Confused& Disappointed About Photopass

[webmomom]

Before we went on trip last month, I asked about Photopass on these boards. I asked how everyone got so many pictures on a CD and never saw any photograher except of the beginning of parks. I was told they were all over the place. Espically in the picture areas.

When we went on the trip all saw the photograhpers are the beginning of park. I never saw any other photograher in any other location in the parks. Was I told wrong. I an wondering still how they so many pictures. One gentlemen said he had 160 pictures on the CD.

I enjoyed looking at pictures at home. Even though I somebody else two ipictures included with mine. I think it a great idea, but wish I more photograhper around the parks.

 

[beattyfamily]

I've only seen Photopass at the entrance to the parks, at MGM in the Annimators building (Chicken Little was in there), and sometimes at Ariel's Grotto.

I'm not sure how some get so many taken.

I only have a few taken so I just buy a couple when I get home.

I really don't think it's a big deal though. I just love that they can now be bought at home instead of before I leave the parks.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

The photopass photographers are often with characters at greeting areas. I know we had photopass photos taken at Mickey's in Toontown, in front of the hat in MGM, etc.

 

[KelNottAt]

I'm someone who has never seen a Disney photographer anywhere. Not in the parks (WDW and DL) and not even on 2 cruises.

Photopass sounds great. (Except I hate the dorky looks on peoples' faces when they're being posed so a character can be added later.) I hope we get a chance to try it when we're at WDW in August.

 

[Renee1061]

They are also located in front of some of the rides, such as Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.

 

[grimley1968]

I agree with the OP. Photopass is touted as a replacement for lugging your own camera around. It is not. There just aren't as many photographers around as you need them. It makes candid shots a near impossibility.

And another thing I gripe about is the $99 CD. That is an atrocious price for a 25-cent CD with some jpegs on it. I'd rather haul my camera around and have my pics for free after that, and I also don't have to deal with media. I just download them to my pc and I'm done.

Photopass really needs an option where I can download pics (no CD), and only the ones I want at a reasonable price of maybe $1 per pic. That's what the transmission and the labor cost, IMHO with a 50% profit on top of it. They have this ability, but it was not an option when we got home from our last trip in October 2005. I was livid, as we had assumed this would be an option, and did not take many of our own pics at all. I won't make that mistake again. If I wanted a print, I guess I could order that, but we're a digital household, and look at pictures on digital media more than printed photos these days.

I think the OP is right on with being disappointed with Photopass, as that's definitely how I felt when I saw their limited CD/prints and nothing else options when we got home.

 

[shafke]

On our last trip 2 of the photos we ended up buying were not from the entrances at the parks.

Both were from Epcot. One was by the Jumping fountains at Imagination. DW and DD were looking at the small fountain, the one with about 12 or so little fountains where the water pop us in different sequences. She did not even know that they were taking her picture until the person came over to give her the photo pass card.

The other was when we were taking a picture of in Epcot, there was a stitch topiary with the ball in the background. While we were getting out picture the photographer came over and asked if she could also take one.

There is also usually a photographer wherever character greetings occur.

For example, at the studios they has Buzz, Woody, and one other character and there was a photographer for each one.

 

[lillygator]

Not in the parks (WDW and DL) and not even on 2 cruises.

really? The photographers were all over the place I thought!

 

[brentalex]

I like the photo pass idea. It is nice to have pictures with all of us in the picture instead of one person always missing. However, I did not see as many photographers on this trip as I expected and I was also surprised that we always had to go to them to ask them to take the picture. Seemed like before photo pass they were always approaching us. There were times when I saw someone with a camera and I was not always sure if they were a Disney photographer or just someone with a large camera. I think it could be done better, but still would always bring my own camera. Never can tell when a picture moment will happen.

 

[richs52]

really? The photographers were all over the place I thought!

I agree, we were there last week and they were EVERYWHERE! The OP mentioned that they went last month, which is a very busy month. I can imagine that they may blend in with large crowds, as they are not really wearing anything (except a camera) that makes them stand out.

 

[bicker]

Yup, we encountered them everwhere, but again, we were traveling with children, and stopped for every character greeting, and that's where most of them were -- taking photos of folks with the characters. That's where to find them.

 

[budbeerlady]

We saw them all over in Dec. They were in the toontown by pooh and friends. By all the characters at MGM. We didnt find any in epcot but we werent looking either. We had several done in front of the castle in MK. And a couple at AK. I wanted to buy a few more pictures but the price was steep and I dont remeber seeing the cd information then. This year I think I would get the cd instead of dropping $65 on a few pictures.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I wish that the group picture they take at special dinners (Chef Mickey's, Ohanas, etc.) could be put on Photopass, but those photos probably make a great profit with the way they are sold.

It would be nice to have a Photopass photographer hanging out at each resort, too.

Has anyone ever seen Photopass photographers in World Showcase? We didn't see any there.

