Best alternatives to Disney autograph books

Getting a character’s autograph at Disney meet and greets is a key part of the Disney experience but what are the best alternatives to Disney autograph books? In this guide we round up ways to collect autographs beside using a Disney autograph book so you can find a special and unique way to capture your Disneyland memories. 

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Best Alternatives to Disney Autograph Books

Character meet and greets are one of our favorite parts of a visit to Disney however we aren’t really autograph book people. We have therefore been looking for the best alternatives to Disney autograph books. Below we list our favorite options!

Note: if you want to ensure a great character meet and greet we recommend trying asking characters questions. If you are stumped check out our questions to ask Disney Characters and our questions to ask Disney princesses. 

Photo Mount or Photo Mat 

 

While traditional autograph books are great the problem with them is that you don’t get to see them in every day life. You collect or those autographs for them to be put away on a shelf. 

If you want to have a more visible way of collecting your autograph book the you should consider collecting your autographs on a photo mount of a photo mat.

If you have room on your wall then we recommend picking one of the larger photo mats as it will leave more room for the autographs and you will be able to collect more.

The only issue with this option is that they can be clunky to carry around the park. We recommend taking and storing the mat in a large rigid envelope as this will prevent damage.

Also check that you have a bag that fits your photo mat as you don’t want to have to carry it in your hand all day.  

Click here to shop photo mats. 

Story Book or Encyclopaedia 

 

My children love reading Disney books. A great place to store the autographs where your children can see them are in the story book or even better a character encyclopaedia. 

Click here to shop Disney Encyclopaedia 

Tote Bag

 

Another item to collect autographs on that you can see more often than an Autograph book is a Tote bag. A tote bag is a great option as the autographs are easily seen on a tote bag and the standard color means that any color sharpie is visible on it. 

However if you want to use another color besides natural then that’s fine just be sure to bring sharpies that will show up easily. 

It is perhaps one of the easiest alternatives to collect autographs on besides an autograph book. 

Click here to shop tote bags

Polaroid Pictures

Obviously having photos with your favorite characters is one of the best things about Disney character meet and greets. Instead of using your phone you could take a polaroid camera with you instead and have the characters sign those instant photos instead of an autograph book.

Click here to shop Polaroid camera. 

Christmas Ornament

 

We love visiting Disneyland Paris in December. In fact Christmas season is my favorite time to visit the parks around the world. To create more seasonal memories you could collection autographs on a Christmas ornament. 

Now I have seen people online collecting autographs on glass baubles however this is not my preference. Glass round baubles are fragile and can be broken easily getting carried around the parks but are also more difficult for characters to sign. 

Therefore my favorite Christmas ornament to use as an alternative to a Disney autograph book is a flat wooden one like the one above. They are easy to write on and aren’t easily damaged either which make them perfect things to collect Disney autographs on. 

Click here to shop wooden Christmas ornaments

Greetings Card

If you want something seasonal but don’t like the idea of Christmas ornaments you could pick an extra large greeting card to collect your autographs on. Although this isn’t something you will have out on a regular basis it is a great way to capture seasonal memories. 

And it doesn’t just work at Christmas, if you are traveling to Disneyland for a birthday you could use a birthday card to capture your autographs. 

Pillowcase

Fabric is a great option instead of paper for autographs. A great alternative option is therefore a plain white pillowcase. That way your kids can go to bed with the autographs of their favorite characters every night. 

Click here to shop plain white pillowcases.

Clothing – as long as you aren’t wearing it

 

If you don’t want a pillowcase then another alternative is a piece of clothing. Now there are strict rules about characters being unable to sign clothing that is being worn. Therefore we recommend having a spare t shirt with you for characters to sign. 

Now a plain white one would be perfect however for a more timely souvenir you could get them to sign a Disney vacation t shirt like the one above. 

Click here to shop Disney vacation t shirt

Mouse Ears

No Disney outfit is complete without Mouse ears. If you buy a plain pair that aren’t sequinned or patterned these are a great thing to get signed. They also have the added bonus that you can take them off for signature and then get to wear them around the park. 

Just be sure to check the pen you are going to use before you travel. 

Click here to shop Mickey Ears. 

Postcards

Similar to an autograph but slightly more versatile are postcards. 

Plate 

Plates are a great alternative to Disney Autograph books as they can be used and viewed more easily than an autograph book. 

The only thing you need to check is that you have a pen that will go on and stay on ceramics and that you do appropriate care after your visit. For instance it is really important to bake on your signatures on your plate as soon as you get home otherwise you risk the signatures coming off. 

We also recommend traveling with bubble wrap to protect your plate on your travels. 

Photo Album 

Similar to an autograph book but allowing for photos to be included as well a photo album is a great alternative. We always put autographs on one page and the corresponding photograph on the opposite page. 

Scrap book

 

Again this is in the same vein as an autograph book or a photo album but it allows for a bit more creativity when you gt home. It also means you can also add other Disney souvenirs and keepsakes such as tickets and maps into your scrapbook too. 

And there are some great Disney themed scrap books and scrap book papers on the market too.

Top tip: Remember to take and get the characters to use an archival pen to ensure that the quality doesn’t deteriorate.

Click here to shop scrap books

Initial 

 

My daughter loves trinkets with her name or initial on. One of her favourite things is a crafters initial. It is also a great thing to collect autographs on. If you don’t like the plain initial then you could use papers to decoupage it before travel and get it signed once decorated.

Shop crafters initials. 

Quilt

Now if you are particularly crafty or you have a quilt with some plain squares you can get characters to sign a quilt. The only downside is that it can be quite bulky to carry around. We love however that the quilt is something you will use at home loads and the signatures look great on it. 

Have you found other best alternatives to Disney autograph books? We would love to hear what you like to get signed at Disney.