Could I have asked for something more?

[mom2rtk]

This is what I label as a "tactical error". I learn from it and move on. Any time you put something outside your own control (like entering a character line with no camera of your own) you take a chance on an outcome like this.

OP, kick yourself and move on.

 

[disneybliss2]

I'm sorry the glitch occurred with the photopass photograph which caused you not to get your family's picture. I know that's a bum deal, but truly there's nothing more that Disney could have done. As others have said, you can't rely solely on the photopass photographers to take pictures. I always take my camera with me for this very reason. It's great to have thepPhotopass photographers around, but you can never guarantee where and when they'll be.

Also, sometimes they don't get the best shot. I always take pictures even if they're there taking pics--just in case. You never know which shot will end up being that special one. Occasionally we've stumbled across a photopass photographer that only wants to take photos at the end when the characters pose with my girls. Sometimes I want the sweet moments of the hugs being given or my girls running up with delight to the character. If I want those moments captured and I see the photopass person isn't snapping away, I've got my camera.

Most importantly, I know we all hold Disney to a high standard. We've come to expect nothing but the best. I get that, but at the end of the day, mistakes and glitches occur even at Disney. Unfortunately, there happened to be a glitch with the camera during your meet and greet experience. I understand your disappointment, but to be upset with Disney or let it sour your overall day, is unreasonable.

On a trip a few years ago, I took my oldest daughter to see the Flights of Wonder bird show at AK. My DH didn't attend the show because he was pushing my youngest around in her stroller as she napped. He had the camera with him. I had never attended the show and hadn't anticipated needing my camera. Low and behold, my daughter was chosen to go on stage to be a part of an act with a bird. Such a special moment. I was so aggravated at myself for not having my camera because I couldn't capture that great moment. Right at that time, my husband happened to walk by just outside the show and could hear my daughter speaking in the microphone. They asked her her name, where she was from, etc., so he knew it was her. He tried to get in the show to take pictures, but they wouldn't let him in since the show was in progress. It was a bum deal, but ultimately my fault that I didn't have my camera. I could have chosen to be mad at the cast members for not letting him in so he could take pictures, but I didn't because ultimately it was my fault for not having it in the first place. Still, my daughter was elated and we'll always remember that special time. I said all this to say...be glad your daughters finally got to see Rapunzel and will hold that happiness in their heart. It can still be a great memory without the photo.

 

[POOHsie]

Aren't there chargers or external power supplies you can get for a smart phone? Maybe I'm generalizing a bit. But that would be my backup plan in case the photopass person didn't show and my phone lost power.

 

[twinplets]

The line was very long. No way we would have ever made it back up. My girls are 8, I was surprised they got back into princesses while we were there. I know it wont be worth a line to them again. Yes, some characters don't have a photopass person, but I have never seen a princess without one. Plus, that is the point of photopass. To get your pictures without lugging around your camera. It isn't cheap for that CD or download. I purchased it to make life easier. By itself, it probably wouldn't have been that much, but that was what it was like both days we went to MK. It was just another example of very poor service at MK. I can think of only one person working there who was even nice. Everyone else had the same attitude you get from the high school kids workings at six flags. It was very different than when we went three years ago. It was just MK though and it was on both days we went there. Made it hard when that was our first stop on our trip. The staff at Epcot and HS was very friendly and helpful when we had a question though.

Too bad Rapunzel hadn't moved to the theatre when we were there. It would have been much easier to get a fastpass and return for a photo another time.


Posted from DISboards.com App for Android

 

[smitch425]

The line was very long. No way we would have ever made it back up. My girls are 8, I was surprised they got back into princesses while we were there. I know it wont be worth a line to them again. Yes, some characters don't have a photopass person, but I have never seen a princess without one. Plus, that is the point of photopass. To get your pictures without lugging around your camera. It isn't cheap for that CD or download. I purchased it to make life easier. By itself, it probably wouldn't have been that much, but that was what it was like both days we went to MK. It was just another example of very poor service at MK. I can think of only one person working there who was even nice. Everyone else had the same attitude you get from the high school kids workings at six flags. It was very different than when we went three years ago. It was just MK though and it was on both days we went there. Made it hard when that was our first stop on our trip. The staff at Epcot and HS was very friendly and helpful when we had a question though.

