Do cast members take family pictures for you as they do in the parks?

[KennesawNemo]

I am about to go on a Fantasy cruise and I am trying to decide if I should order the photo package.

My last Disney cruise was seven years ago so I don't clearly remember everything. I very vaguely remember that one of the cast member declined taking family picture for me at one of the character meet. I could totally be remembering it wrong, though.

Regardless of what happened back then, what is the policy now? Would they take a family picture for me at the character meets? I would be using an Iphone if that matters.

Thank you!

 

[Mommb]

At character meets, it is possible that the cast member helping a character will take a picture for you. This may depend on how long the line is to meet with the character.

At the photo shoots in the lobby (the ones with backdrops), the photographers discourage people from using their own cameras, and there are not always DCL castmembers nearby.

If you definitely want family photos, you can see what happens onboard, and order the professional photos you want if you weren't able to get a castmember to take photos.

 

[Geomom]

The photographers can't take photos with your cameras...makes sense as they're there to sell the pics to you. The cast members who are character handlers are willing to take pics with your camera--we had that done multiple times on our cruises if we all wanted to be in a pic together. So...basically, don't ask the person with a camera to take your pic, ask the person who is keeping the line organized!

 

[vegs1]

We had family photos taken in the atrium. The photographer offered to take one for our family so we took him up on it. We did buy the ones he took but I thought it very gracious that he offered.

Character handlers always took one for us, too.

 

[KennesawNemo]

At character meets, it is possible that the cast member helping a character will take a picture for you. This may depend on how long the line is to meet with the character.

At the photo shoots in the lobby (the ones with backdrops), the photographers discourage people from using their own cameras, and there are not always DCL castmembers nearby.

If you definitely want family photos, you can see what happens onboard, and order the professional photos you want if you weren't able to get a castmember to take photos.

This makes a lot sense now. I may have asked a photographer instead a handler, but then again, I don't entirely remember. I also felt it was very different on the ship vs in the park, as in the park, the handlers usually offer to take a family pic with me.

Thank you all for the suggestions! I may just buy a smaller package on board. I only need one really good one to go on my Christmas card after all, lol.

 

[msmama]

Like others have said, the photographers will not, the other CM's will.

BUT...it's possible they may not be able to if there is an unruly line, or if they are talking to someone else, or...other "emergencies." If that's the case you can always make friends with the people around you and ask them.

Also, I find the lighting to be much better with the professional photos (obviously since they're trying to sell them and I've had them on my Xmas card for 2 years now). The lighting is flat, nothing fancy, but the photos are much brighter than the ones from my phone (even better than the once from my good camera, really), especially the characters in a darker location (i.e., anything not the Magic atrium in my experience). I'm a big fan of the photo package and buy it every cruise, but we are AVID character meeters so it makes sense for us.

 

[SG131]

I was on the Fantasy in May and some would some wouldn't. Generally, all the handlers with the characters would. But the shots with like the captain or the shot on the main stairway on formal night they would not. Some of the pictures were better than others. The lighting wasn't great for some of the pictures on deck three by the shops. There was also a shot of Pluto where he was meeting to the left of the atrium that wasn't well lit enough for a good shot.

 

[lklgoodman]

Don't know if it matters to you or not, but they put boarders around most of the pics that you buy from them. Some people don't like the boarders, so thought I'd mention it.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I may just buy a smaller package on board. I only need one really good one to go on my Christmas card after all, lol.

And that “package” could be as small as a single photo, since you can buy just one if that’s all you want. You’ll be able to view all the pictures of your group taken by the onboard photographers at the kiosks in Shutters, and can order any you want to purchase. There are package pricing discounts based on quantity, but sometimes a single great picture at full price is the most economical choice.

 

[h3kta]

I have had no problems with the photographers taking pictures using my camera or iPhone. They take their pictures first with their camera and are fine with taking additional pictures with mine

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have had no problems with the photographers taking pictures using my camera or iPhone. They take their pictures first with their camera and are fine with taking additional pictures with mine

That is very unusual. Are you talking about onboard the ships? The photographers are not actually Disney employees, they are employees of the photography studio concessionaire. It would be extremely rare that one of the photographers would use a customer's camera to take photos.

If you are talking about the photopass photographers in the parks, they are Disney employees, and will often use a guests camera to take photos.

 

[h3kta]

That is very unusual. Are you talking about onboard the ships? The photographers are not actually Disney employees, they are employees of the photography studio concessionaire. It would be extremely rare that one of the photographers would use a customer's camera to take photos.

If you are talking about the photopass photographers in the parks, they are Disney employees, and will often use a guests camera to take photos.

Yes, on board the ships, during the character meets in the atrium

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Yes, on board the ships, during the character meets in the atrium

Typically, during the character meets, the photographers have DCL CMs assisting them, and they are the ones taking pictures with guest cameras.

 

[hnthomps]

We have always had the handler take a photo with our camera/phone. The photographers use their cameras. And there is almost always a CM who is the character handler AND a second cast member who is the line manager. So it's never been a problem for us, and we have some character meet obsessed children.
We buy the photo package because the photographer's camera is better than our phone camera, generally, but I hate hate hate the photo borders and always try to crop them out. YMMV,

 

[Junebug1029]

For all our character pictures, we handed them our slr camera and had them take our picture. No problem!