Did Shutter raise their prices?

[su_A_ve]

Guess it's about time to invest in a really great camera before our cruise, with these prices, the camera would be a better choice!!

For those who've gone to WDW, it would be very easy to think the process is similar to Photopass. But it's not.

At the parks, the photopass photographers will mostly take pictures outside with a semi pro DSLR with a decent lens and a flash. If you have a decent DSLR, they will take a picture with your camera and the results will be as good as what they took for the most part.

At DCL, many of the opportunities are done in sets with backdrops, special lightning and synchronized flash. Also, the cameras are PRO DSLR. The differences are HUGE.

On our first cruise, we took did the length of cruise (5n) and got all the prints. We took pictures with every character and felt it was well worth it.

However, for example, I just came back from WDW during SWW. We took pictures with every character possible. I took over 800 pictures in just 2 days at the park. However, I looked at the pictures taken by the photopass folks, and still have not found a single one better to what I took. I did not purchase any prints from them.

On both cases, I had the same DSLR.

My .02...

 

[shanhop]

This is incorrect.

All the prints are included on the CD (even on the 10/20 digital options). However the files are encrypted on a hidden directory on the CD.

When you install the application on your compute, you can then select the prints that you want to 'export' - in the case of the 10/20 packages, you can select up that quantity - in the case of the length of cruise, you select all of them. It connects to their site and verifies the purchase and then proceeds to unencrypt them and copy them to your computer.

The process to unencrypt them takes time, so if you do this on an old computer, it could have issues or take a very long time.

This is as of December of 2013. They could have changed this recently but I seriously doubt it is the case.

That was not my experience at all last week. It took zero time to "unlock" the photos, but nearly 30 minutes to install the program and download the photos. Also, if the photos were on the CD already, it wouldn't be such a big deal to install the software with in the first month/six weeks before they delete the photos on the ship. And you wouldn't need an internet connection to initially see the photos.

 

[su_A_ve]

That was not my experience at all last week. It took zero time to "unlock" the photos, but nearly 30 minutes to install the program and download the photos. Also, if the photos were on the CD already, it wouldn't be such a big deal to install the software with in the first month/six weeks before they delete the photos on the ship. And you wouldn't need an internet connection to initially see the photos.

I don't have the CD in front of me, but the pictures are there. The process of decrypting them requires a call home to verify the purchase and get the corresponding key to unlock. That's why it must be done within a timeframe or else that key will expire and you won't be able to unlock them.

Encryption and decryption takes lots of resources and that's why it takes time.

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

I am going on a 4 night on the Dream for our honeymoon- do you think it would be worth it to get the CD with all the prints seeing how short the cruise is? Would there be ample photo opportunities? My fiance does not seem convinced that it would be worth it but I think it will be. I am one of those people who love to get in line to take a picture with a character or in front of a backdrop.

 

[time4dis]

I'm not seeing the 20 print option available for prepurchase. anybody know if that is no longer an option across the board, or is that just me?

it's a 5 day.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm not seeing the 20 print option available for prepurchase. anybody know if that is no longer an option across the board, or is that just me?

it's a 5 day.

Different cruises have different options. I believe that the shorter cruises only have a 10 photo package available.

 

[su_A_ve]

Different cruises have different options. I believe that the shorter cruises only have a 10 photo package available.

Yup - and AFAIK, the prices of these has not changed nor it's different than onboard.

 

[dinahfig]

don't forget that they also have the professional lighting / flash equipment too and they include all your family without you having to trust someone else to take a good photo of all your family, including you, with your camera. I think you need to look how much you would spend to have some portraits taken at a local studio, with prints and/or digital copies, but in the end only you can decide if it's worth it for YOU.

I agree. Most of the pics taken by character handlers on the ship on my camera came out blurry. I was glad I had bought the CD.

 

[dinahfig]

Is there some sort of time limit to pre purchase the photo CD package online? I usually buy on the ship but I don't wanna spend more money if I don't have to.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is there some sort of time limit to pre purchase the photo CD package online? I usually buy on the ship but I don't wanna spend more money if I don't have to.

I can't find anywhere that says when the purchase must be made by, but, for pre-cruise pre-purchase I'm going to say it has to be done before you actually board the ship.

If you're unsure, you can go ahead and pre-purchase and, if the package isn't what you really want, then they will credit it back to your onboard account.

 

[MnMzMoMi4LiFe]

Is it possible to purchase the CD ONLY and print the pictures yourself?

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

Is it possible to purchase the CD ONLY and print the pictures yourself?

