As someone who grew up going to Disney, I vividly remember the magic of meeting characters from my favorite shows. Seeing Cinderella and twirling with her felt like a dream—I couldn’t believe she was real! Years later, bringing my daughter to Disney for the first time was just as magical. I’ll never forget her joy when she saw Minnie Mouse for the first time, giggling and playing peek-a-boo!
Each trip brings new surprises, but nothing tops the moment Ariel, my daughter’s favorite princess, recognized her during our last visit. Her face lit up, and afterward, she whispered to me, “Mom, she remembered me.” It’s these moments that make Disney trips unforgettable. Getting her picture with Ariel and having her sign the photo made this a memory we will never forget.
One tradition that enhances the magic for many families is collecting character autographs. However, if you’re like me, you might have found the classic autograph books a bit underwhelming. They’re fun in the parks but can easily get misplaced or forgotten at home. That’s why I’ve come up with unique, long-lasting ways to collect autographs that you can cherish for years to come.
A Quick Disclaimer
Not all characters sign autographs anymore. Some simply can’t hold a pen, and others may politely decline for specific reasons. Be kind and understanding if this happens—Cast Members often have charming stories to explain why.
Polaroid Camera
This last trip we decided we were going to bring our Polaroid camera! We would then take a picture with the character, wait for the picture to come out and then have the character sign the picture. My daughter loved shaking the picture after and giving it to them to sign. Then we bought a wire frame picture holder that holds all of our polaroids on the wall for everyone to see.
Pillow Case
Grab a pillow case and some fabric markers, and don’t forget something hard to put in the pillowcase to help the characters sign easier. Put the pillow case on your kids pillow so they can sleep on it at night.
Mickey Ears
Have you seen those plain black mickey ears in the park? Grab a pair and a sharpie marker and collect character autographs on the ears. My daughter loved doing this, and then you can wear them for years to come or hang them on the wall to display them.
Blanket
This is for anyone who is ready to put in some work. This will require quilting. Bring quilting squares to the park and have the characters sign them. Then stitch the squares together into a quilt. You can get creative with this and make the squares mickey heads or different characters and different colors.
Water Bottle
One of the things that we use every single day is water bottles. This is a fun one to get characters to sign. I would also put a protective coating (like mod podge) over the outside of the water bottle to make sure the signatures stay during washes.
Picture Frame Mat
We love printing off pictures from our trip so why not get a picture frame. This is a cute way to grab autographs and you can either change out the picture every year or add a new one each year.
Christmas Ornament
Head to your closest craft store and find a clear ornament or two (or twenty). The characters can sign these, and then you can fill them with colored paper or fake snow and put them on your Christmas tree!
Letter block
Also located at your local craft store or possibly on Amazon, you can either get enough letters to spell out your child’s name or whatever word you want to spell or even just the initials of you or your child. Paint the color you want and have them sign this. Easy way to add some subtle disney decor in your home.
Character Book
This is a very recent idea that has become really popular. There is a book called Disney’s Who’s Who? When you find characters, have them sign the page that they are featured on. This is a book you can read forever. Even your grandkids will enjoy it.
Mickey Hat
Last but not least is the very first way I got my children’s character signatures. My first was 10 months old and my second was 7 months old when we took them on their first Disney trip, so getting signatures wasn’t something that they were interested in. We were in the Ears Shop in Disneyland, and I spotted the signature ear hat and immediately bought it. This hat is so cute and the perfect way to remember their first trip. BUT you don’t have to buy the one that already has all the signatures on it. Go buy one of the other Mickey hats and have the characters sign it. You can also get the hat embroidered with their name or the date to make it even more personal.
There are so many ideas out there, and these are just a few. Be creative! Think about what will work best for you and your trip. Did you do something I missed? Leave it in the comments below!
As a Smart Moms Travel agent, I love discussing all these little details with you to make your trip extra magical, whether it’s a first time trip or a 100th trip. For the all the tips and tricks and the latest news subscribe to the blog and follow me on instagram @disneywithjojo.
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