Photo pass Plus: what you get...

[tcufrog]

Right now I'm debating whether photopass plus is worth it for us. The only included meal we are going to is Spirit of Aloha. We will be at the parks 3 1/2 days and spend a 1/2 day exploring the Wilderness areas.

We will be at WDW in early December. The main photos I want are Epcot Santa photos with the kids and photos with the storytellers. Can I do that with a regular photopass?

I also was wondering how large you can enlarge photopass and photopass plus photos. A lot of times when I get CD copies of professional photos from photographers they can only be enlarged to a certain size. If I want a larger photo I have to order the photo from the photographer.

 

[mountdew1]

I have a couple of questions ....

I read that when you exchange your PP+ voucher to get your card, you get a lanyard with it. Is that correct or just wishful thinking?

How does the whole 'magic shots' work. Do we ask the PP to do one, do they offer them randomly, do we get a choice

Thanks

They should give you a lanyard to hold it in when you redeem the voucher. Using the lanyard or not is up to you.

Magic shots work both ways. Some photographers will offer to do one with no prompting. Others will do them if you ask. And some locations are set up exclusively for magic shots. Not all photographers can do magic shots. They need to be "trained" in a particular shot, and some shots are only supposed to be done in certain areas. Main Street will often have you hold Tink, and AK Oasis will frequently have you hold Baby Simba. Check out the Photopass guide at StitchKingdom.com to see many of the options and the locations you may be able to find them. The set locations are typically the hitchhiking ghosts (commonly during MNSSHP, may be out during non parties days) and Captain Hook by PoTC (which I believe is "retired"). A good rule of thumb outside of those specific setups, if the CM is using a tripod, they won't be able to do magic shots.

I'm debating on whether or not to get the plain Jane PP or the PP+. We've never done PP before, so i'm a newbie to it. This trip it will only be me and DBF, so I feel it's a necessity to purchase it this trip since I want pictures of us together. We will only be eating at one of the restaurants included (Chef Mickey's) but i'm sure we will ride all of the rides. I know everyone's opinion is different, but do you guys think the + will be worth the extra moolah, or should we just stick with the regular?

Also, I plan on prepaying, but do they ever offer a promo code or any other discounts? I'm assuming not, but i'm a poor college student and can't help but ask!

The $169.95 is a pre-purchase price. Buying it at the park is $199.95. That is really the only savings they normally offer. There is a chance they offer discounts on their Facebook or Twitter, but most of those lately have been on a specific product or prints.

Its worth is completely dependent on the person. Do you want ride pictures? And are they worth an extra $50 to you? Cost wise if you would otherwise purchase them, then it is a good deal. But if you don't want ride photos, then it may not be worth it. Some people would want all the ride photos, but others think they are kinda meh, especially since you would most likely have complete strangers in the picture with you.

 

[siskaren]

Right now I'm debating whether photopass plus is worth it for us. The only included meal we are going to is Spirit of Aloha. We will be at the parks 3 1/2 days and spend a 1/2 day exploring the Wilderness areas.

We will be at WDW in early December. The main photos I want are Epcot Santa photos with the kids and photos with the storytellers. Can I do that with a regular photopass?

I also was wondering how large you can enlarge photopass and photopass plus photos. A lot of times when I get CD copies of professional photos from photographers they can only be enlarged to a certain size. If I want a larger photo I have to order the photo from the photographer.

I could be wrong since it's been a few years since I've been there, but I don't think they have PhotoPass photographers for the storytellers. If that's the case, and Santa photos are the only other pictures you're interested in getting, even the regular CD may not be worth it, although it would only take 8 photos to break even. And even without pictures with the storytellers, there are plenty of Christmas-y PhotoPass opportunities.

I don't know how large you can make the pictures though.

 

[Phatoomch]

They should give you a lanyard to hold it in when you redeem the voucher. Using the lanyard or not is up to you.

