Magical Memories

Collecting Disney character autographs is a favorite activity for kids of all ages when visiting a Disney park or going on a Disney cruise. The character meet and greets are great for capturing special photos and an obvious place to get autographs. Typically, guests collect the autographs in little books. Some of these are purchased in the Disney theme park gift shops and others are brought from home. There are many blog posts and pins on Pinterest on how to make a DIY Autograph Book and online shops that will create one for you.

While collecting these magical memories and autographs, have you ever thought about how the Disney character autographs were created? As I was enjoying a Mickey ice cream sandwich (thank goodness for the freezer section at Target), I started thinking about this and started exploring. Let’s take a closer look behind the magic at Disney character autographs.

Closer Look

The folks who bring the characters to life have their own secrets of what it takes to be one of these special cast members. For example, characters have their own terminology (fur and face characters), there are height minimums (and maximums), and auditions are intense. On top of this, performers have to re-audition at least once a year. Everyone starts out as a fur character and performers who are face characters do their own makeup. 

The fur characters cannot speak – only gesture profusely. Face characters do talk to guests; however, they’re not supposed to sing. In addition, face characters have to be able to think on their feet and deal with all kinds of requests and challenges. In general, the costumes can take a toll on performers’ bodies and they are often hot. At the end of the day, though, these performers agree that making children (and adults) smile is the best part of the job. 

Disney Character Autographs

If you’ve gotten any Disney character autographs, you may have noticed that each one is unique. During the training process, performers get to know all the details of their alternate personas, even learning to write like their characters. Performers watch their characters’ movies and practice moving like them. If they are face characters, they also learn how to speak like them. 

After the basics are mastered, the performers also study the characters’ autographs. Each character has a specific signature that performers must duplicate exactly, so that park visitors who collect autographs see consistency from park to park and from year to year. 

Want to see a sampling of the Disney characters’ autographs? Check out some of them at Oh My Disney. Each one is unique and a perfect souvenir from a day at a Disney park. 

Do you collect Disney autographs? What is your favorite Disney character autograph? Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments! Be sure to follow my Facebook page for mini posts.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”