Maternity Photos at Epcot

catra121

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
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I just booked a maternity photo session at Epcot through Disney Fine Arts Photography yesterday for my upcoming trip in September. I'm VERY excited about it...but I am curious if anyone here has ever done this?

It sounds like they have a couple photographers that specialize in this sort of thing but there are no examples on their website and I wasn't able to find any in a search on the internet either (though I did get some great ideas from other photos I saw).

Just curious if anyone has done this and if you have...if you could share your experience. Either way I am sure I will have a great time and get some wonderful photos. My parents did their vow renewal at Disney World back in 2007 and, in addition to the shoot at the vow renewal ceremony, we had a photo shoot at Magic Kingdom...those are some of my most treasured photos. I wanted something very special since I will be 28 weeks along during the trip.
 
Since no one responded to this when I originally posted it...I thought I would update with my ACTUAL experience in case other people are interested or considering doing this.

First off...the actual experience in the park was a pretty good one. Epcot opened at 9am and my photo session was at 7:45am. I took a cab from Caribbean Beach Resort to Beach Club so I could use the International Gateway (where I was instructed to meet the photographers). I was about 45 minutes early...I've never used the international gateway and was surprised at how close it is to Beach Club. I didn't mind though...I got to watch the sunrise over Epcot and that was actually pretty neat.

Right at 7:45...I was let into the park to meet the photographer and her assistant. They were both really nice and did their best to make me comfortable. I use a walker...but I didn't want the walker in the pictures so they were good at trying to set me up in places where I either had support...or the assistant brought me my walker when I needed it so I didn't have to try and walk without it.

I brought some props with me to "Disney Up" the photo session. I bought some Minnie shoes from Kohls, a pink Ear Hat with "Baby Schmitz" embroidered on it, and a Minnie rattle plush that I saw in the parks the day before. I knew I didn't need or want them in ALL the pictures...but I did want at least a little bit of Disney in some shots otherwise what's the point of having the photo session in the parks?

We had one really cute moment during the photo session when they put the Minnie shoes on my belly and the baby kicked on of them off...lol...it was definitely a memorable moment for the day.

The whole session lasted about an hour and I was released out into the parks right around rope drop with the rest of the crowds. I really enjoyed being in parts of the World Showcase when there were no other guests there...even the people let in early for meals weren't allowed in those areas and I enjoyed that a lot.

Only a couple of negatives...some of which I didn't know until after I got to view my photos. The first is that the whole first batch of shots are all completely awful because my hair was doing something funny...why wouldn't the photographer or her assistant tell me or help me fix it? It's disappointing because if my hair hadn't been awful then some of those would have been cute shots. It's only chance that I tucked that piece of hair behind my ear before the next bunch of shots since I didn't have a mirror or anything to see it.

Another issue was that they had me stand under a doorway where water was dripping and it dripped onto my shirt...leaving a wet patch on my chest (in an awkward spot)...which appeared in a bunch of other pictures and sort of ruined them. Not like they did it on purpose...but they never acknowledged it and I sort of thought maybe it was something they could edit out of the shots...but they didn't.

All in all...I got 85 pictures from my session (many of them duplicates where one was in color and one was in B&W). I would say there are about 12 good ones...20 or so REALLY bad ones...and the rest are in the middle and just okay. I'm not a very photogenic person...so I'm pretty happy to have at least 12 good shots...but I did expect more than that from a professional photographer especially given the money I spent on the session...$350 for the session and an extra $100 for the photo disc...for 12 shots that I like. Truth be told...I got more pictures I liked from Memory Maker...

At any rate...and I've only posted pictures on here once before so I hope this works...here are what I consider the good shots from the session:

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Cool pictures but pretty expensive!!!

We did some "maternity shots" in August just using the Photopass photographers and the purchase of memory maker and had some pretty amazing shots!

The Photopass photographers can get pretty creative when they see you're pregnant. :goodvibes

I have one of my belly with Tinkerbell hovering over it, giving the baby pixie dust...one of my favorites! :goodvibes
 
Thanks!!

I really liked some of the photopass photos too...liked a lot of them actually. Still glad I got the experience...but if I have another baby I don't think I would spend that sort of money a second time on the professional Disney photographer session in the parks...just didn't feel it was worth it since I only got about 12 pictures I liked. I have no regrets doing it though.
 

