T work for Disney Entertainment. Though I can see why you may have thought that. Either way, I didn't mean for that to come off as complainy as much as just showing that there are downsides to any job, and they're not always comparable to one another.

 

[rob45]

Stamp...next! Stamp...next! Stamp...next!
Its more than just a signature, its the characters interaction with the child.

 

[Jeff456]

From experience I know my little sister likes getting the autographs and althought the odd stamp I feel is ok where a signature is not possible I certainly don't begrudge standing in line a little longer because signatures are being done.

 

[bubbles1812]

The characters are only out a few minutes at a time. If they did away with autographs, more kids would get to meet them.

Yeah that whole 10 seconds it takes is sure detrimental compared to how long it takes to get that perfect photograph. If you really wanted more kids to meet them, you should suggest doing away if letting people take pictures... Sorry, just don't get this attitude. Or to save time, they shouldn't allow the characters to interact with the children. They should just stand there like a cardboard cut out. It would be very effective like an assembly line. That would cut down on far more time than not allowing autographs ever would.

The characters always come back. It's not like kids don't have other opportunities to see them. If the kid really wants to see the character, it is usually always possible to catch them at another time.

 

[juniorthomas]

Hear me out... I go to Disney A LOT and my little one loves to meet the characters. We are not into getting autographs however I understand many are which is fine. One thing I notice however is how much longer the lines are and how much slower the lines moved when the character has to take photos and also write an autograph which is not easy for some as it is.

Some characters like Buzz Lightyear simply use a stamp of their name which goes in the autograph book showing they met him, etc. and this is so much quicker - sooo... my question is:

Should ALL characters do a stamp to save time (for themselves and others in the lines waiting to meet them)? I think Disney could still use the autograph books they sell, and maybe even do something in addition (which would be another way to make money too), a special character sticker meet book where each character has a special sticker of them you can only get when you meet them.

What are your thoughts? I think the stamp is WAY more efficient, quicker for guests in line, and a lot easier for the characters.

It certainly is more efficient, but it seems less personal. I'm not sure how many go out of their way to personalize, or if they simply write their names, but I feel like a rubber stamp would somewhat trivialize the process.

Now from the storytelling standpoint, there is something to be said about using a stamp to ensure that all kids who get Tinkerbell's autograph, regardless of which park they go to or when they visit, would end up getting the exact same signature. But I think that's just me overthinking it all.

 

[drew81]

The characters are only out a few minutes at a time. If they did away with autographs, more kids would get to meet them.

Disney makes tons of money off of autograph books. There's no way they will get rid of them.

 

[topher]

I don't regularly meet characters when I'm in the parks and when I do I am not collecting autographs.
However, I think it would be more enjoyable to collect stamps from individualized characters rather than semi-uniformed signatures.
Maybe there could be different stamps for sorcerer Mickey, regular Mickey, chef Mickey, safari Mickey, etc...
I may not "get it" today but when I was a kid that autograph book seemed pretty cool.

 

[wendysue]

Hear me out... I go to Disney A LOT and my little one loves to meet the characters. We are not into getting autographs however I understand many are which is fine. One thing I notice however is how much longer the lines are and how much slower the lines moved when the character has to take photos and also write an autograph which is not easy for some as it is.

Some characters like Buzz Lightyear simply use a stamp of their name which goes in the autograph book showing they met him, etc. and this is so much quicker - sooo... my question is:

Should ALL characters do a stamp to save time (for themselves and others in the lines waiting to meet them)? I think Disney could still use the autograph books they sell, and maybe even do something in addition (which would be another way to make money too), a special character sticker meet book where each character has a special sticker of them you can only get when you meet them.

What are your thoughts? I think the stamp is WAY more efficient, quicker for guests in line, and a lot easier for the characters.

Why bother????

 

[NormC]

Now from the storytelling standpoint, there is something to be said about using a stamp to ensure that all kids who get Tinkerbell's autograph, regardless of which park they go to or when they visit, would end up getting the exact same signature.

If you compare any character's signature over the years you will see that very little changes. They are taught to sign a particular way for a given character. My daughter's book has copies from different trips and they are very close.

 

[juniorthomas]

If you compare any character's signature over the years you will see that very little changes. They are taught to sign a particular way for a given character. My daughter's book has copies from different trips and they are very close.

That's actually really fantastic. Well done, TWDCo.