Magic shots work both ways. Some photographers will offer to do one with no prompting. Others will do them if you ask. And some locations are set up exclusively for magic shots. Not all photographers can do magic shots. They need to be "trained" in a particular shot, and some shots are only supposed to be done in certain areas. Main Street will often have you hold Tink, and AK Oasis will frequently have you hold Baby Simba. Check out the Photopass guide at StitchKingdom.com to see many of the options and the locations you may be able to find them. The set locations are typically the hitchhiking ghosts (commonly during MNSSHP, may be out during non parties days) and Captain Hook by PoTC (which I believe is "retired"). A good rule of thumb outside of those specific setups, if the CM is using a tripod, they won't be able to do magic shots.

Thank you, that was really helpful

 

[mountdew1]

Right now I'm debating whether photopass plus is worth it for us. The only included meal we are going to is Spirit of Aloha. We will be at the parks 3 1/2 days and spend a 1/2 day exploring the Wilderness areas.

Unless you plan on hitting up every ride included multiple times, Photopass+ may not be best for you this trip.

We will be at WDW in early December. The main photos I want are Epcot Santa photos with the kids and photos with the storytellers. Can I do that with a regular photopass?

They don't have photographers at the storytellers. You should be able to get pictures with Santa at DTD (between Basin and WoD), MK (tour guide gardens or wherever they place him this year), Epcot (American Adventure), and Santa Goofy in AK Camp Minnie Mickey. All of those should have Photopass.

I also was wondering how large you can enlarge photopass and photopass plus photos. A lot of times when I get CD copies of professional photos from photographers they can only be enlarged to a certain size. If I want a larger photo I have to order the photo from the photographer.

You can get any size photo that will be printed from the original. The original picture is straight out of the camera in 4x6 format. To get 5x7 or 8x10 prints you will need to make and save the edits on the website. If you crop to 5x7 or 8x10, you will lose resolution. Or if you zoom in, you will also lose resolution. Most photo processing places will require a certain resolution for certain print sizes. I think a straight 4x6 with no zoom/crop will handle a 16x20. Fully zooming in as far as the system will let you on a 4x6 will render a print that is only good for 4x6, and some higher end photo processors won't take that due to the loss of pixels/resolution. But a CVS/WalMart should print those fine.

 

[sammyjo1871]

I don't have another trip planned until October 2013, but I can't wait to use PP+! With all those ride photos being included, as well as a couple of the restaurants we plan to go to, it will def be worth it for us. Space Mountain & Expedition Everest will be a first for my then DS6! I know I'll want to have those pics to keep!

I'm thinking of doing the discounted offer now at the $169, since I saw on here somewhere that PP+ may increase to $199 all the time.

I want to be sure I've got it down: I purchase this for the $169, they'll send me the package. This package includes a voucher for a card we pick up at the parks when we get to WDW. Even though my trip is over a year away, the voucher never expires. Also included in that package is a voucher for purchasing the CD after the trip is over, that will have the photos on it. Is all that right?

As far as the time limitations, we'll have 14 days from the day the PP+ card is picked up to add photos to it. Then when does the 30 day time limit start? When I used the regular PP on our first trip, I think it was 30 days from the time I registered all our cards. That gave me 30 days to review & edit our pics, before ordering the final CD. Will it still work that way?

Thanks for helping to clarify all this! I get nervous spending that much money so far in advance, but it's so nice to get things paid for ahead of time. It makes the sticker shock effect of the whole trip a little less for me.

 

[Tltorrez]

Also, I understand there are 30 days to claim your pictures from the card. Am I correct in assuming that I probably should not log on to my PP account and view my pictures until after I return home so as to not run the clock out on my 30 days? Unless of course I plan on ordering my CD within a week or so of returning?

Thank you so much for any and all help/clarification you can give!

There used to be two clocks - one for claiming your photos/registering your card and one for editing/ordering the CD. When I read the website I'm not seeing references to the second deadline but I presume it's still there.

So you have 30 days from the time the photo is taken to claim it on the website (i.e., register your card). So that clock is already running. But, yes, I never register mine until I'm home so as not to start the second clock running.

However, you will hear some people recommend the opposite. They recommend checking your photos right away to make sure everything is on your card. If you do have missing photos and you know where/when they were taken, Photopass can usually find them. But notifying them sooner rather than later may be helpful. Photos do go missing but most are able to be recovered so I don't really know whether it makes a difference or not. Personally, I'm a procrastinator, so I like having the extra time buffer.

