The Decline of Character Autographs

[RogueHabit]

Is it just us, or has the quality of Disney Character autographs gone downhill of late?

We just got back at the weekend and throughout the trip it bothered me that the autographs that our children collected seemed to be lacking something.

So, with this in mind, I went back and took a look at previous years and found that there does seem to be something amiss.

Taking Goofy as an example, in previous years we have gotten autographs from Goofy in several locations, on different days, in different parks, or even on the same day in different parks, yet they have always been pretty much similar. Moreover they have also had a good resemblance to the Character sigs on printed photo's and other items.

This year though it seems that the signatures have lost this bit of magic and are now rather haphazard.

I had assumed in previous years that characters were coached in their signature prior to being let loose in the park...

 

[Ausdaddy]

I completely agree. I've noticed this as well. Character signatures used to have a great deal of flare, but it's very infrequent now. I couldn't wait to see the embellishment they would give my children. It may be a lost art.

 

[Magic Maker]

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[beauty_Belle27]

THREADS LIKE THIS MAKE ME FEEL SAD LIKE dISNEY IS LOSING ALL OF ITS MAGIC..
eDIT: sorry caps was on..

 

[adamthegetupkid]

It's sad to see something like this, especially since WDW has gone so "meet-&-greet crazy". I still have my autograph book from years past and there was a lot of detail to each autograph, it's a shame to see it diminish...

 

[dizneykev]

I completely agree. I've noticed this as well. Character signatures used to have a great deal of flare, but it's very infrequent now. I couldn't wait to see the embellishment they would give my children. It may be a lost art.

Well AUSDADDY, looks like we have a bit in common. I true agree that the signatures have been lack luster as of late. I can remember eating lunch with some friends a few years back at Tony's Restaurant. It sticks in my mind because it was raining all day, but seemed to stop once we arrived at the Magic Kingdom. Seeing the kids get the autographs really lit their eyes up, now, I don't see that same excitement. Perhaps it's because they have gotten so many autographs, but I think it is because it is much less personal now.


Dizneykev

 

[A "Ghost" Host]

Hey! My "friends" happen to do some darn good autographing! But yes I think it might be those "friends" who have been "friends" with the characters for so long that they just don't seem to care about if the autograph looks correct or not. Sigh...

 

[ImagineAtl23]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........

Now that you mention that I realize its true, they need to teach the characters how to write their names more !

 

[Magic Maker]

Again, DO SOMETHING about it.

 

[UltimtMickeyFan]

I was at MK last weekend, and went to the toontown tent, and was able to get 3 really good autographs. From Mickey, Cinderella, and Minnie. I would imagine our Friends get really tired of traveling from park to park all day signing hundreds of autographs...Hand cramps and the like..

 

[GoofyMom2]

My kids still lite up when they get an autograph

I have to say the best we have gotten is from Alladin, very nice autograph!
The multiples we do have all seem to be pretty close to one another. Maybe because we are fairly new at getting autographs, but I think they do a pretty good job. Most of the characters have been very interactive with the kids unless there is a huge line or time is almost up. Goofy even signed my son's Goofy hat... I have a great series of pictures from that interaction. Chip and Dale have tickled them, Stitch has pretended to swallow their heads, Timon "picked bugs" off of my older son's head etc. Getting the autographs is still a highlite of our trips.

One time we must have had a "newer" Capt Hook since he had trouble holding the book with his hook! He dropped it 3 times before he leaned on someone's back to do it! Very funny.... :lol:

Anyway, just wanted to let you characters know "thumbs up" from my family!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Have you tried signing your name several hundred times a day, not suffering from writers cramp and keeping the first sig the same as the last.
They're not human - they're characters and you should just be happy that they can write !

 

[WDWKat26]

One time we must have had a "newer" Capt Hook since he had trouble holding the book with his hook! He dropped it 3 times before he leaned on someone's back to do it! Very funny.... :lol:

Anyway, just wanted to let you characters know "thumbs up" from my family!

Maybe the Captain Hook wasn't new, maybe he was trying to signal to you by dropping the book that you had to help hold it so he could sign it. That's what my friend who knows Captain Hook really well does, that hook isn't very sturdy, and if Mr. Smee isn't there to help it gets hard and the Captain needs help!

Anyway, I will say that when I see a bad autograph in an autograph book I do get frustrated. It's interesting too since one thing that they emphasize before becoming friends with the characters is signatures. Some people just don't care, but don't take it personally.

And i'm just curious about one post I read earlier...can't remember who it was by though. Why would you get Goofy's (or any other Character's) autograph like 4 times over in the same book? Or go on one trip, get Mickey's autograph and get it again on another trip...?

 

[Poco909]

one time buzz didn't sign my book, he stamp it!

 

[UltimtMickeyFan]

As far as I know, Buzz only ever uses a stamp....

 

[Yellow Shoes]

That is true about Buzz and the stamp. The Green Army Men also have a stamp. I don't really understand why these two, of all the characters, have stamps. It doesn't seem that Buzz's hands are any less able to write than, say, Eeyore's hoof.

I wonder if this is a trend that will continue. It will provide consistency between visits and eliminate hand cramps. (I hope it doesn't)

 

[ypcat]

Woody also uses a stamp, so seems all Toy Story characters do. Do any of the other Pixar movie characters sign? Otherwise, maybe having a stamp name is part of the Disney/Pixar agreement.

I find the stamps very impersonnel, BTW. Might as well just have the handler hand out pre-stamped pages.

 

[drew81]

Woody also uses a stamp, so seems all Toy Story characters do. Do any of the other Pixar movie characters sign? Otherwise, maybe having a stamp name is part of the Disney/Pixar agreement.

I find the stamps very impersonnel, BTW. Might as well just have the handler hand out pre-stamped pages.

Jessie signs. It has nothing to do with an agreement w/ Pixar. Every character has an autograph. As far as pixar/disney characters I have Sulley, Mike and Bullseye in one book.

 

[aloha2308]

Loving the signatures...

I happen to be VERY good friends with several of the characters like Chip and Dale, Winnie the Pooh, Timon, and Goofy's son Max to name a few. Believe me, they definitely spend a lot of time working on making their signature perfect for their friends. But I do know that every character has especially challenging days, whether it be long lines with little time to spend with their friends or sometimes it's hard to write their name when their paws don't cooperate. Believe me, the characters care about the quality of the time they spend with their friends (especially the shortish-type ones:animwink: ) and will do whatever they can to make your day magical, but even humans, like athletes, don't sign their name the same way every time, or their hands get tired, and having hands they are ahead of the game in comparison to most characters! Though sometimes it may look like they don't care, and you're entitled to your own opinion; I can't speak to the specific situation not having been there, try to give my friends the benefit of the doubt.

 

[drew81]

You are right aloha2308, the characters are supposed to sign their autograph correctly for each guest. I would say that most of them do. Sometimes things come into play that the character has little control over. When a character has 54 children shoving each of their books in his/her face it doesn't help out the situation. I think WDW mngt has made the guests feel that each and every one of them should have an autograph book, and that the guest should try to get as many autographs as possible. The autograph is nice. I get them. But the real memory is the special time spent with the character.