We Knew It Was Coming . . .

[hakepb]

I'm guessing that EACH of those 8 people paid the price of the meal and it wasn't a PER TABLE rate?

It's very true that all 8 paid enough (over the cost of food) for autographs.

It's also mathematicaly true that if every guest took the characters' time for an autograph, it would take 2 + hours for a character to visit every table in the restaurant...so not every guest can get that same level of character interaction.

 

[JerseyJanice]

When you're paying, say, $50 plus tip plus tax per person to "dine with the characters" and the food is far from being worth that price point, how much attention from characters should guests expect?

Five minutes is too much time according to some PPs, so what's the amount of minutes that a guest should reasonably expect a character will spend at their table? In terms of the entertainment that guests pay for--I read all the time how you're not paying for great food, but entertainment at character meals.

How do you quantify the amount of time with characters versus what you pay?

 

[Colleen27]

It's very true that all 8 paid enough (over the cost of food) for autographs.

It's also mathematicaly true that if every guest took the characters' time for an autograph, it would take 2 + hours for a character to visit every table in the restaurant...so not every guest can get that same level of character interaction.

But that math is assuming every guest wants that level of interaction. Most don't. Plenty of parties are like ours - 5 or 6 people, one autograph and a picture or two. Others don't do autographs at all, or find that the kids are scared of characters, or otherwise take less time than the party that wants multiple autographs. And you see far more complaints about character meals being rushed than about waiting an extended time to see all the characters, so it seems like what's been done has been working relatively well overall for quite a lot of years.

 

[WedWayPilot]

It's interesting that they are going this route, as the first one to have this idea in the company might have been Walt Disney himself. A Disney historian was fact checking Saving Mr Banks and noted that Walt did indeed hand out pre signed cards to guests instead of stopping to personally sign every autograph. Although I don't see the harm in signing things for kids it does seem like a bonus to get the character card.

https://m.orlandoweekly.com/orlando...sney-historian-jim-korkis/Content?oid=2240838

 

[Arielfan98]

I know it's time consuming, but I feel that is part of the experience and what you're paying for. Character meals are more expensive than most regular meals and the food is typically sub-par. Therefore, most people go to character meals for the character interaction, not the food. With that said, that is a shame they are cutting down like that.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I'm guessing that EACH of those 8 people paid the price of the meal and it wasn't a PER TABLE rate?

Doesn't matter. They paid for the character experience BUT the price of the buffet doesn't guarantee anything. Disney can do whatever they want, and they have. They felt this is best, and i totally agree. If it wasnt such a problem, they wouldnt have made this change. But they have, for good reason. It takes too long to see characters. Wait staff must have noticed that customers have finished eating long before seeing the characters.....so they camp out at the tables just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for characters. The restaurant loses money this way.

I personally think this is great. It wont take as long to see characters with this method. And as i said, you can still get autographs by lining up at the parks to see characters.

 

[alltwelve]

Can an Ally be a friend? Cause I'm his ally!

Most definitely!!!

 

[TJDisneymama]

It takes too long to see characters. Wait staff must have noticed that customers have finished eating long before seeing the characters.....so they camp out at the tables just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for characters. The restaurant loses money this way.
s.

I don't agree this is the norm. As I said in an earlier post, I did 4 character meals last week. Every single time, ALL the characters had come by our table well before we were done eating. We didn't camp out at our table even once. I do several character meals on every trip. That's a lot of character meals over the years. I don't recall many times that we waited long for characters. In fact, I can't think of even one time where we were done eating and had to sit and wait. They've always made it by at some point before we were ready to leave. Maybe a couple times it was towards the end of the meal where we were finished eating and waiting on the check, but nothing that left a negative impression. And I am one who plans our park days down to the minute, so if I had to wait and potentially throw off our schedule, I would have been pissed about it, believe me.

 

[Wonder05]

This is just plain sad!
It'll take some really great magic moments out of it!
I saw so many kids faces light up when they saw that a character had JUST signed for them.

Now , we bought a book on our honeymoon and had it signed at CRT and in the park , it wasn't for us but my niece. She Loved it!


The interaction that started from those signatures is some of the best.
Anyone seen the YouTube video of one of the stepsisters "re-writing Cinderella by crossing out things all over a page in a book that talks about the step sisters? It's great! I bet that little girl was laughing about that for quite some time.


Handing out cards throughout the kingdom next?

I don't agree with people having the. Characters sign several things just for them, I don't think this is a very magical idea.

My children are young and if this happens I really kind of miffed they won't be experiencing the magic of it. It's part of the experience. Heck, I still smile about it from when I was like Four years old myself!

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't agree this is the norm. As I said in an earlier post, I did 4 character meals last week. Every single time, ALL the characters had come by our table well before we were done eating. We didn't camp out at our table even once. I do several character meals on every trip. That's a lot of character meals over the years. I don't recall many times that we waited long for characters. In fact, I can't think of even one time where we were done eating and had to sit and wait. They've always made it by at some point before we were ready to leave. Maybe a couple times it was towards the end of the meal where we were finished eating and waiting on the check, but nothing that left a negative impression. And I am one who plans our park days down to the minute, so if I had to wait and potentially throw off our schedule, I would have been pissed about it, believe me.

I don't agree either. We've done loads of character meals. We've typically met all the characters within the first 20-30 minutes of being seated. Sometimes characters have come around multiple times. We've never finished our meal and had to wait for a character.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I've spent over $60 in autograph dolls designed in Japan for our upcoming trip.

This sounds like a fascinating idea! Could you share more info on yours?

 

[Wonder05]

We were at Crystal Palace on Friday and no card was handed out and characters signed autographs like normal.