 

[mykidsrock76]

So I just got my pp+ package in the mail. Is there anything else I need to do now? Or just take the voucher with me, exchange it for the card and track down photographers?

 

[Miksma]

I just called Photopass to ask about the running of the 14 day PP+ term since I plan to exchange the pre-paid voucher for the card at DTD the night before my first park visit. (I don't want to deal with it after rope drop!) She said to ask the CM at DTD to adjust the expiration date so that Day 1 of 14 is the next day (instead of the day of pick-up). She said it would be no problem.

So it sounds like the default is that Day 1 is the day you exchange the voucher for the card. But the good news is they will make these minor adjustments to work with your plans.

 

[familyoflemons]

There used to be two clocks - one for claiming your photos/registering your card and one for editing/ordering the CD. When I read the website I'm not seeing references to the second deadline but I presume it's still there.

So you have 30 days from the time the photo is taken to claim it on the website (i.e., register your card). So that clock is already running. But, yes, I never register mine until I'm home so as not to start the second clock running.

However, you will hear some people recommend the opposite. They recommend checking your photos right away to make sure everything is on your card. If you do have missing photos and you know where/when they were taken, Photopass can usually find them. But notifying them sooner rather than later may be helpful. Photos do go missing but most are able to be recovered so I don't really know whether it makes a difference or not. Personally, I'm a procrastinator, so I like having the extra time buffer.

Thank you!! I have a feeling I will probably check daily to make sure my photos are there and order my CD shortly after I get home. Any idea how long I actually have to order my CD once I log on to view my pictures? Is it another 30 days?

 

[papertraveller]

In many many visits, I think we have purchased only one or two PP photos. But for our next visit (single digit dance starts soon) I have purchased PP+.

We are travelling with DD's BFF, and I know they'll want every ride photo they can get. Add in a few iconic shots in front of the castle and other landmarks, plus the Teamboat Springs shot at BB (with children strategically placed in front of me, LOL!) I think it will be worth it. I'm rationalizing the cost a bit, thinking of it as my souvenir.

I will be inquiring about the "No Expiration" feature when I pick up my pass, as we are bringing extended family in August 2013, when I know I will want to make the most of the photos. If they can confirm this when I'm there, then I will definitely be buying now for use next year.

As an aside, I wanted to mention how impressed I was with the delivery of the coupon and CD of stock photos. I ordered the package on a Monday night, and it was at my Canadian doorstep when I got home from work on Thursday. Terrific service.

 

[mountdew1]

I'm thinking of doing the discounted offer now at the $169, since I saw on here somewhere that PP+ may increase to $199 all the time.

I want to be sure I've got it down: I purchase this for the $169, they'll send me the package. This package includes a voucher for a card we pick up at the parks when we get to WDW. Even though my trip is over a year away, the voucher never expires. Also included in that package is a voucher for purchasing the CD after the trip is over, that will have the photos on it. Is all that right?

Yes. There should be two "vouchers". One you will redeem in park to get the Photopass+ card. The other is a code you will use on the Photopass website to get a CD with a copy of every picture and edit in your account at the time of the order.

As far as the time limitations, we'll have 14 days from the day the PP+ card is picked up to add photos to it. Then when does the 30 day time limit start? When I used the regular PP on our first trip, I think it was 30 days from the time I registered all our cards. That gave me 30 days to review & edit our pics, before ordering the final CD. Will it still work that way?

With Photopass+ there are 3 different sets of countdowns to remember. The first is the 14 days that the Photopass+ card itself is good for. The second is the 30 days you have to claim a picture on any Photopass card. The third is the 30 days you have to edit your pictures once you have claimed them. So if you should up on the 1st, you Photopass+ would only entitle you to the ride/dining pictures through the 14th. You would then need to claim your pictures by the 30th at the latest. (30 days from the first picture being taken) If you wait longer than that, pictures will start to disappear from the card, starting with those taken on the 1st, then the 2nd, etc. Once you claim them you would need to finish all your edits and order your CD by the 29th of the following month.

