Do you use photopass?

[Spinning]

have to say I wasn't impressed. We were in Disney beginning of March with my daughter's band. I asked her to use the photo pass to get some nice group shots of her and her friends since I was not with them. My girlfriend and I also got a pass and planned to combine the cards. I was surprised how expensive a photo was and that many of them were blurred. I was so glad I didn't preorder it.

 

[disneyboy2003]

have to say I wasn't impressed. We were in Disney beginning of March with my daughter's band. I asked her to use the photo pass to get some nice group shots of her and her friends since I was not with them. My girlfriend and I also got a pass and planned to combine the cards. I was surprised how expensive a photo was and that many of them were blurred. I was so glad I didn't preorder it.

Yes, I've had the same experience with PhotoPass Photography, where those photos were often out-of-focus, had weird color casts (from wrong or auto white balance), or something else. I'm sure we've talked about this multiple times in previous threads.

I know how to take good, comparable PhotoPass-style photos, so I probably don't need their services. However, seeing them hold all that camera equipment and all dressed up in their vintage photographer uniforms, to me, makes them look "super professional." So maybe that's why I always concede and buy-in to their PhotoPass photography, despite my multiple previous experiences receiving "snapshot-like" photos from them.

But what I do like about PhotoPass is that I can have as many PhotoPass photos crammed into a single CD for 1 single price. So if you've got that $100 pre-order CD price, don't shy away from PhotoPass Photographers. In fact, take every opportunity to get your photos taken by them. I routinely get about 150-200 PhotoPass photos for each trip.

When I receive them on CD later on, I always have the option of getting them printed myself at a local photo store. In reality, though, those PhotoPass photos just stay on the CD and are sometimes uploaded into my SmugMug account.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure why I still buy into the PhotoPass photos. I usually have thousands of my own photos to sift through...why do I need another 150-200 mediocre quality photos to add to my collection?

 

[MinnieForMe]

We always use it! It is just plan convenient plus my kids listen better (posing) to a stranger!

We even did the walk around with a photographer at the Grand Floridian three year's ago. We loved it!

 

[mom2rtk]

We end up buying it on every trip, in spite of the fact that I take the same photos on my own camera.

1) I like adding the borders online, especially for special events like MVMCP and MNSSHP

2) Inevitably they will end up with a handful of shots with better smiles, or someone not blinking, or like this last trip, when the dial on my camera got changed accidentally and all of my Daisy/Donald pics were completely blown out. I'm still not sure what happened there, but I think maybe last time I used AV it was set at 2.8. Then somehow my camera got changed from TV to AV between meeting Minnie and Donald/Daisy. Long story short...... it's insurance against accidental flubs.

3) Word of note........ I have seen a pattern. Once night hits and I would need a tripod to get good shots in front of the castle, I have been letting my guard down and not bothering with mine, but letting it be all Photopass since they are all set up with tripods ready to go. This is a mistake. If the shot is important, take it yourself. I have found the foreground WAY too washed out on most of these shots (i.e. the people). Then there was a big batch taken where the person in the foreground was completely out of focus. I guess they had set the focus manually for the spot they wanted everyone on, and it was wrong in every single picture.

I think you'll find a lot of folks here use both because we LOVE photos, and do see photopass as a great insurance of getting the right shot. After all, it's completely refundable, so there's no harm in trying.

 

[WriteDisney]

I voted YES but only use it for the Disney Visa Rewards free print each day. I also hand them the card when doing character meets just in case they catch something that I miss and really want.

Is there a free Disney Visa Rewards print every day? I remember reading something about a free 5x7 print (from the character stop in Epcot?) but we never take advantage of it.

 

[mom2rtk]

You can go through that special meet & greet with your Disney Visa, then get your free 5 x 7 without further participation in photopass.

 

[Wadecool]

I have a question about photopass that you guys might be able to answer. If I buy the $99 preordered deal, does that mean that I get an unlimited number of photos for that $99, whether I get 20 or 200? I guess I'm confused about what exactly that $99 gets me? TIA

 

[disneyboy2003]

I have a question about photopass that you guys might be able to answer. If I buy the $99 preordered deal, does that mean that I get an unlimited number of photos for that $99, whether I get 20 or 200? I guess I'm confused about what exactly that $99 gets me? TIA

For $99, you get ALL your PhotoPass photos on 1 CD, regardless of whether you had 1 PhotoPass photo or 300+ PhotoPass photos. I believe that a CD holds a little more than 300 photos.

So to get your money's worth, you should take advantage of PhotoPass photographers whenever you can.

 

[disneyboy2003]

3) Word of note........ I have seen a pattern. Once night hits and I would need a tripod to get good shots in front of the castle, I have been letting my guard down and not bothering with mine, but letting it be all Photopass since they are all set up with tripods ready to go. This is a mistake. If the shot is important, take it yourself. I have found the foreground WAY too washed out on most of these shots (i.e. the people). Then there was a big batch taken where the person in the foreground was completely out of focus. I guess they had set the focus manually for the spot they wanted everyone on, and it was wrong in every single picture.

Yes! This is EXACTLY what I've noticed with my night-time PhotoPass photos. The daytime ones are okay. It's the nighttime ones that are usually out-of-focus, difficult lighting, and/or incorrect white balance.

 

[WriteDisney]

You can go through that special meet & greet with your Disney Visa, then get your free 5 x 7 without further participation in photopass.

Wow awesome!

 

[ColleenG]

For $99, you get ALL your PhotoPass photos on 1 CD, regardless of whether you had 1 PhotoPass photo or 300+ PhotoPass photos. I believe that a CD holds a little more than 300 photos.

So to get your money's worth, you should take advantage of PhotoPass photographers whenever you can.

My last photopass had over 300 pictures after I add several borders to each shot, and they put it on to 2 CDs. So have fun and go nuts! I really try to get every pennies worth out of it.