We had dinner at Hollywood & Vine last winter, when they were trying out autograph cards and we saw plenty of families still having their books signed. I'm wondering how they will enforce the "no autograph" rule if they do switch over to the cards.

Well, maybe if they did it this way it's a choice not a rule.
Then those who just want to have the printed card can meet the characters and just take the cards. If you want an autograph you can get one.
And Just cause a family is big doesn't mean a per table rule. Each child wants their own. Are you going to be the one to tell them they have to share the signatures? Why? They paid per person for the experience same as you. Remember, they also paid per person not per table. I doubt that my son or daughter would like that idea of having to share their signatures. They enjoy having their own. Kind of like their dessert. Can't give two kids at one table two cookies. And three kids at another two cookies. While they watch the other table get their own.

As for the character interaction when we were last at Disney in 2010 we didn't get but a Hi and Bye we had a our niece with us and sadly she was pretty much ignored. My husband pointed out this is when the cost cutting was really bad and a lot of CM's were feeling it. It was like the bad additude trip (we never had anything like that prior)

 

[AnnaKat]

People really do spoil things. Why can't Disney institute, "one autograph per guest?" Multiples on tshirts, etc is ridiculous. The cards are not special. My kids have every autograph book they've ever filled.

There is no need to totally eliminate the character autographing
EXCEPT to increase profits with faster table turnover!
i figured that the Bean Counterswere testing the waters @crystal palace,
AND would start implementing NO character autographing @ MORE character buffets

They could have set a policy of one autograph on paper per child,
and the CM could have stated the policy @ the time of taking the drink orders.
The could post the new policies @ the affected characterbuffers.

AND they could spin it as:

"We want to continue to offer autographing by our Characters,
THUS we ask for your family's cooperation in this NEW policy.
We want to KEEP the Character interaction experience MAGICAL."

 

[Bubbenstein]

Well, maybe if they did it this way it's a choice not a rule.
Then those who just want to have the printed card can meet the characters and just take the cards. If you want an autograph you can get one.
And Just cause a family is big doesn't mean a per table rule. Each child wants their own. Are you going to be the one to tell them they have to share the signatures? Why? They paid per person for the experience same as you. Remember, they also paid per person not per table. I doubt that my son or daughter would like that idea of having to share their signatures. They enjoy having their own. Kind of like their dessert. Can't give two kids at one table two cookies. And three kids at another two cookies. While they watch the other table get their own.

As for the character interaction when we were last at Disney in 2010 we didn't get but a Hi and Bye we had a our niece with us and sadly she was pretty much ignored. My husband pointed out this is when the cost cutting was really bad and a lot of CM's were feeling it. It was like the bad additude trip (we never had anything like that prior)

Uhh...I don't have an opinion on it one way or another, actually. I simply questioned if they switched over to the cards over signed autographs, how it would actually be enforced. What we saw were cards being handed out to everyone and families still getting their books signed in addition to that.

 

[danielocha30]

Blame the guests?? Welcome to the new Disney. After all, a happy compromise would have just been to say "we only sign paper" and move on, but instead we decided to blame the guests for our cost saving move.

but just this weekend I saw a lady wearing a arm sling autographed by Chip and Dale

 

[HopperFan]

Uhh...I don't have an opinion on it one way or another, actually. I simply questioned if they switched over to the cards over signed autographs, how it would actually be enforced. What we saw were cards being handed out to everyone and families still getting their books signed in addition to that.

If the purpose of this is to speed up the process and turn the tables .... they will straight up have to say we do not sign books etc, we only give out autograph cards - just like they do at the special meets already.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

All I can say is that I am glad that I've already had my hat signed by Pooh. (It is the one in the picture.)

I don't normally get signatures, but I would have been pretty unhappy if I had been told no, when I asked for my hat to be signed. I literally wear it on every trip.

 

[Bubbenstein]

If the purpose of this is to speed up the process and turn the tables .... they will straight up have to say we do not sign books etc, we only give out autograph cards - just like they do at the special meets already.

This makes sense and plenty of characters don't sign autographs but these are generally in the close vicinity of a handler, who is there to reinforce the policy. I'm wondering how it will work when, for instance, Pooh and Tigger are walking table to table by themselves and have an autograph book thrust in their face.

I'm sure if nothing else, it will cut back on signed autographs but there will undoubtedly be those who choose not to follow the rules.

 

[Wonder05]

Uhh...I don't have an opinion on it one way or another, actually. I simply questioned if they switched over to the cards over signed autographs, how it would actually be enforced. What we saw were cards being handed out to everyone and families still getting their books signed in addition to that.

Sorry , I didn't mean that as reply to you. More like in reference to what you said. I know you were just stating what you saw.

 

[HopperFan]

This makes sense and plenty of characters don't sign autographs but these are generally in the close vicinity of a handler, who is there to reinforce the policy. I'm wondering how it will work when, for instance, Pooh and Tigger are walking table to table by themselves and have an autograph book thrust in their face.

I'm sure if nothing else, it will cut back on signed autographs but there will undoubtedly be those who choose not to follow the rules.

IF it happens ......... I'm sure there will be a note on your reservation, when you are seated the hostess will tell you and hand you your autograph cards, a tent card on your table to remind you (characters can point) and .............. I am past going to many of the character meals but when we went the "non talking" characters always had handlers ... only the "face" characters worked the room alone. Face characters will have their scripted response to match their character.

I once was at CRT and family next to us as a Princess if they could put their photo on facebook. She said she didn't know what about facebook but for them to ask Belle because she has lots of books. They can be clever in their answer without it coming off rude.