So I just got my pp+ package in the mail. Is there anything else I need to do now? Or just take the voucher with me, exchange it for the card and track down photographers?

Yup. You redeem the voucher for your Photopass+ card when you want the 14 days for that to start counting. If you are there for a longer trip, you may want to do the first day or two just with normal Photopass cards. It's up to you.

Thank you!! I have a feeling I will probably check daily to make sure my photos are there and order my CD shortly after I get home. Any idea how long I actually have to order my CD once I log on to view my pictures? Is it another 30 days?

You have 30 days from claiming the pictures to place the order. So if you plan on doing lots of edits, I'd wait til your trip is mostly over. Otherwise you are wasting edit days while you are in the park. Finding lost pictures simply needs to be done within the 30 days of them being taken. That is the point where the system would delete any that are not yet claimed on the website, so as long as you report missing photos before that point you should be fine.

I will be inquiring about the "No Expiration" feature when I pick up my pass, as we are bringing extended family in August 2013, when I know I will want to make the most of the photos. If they can confirm this when I'm there, then I will definitely be buying now for use next year.

From the pre-sale page:

While the Promotion Code has no expiration date, please remember that your photos will expire based on the DisneyPhotoPass.com storage policy. Please be sure to place your order before your photos expire. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

So as of now, there is no expiration date. If you buy it now, you should be grandfathered in, but they also have the clause no refunds and no exchanges. So there is a slight change they would add an expiration date, and then deny you a refund when they make that change, but I doubt Disney would do that.

 

[sammyjo1871]

With Photopass+ there are 3 different sets of countdowns to remember. The first is the 14 days that the Photopass+ card itself is good for. The second is the 30 days you have to claim a picture on any Photopass card. The third is the 30 days you have to edit your pictures once you have claimed them. So if you should up on the 1st, you Photopass+ would only entitle you to the ride/dining pictures through the 14th. You would then need to claim your pictures by the 30th at the latest. (30 days from the first picture being taken) If you wait longer than that, pictures will start to disappear from the card, starting with those taken on the 1st, then the 2nd, etc. Once you claim them you would need to finish all your edits and order your CD by the 29th of the following month.

Thank you so much! That is the best, most easy to understand, explanation I've read concerning PP+.

 

[4my2girlz]

I know this has been asked before, but I want to be sure I understand! When going to character meals such as 1900 PF Breakfast, dinner, Tusker House, Chef Mickey's etc that they come around and try to sell you photos, with the PP+ are they ONLY uploaded to your account or are you given the ACTUAL photo and they can ALSO be uploaded?

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[familyoflemons]

WOO HOO!! Ordered PP+ on the 8th and received it today!!! Still 17 days away from taking our DD2 for the first time but it's getting super close and I'm beyond excited!!!

 

[mommys3]

WOO HOO!! Ordered PP+ on the 8th and received it today!!! Still 17 days away from taking our DD2 for the first time but it's getting super close and I'm beyond excited!!!

I pre-ordered on the 7th and received it today And we have 17 days until our trip as well

 

[disprincessesmom1012]

can someone tell me where exactly i can get the card in magic kingdom? exposition hall isnt on the map on my disney app.

 

[utkscvol1]

Is there a time frame to purchase these beforehand? I'm reading give it 2 weeks. Just want to make sure if I order now countdown don't start until first use since we are still at 48 days out.

 

[siskaren]

can someone tell me where exactly i can get the card in magic kingdom? exposition hall isnt on the map on my disney app.

Exposition Hall is the first building on the right when you enter Main Street.

Is there a time frame to purchase these beforehand? I'm reading give it 2 weeks. Just want to make sure if I order now countdown don't start until first use since we are still at 48 days out.

The pre-order site says that you have to order at least 14 days out from your arrival so that they have enough time to send out the voucher. When you exchange the voucher for the PhotoPass + card you then have 14 days to use that card for adding dining and ride photos. There's no expiration on the voucher.

 

[LadyBeBop]

I may get the card with extended family. Can more than one family member make edits at the exact same time on different times