Could someone explain photopass? Is it a good deal?

[barb383]

Hi everyone. Could someone please explain the whole photo pass system? A group of us are going (4 families) in May. One family heard you can get Disney to do a photo album for you while your are there. Is that with a photopass package of sorts? Is it a good deal and where do I find prices, info etc... Thanks!!!!

 

[Aliceacc]

I went in August and did a photopass share with my sister and a friend, both of whom were there in the same general time frame as my family. We pre-ordered the CD and split the cost 3 ways. So what should have been a $120 photopass cost us each $33. For you it would be only $25. I thought it was well worth the money.

Here's the basic idea: at a huge variety of places in the parks, you'll find photopass photographers. You go up to one and have your picture taken. The first will give you a card wth a bar code on it. From that point on you can re-use that card (Or double up if your party splits up. Our group of 3 familes had a total of 6 or 7 cards I think.)

Once everyone is home, you open the account and you can edit the photos. You'll find that some of the photographers have inserted special effects. For example, we have a series of photos with Cinderella's castle in the background. The photographer had us hold out our hands and look surprised. When we got home, we found Tinkerbell in the outstretched hands. At that point, you can edit the photos-- make copies of each original with special effects like borders, or insert Mickey or Pluto into the corners of the pictures.

We then ordered the photopass CD. It came a few days later. My husband gave each family a copy of their pictures, though he could have given each family a full set and no one would have cared, since we all know each other.

Hang on a sec and I'll find you more concrete info.

 

[Aliceacc]

Here you go, from www.mousesavers.com:


Disney's PhotoPass
Disney’s PhotoPass presents Walt Disney World guests with a way to capture treasured moments. Using professional digital equipment, photographers take photos of guests throughout the theme parks. Instead of receiving a paper claim ticket, guests receive a Disney PhotoPass that links all of their vacation photos together into one online account for easy online viewing and sharing. Guests can use one PhotoPass for their entire vacation or get a new PhotoPass each time they take a photo.

MouseSavers.com readers report that the quality of PhotoPass shots is highly variable, since some of the photographers are better than others. Occasionally there is a glitch and photos are lost by the system (or the photography equipment fails). So if it is really important to get an excellent shot of a particular event or experience, be sure to take your own photos, too! Also, reader David F points out that "every photographer (and just about any other cast member) was more than willing to use our camera to take a picture after they did the PhotoPass shot. They do not seem to be restricted to only doing the PhotoPass pictures."

Although Disney’s PhotoPass replaces the old photo system at Walt Disney World Resort, guests are still able to view and buy their vacation photos at Disney Photo Centers throughout property.

Better yet, instead of having to wait in line at a Photo Center for their photos, guests can view, share and order their photos online at DisneyPhotoPass.com. At DisneyPhotoPass.com, guests can also add decorative borders and other Disney-themed elements to their pictures. There is no charge for obtaining a PhotoPass or viewing or sharing your photos online. The cost of ordering prints from DisneyPhotoPass.com is similar to the cost of buying the same photo at a Disney Photo Center: it starts at $12.95 for a 5"x7" print.

Be aware that you must register the serial number(s) of your PhotoPass(es) online within 30 days or they expire. Your photos are taken off the web site exactly 30 days after you register, so don't wait too long!

You can purchase all of your PhotoPass photos on one CD for $124.95 (but see below for a way to save a substantial amount on it). The CD grants you a copyright release so that you can print the photos yourself. It can be purchased at three Walt Disney World locations: Camera Center at Epcot, M. Mouse Mercantile at Grand Floridian and Toontown in the Magic Kingdom. It can also be purchased at DisneyPhotoPass.com. If you purchase online you can crop photos, add borders and character enhancements, etc., before ordering the CD.

I received this interesting information about the PhotoPass CD from MouseSavers.com reader Ann F: "it doesn't matter how many photos you take, they will all be on the CDs when you order them. I've ordered one CD with almost 700 photos and I'm ordering one today that has 800 photos. I've heard of someone ordering the CD and there were 1200 photos. They do only put 300 [photos on each] CD, so you'll get several CDs [even if you only place one order]."


Pre-order your PhotoPass CD and save 20%. It costs only $99.95 through this link.

MouseSavers.com reader Melissa M reports, "Always seeking a bargain, I checked out your site and there it was... prepay. Well, since they offered a money back refund if you didn't use the code, I figured I didn't have anything to lose. I paid for the prepay, they emailed the code out in minutes, and a few minutes later, I used the code...NO PROBLEMS! .... Hope you can let your readers know that prepay works instantly and that you do not have to pay well in advance."

 

[asoko]

I would say if you split it between all 4 families it is well worth it! Being the photographer of my family, I am never in any of the pictures. With the photopass CD, I have evidence I went with them. I also scrapbook so the pics are essential.

 

[barb383]

Thank you sooooo much for the info! I think that is something we will have to do. Last time we went I didn't know you could preorder and so the pictures seemed so expensive to just order a few! This could really work out great! Thanks again so much!

 

[WDWorBUST]

I think it is a great deal. Since we started going to Disney in 1999 our souvenirs have always been a 5X7 from each park. At the regular print price that's $60. So for over 400 pictures after I edited them this last trip you can bet $100 sounds like a good deal to me And as someone else mentioned - thanks to the photopass photographers there is evidence that I really did go.

 

[squirrel]

Sharing the cost of the Photopass makes it worth it.

The only problem I had was once I started doing the editing of the photos, I didn't know that you had to set the picture size for the boarders. So the photos with the four park icons are all set to the 5X7 size and when I go to a place and have them printed off then the boarder is cut off. All of the photos were set to the 5X7 size but it really only affected the ones with the four park boarder. If you remember to change that when you do the editing then you won't have to pay more to have those photos printed in a 5X7.

 

[Alesia]

This is the best site for photopass info: http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disneysphotopass/

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Thank-you for this information. I plan to share with my mom and sister for our June trip. Really it is a good deal and then I have all the pictures they take too.