Yes. There is a release available to allow you to have them printed.

https://image.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/193656-copyright-release

 

[algae]

I am going on a 4 night on the Dream for our honeymoon- do you think it would be worth it to get the CD with all the prints seeing how short the cruise is? Would there be ample photo opportunities? My fiance does not seem convinced that it would be worth it but I think it will be. I am one of those people who love to get in line to take a picture with a character or in front of a backdrop.

Only you can really make that call. For us, we feel it's worth it to at least get the cd. Even though we have a pretty good DSLR, we are at the mercy of non-professional cast members taking our photos. More often than not, the Shutters people can compose the photo better and get the exposure more correct. After all, they take thousands of the same shot day after day after day. We are also the kind of folks who go to every photo op offered--partially to maximize the value of the cd we pre-bought.

Keep in mind that the cd photos will include the Disney borders that we can't get using our own camera.

For the prints, we have to judge based on how many photos we actually took. Over here, Costco charges $1.50 per 8x10 print and they come out really nice from the cd jpgs. You can weigh that against the cost of buying the prints made for you on board.

In our last sailing, a 12-day Med trip, we were able to get 295 photos between the characters, dinners, excursions, etc. That required 2 cd's for all the photos. Looks like they can fit about 240 or so per disk. We were glad we bought the cd because they had special borders for the excursion photos in Rome, Pisa, etc. We pre-bought the cd and waited until the sailing to decide on the "all prints" package for $100 since there was no cost savings to pre-buy. We ended up getting all the prints in the end. We assumed we would like to print all the photos (big assumption there) so the per-print cost would be ~$0.30 each vs $1.50 from Costco. Plus, we learned a couple sailings ago that we'd much rather just buy all the prints than sift through hundreds to pickout 10 - 20. That gave us back a couple hours to spend enjoying the ship instead of bickering over which prints were "better" than the others.

 

[wilkeliza]

Just wondering we are traveling as a group in two conjoining rooms on linked reservations do we have to have 2 packages or since it is by room wr only have to make sure 1 person from the room that bought the cd is in the pictures to get them? We are on a 7 night so 300 might be easy but 600 forget about it.

Also does Shutters CDs include the fancier photos on formal night and pirate night?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Just wondering we are traveling as a group in two conjoining rooms on linked reservations do we have to have 2 packages or since it is by room wr only have to make sure 1 person from the room that bought the cd is in the pictures to get them? We are on a 7 night so 300 might be easy but 600 forget about it.

Also does Shutters CDs include the fancier photos on formal night and pirate night?

The CD must be purchased one per room. The only exception is where there are two rooms with mom & minor kid(s) in one room and dad & minor kid(s) in the other.

If you are in two rooms of extended family/friends, then the first room can purchase the CD and, as long as at least one person from that room is in the photo, it will be included on the CD. Any photos of only people in the second room will not be included.

Or, one room can purchase a CD, and additional rooms in the same group (not immediate family) can purchase their own CD for 50% off.

Any photos taken by the Shutters photographers (except for private sessions) will be included in the CD.

 

[RRBB]

What's the advantage of pre-purchase vs. purchasing once onboard?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What's the advantage of pre-purchase vs. purchasing once onboard?

Recent cruisers are reporting the prices onboard are $50.00 higher than the pre-cruise price.

 

[wilkeliza]

The CD must be purchased one per room. The only exception is where there are two rooms with mom & minor kid(s) in one room and dad & minor kid(s) in the other.

If you are in two rooms of extended family/friends, then the first room can purchase the CD and, as long as at least one person from that room is in the photo, it will be included on the CD. Any photos of only people in the second room will not be included.

Or, one room can purchase a CD, and additional rooms in the same group (not immediate family) can purchase their own CD for 50% off.

Any photos taken by the Shutters photographers (except for private sessions) will be included in the CD.

Thanks. It is just a bunch of friends so I couldn't imagine when we would be split. We would want the CD to get pictures of all of us together. If we weren't all in the photo we would just use one of the many cameras we will have on us.

 

[RRBB]

Recent cruisers are reporting the prices onboard are $50.00 higher than the pre-cruise price.

Thank you. I guess I'll pre-purchase for our upcoming cruises.

 

[su_A_ve]

If you're unsure, you can go ahead and pre-purchase and, if the package isn't what you really want, then they will credit it back to your onboard account.

I thought pre purchase was non-refundable. So if we pre-purchase say the whole CD and end up changing our minds we will get the full money back to our onboard account? I know I would probably just get a 10 pictures digital, but since next cruise is a 7n, we might take more pictures...