 

[Valentine]

I just got back from a solo trip this weekend to run the minnie marathon and came back with over 60 photos on my photopass card. This is from only a few hours in the parks each day.. for 3 days.... So... I averaged about 20 pics a day... and I was never in a park for more than 4 hours.... So, I found quite a few of em! They are around.. granted they are more often found with characters.. and the more popular picture spots... i.e., Spaceship Earth, the Castle, Main Street, The Hat, TOT, etc.....which works out great for me as a solo traveler.. cause I don't want to continually stop people to ask them to take my picture. With Photopass.. I can have them take one.. and also ask them to take one with my camera too.... so... I get lots of great pics! I agree that there should be more photographers around generically... but, I see them struggling as it is to get people to use the photopass system.. alot of people don't understand it... sort of like fastpass! So.. as it gets more popular... maybe they will add more photographers! I really wish they had some at the Marathon.. but nope... Oh Well!

Kathy

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

The ones I remember off the top of my head-

MK:
Main Street- There are usualy 3 or 4 here, so you can get pictures different distances from the castle

The Hub/Partners

Rose garden at the castle


Epcot:
Various locations in front of SSE

AK: Near the entrance bridge w/ tree in background
right up by the tree of life garden

MGM:
Near entrance
TOT
near the HAT

And then by all of the character greetings

We got around 200 photos on our CD. I do wish they had the photopass people more spread out, but it seems like they have a pretty good variety to start with.

Hope that helps!

 

[KelNottAt]

really? The photographers were all over the place I thought!

Yup, really. On the cruises we would cut through Shutters and be amazed by all the people mobbing over the pictures. We never had any to look at. (And, we were active, out-and-about cruisers...not stuck in our rooms, etc.)

As for the parks, maybe our last few trips didn't coincide with the park photographer/photopass expansion. (DL 6/05, WDW 3/05, 5/03)

Oh well, maybe we'll have better luck this year.

 

[MickeyFlirt]

We have always found them everywhere. At the front of all the parks, in front of some rides, everywhere there is a character meet and greet. several different places around the castle, in front of the walt and mickey statue, in front of the minnie and mickey bushes at MK, and the list just goes on and on. we go to WDW about once or twice a month for day trips, but never really bought the pictures, until the CD came out than we took a bunch of pictures all over and came home with over 200 pictures, of course we spent a whole day at MGM "hunting down characters"

 

[Ava]

Photopass really needs an option where I can download pics (no CD), and only the ones I want at a reasonable price of maybe $1 per pic. That's what the transmission and the labor cost, IMHO with a 50% profit on top of it. They have this ability, but it was not an option when we got home from our last trip in October 2005. I was livid, as we had assumed this would be an option, and did not take many of our own pics at all. I won't make that mistake again. If I wanted a print, I guess I could order that, but we're a digital household, and look at pictures on digital media more than printed photos these days.

I think the OP is right on with being disappointed with Photopass, as that's definitely how I felt when I saw their limited CD/prints and nothing else options when we got home.

I'll probably get flamed for posting this since it's "working the system" but I found a way to save the PhotoPass photos to my hard drive for free. I was also able to save any enhancements (borders, signatures, etc.) I'd added to the pictures. All I did was save the whole webpage containing the photo by clicking on "File" and then "Save As" in my browser's menu. This saved 2 things to my computer - an HTML document (the full webpage exactly the same as it is when you view it online) and a folder containing all the images used to create the webpage (borders, link buttons, etc). This folder contained a jpeg of my photo, including any enhancements I'd added, which I was then able to rename & save in the folder where I store photos on my hard drive.

This worked for me using Windows XP & Internet Explorer. I don't know if it will work the same way with other operating systems or browsers.

 

[brivers222]

We encountered several photopass people at all the parks. Mainly at the enterances and for character greetings.

It really came in handy especially when I wanted to meet Darth Vader and My wife wanted to meet the Anakin face character. I simply gave her our photopass and then got a new one from the guy at the vader signing. They can combine them at the park OR you can combine them when you get home and register.

Photopass will never be a direct replacement for personal cameras no matter what. If all you want to take pictures of is the A) Post card type photos with your family in them or B) Character greetings than they could be a replacement. But they will never be able to take pictures of random things for you like the enterance to Sci-Fi Diner or beautiful sunset or the fireworks... It just isn't going to happen, they are there as a supplement to help you take pictures but there is far too many vistors to have photopass personell act as a personal picture taker for you... Hence the personal camera will always be used at Disney.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

I like the PhotoPass strategy of eventually being able to replace a personal camera, but it will never happen unless they have photographers at every meal, in every resort, and in every room.

Having said that, PhotoPass was still great insurance. Some of my pics ended up fuzzy, but the PhotoPass ones did turn out and preserved those moments. Plus, we ended up with some beautiful night shots of our family in front of the castle and Spaceship Earth.