Hi Ashley, and welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I’m very excited to hear you have a first visit to Walt Disney World coming up. My son was just a little younger than 2 on his first visit, and our memories from that trip are so magical!
I’ve seen Guests attempt to have characters autograph all kind of things – one time I even watched a family try to have Mickey autograph their passports! Whether or not a character will sign an item depends on a lot of factors, and is at the discretion of the character attendant. Some characters have trouble signing items that aren’t flat – just picture Pluto’s big, adorable paws and you’ll see what I mean. Some characters, like Joy and Sadness, don’t sign autographs at all, but still offer fantastic meet and greet experiences and photo opportunities. You won't be turned away from meeting the character, just told that the character can't sign your item. My advice is to bring the Vinylmation with you (but remember it’s going to take up precious backpack space), but be prepared that you will likely not be able to collect every autograph in this format.
I’ve seen Guests bring white photo frame mats, which are flat and easy to sign, and I’ve also seen online vendors selling oversized Walt Disney World buttons for collecting signatures. ShopDisney and the gift shops also sell
autograph and memory books. Since your Mouseketeer is still small, I love that you’re thinking about creative options that can also serve as souvenirs, and I encourage you to do an online search to see what kinds of things others have done. The possibilities are endless!
Don’t forget to pick up your First Visit buttons at your resort or Guest Services, and please come see us if we can help in any way as you do your planning and dreaming!
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Robyn