Grabby Guests / Autograph books

[madhatter04]

I'm sure this has been brought up numerous times, but did anyone notice the guests this past weekend (5/14 and 5/15) being unusually GRABBY and crabby?! Goofy was on Main Street greeting guests, and when it was time for him to come in, people shoved him around, grabbed his legs, shoulders, and one large man actually stood on his large shoes to get him to stand in place for a picture. People were also picking fights with each other to make sure their kids would go first. I've only been in entertainment for about 2 months now, but even the veterans made mention of how unsually rude and physical the guests were being this weekend.

A few thoughts on autograph books:
THEY ARE THE DEVIL!!! Character magic is steadily being ruined by people who want autographs and nothing more. The other day, Goofy was in Hollywood visiting people, along with The Incredibles, Jojo, Mickey, and Minnie, and the entertainment host decided it was time to play a game of "duck duck goose" with the characters and kids. Numerous parents yelled "WE DON'T WANT TO PLAY THAT!! WE JUST WANT OUR BOOKS SIGNED!!!!" It's crazy! It's gotten to the point where when the characters walk in, people stand with their books ready, waving their pens and calling out "GOOFY GOOFY GOOFY GOOFY GOOFY GOOFY" repeatedly. I don't know about others, but I'd be more fond of a memory of being chased by Mr. Incredible during "duck duck goose" than by seeing "Mr. (I)" written on a piece of paper. The characters can't even mess with the people anymore. Goofy also played patticake with a little girl, who was thrilled, while her parents were yelling "come on! get your book signed! we need to go on Indiana Jones!" and other guests yelling "Hurry up!!!" There should be a day when the park just doesn't sell autograph books, JUST to see how it changes the guest/character experience!!

[pnutshuman]

Im glad i wasnt there to see any of that. we have already decided that if at some point the kids WANT autographs we will do that, but it isnt for us, its for them(dont have to worry about that for a little while, max is only 2 and his sister isntborn yet) . i would much rather have the interaction with the kids. hope we can pass that along to them as well!! keep the duck, duck, goose going, i for one would love to play it with any of the characters, hehehee.
{:
Marci

[Stduck]

I asked Mickey Mouse to sign my 8th grade year book once. He wrote me a nice message, and congratulated me for graduating and moving on to high school.

Only once did I see a great memory with kids and an autograph session. I was at Mickey's house with my boyfriend cause we wanted a picture with Mickey and figured that was the easiest way to hunt him down. There was a small family with us and they took pictures and greeted Mickey and asked him for autographs. Mickey was signing and handed the book back to the kid who then said "You need to learn to write straight Mickey" I was smiling as the character host said "Well you know Mickey is getting old" in a teasing voice (this was really close to the 75th) and Mickey "smiled at the kid" and then teasingly glared at the hosts. I thought it was great.

[LiveWire]

I agree I think the autograph books have gotten out of hand. It's like an assembly line of people who just want a book signed a quick picture and then drag their children away. I'm an adult and I'd love to play duck duck goose with the characters.

I love how they do musical chairs at the piano on main street. The kids love it! That's how most of the character interactions should be.

I remember when I was studying for finals last semester at Ariel's Grotto in DCA during lunchtime and the characters all came up to me and they stole my books. We ended up playing cards with them and dancing.

At the end of it all they wrote messages on the back of my study guide telling my professor to give me an A and good luck and things like that. That interaction was so awesome and way better than getting a signature in a book and then walking away. Plus I ended up with messages that were way better then just mickey mouse signed in a book.

[PirateJohn]

I kinda like when the kids come up to me, an attractions host, for an autograph. When working on Pirates, I always sign "Pirate John." When working big boats, I write "Skipper John" instead. And I draw a picture of Mickey Mouse for them.

[Main Streeter]

I'm sure this has been brought up numerous times, but did anyone notice the guests this past weekend (5/14 and 5/15) being unusually GRABBY and crabby?! Goofy was on Main Street greeting guests, and when it was time for him to come in, people shoved him around, grabbed his legs, shoulders, and one large man actually stood on his large shoes to get him to stand in place for a picture. People were also picking fights with each other to make sure their kids would go first. I've only been in entertainment for about 2 months now, but even the veterans made mention of how unsually rude and physical the guests were being this weekend.

Saw some of this GRABBY, crappy & plain RUDE behavior Sat. when I went over to DL for Fireworks. Entered on stage by the parade character's dressing room, & the #s of guests literally surrounding 2 of the charcters was INSANE!! Could hardly move onto Main Street do to the crush. Am not sure how any of our characters could get air. The throng just kept pushing the 2 characters to the wall. Odd thing - or is it really? The parents were pushing :twisted: Kids were being dragged. :( No wonder I/2 of our characters are always in PT. All I heard before & after pyro display was complaining. 5/14-5/15 guests took some type of intense crab drug. ODed big time

[MEng85]

Saw some of this GRABBY, crappy & plain RUDE behavior Sat. when I went over to DL for Fireworks. Entered on stage by the parade character's dressing room, & the #s of guests literally surrounding 2 of the charcters was INSANE!! Could hardly move onto Main Street do to the crush. Am not sure how any of our characters could get air. The throng just kept pushing the 2 characters to the wall. Odd thing - or is it really? The parents were pushing :twisted: Kids were being dragged. :( No wonder I/2 of our characters are always in PT. All I heard before & after pyro display was complaining. 5/14-5/15 guests took some type of intense crab drug. ODed big time

LOL...thats kinda sad :D: just think what the 50th will be like :D: total mayhem :)

[Main Streeter]

LOL...thats kinda sad :D: just think what the 50th will be like :D: total mayhem :)

Way more than "kinda sad" MEing. Know what you mean though. Incomprehensible to me when adults will not show courtesy to OUR characters. Characters take so much abuse. Those vile autograph books are used more by abusive guests than by the children for whom they were intended. Now we have the new gold 50th autograph book. God help ALL OUR Disney characters. The 50th mayhem? :) Let's get through the 4 day July 4th wknd first. The 4th kills us. We revive just in time for our 50th. There is no justice!! You'll be here to suffer with us :D: :D: Don't back out now ]

[LiveWire]

Incomprehensible to me when adults will not show courtesy to OUR characters. Characters take so much abuse.

Yeah it sets such a bad example for kids. There was one time I was walking through Disneyland and there was this huge family and the parents were letting the kids just mob the characters. This one mother had a kid in each arm and was letting the kids bang their fists against the head.

I walked by and said excuse me please don't assault winne the pooh, you'll hurt him if you keep hitting him like that. The mother just looked at me with this dumb blank look like huh?? But the kids, being old enough to understand did stop hitting him.

This is why I didn't want to work in characters. Being mobbed by children and badly behaved adults and having people hit me in the head would be too much to take. I can see the headlines now....Crazed Tigger tosses family into the rivers of america. :twisted:

[lady ulrike]

I agree, I've spent years working in Toontown and the whole autograph book thing just kind of ruins the atmosphere of Toontown. It's supposed to be where the toons live and play and they can't do either just sign books. I think they should either get rid of the books completely (which I doubt will happen, they genererate money) or have set places and times to do autograph books and the just let the characters be atmosphere characters. I mean really, isn't their title atmosphere characters?? They aren't able to do anything atmospheric because of the stupid books.