Too bad Rapunzel hadn't moved to the theatre when we were there. It would have been much easier to get a fastpass and return for a photo another time.


Posted from DISboards.com App for Android

The point of Photopass is NOT so you don't have to lug your camera. The point of Photopass is so EVERYONE in your party can be in the picture.

 

[mom2rtk]

I do think it would have been nice if they walked the line and told people what was going on and let those with their own camera skip ahead while those without a camera wait.

 

[chartle]

(rule #1...why do people keep forgetting to quote the OP???)

I was giving the OP the chance to redact their post, but we have gone past that point.

 

[GreenCntryGirl]

I muct confess, I am surprised to learn that when you pay for a premium service like Photopass, they don't have backup equipment available for breakdowns. Every professional photographer I know has a backup camera in case of emergency.

If I had been the next person in line, I would have offered to snap a picture and email it later.

I don't understand why they didn't either A) send another photographer to the area or B) let you wait until the camera was replaced. But, I don't know their operating procedures, either.

I can't imagine how people felt who *thought* they were getting photopass pictures and *might* have lost out on them if that camera broke.

 

[deegack]

I muct confess, I am surprised to learn that when you pay for a premium service like Photopass, they don't have backup equipment available for breakdowns. Every professional photographer I know has a backup camera in case of emergency.

If I had been the next person in line, I would have offered to snap a picture and email it later.

Photo pass is free. If you order the cd or pictures they cost money.

 

[TDC Nala]

Sorry, bad luck. Best that could have happened is to get someone in the line to email you a photo.

 

[mdsoccermom]

On our trip earlier this month we went to MK. It was suppose to be a day that was a 5.2, but I know it turned into a heavy day. I guess it had rained a lot prior to us being there (It also rained a lot our whole trip) and people were coming out not matter what that day. The whole day was trying and we spent most of it trying to follow our plan (the fastpass return line at splash mountain was all the way out to the park when we returned!) and not feeling much magic, but I kept trying.

In the afternoon, my girls wanted to see Rapunzel. They had autographs and photos with the other princesses when we were there prior, but never her. She was on a break when we made it over there around 4:30. The CM said she would be back around 5:15 and that would be the last time for the day, so my girls and I got in a line and was about the 15th group. My phone was dead from using the line app all day and we were doing Photopass, so I didn't bring my nice Nikon to the park to lug around. Well, when it was our turn, Rapunzel was beautiful and wonderful to the girls and they got her autograph. However, the Photopass person was gone when I had just sen him snapping photos. I asked the handler where they were and was told they had camera problems and had to leave. I explained why I had no phone camera and I was counting on that Photopass and was basically told tough luck. I get that these things happen, but couldn't they have at least offered to let us wait and get a quick picture when the Photopass person returned? Surely someone was coming back in a few minutes. I was pretty ticked as my girls really wanted a photo with her and since they are twins they never get individual time and photos with the characters, so we never take nearly as much time as many other people in line.

It was just one more disappointing thing piled onto that day at MK. Not only that moment, but the whole day I felt like not one person working at MK wanted to be there.

I can't imagine what you could have asked for? Unfortunately, everything mechanical has a problem sooner or later. The guy's camera was no different. And it's not Disney's fault that you let your phone die and left your camera behind.

 

[valee]

If the line was closed, so you couldn't go to the back and work your way up again, you may have been able to just keep letting the person behind you go ahead until either the photographer returned, or the end of the line caught up with you.
For example, I'd be glad to go ahead of you if you told me that you were waiting for the photographer to return, and the people farther behind shouldn't complain, because you haven't extended their wait.
That happens frequently when I'm at the grocery store - the parent has a "Oh no - I forgot _________" moment, and a child is dispatched to get the missing item.