You look great, I love the mix of B&W and color pics. It's a bummer that you weren't happy with more of them, but the ones you've posted are terrific. How fun it will be to recreate some of these poses & settings with your daughter in the future! :)
 
Oh my! I have seen so many of these maternity photo shoots lately. I am a grandmother and in "my day", you avoided being photographed while pregnant for the most part. If a family photo was taken, you grabbed the nearest small child, sat and placed them on your lap to hide your belly.

That said, I do absolutely love this trend. Pregnancy SHOULD be celebrated and not hidden like it is a disfiguring disease. Thank you for the posted photos. It does seem a little pricey however.
 
First of all -- Congratulations. I've been blessed to be a mom six times over now and I am excited for your future with your DD.

Secondly - you look gorgeous! I actually looked at the photos before I read your text and I have to disagree with your statement that you are not photogenic. You look radiant! I'm sorry that your hair didn't behave and how stupid of the photographer not to say something. I can think negative thoughts about that because you paid the price regardless of how great the shots were, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and suggest she really didn't get that you'd not like the hair...

Third - those photos are excellent. Just exquisite. I love how unique they are with the Epcot locations. My favorite is the one with the Eiffel Tower in the background, and I'm not even a France fan. ;)

I sincerely hope you enjoy them. Yes, that is crazy expensive, but it was a special treat and I hope they tickle you for years to come. ♥
 
FWIW, I think that both of the issues (hair and wet spot) you mentioned sound like pretty easy fixes with Photoshop. I personally think for that price, you should ask them to retouch those. If they won't, someone halfway decent with Photoshop could do it. (If you have a favorite or two that just need one thing fixed, I'd be happy to try for you although I am no expert!)
 
Well, we just got back from our trip, or I would have responded. You obviously paid the $350 for a session in the parks. We paid the $125, I think, for a session at one of the hotels.

We stayed at Beach Club and the photographer met us there...I'm happy so fa, but havent' looked at or tried to edit or order any of the pictures

But, he was on time, was professional, and took a lot of pictures.

It was worth it for us...I think your pictures look great.

On the black and white pictures...did she take those in Black and white? I would love to make some of ours black and white, but they are in color now.
 
You did get some really great shots. :goodvibes I especially like the one with the fountain and the shots posed on the ground. In the end you can print and display only so many pictures anyway. :thumbsup2 I only ended up choosing five shots from my local maternity shoot. I love them but there are only so many pictures of my big belly that was needed, lol.

I do agree that a professional photographer should have fixed your hair if it was visibly off. Maybe if you choose a few of your favorites and ask they will be willing to just touch those up to correct the hair/water spot. If you have one or two that you REALLY like aside from those issues and want them I would definitely give it a try and contact them.

Congrats!
 
Very cute!!! Sorry you weren't happy with some of them and I would DEFINITELY be asking them to photo shop - those are super easy fixes!

You look adorable by the way and the shirt is fantastic!

And TOO sweet to the poster who had the tinkerbell belly kiss. I'm never having another kid but that is an adorable idea.
 
You look absolutely radiant in all of the pics! Thank you for sharing and best of luck with your little princess!
 
Maternity photos are lovely. Maternity photos in Disney is even more lovely! What a great presentation. Lovely !!!
 
Well, we just got back from our trip, or I would have responded. You obviously paid the $350 for a session in the parks. We paid the $125, I think, for a session at one of the hotels.

We stayed at Beach Club and the photographer met us there...I'm happy so fa, but havent' looked at or tried to edit or order any of the pictures

But, he was on time, was professional, and took a lot of pictures.

It was worth it for us...I think your pictures look great.

On the black and white pictures...did she take those in Black and white? I would love to make some of ours black and white, but they are in color now.
She took the photos in color and then made them B&W...I have color versions of all the B&W ones...but I like the black and white.
 
Thanks everyone for your kind comments.

I will look at some of the photos I'm disappointed with and see if they can fix any of them...though I guess the person who said there are only so many photos of your belly you can display is right...lol!

I know I paid for the experience...and the actual experience was a good and special one...a great memory from my pregnancy. The whole trip was amazing even though I was 28 weeks pregnant and I'm really glad I got to go. This photo session was on special moment on that trip and when my boyfriend and I go with her in the future then I think we should get some family photos taken...but maybe at one of the resorts to keep the costs down a bit.

Just wanted to share my experience and the results in case anyone else is on the fence about doing the session and the information helps them. :)
 














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