Please note: I am not discussing the situation when two adults hold places in two separate M&G lines for a child. That's been addressed in other threads.

 

[Hannathy]

Your girls will have to do what we did as kids. Keep it as a good memory in their minds! We didn't get pictures taken of every single thing we did or saw.

They experienced it and saw and met her and got her autograph so they do have something from the meeting. So they have a memory and an autograph sounds like a good day to me.

 

[Reddy]

but who could say if the photopass guy even came back to that spot since it was the last time slot for her.

want to talk about needing a camera - my family was in Epcot,youngest & me were waiting to meet Mary Poppins, so I have the camera -- DH took oldest to walk around the "knot" garden in the back of UK & they make the corner as the same time Tigger comes around the corner aheading towards them, they run into each other, take a step back then hug very tightly - DH said that was the biggest smile he saw on oldest -- he has said next trip we are both having a cameras

 

[Cee]

No worries. It sounds like your girls had a wonderful and unforgettable experience with Rapunzel. That "photo" is in there mind's eye and will be there always.

 

[Ginny Favers]

This happened to us. After waiting on line for an hour, we got up to see Rapunzel and the handler informed us the photographer was not available.

Luckily, I had my own camera. Unfortunately, my own camera takes terrible pictures, so I'd really have loved the photopass one.

But oh, well. If that was the worst thing that happened to me all vacation, I'd have said it was a pretty good trip.

 

[maxiesmom]

It was just another example of very poor service at MK. I can think of only one person working there who was even nice. Everyone else had the same attitude you get from the high school kids workings at six flags. It was very different than when we went three years ago.


Posted from DISboards.com App for Android

I'm not sure how an equipment failure = poor service. Stuff breaks, even at WDW.

I agree with the poster who said it was a tactical error. When something is that important to you, always always have some back-up. It sounds like you made a mistake by not bringing your camera with you, and then ran into bad luck when the photopass person's camera wasn't working. I can't see how any of that is bad service,it is just rotten luck. And not something that deserves any kind of compensation from Disney.

 

[gator girl]

So I'm still the only person who wants to see the Photopass CM in thumbscrews as punishment?

 

[Minnesota!]

I would have asked someone in line that had a camera or phone with a camera to please take a picture for you and send via e-mail or post service. I have sent plenty of pictures to others who had camera issues or forgot their cameras. I hope you can get pictures next time you visit.

The point of Photopass is NOT so you don't have to lug your camera. The point of Photopass is so EVERYONE in your party can be in the picture.

Exaclty! PP is a FREE service so that you can get the WHOLE family in the shot..

 

[twinplets]

I agree that it was tough luck, but it is irksome when you pay what you do for Photopass. That is the whole point of it, to not need your own camera. I didn't want to lug my nice camera around in the park all day in the rain to risk getting ruined. If there is a place to charge a phone in that park as someone suggested, then I had no idea, and it isn't like you can just hop out to your car and plug it into the car charger at MK.

Like I said, it wasn't just the Rapunzel moment, but all thee moments at MK as a whole that became so very frustrating. I always try to be considerate. I want my kids to get their moment, but I also make sure we move along in a timely manner as I know others are waiting a long time too. One time I asked if they could take my daughters' photo as an individual instead of together with the Character and you would have thought I was asking for something HUGE. The Character was nice, of course, but the Photopass person acted like I was being a pain. I asked this one time at one character because being triplets my kids always get lumped together in everything. My two girls mentioned they wished they could take a photo by themselves, so I asked at our next character greeting when they moved to snap them together with Tinker Bell for a formal pose. They did it, but it was with a sigh and attitude. I don't see why it was a big deal when I see adults with no kids taking forever snapping their shots with characters and I saw moms with itty,bitty babies that will no memory being very picky about their photo, but two 8 year old girls want an individual photo with a character instead of always having to share with their identical twin and we are holding up the line.

Since my boys weren't into it this time and my girls are now 8, I am hopeful this was our last time to ever have any kids interested in meeting characters. I will gladly never get in one of those lines again.